i have been building models since my dad got me started when i was 5 years old.the kits i have built over the year has taught me that skill is more important then details.details are great but it does not make the model.the modeler does,i have taken some turds of a kit and turn them into gems.this is what modeling is about.to challenge you as a modeler.the easier the kit ,the more you have to put into it as far as weathering, adding details and buying after market parts.this is to make it look like the real thing and not a piece of plastic.this is where a real modeler comes in.we growing up did not have after market parts and enamel paints was all we have to change a piece of plastic to the real thing.look at plasmo and chris here,they use most of the time what they have on hand and can take what you call a bad kit and make it into a show piece.flying s model can some you the same with raised panel lines and how you can get that look as if it is recessed lines.don't get me wrong i do like a lot of these newer kits but finding out the pains of over engineering on the details.the point is build the model and learn to up your skills as well to look at your handiwork when you are done.so there are no bad kits or manufacturers,just under skilled modelers.have fun and learn the craft.you will enjoy it better.........
Thanks for this great feedback! Its from modellers like yourself, greenhorns like me can learn a lot about the mindset to be in as a modeler👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻. I'll stay in this lane ✊🏻
Spot on! I have built 7 scratch built ww2 Aircraft in 1/32 ( Including decals) & the last two took me 9 years on & off. One of the kits I built years ago was an old basic MatchBox Lysander & it is one of my favourites. After 30 years out of models I am now building a Tamiya 1/32 Spitfire VIII with fantastic detail. Basic Lysander, Scratch built or fantastic Spitfire kit which do I like the best? All of them! As for country of origin I don't care.
My personal frustration is more about the shady marketing done by re-boxing these vintage kits and not even adding more value to it with better decals or new parts. Thank god for scalemates, but it would be nice if I wouldn't have to check every time the past of a kit just to make sure I am not pocking the hornet's nest (yup, it was intentional).
I've been around for years. Early kits were by and large not the best, especially compared to todays standard. But that was half the fun. Making a bad kit look good. It's upto the modeller to make the kit they are working on to look good. I don't go by manufacturer, I go by subject.
Totally disagree with your analysis. You absolutely can get bad kits. Kits that have bad fit, bad detail, excessive flash, warping, scaling is off, bad sprue design and injection points and the use of wrong material for support structures. None of that has anything to do with the modeler. The modelers skill will depend whether those failings from the manufacture can be corrected and overcome. Saying there is no such thing as bad kits is disingenuous. Your skill and patience will determine whether a kit is the right kit for you or not. Every model company has their bad kits and their good kits. Some are better then others depending on whether it's a aircraft kit, armour, ship or something else. Good example is Italeri. They make solid armour kits but aren't so great at car kits. Tamiya are a solid build but some of their older stuff leaves a lot to be desired which is understandable. It comes down to what you can handle, where your interests lie, what materials you have at hand and how much patience you've got. A somewhat deeper pocket doesn't go astray either.
Totally agree. And with the experience, you know you must avoid to buy some brands. Kitty Hawk for example is awful even if their kits look gorgeous. The same for several Kinetic kits ; the Sufa is almost impossible to assembly... There's a famous video on YT. A contrario, with Tamiya, even very old kits like the F-15J 1/48, it's always a pleasure. My best surprise came from the close East : Zvezda, Eduard, ICM, Special Hobby, etc.
I am 88 years old and have been modeling since I was eight years old. I started with the old balsa wood Hawk kits. If you want to see a truly bad kit, try to build the Rodan Hienkle He 111, It is the worst I have ever built. It is close to impossible to achieve good results with this kit.
