We’ve all seen it… sprue gates in the worst possible location, instructions that such fantasy they must be written by Tolkien himself and so on.
Here is my entry… maybe the 1st of many. I found this one on the AM Helldiver I am working on.
Are you telling me that could not have been on the other side???
To the modern business cretin, “these are just toys.” [V][censored]
This is an Accurate Miniatures kit? Copyright Revell-Monogram Models, Inc. 1997[?]
Yup, that’s right. Rev/mm sold it for $15 a few years ago and AM rereleased it for twice as much. Same kit, different box. How they can justify that is beyond me.
[:O] That is really deplorable! I find it difficult to believe any company could do such a thing. Did someone spike the water-cooler? Can it actually get any worse? I hope not…
Right you both are. Some PE and new decals but the instruction book so far is… well, I won’t say of little use… but it has it problems to say the least. The canopy as it is in the box is unusable. The frames on the windscreen are barely discernable as if they are melting back into the plastic. And the clear sections have a pebbly surface like the glass you would find on window in your shower.
Since this is my first AM kit I can say I am 100% dissatisfied with their quality. But it’s not theirs really is it.
Are all AM kits doctored up oldies or do they make anything they call their own that is really good?
Are you serious? That is a harsh and undeserved statement. AM SBD, Avenger, B-25, Allison mustang, F4F are amoung their best. Strike that they ARE the best moldings of those planes offered in 1/48.
Harsh and Undeserved? No way! All they did was rebox a bad kit and lure people into buying it as a AM kit, that is just plain wrong and I thank hook for bringing it up. I for one would have returned the kit to AM with a scathing letter noting my disapproval and letting them know it was NOT up to the standards I have come to expect from them.
Don
Sorry! I didn’t mean to hijack the thread…[
]
It’s my thread and I will say who hijacks it or not[:(!] (Just kidding[;)])
But really, you did not hijack the thread at all. Just the free exchange of ideas. And I am inclined to agree with your statement.
But I have to say that is a somewhat stupid attitude to take in 1997. It’s not the 60’ or 70’s when plastic kits where flying off the shelves. I would guess that by 1997 most of the kits being bought where by serious builders/collectors. All I am saying it that it is hard enough at time to correct the shape of a wing without having to scrape off the name of the company that made the kit.
I just found this item, too weird to believe;
Spread on a little Tamiya Putty…yumm! [dinner]
I think this is intended as a “filler”—so you spread Tamiya paint on it…[:o)]
my god, are those for real?!? [:O] [(-D]
Apparently they are real, I got this off the Tamiya blog page. They are on other modeling sites as well. Wash it down with some Mr. Surfacer 500. [;)]
http://tamiyablog.com/2006/10/tamiya-can-bread-canned-bread-slices.html
The non-reboxed AM kits are some of the best I’ve ever seen. Too bad about them putting their name on this RM rebox though.
No, they’re usually pretty good. I built a P-51A that I really enjoyed, and I have an SBD-3 and a Yak-1 in the stash. The P-51A was a lot of fun (I linked to a sort of build report I did). The SBD and the Yak both look like great kits that will be a lot of fun.
The guy at the local LHS is pretty hooked into the model “rumor mill” and I guess since AM is a North Carolina company, he keeps up with it. He was telling me they have real cash flow issues. I told him about writing AM, inquiring about the delayed release of their P-51B, which was supposed to be in August. The answer I got back was “engineering issues.” He said not engineering- money. The Korean maunufacturer wants to be paid up front for the run- can’t blame them. The P-39 they were supposed to release in September was an Eduard re-box (though it is supposed to be a good kit). So it sounds like the good quality kits they do produce may be in jeopardy, simply because they cost so much to produce.
But re-boxing an RM kit? That just shoots themselves in the foot. I know wing_nut will buy more than a few models in the next few years- but AM has turned off what would be a good customer. That’s a shame. (Try the P-51A. If you don’t like it- I’ll buy it from you. [;)])
If I buy an RM kit- I know what I’m getting. Heck- that Helldiver is still out there in Monogram boxes- probably for less than you paid with the AM label. But to get RM quality at an AM price- that’s a rip-off.
I’m wondering if they’re on shaky ground. They closed their doors once before. The P-51B’s are late, the re-boxed Eduard P-39, due in Sept., says “Soon” on the website. They’re putting new box art under the “news” section on the site like it’s a reason to buy the kit again.
Too bad. I hope they can stay afloat. They’ve shown they can build good subjects- some of which are fairly unique. Where else can you get an F3F or an SB2U?
Man- I’d love it if they had 90% of the Tamigawa engineering, 90% of the variety of Airfix, and only half again as expensive as Revell? Who wouldn’t pay for that?
If AM does more kits like this Helldiver- nobody will buy them unless they see a history of the molds on the package.
All good points Jon and well said. I know that molds are being bought and sold all the time… I just read somewhere the Airfix molds have just been sold. Now I have never been a big fan of Airfix so if I were to buy another Am kit and it turns out to be an Airfix mold I will not be happy, BUT that won’t happen since I am going to be more careful and ask… probably here first… if it is a 20 years old mold in a shiny new package.
The fact of the matter is anyone who bought the AM Helldiver and expected a top notch kit allowed themselves to be decieved. AM stated clearly it was, guess what a REBOX of a crappy kit. It was crappy then and guess what folks its still crappy. I build RM kits alot and am glad they offer the kits they do. Just because AM boxed an old kit doesnt mean all the problems of the kit would vanish. A few simply clicks of a mouse on your part would have confirmed this. Personally I bought the kit and have zero complaints I got what I expected. As far as buying Airfix reboxes, Im sure you will get “suckered in” and come here a flame a manufactuer for decieving you.
I dont know, but i built the AM SB2C Helldiver witch was a Revell promodler kit and i loved it, went togeather just as nice as some tamiya bulds ive done.
I am hardly “a flame” and if comments I made in a previous made it sound like I was blaming the ‘kit re-bower” or, that I do not take responsibility for my own actions, let me set the record straight.
I TAKE RESPOINSIBLITY for buying this kit. No… I did not know when I bought it that it was a Revelogram from 1997. And no I did not do my research in that I did not ask that simple question…”Is this kit as good as I hear AM kit are?”. The whole thing started with the photo how stupid it is to put raised lettering… I don’t care who makes it…on the top of a control surface of a model.
But let me fair to myself too. I just looked at the entire box… read every single word… and there is not one single reference to the kit being a 9 year old model made by someone else that may or may not have produced a top notch model. I have internet access and a world of info at my finger tips so shame on me. But what about the guy holding that box in a LHS that has to save a while for the $35 0r $40 to buy a model he form a company he hears great things about and does not have the world of info at his finger tips at that moment. Should it be shame on him too?
I hate to say it but the original topic of this post is well and turely dead.
-edit-never mind, it has recovered -edit-