Zhendgefu EF-111
I need an EF-111 for my collection and this is the only kit I can find. Ive never heard of this much less built one. It looks pretty generic but that doesnt always mean “bad kit” right? So was hoping for some pros and cons before spending my money. Thanks guys
sorry, shoulda specified… 1/48. I’ll have to look into the other kits
Hannants list three EF-111A kits. Academy and Hobbycraft in 1/48, and Italeri in 1/72. Hope that helps
From what I’ve seen and heard about Zhengdefu, they make mostly knockoffs of other folks kits, and not very good knockoffs at that.
You don’t mention the scale you’re after.
If you’re after 1/48. Academy is your option.
In 1/72, there have been a few kits: Monogram, AMT, Italeri, Hasegawa.
If what I’ve heard of Zhengdefu is true, the kit you’re looking at is probably a knockoff of one of the above kits.
The Italeri is the only 1/72 EF-111 on the market that I’m aware of right now. At the same time Italeri also released a 1/72 F-111F kit. I saw a review of the F-111F kit somewhere and it said it was a reissue of an older Esci kit, I don’t know if the same can be said of their EF-111 kit.
I would deffinitely recoment you stay away from both the Monogram and AMT issued kits if you find them. The Monogram is simply too old and not up to todays standards and the AMT kit is fit problems nose to tail and back again.
I recently built a Hasegawa 1/72 F-111G and quite liked it. I suspect if you can find their EF-111 kit, you won’t be dissapointed.
Run, don’t walk, from Zhen kit and get the Italeri.
I made the mistake of buying one. After 5 minutes the whole kit went into the garbage! It was so bad that I didn’t even keep any parts for spares.
#@%$¥&£°!!! -½
That’s all I have to say about Zen-duh-p-u… [;)]
I’ve only seen a couple of their aircraft kits and they were, indeed, hacks (bad clones).
Fade to Black…
My experience with zengdefu ended with me wanting to seek psychiatric help. I had they’re F-14 and nothing matched on it. The bottom had no panel lines at all, and this included for the ailerons and flaps. The canopy was to narrow for the opening. I wound up throwing it as far as I could. Didn’t even try to build it. I wasted 10$ on that sucker and considered it a tuition fee. The Monogram EF-111A isn’t all that bad for an older kit. It does have recessed panel lines and was fairly accurate. Just remember that its a product of the late eighties. Whatever you do stay away from the Monogram 1/48 F-111A as there is nothing accurate about it. The only reason I have it in my collection is because when I bought it, it was the ONLY F-111 in 1/48. It’s made from modified Aurora molds and it shows. Although I do have to give Monogram credit for trying. It’s pretty obvious where they corrected the molds and where they didn’t. Sorry this wasn’t much help.
oh boy, i got one of their kits upstairs. anyone done treir apache? what have i let myself in for?.
cheers
Greg
I did build their F-111. In my favour, I’ve needed psychiatric help for years, so except for the twitch and the invisible owl in my room, I’m fine. Ahem.
OK, I bought it 'cos it was cheap & I’d never built an F-111 before.
Cockpit detail is next to nothing, fit & finish is poor, & it needed buckets of TLC to get into any sort of shape, Oh Yes, forget the decals too, hopeless.
To sum up, not for beginners, experts, or those of a nervous disposition.
Their A-10 warthog isn’t too bad, so long as you don’t mind rubbish, brittle plastic & using sparesbox decals. Sorry Greg, I’ve never seen their Apache.[:o)]
Pete
One word, CRAP!
So if you wanna keep your sanity, STAY AWAY FROM THE CHEAP TEMPTEATION!
The only Zhengdefu kits I have are motorized 1/48 armor kits (M60 and M1)that my father picked up on ebay. But I’d have to go with what has been said here. “PUT THAT KIT DOWN AND SLOWLY BACK AWAY FROM IT” Do not make direct eye contact with it either. My kits were out of scale, poorly detailed, and the rubber band tracks fell apart shortly after I finished one of the kits (M1). The 60 was supposed to have the blazer armor, but there weren’t enough parts to do a correct representation. The only good thing, as I see it, is I didn’t pay for them.
I have ONE of their 1/72 EA-6Bs, just out of sheer morbid curiosity to see how it stacks up with the stockpile of Hasegawa Prowlers. Still not sure what I’ll do with it. I might use it for some crazy kitbash, “what-if” project, or a Nietzche-like self-improvement project (you, “that which doesn’t kill me only makes me stronger…”
or it might go back to E-bay from whence it came!!
I bought 5 of their kits on the clearance rack at Hobby Lobby for about 7 bucks. Needless to say I got what I paid for. Started their Mig-25 first. After the first look at it I don’t think I’ll even open the other four. The only thing they are good for is a crash and burn diorama.
Total agreement with everything said above. Even here in Poland where disposable cash is in short supply.Polish modellers stay well clear of anything they do. I could afford to buy their Brig ship kit to see if a Mary Celeste was possible! NO NO NO. Straight in the garbage. Even Lindberg moulds 50 years old are better than their rubbish.
hey Awood23;
Well I have the F-111E from Zhengdefu and from what it looks like they are using the used up molds from Academy because the panel lines are kinda out of depth and the canopies are in bad shape and miss aligned panel lines, best to get them polished out the rescribe the lines on the canopy but the rest of the plastic will need a little touch up and for the price I’m not complaining, also if you want detail it out then use the Eduard PE kit and also to redo the intakes ducts, what I’ve done is use an old Testors 1/4 oz bottle cap, some post it note paper & some 5 minute epoxy, I made the correct intake ducts to make the kit alot better too