David R Lentz, USA I have seen such awful kits, too! Several years past had I started Italeri’s 1:35th-scale kit of the GMC CCKW-353 U.S. Army 2½-ton 6×6 Cargo Truck, one of which I found for 10 USD at a model shop’s discount bin. For the poor directions and the sloppy fit, I put the rear axle on backwards; unable to remove it without risking breakage, I deemed it an utter botch, chucking it back into the box in disgust. I immediately set out to the model store for Tamiya’s kit costing over thrice as much (plus another 8 bucks for an add-on kit including cargo). It assembled flawlessly in scarcely a fortnight, even with painting, dry-brushing to indicate dust and wear, etc. I set it next to Tamiya’s assembled model of the Willys M-38 Jeep U.S. Army ¼-ton 4×4 Utility Truck. A veteran visiting one of my neighbours saw them, and he asked to buy them from me, as work keeps him too busy to build them himself. I only charge service personnel what it costs me, which delighted him no end. 😀 I did save the Italeri kit’s cab, however, as it was the older steel body design (not the canvas of the Tamiya kit), which I greatly prefer.
Fifty years of modeling. With certainty: 1- Tamiya, 2-Italeri, 3- Airfix (new moldings only), 4- Revell. And no, it is NOT the user's fault if a kit is garbage. And no, I will bin a garbage kit if it is not satisfying.
I didn't expect italeri so high up on your list considering that half of them have raised panel lines. The good ones are also just rebox of kits from other brands like esci or tamiya
Interesting. As a Brit I think if we have a soft spot for Airfix it's because we grew up with them. Maybe it's the same for other countries ? Now I'll buy a kit from anywhere if i find that kit is a subject i want to do. Currently have kits from Airfix, Eduard, Hasegawa, Tamiya, GWH, Zvezda, Meng, Revell, Hobby Boss, Dragon, Finemolds, Miniart, Tumpeter, HKM, Italeri, Hobby 2000, Heller, Special Hobby, ICM.
Definitely. I live, and grew up, in Japan, so it was always Hasegawa for aircraft, Tamiya for tanks and cars. The domestic brands had the best selection and were the most affordable. Airfix and Heller were exotic imports.
It is about bad kits being too costly. If I pay big bucks for a F-15E in 1/48th scale and it has worse detail than a kit of 1/72nd scale. If I am being charged premium prices I expect premium quality.
The best kits for quality, detail and build are Tamiya, though take care not to buy the older kits (1970-80s) which are not up the current standard. Dragon are also good if you are into military vehicles.
For me italeri's miniatures are much even more detailed if you look at it closely, I had like 4 collection of miniatures in italeri: US airborne ww2 NATO Troops US special forces Vietnam war US infantry (90s version or 1980s) And the next miniature I'm about to collect is the German elite troops, it's a good thing hobbies comics shops sales a lot of miniatures of italeri
its really annoying to find trash kit tbh... bcs everyone want quality so they sell it as it is quality... but like what if i just want a ugly looking plane for cheap to kitbash it into something??? can't seller look at their stuff and be honest about it? there always and will always be ppl that buy weird stuff, trash stuff and so on just need a bit more honesty... not straight up scamming by using other kit picture and straaight up lying to ppl about the quality of the object
I started out with Airfix kits but have had kits from all the other brands you mentioned in the 40+ years I've been in this hobby. I would say Airfix and Italeri do good aircraft models, and for cars Revell and Tamiya. Italeri also has good truck kits. However I've never built armor kits and never done a Tamiya or Revell plane.
I’ve been building for over fifty years. Sir you are exactly right! There truly are more challenging and less challenging. The more challenging kits are the ones that make us better model builders. You need to hone those skills. It would be nice if more RUclips creators would stop using terms like horrible kit or crap kit. If all someone wants to do is build high end easy kits that’s their right but a lot of people worked hard for many years making model kits since the 1950s so we could have this hobby that we love so much. You have a great channel I hope mine is as good when I finally get it going
Tbh the reason i made this video, was because ive seen too many videos about how some model kits seem to be so bad and crap and not worth the money and so on. I couldnt take anymore😁. Thanks for the feedback!
The older the kit the bigger the challenge, Ive just abandoned an Airfix Harrier gr3 1/72, its a very old kit tooled in the 80s raised panel lines that have disintegrated at parts, alignment is poor, edges are ruff and the two part wings are different sizes. That being said I'm sure a pro could make this look awesome but its beyond my skill set. I'll not bin it because maybe in time and experience it will be a challenge I can meet.
