I was wondering what the quality of their kits are? I stumbled upon a 1/24 scale Stuka at a local shop and almost snatched it right up, but better judgement prevailed. Since I’m normally an armor guy who dabbles once in a while with aircraft, I figured I better hold off and ask you gents, so I don’t end up wasting money on a turd of a kit. So what do you guys think, anyone have any experience with this one or know what the general quality of Heller kits are? Thanks for any help that you can pass my way.
This kit is a rebox of the Airfix kit released in the late 70’s(?). Never built this kit, but from memory it was one of the better Airfix releases in this scale. I haven’t read it fully, but this discussion may be helpful: http://forum.largescaleplanes.com/index.php?showtopic=18418
They definately are builder’s kits. I have one of those Stukas in my stash, and another half built. Mine has quite a few sink marks that should be filled, but other than that pretty good. And the price isn’t too bad for all of the detail in the box.
Definitely on a par with contemporary Airfix kits, if they are not in fact re-boxes of the same.
I’ve just built Heller’s 1/72 Caudron Renault 714 Cyclone, which looks like it’s at least 25 years old, featuring:
- Raised panel lines.
- Unboxed in wheel wells.
- A seat for the cockpit and nothing else.
As Frank, wrote, definitely builders kits, but then Heller did kit a lot of aircraft no modern mainstream manufacturer would touch.
Karl
Hi!
I am currently finishing Heller’s Mirage III, in 1/48 scale. My experience has been OK so far, but not the best. Decals seem to be good, although my kit’s were out of register a bit in places. The detail level is OK, but could be better. The overall fit of the parts was OK, but required considerable effort (filling, sanding, etc) in some places.
So, overall, I would say the kit I did is OK, but could definitely be better. I’m not sure how the rest of Heller’s kits are, maybe it’s just my one that had problems!
Back in the late 1970s, the Airfix 1/24 Stuka was widely regarded as the best plastic model kit ever - though among the reasons for this were that the crew figures were large enough to be easy to paint, and the kit had an adequate sufficiency of working features. Even today - I’ve got on in my stash - it’s still a pretty good kit, and could form the basis of a superb model, given time, skill, patience and references. While I wouldn’t pay full retail (£58.99, or roughly USD115 here in the UK) for one, at a reasonable discount, I’d go for it. I got mine from a friend in the US, in exchange for a Revell Germany 1/48 Dassault Rafale M.
Generally, Heller kits are of variable quality. Some are superb (their 1/72 ‘Musee’ series of inter-war and wartime French aircraft, many of their 1/400 warships (mostly the French ones, not so much the British ones - their Hood, in particular, is worth avoiding), their large-scale French cars and some of their large-scale sailing ships, for example) some, particularly their more recent offerings, are not. For example, if you see their 1/72 Concorde, or their 1/72 Higgins Boat, run away fast. Very fast.
I cannot think of one single Heller kit which could be described as ‘shake&bake’. In terms of build quality, Tamigawa they are not.
Also, in recent years, quality control at their factory has not always been as good as it could have been. Thus out-of-register decals are the norm, and missing parts not unusual. One of my LHSs once gave me a Heller 1/400 Bismarck which had been returned by a customer because it was missing - get this - the entire weather deck! In fact, I would go as far as to say that when buying a Heller kit, it would be wise to factor in the cost of aftermarket decals, and if there are no suitable aftermarket decals, to think carefully before buying.
As far as missing parts are concerned, this is less of a problem, because their after-sales service is very good. For example, I emailed Heller - in French - about the Bismarck’s weather deck, and within two weeks they had sent me a replacement.
But don’t let this put you off. Among the dross are some very real gems. As ever, you need to ask about a specific kit.
Cheers,
Chris.
Yup, the decals on my Caudron were out of register![V]
I thought it was just me.
