before i start, i live in japan so hasegawa rule most of the hobby shops here please so dont suggest other foreign brands like airfix or revell because theyre expensive…
so here are my questions:
-which best era should i start? ww2, cold war or modern?
-propeller or jet? im looking for a kit that is easy to brush paint and ease of assembly
aside fighters, are bombers easy to build and to brush paint? Ive been eyeing on hasegawa b25 for some time…
If you are just starting out look at Tamiya 1/72 prop fighters, or the same from Hasegawa, less expensive than the bombers and less complicated to build. Don’t try to get the first one perfect, just try to learn a new skill on each one you do and move on to the next. Practice, practice, practice.
As far as subject and era, build what catches your interest. Doing the research on the subject and it’s history is half the fun!
Just my opinion…
-An aircraft without camo or metal finish. You can do camo and metal with a brush, but it takes practice. Learning on a solid olive drab and grey is much easier to start.
Jet or single prop. Prop bombers usually have more than one engine and more complex landing gear.
Less complex over more complex. Learning the basics like prep work, gluing, masking, painting, and decaling is easier when the part count is not excessive and/or microscopic.
Hasegawa has quite a few older kits that still go together very nicely. The cockpits may be basic and they may have raised panel lines, but they still look great when you get them together. I’m not sure what they have in 1/48, but they have a lot of 1/72 aircraft that you can get for $10-15.
Find one you like, do a quick search on any reviews of that kit so you know what you’re getting into.
Single engine WW2 fighters would probably be your best bet. As a rule, the more engines the more complicated :-).
The hasegawa Fw-190A-8 in 1/72 is a beautiful and simple kit as is there F4F wildcat. I would stay away from their P-47’s in this scale if you want ez builds. I am afaid that is the limit of my knowlege regarding their WW2 offerings in 1/72 scale though…
You might want to look for the Hasegawa 1/72 scale P-40 series. Reasonably detailed and easily assembled, I used them in a starter class for youngsters. Most of the small WWII fighters from Hasegawa are good builds.
I echo what others have said - single engine prop or jet, simple color scheme. Like US Army or Navy aircraft. Avoid complex camouflage like Kobayashi’s spotted Ki-61, that dreaded IJAF “snake weave” or Luftwaffe “mirror wave” schemes.
BTW, I noticed your handle is RX79-G - are you an 08th MS Team fan?
Maybe not on your radar right at the moment, but the late 80’s tooled F-14 Tomcat kits even give experienced modellers fits. It’s quite a challenge, but when done well, it’s gorgeous.
The earlier tooling is largely still available and is much more user friendly.
Years ago I built their Bf-109 and Fw-190. A bit more complex paint schemes but not too hard to brush paint. Use a cotton bud to make the ink blot paint scheme.
And the P-47 and P-51 are pretty easy to build. Just brush paint or use a spray can for the aluminum/silver finish.
A lot of the Fujimi kits are pretty good too- I’d think you can get them easy in Japan.
A friend built a 1/72 Tamiya Bf-109E as his first “scale” model (he started off doing Gunpla). He handled assembly well, as Tamiya kits are nigh foolproof. He was a little nervous about the ink spots so prevalent on German WW II aircraft, but in the end he used thin paint applied with a sponge to get the effect. I think it turned out rather well, considering this was his first airplane model.
He had more problems with getting the yellow paint to cover. The one thing he DID have at his disposal (well actually two “things”) to help him was myself and another friend at the table. Both of us are seasoned Luftwaffe modelers, so we helped guide him through assembly and painting. We also provided innumerable nuggets of trivia about the Bf-109 along the way. He had a good time and bought more 1/72 WW II aircraft as a result.
Hope your journey is fun, successful, and filled with innumerable nuggets of trivia!