@brentgilley7208 absolutely best comment, ‘prolly 80% of the hobby buy a kit they like the look of, regardless of manufacturer, spend a few relaxing weeks building, detailing and painting it to the best of their ability, most likely nobody else will ever see it, move onto the next kit…
Ha ha. I had to laugh at the reference (picture, even) of fellow Aussie Harry Houdini. I would say Harry is NOT a hater of Tamiya, as such, but has a dislike. I think, too, that his more nuanced explanation of Tamiya as Shake n' Bake is more accurate, in that he acknowledges the precision engineering - complexity, even! - but eschews the design and marketing philosophy they have, which is hugely popular! Like Harry, I grew up building really Airfix basic bag kits from my newsagent. They were horrible things, but I thought they were wonderful. Acknowledging their place in the current modelling world, I'd rate Tamiya and Eduard as generally superior, but at a cost. And, Airfix kits are improving, generally. I just loved building their 1/72 Messerschmitt 109 E4. What a gem, and so cheap. Keep the great content coming. I've subbed!
I absolutely respect Harrys opinion and i understand his points. And i guess he has enough experience to know his way of best practice. Usually good quality has its price and i think thats appropriate. But there are some gems selled at a low price which are fantastic kits in great quality as well. Thanks for the feedback
For 1/35 armor ,Italeri ' s most recent kits seem to be....a letdown. They seem to be surviving mostly on re-pops of older kits these days .Airfix has been doing more 1/35 armor, mostly British .A few errors along the way,but l'm not gonna cry about it . Revell,hits it sometimes, but is gradually improving.But they are way behind . Tamiya is redoing a lot of their older kits ,which is cool ,but need to stop doing every possible tiger,sherman ,panther variant .Their R-35 and hellcat are lovely and l' m eager too see their Comet .
I think this comes down to design of the kit, then who then molds it, Take the Airfix Austin K2 ambulance than was made by Academy, but there's so many new kit makes coming along, Gekko, Border models, Amusing, Ryefield models Takom seem to be getting better and better, as does Meng, so is Hobby Boss! But one thing i know for sure with all the rising cost of energy, petrol and oil the kits you will be buying next year will be double what your paying now for!
if you want to look at the real skill there's a channel called A4 Garage, they've made some kits from '80s and '90s with varying amount of detail they're not someone who makes something bad into something good, they're someone who makes something good into something amazing, the videos are demonstrations of pure skill, experience and patience and i recommend you check at least one full build even if you're not interested in model cars
as someone with no model kit manufacturers out of my country, airfix, italeri and tamiya are good and never have any flash, revell is OK too, but it has a lot of flash
All of the brands are good in a lot of ways but this is my list. 1.Tamiya 2.Italeri 3.Airfix 4.Revell Tamiya is quite cheap the plastic is good quality and all the models i have got from them have all been good so I think that it deserves to be first. Italeri is good but there are some errors like parts not fitting, some expensive kits and decals that’s aren’t the best quality but Italeri has most of the details and the kits are normally not to expensive and there is quite a lot of good sets. Airfix is pretty much always good but some of the kits are a bit expensive and sometimes lacking for the price. Airfix probably has the best quality plastic and really well designed kits and the decals are great, Airfix also has the best starter kits and the WW2 era planes are always amazing. Revell is the worst because the plastic quality is bad, the kits are expensive and the kits don’t normally have the best detail. Revell does have alot of kits for sale but they are normally just old kits with a new box and 1 or 2 new decals.
I like the way you broke this down and i agree with almost everything actually. Just the 2nd and the 3rd place could be challenged, to switch them. Airfix on 2nd and Italeri 3rd. But as a guy who kinda likes Italeri, i think is interesting you put Italeri 2nd👍🏻 Thanks for the feedback!
I guess it comes down to different peoples perspective and how they judge kits by their own metrics. For me I get frustrated by sloppy design and engineering, I'd rather spend time detailing rather then fixing issues that shouldn't be there. Model kits are the same as any other thing life, there are good and bad.
