The Tamiya 1/35 Panther A. It's very cheap for the scale and it's super easy to build with it's low parts count - AND it's big from a newbie's perspective , so you feel like you're building something impressive over a 1/72 kit. Actually, most of the old Tamiya kits that were originally built to be motorised from the 1970's , as again they have a low parts count and are simplified compared to later kits from various manufacturers. The old Matchbox 1/76 kits, later released by Revell are what I cut my modelling teeth on. Coming with their own diorama base, they just blew me away in the 70's as a young kit, especially when other kits were dearer and didn't have a "Cool scene" to go with them. Same with the Matchbox range of aircraft. Low parts count on the smaller 1/72 fighter planes, 2 or 3 colour kits with "no need to paint". Boy, there were some weird colour combinations back then !
@@ianbeale2527 I've actually never built their Panther but have heard the same feedback, my buddy built it later in his modeling life and said it was too simple for him, but that usually means perfect for beginners and i think its their 2nd or 3rd cheapest kit. Good suggestion!
@@ianbeale2527 i also have one of those matchbox jagdpanthers, which was a fun build with a mini base of rubble, just wasnt able to find any available online so i left it out :/
@@malemodeler7 Revell have once again resurrected the old 1/76 Matchbox kits, but this time under the banner of, "My First Diorama". Not a bad thing in itself - but the price point is just too high considering the mileage Revell have gotten out of these 50 year old moulds.
@@ianbeale2527 oh i had no idea they were still around. Youre right though, im seeing a nice Wespe in a desert scene but its $35... :/ I'd totally build that for $10 which mustve been what I bought the jagdpanther for. I dont remember spending over $20 for anything that first year i was building models. I remember trying to hide a $40 tamiya valentine out of fear of judgement from my wife 😂😂😂
Very much agree’re the M41 Bulldog. Fantastic kit and a big model at 1/35 and so cheap to pick up. With regard to the Airfix starter sets - i think there is some confusion between gift sets and starter sets. The airfix starter sets have paints, glue and brush, a shadow stand and a simplified parts count and additional information sheet with modelling hints. As far as im aware the new starter range has 4 aircraft, 3 tanks, and a few small cars. I think you might be showing the old airfix starter range? As for tamiya aircraft suitable for beginners- their 1990 range of 1/48 aircraft are also recommended.
@@stephenwhelan2515 yeah ive found a lot of different airfix starter sets. Theres like 5 different spitfires alone all from.different years i guess. If you look at their website it says they have 0 starter and 0 gift sets. Ebay says differently tho :)
2 models I would recommend for newbies who want to do something a little challenging paint wise but easy to build would be the Tamiya Matilda II and R35 light tank kits. Relatively new kits with good clean parts, lovely detail and very easy to put together. The reason I would recommend them is that there are all sorts of crazy and interesting colour choices to pick for them so newbies can use them as a good way to learn "basic" but extremely helpful painting techniques and touch into doing things such as masking tape/putty lines to make interesting patterns on the armour. The Matilda has a lot of interesting desert/med colour schemes such as caunter (AK interactive make a ready good caunter kit) and the box camo on the R35 is also really fun to do. (The R35 would be a good way to get into using markers too for the bold black lines which help to cover up any little mistakes in painting too) And ofc, when ready, great models to use for trying out things like weathering powders/oils on too, a lot of nice little detail points to test things on.
Ive been eyeing that Matilda for a long time! There are so many good "beginner kits out there, namely half of tamiyas armor. I just found that so many of these first kits that are being recommended are 30-50 dollar kits and theres more than a couple under $20 that are great for those first couple. I remember the first time i spent $50 on a kit. I never really went back from there and wish i built more 18 dollar kits 😂😂
I heartily agree. The Matilda is a superb kit. I painted it in the caunter scheme and enhanced it with some Miniart North Africa figures riding on top. I also have the French R35 in my stash, which I am looking forward to building. It's a cute little tank! They are the right balance of detail and complexity and as always with Tamiya beautifully engineered and packaged.
@@Mike-mm4mx i just watched a build video for the Matilda, but am already over my stash limit. It looks like such a classic Tamiya kit! I need to building something quick so I can get one 😂
Whether you're a beginner or intermediate, Tamiya is the best model kit. Because many Chinese model brands ( Takom, Dragon, Trumpeter, Border...etc) have too many parts unnecessary, the parts don't fit that well. Tamiya kits usually easier to build, detailed yet not too cluttered/ too many parts. No other brands can't beat Tamiya for its engineering, fits like Lego blocks , easy to follow manuals, and the best box art, Tamiya's kits quality.
Yeah I wanted to do something other than Tamiya, but it's almost impossible even to find singular models, let alone entire companies that fit like Tamiya. Some of the new Airfix is really good for aircraft though. I'm building an undisclosed model right now (video will be up in a couple days), that honestly fits like Tamiya, which is great to see. I'm with you on the small parts though, there is a time and place for it, but I don't enjoy kits that are 1200 pieces when they could be 500 or whatever. I'm in the hobby to have fun! Not lose more than 2-3 parts per kit under my chair :)
Cool models.
Glad you like them!