Karl
Sadly, no. And remember that, between the early 1990s (maybe late 1980s) and September 2006, Airfix kits were, in nearly all cases, produced at the Heller factory, and had decals printed there. From the mid-1990s, they suffered similar issues in terms of out-of-register decals and missing parts. Be careful when buying Airfix kits which do not state explicity on the box that they are a Hornby product, especially if the words ‘fabrique en France’ appear anywhere on the box.
Cheers,
Chris.
Chris, just checked my Airfix 1/48 Hurricane and it states that it is a Hornby product, not that it matters as I already have a set of Aeromaster decals ready to go.
If only AM decals were so plentiful for obscure French WWII aircraft.
Karl
I have no experience of the kit you are referring to, but many and I do mean many years ago I did build one of their 1/72 scale Alouette III helicopters, and in general it was actually pretty good, the cabin details needed a lot more work than I was capable of at the age I built it, but in general not bad, at least from memory.
Thanks guys, I knew that you guys would have the answers I was looking for. The kit caught my eye, because of the size and of course I like the way the stuka looks and upon looking at the box, the price was only $29.99 USD plus tax. Not a bad price for a large kit as this, but I figured maybe it was so cheap because it was a real stinker. But from the link you gave me of the build log it doesn’t look that bad after all. Not any worse than the old Bandai ME-109 I built a little while ago, just needs alittle TLC. Thanks again for the help. Now hopefully the shop still has it.
I put together the 1/72 I-153… GEEEZ! [B)]
I had all kinds of fit problems. As stated above, a seat for the cockpit and wide open bays for the wheels.
At $US29.99, it’s an absolute snip! That’s cheaper (in the UK at least) than a Tamiya 1/48 P-51D. Barely more than 1/4 the UK MRSP! Buy it! It’s certainly much better than the Bandai Bf.109. Even built OOB it’s a very nice kit, and if you dress the engine up with wiring and piping, and some seat belts (which will have to be scratch-built, but there are etched 1/32 buckles - or maybe even 1/24 racing car seat belt buckles - which you could use) it has the otential to be a stunner.
Although Heller kits often leave something to be desired in terms of raised panel lines, open wheel wells and limited cockpit detail, you have to remember that many - if not most - of them date from the 1960s and 1970s, when such limited detail was common in kits, almost regardless of manufacturer (check out the internal detail of a Tamiya 1/48 Lancaster, which dates from the mid-1970s, some time).
Also, again especially with French subjects, they’re the only game in town.
Cheers,
Chris.
Karl - for decals for French WW2 subjects, check out Carpena and Model Art decals. Both have extensive ranges of suitable sheets.
And the last time I built an Airfix 1/48 Hurricane (which I prefer to the Hasegawa, because, among other factors, it has finer surface detail, and captures the character of the subject better), the decals were perfectly OK, not least because the roundels had separate centre dots. That said, I used AM decals anyway:
Cheers,
Chris.
Chris, I built the Hasa Hurricane a few years back, and found it a real chore, mainly as a result of all those bloody inserts that Hasa are so keen on.
I’ve picked up a few MDC extras for mine, and will add some of the leftovers from the Hasa kit, just to spruce it up a little.
Your’s turned out very well indeed.
I’ll bear mind both those manufacturers in future.
I doubt I would have splashed for AM decals on the Caudron as it only cost me £2 in a clearance pile at TAHS!
Karl
Thanks Karl,
I did use a certain amount of aftermarket/ scratchbuilt detail, including the 2-bladed prop (Aeroclub) and cockpit parts (mostly scratch-built, but Eduard belts).
Remember that SMER have reboxed quite a lot of Heller stuff over the years, often with added etch and resin, and their decals, often printed for them by Propagteam, are usually much better than Heller ones.
And they’re often £1 or so cheaper…
Cheers,
Chris.
Heller has a lot of kits nobody else makes. I’ve got a couple but the only one I’ve built is their 1/72 Allouette 3 which wasn’t a bad kit, a bit simple but that’s not uncommon for the scale.