Question on AMT/ERTL models

General Discussion General Modeling Discussion
1

I’m building a P-40F made by AMT/ERTL and I’m really liking how it’s getting started. Previously, I’ve only built Monogram/Revell. And while I won’t knock Revell or Monogram (I’ve enjoyed those kits) I feel this kit is challenging me and has more detail to work with.

My question is: I thought I read somewhere that AMT/ERTL sold models that were repackaged models built by someone else? Or, you can get AMT/ERTL models now as they are sold by a different company. Do I have one of those right? I’m liking what I’m building, and I’d like to build more by them. As I see it, AMT/ERTL is not in business any more?

Thanks for the help.

2

G-J The AMT brand is still around, just different owners. I cant really comment on the aircraft kits as I am more an automotive modeler but the AMT kit from the late 80’s and 90’s I am guessing would have also been the old MPC brand as well. All the MPC tooling went to AMT Ertl at that time. AMT also packaged kits as AMT/Frog, Heller, and I recall some were also Hasagawa in aircraft kits. I would think that anything you find with the AMT label now you would find to be the old tooling. I am sure there are some aircraft guys out there that can give you more info on the AMT kits, this is kind of a guess for me. Should you build something automotive, I have the information on those kits. Enjoy your building!

3

AMT’s is no longer doing military models. I do believe that they still make car models. All that aside I thing AMT’s aircraft kit molds went to Italeri among others. Their P-40 line may be among those kits.

4

AMT and Ertl/Esci/Scalecraft and Italeri should have their own book someday

A lot of older AMT/Esci/etc aircraft kits can be found in Italeri boxes today,but, not every kit, by a long stretch (all notes are 1/72 scale related)

AMT had an A-4E/F, the kit was the same as the Ertl/Esci/Scalecraft kits, but, is in no way related to the Italeri/Testors/Tamiya tooling,and AMT had an A-4M, it was a Matchbox molding, again, no relation to the Italer/Testors A-4M kits (and that makes AMT’s A-4E and A-4M completely unrelated to each other)

same deal with the AMT F-4S, it was sold as AMT/Ertl, and is not the same tooling as the Italeri F-4S,also, the Esci RF-4C is not the same tooling as the Testors/Italeri RF-4C

on the other side of the coin,you can get the old AMT A-7 Corsair II (and Esci/Ertl) by getting the new Italeri A-7, the old AMT/Esci/Ertl F-8 Crusader is sold by Italeri as the F-8E,if it is old Esci toolings that you really like, some of them were done by Revell Germany, also

for most of these in 1/72, I can take side by side pics, in cases where the internet says “they are the same” when they aren’t, or says “they are different” when they are the same

best way to find out about where a kit came from is exactly what you did do,ask on a forum

Rex

5

AMT just released a F-18A kit; it’s a repop from long ago, part of Round 2’s practice of getting the old molds back in use. I heard they bought out Lindberg as well. I hope they bring back the B-52’s and KC-135’s!

6

AMT/Ertl has a convoluted history/line. Asking about their kits depends on what subject (and scale) and when. For a long time, they were the US sellers of Esci model kits, but even older AMT kits are reboxed Matchbox kits. Some models were of their own manufacture too, for instance original Star Trek kits were made by AMT.

When MPC folded, a lot of molds (like from the original Star Wars series) went to AMT/Ertl.

In the mid 1990s, AMT actually made their own line of aircraft models, the 1/48 P-40, F7F Tigercat, A-20 Havoc and many of the larger, 1/72 scale aircraft (those flying wings, KC-135, EC-135, XB-70) were pretty good kits.

For armor models, an AMT kit is most likely an Esci model. One of the best M60 tank kits in 1/35 scale is the Esci kit in an AMT blue box. I do not believe AMT/Ertl ever did their own tank kits (regardless of scale); I believe they were all reboxed Esci kits.

7

Thanks a lot for the great answers. I googled and hit up ebay last night to see what I could dredge up. I found many many cars, but being a WW II plane guy, this wasn’t going to help. I did find a couple of jets, and only a handful of WW II aircraft. But it looks like it has dried up, or moved on.

8

I know the recent P-40 releases by Italeri are former AMT/Ertl kits. AMT/Ertl did a P-40F, P-40K and P-40N around 1996. AMTech reboxed the P-40 series in the early 2000s, corrected some things and expanded the line.

Where AMT/Ertl produced the kits as separate versions, Italeri tosses in the parts to make two of each version. Kit 2717 is the P-40 E/K and 2658 is the P-40 M/N. Even the review shots of the Italeri kits clearly show the ERTL logo on the sprues.

I have a few ancient AMT kits (before AMT/Ertl) like a Meteor w/V-1, P-47, P-36A Curtiss Hawk, B-26 Martin Marauder, MiG 15 and a few other decent (but dated) 1/48 scale aircraft. I do not know if they were someone else’s molds back then though.

9

I am pretty certain that those were original AMT moldings. Round 2 is going to re issue the AMT 1/48 F9F soon. The B-26 Marauder is actually fairly well reviewed, but is certainly dated and needing improvement by today’s standards.

10

Hey there G-J, I have that kit in my stash as well as the 1/48 A-20 Havoc and F7F Tigercat. From my understanding these are original casts from AMT and they are quite nice kits. Although I have yet to build one of them I have seen them built up in person as well as on the internet. They are nicely detailed and the fit is decent but, not stellar. I got mine off ebay. There is also a decent amount of AM stuff out there although you may have to do a bit of searching. In 2010 Fermis built the Hobbycraft P-40F/L which is a reboxing of the AMT kit. He did some incredible stuff with it and if you take a look you might find some helpful hints. Here’s a link to his thread: Hobbycraft 1/48 P-40 WIP done. If that doesn’t work then just type it into the community search. I’m looking forward to some pics of your progress on that kit.

11

Thanks.

I’ll have pictures up in the 1943 Group Build shortly (though probably not tonight.) I’m still working on the cockpit. Funny, this is the first plane I’ve done without a decal for the instrument panel.