The Tamiya 1/35 Panther A. It's very cheap for the scale and it's super easy to build with it's low parts count - AND it's big from a newbie's perspective , so you feel like you're building something impressive over a 1/72 kit.
Actually, most of the old Tamiya kits that were originally built to be motorised from the 1970's , as again they have a low parts count and are simplified compared to later kits from various manufacturers.
The old Matchbox 1/76 kits, later released by Revell are what I cut my modelling teeth on. Coming with their own diorama base, they just blew me away in the 70's as a young kit, especially when other kits were dearer and didn't have a "Cool scene" to go with them.
Same with the Matchbox range of aircraft. Low parts count on the smaller 1/72 fighter planes, 2 or 3 colour kits with "no need to paint". Boy, there were some weird colour combinations back then !
@@ianbeale2527 I've actually never built their Panther but have heard the same feedback, my buddy built it later in his modeling life and said it was too simple for him, but that usually means perfect for beginners and i think its their 2nd or 3rd cheapest kit. Good suggestion!
@@ianbeale2527 i also have one of those matchbox jagdpanthers, which was a fun build with a mini base of rubble, just wasnt able to find any available online so i left it out :/
@@malemodeler7 Revell have once again resurrected the old 1/76 Matchbox kits, but this time under the banner of, "My First Diorama". Not a bad thing in itself - but the price point is just too high considering the mileage Revell have gotten out of these 50 year old moulds.
@@ianbeale2527 oh i had no idea they were still around. Youre right though, im seeing a nice Wespe in a desert scene but its $35... :/
I'd totally build that for $10 which mustve been what I bought the jagdpanther for. I dont remember spending over $20 for anything that first year i was building models. I remember trying to hide a $40 tamiya valentine out of fear of judgement from my wife 😂😂😂
Very much agree’re the M41 Bulldog. Fantastic kit and a big model at 1/35 and so cheap to pick up. With regard to the Airfix starter sets - i think there is some confusion between gift sets and starter sets. The airfix starter sets have paints, glue and brush, a shadow stand and a simplified parts count and additional information sheet with modelling hints. As far as im aware the new starter range has 4 aircraft, 3 tanks, and a few small cars. I think you might be showing the old airfix starter range? As for tamiya aircraft suitable for beginners- their 1990 range of 1/48 aircraft are also recommended.
@@stephenwhelan2515 yeah ive found a lot of different airfix starter sets. Theres like 5 different spitfires alone all from.different years i guess.
If you look at their website it says they have 0 starter and 0 gift sets. Ebay says differently tho :)
2 models I would recommend for newbies who want to do something a little challenging paint wise but easy to build would be the Tamiya Matilda II and R35 light tank kits. Relatively new kits with good clean parts, lovely detail and very easy to put together. The reason I would recommend them is that there are all sorts of crazy and interesting colour choices to pick for them so newbies can use them as a good way to learn "basic" but extremely helpful painting techniques and touch into doing things such as masking tape/putty lines to make interesting patterns on the armour. The Matilda has a lot of interesting desert/med colour schemes such as caunter (AK interactive make a ready good caunter kit) and the box camo on the R35 is also really fun to do.
(The R35 would be a good way to get into using markers too for the bold black lines which help to cover up any little mistakes in painting too)
And ofc, when ready, great models to use for trying out things like weathering powders/oils on too, a lot of nice little detail points to test things on.
Ive been eyeing that Matilda for a long time! There are so many good "beginner kits out there, namely half of tamiyas armor. I just found that so many of these first kits that are being recommended are 30-50 dollar kits and theres more than a couple under $20 that are great for those first couple.
I remember the first time i spent $50 on a kit. I never really went back from there and wish i built more 18 dollar kits 😂😂
I heartily agree. The Matilda is a superb kit. I painted it in the caunter scheme and enhanced it with some Miniart North Africa figures riding on top. I also have the French R35 in my stash, which I am looking forward to building. It's a cute little tank! They are the right balance of detail and complexity and as always with Tamiya beautifully engineered and packaged.
@@Mike-mm4mx i just watched a build video for the Matilda, but am already over my stash limit. It looks like such a classic Tamiya kit! I need to building something quick so I can get one 😂
Whether you're a beginner or intermediate, Tamiya is the best model kit. Because many Chinese model brands ( Takom, Dragon, Trumpeter, Border...etc) have too many parts unnecessary, the parts don't fit that well. Tamiya kits usually easier to build, detailed yet not too cluttered/ too many parts. No other brands can't beat Tamiya for its engineering, fits like Lego blocks , easy to follow manuals, and the best box art, Tamiya's kits quality.
Yeah I wanted to do something other than Tamiya, but it's almost impossible even to find singular models, let alone entire companies that fit like Tamiya. Some of the new Airfix is really good for aircraft though. I'm building an undisclosed model right now (video will be up in a couple days), that honestly fits like Tamiya, which is great to see.
I'm with you on the small parts though, there is a time and place for it, but I don't enjoy kits that are 1200 pieces when they could be 500 or whatever. I'm in the hobby to have fun! Not lose more than 2-3 parts per kit under my chair :)