I was building Trumpeter’s 1/32 f-105g wild weasel and I took one look at the intructions and I was just confused. I took some time to look at them and everything worked fine. Being an armor modeler I’m not used to intructions that are 20 page pamphlets! The reason for the link is what do you think was the easiest intructions (to understand) for what model? What was kind of confusing or rather cheap? Is there any model to avoid just because of it’s intructions?
I think Tamiya and DML have the best instructions. The instructions from Trumpeter have gotten much better, but sometimes the illustrations aren’t clear about where to put the parts. The eastern European companies have the worst instructions I have seen. Poor illustrations and very vague on part placement. Good reference material is the key when building one of their kits.
I HATE the DML style of instructions. Too much happening on one step.
I guess you haven’t built the Tamiya Drago Wagon [:)]
Trumpeter have gotten much much better with their instructions. PIck up one of their larger armour kits and you’re in for a read. I built their 50 ton chinese tank transporter, and have the Faun tank transporter and Soviet SAM with transporter, and all are definitely BOOKS!
Not very impressed with the ICM kit that I have, as far as instructions are concerned.
have an instruction sheet from linberg. it is one page, one side, six steps, with two or three things to do each step. now thats an easy instruction sheet. of course the model wasnt much too it but still…
joe
Bought a wooden ship kit 10 years ago, most of instructions were in Swedish with a few diagrams here and there. After much struggling and trying to decipher Swedish and bad Pidgin English I discovered Instructions were wrong anyway! Did manage to complete ship though . . .eventually!!! Built Trumpeter’s MIAIHA Abrams in 3 col. camo Including IR louvres and panels. Didn’t say on sheet that they’re a kind of grey.(I think). What col are these in reallity?
I like hasegawas instructions. fairly simple and easy to follow. Academy’s are decnt. I like Tamiya’s a lot. when they tell you exactly what each part is, its awesome.
Many of the early Accurate Miniatures instruction sheets were a nightmare - great kits, but the intructions sucked. They did much to improve them - the latest kits are really very good. Plus they have an online build section on their website.
Tamiya, Fujimi, Hasegawa - they’ve really set the industry standard - not only for their instructions, but for their models, as well.
Sorry I can’t help you, I don’t read the instructions, takes the fun out of using my 3 yr old logic to build a model.[^]
Revell Germany instructions are usually pretty good, though on kits like the He177 they are fairly lengthy.
The Italeri instructions with their reboxed Dragon 262 are great until you reach the colour charts, for RLM76 read ‘Light Blue’, for 81 ‘Brown’ and 82 ‘Dark Green’!!! Really useful guys.
Karl
Tamiya are the best. Even the complex models such as the Famo with trailer have good, easy to understand instructions. The construction manual for the Tiger I full option is awesome.
Hasegawa is great too. I have the Trumpeter 1/35 Leopold, and the insructions are…well I don’t know, they are ok but not up to the Tamiya or Hasegawa standards.
I really like the tamiya instructions as well, but I wish they would tell you what each part is. Also, the paint instrcutions for each part would be better if they just said black instead of X1. I dont use Tamiya paint so I’m constantly looking back at the color guide.
I agree with you Casey on the Tamiya paint codes. I wish it were just black or white.
I bought a 1/48 8 ton halftrack along with its towed 88 the intention being to put them in a 1/48 German airfield diorama and the instuctions were all in chinese the company was FUMAN,Great models bad instuctions.
Tamiya instuctions are easy to follow but the colour or color guides i dont like you know 70% Xwhatever +20%Xwhatever +10%Xwhatever why cant they just say RLM 74 75 and 76,i prefer to use Gunze sangyo paints myself.
HAPPY MODELING J.S.
The worst instructions are from Eastern Express-they are photocopies of photocopies and the box art doesn’t match the 3 view drawings which don’t match the instructions which are in Russian. Whew!
I’m curently doing a Yak 1 by Accurate Minatures and am really impressed with thier instructions.
Hi Dave, yes I agree Accurate Minatures and Eduard are the best…
Monogram used to be good too whey back when…
Revell Germany… Well they suck… Whats with all the stupid codes??? It’s as though 20 people wrote the directions with none knowing what the other one wrote…
I took industrial/ marine drafting for two years in College and I still don’t understand what they were thinking… Nice paper though…Great kits, Rocket Scientist instructions…Ugh
[#ditto][#ditto][#ditto] Couldn’t have said it better myself, I agree totally word for word!!![:p][;)][:D]
I recently did Revell’s 1/144 Concorde. The instructions were very short and concise. Probably the shortest and easiest for me by far.