I grew up with Airfix, but I love Revell for the choice of German "what if" planes from WW2. I think Tamiya are amazing for exact fit and Italeri are great too. Trumpeter and Zvezda are up there with the other manufacturer. Finally, I'd like to mention Huma for super kits. My only criticism with Huma is the small range.
I have to get some Trumpeter kits soon, i have never built any of their models tbh. Would you know something of Trumpeter to recommend? Thanks for the feedback!
@@chrisveya7556 I build their 172 scale aircraft, which are super, their 1/72 scale tanks (parts fit together really well, but there is great variability among the range for difficulty.) However, all of the kits by Trumpeter look superb, especially the detail. I've also tried their great range of 1/700 scale warships. Again, the detail is superb, but they take longer to put togather than their Japanese counterparts (lots of little pieces. Overall, I would say you need more patience with Trumpeter kits, as they have more to put together, but the wait is truly worthwhile. I've heard great things about their wide range of 1/35 scale arnour, but have never purchased any. I hope this helps and wish you all the best!
The (Airfix) Top Gun F-18 kit is a pure scam, shame on Airfix ! The F-18 "from" Top Gun the movie is the C version, which is not in the 2nd movie (it's the E version, the Super Hornet, a completely different plane). You could say, ok, may be it's the plane of the 1st movie... Wrong ! In the 1987 Top Gun you only have F-14 and F-5 and A-4. So, there is absolutely no connection at all between this F-18C and Tony Scott's masterpiece !!! Not to mention the horrible outdated kit Airfix is refurbishing. Red card for this brand that has - fortunately - very good kits to her catalog.
I like a challenge when modelling, but I don't want the challenge to come from the shortcomings in the quality of the moulding. I prefer new kits compared to older moulds for the quality of the moulding. That said, I do get nostalgic when I see a kit I built in my youth and I feel encouraged to rekindle the old days. Id you want a modelling challenge, get an Ilya Muromet by Maquette. I bought one for myself and one for my brother. He thought I had given him it as a joke, based on the quality of the moulding. Off all the struts in the kit, there weren't two that were the same length.
I loved your rap (rant?😂😂😝)… Frog (now defunct) made Blenheims, their molds were taken over by the Soviets (!!!); MPM/special hobby have nice Blenheim’s in 1:72 (inc. Finnish versions). The Latest Airfix versions are great, there’s also a vintage one from the late ‘60’s. At the moment I adore eduard kits: wonderful moldings & interesting decal schemes at reasonable prices… new Ukrainian(!!!) kits, Wingsy, clear prop, ICM, etc. are also a joy! Best wishes from Rotterdam, 😉🤟🏽
with my modelling "career" i would have to say from best to worst Tamiya - Italeri - Airfix - Revell. Tamiya is pretty expensive but its easy to assemble and has alot of nice details . ofc there are better detail focused brands like rfm but tamiya is the best starter brand. Italeri is for the people who dont want to pay as much as tamiya but they can tolerate stuff like bad fitment or just having to correct stuff. i have a few italeri models and i think building models you have to do "fix" yourself just so you improve your skill. Airfix is the perfect line between cheap and good. it needs more fixing and has alot of stuff you need to correct but its pretty cheap so if you want to make some destroyed tank , test some paint or weathering schemes or just want to build something cheap but not terrible its a pretty nice choice. BUT revell is in full honesty terrible, every single model i had from them had either missing or broken, i dont think most (because like every brand including revell there are atleast a few good kits) of revell kits are worth buying, if you want a model you really should just invest a few more bucks and buy something that isnt revell , revell especially in 1:72 (because some of their 1:48 kits are actually nice) just isnt good . but if you want to see if a certain airfix or revell model of some vechicle is worth it just look up some reviews, thats the mistake i made when i started and really just before buying even if a brand has good reputation just see if some kit is actually good , thats my advice.
Brit Modeler here building 1/24 cars, trucks and 1/12 motorcycles. i agree where there are no bad kits, but bad modelers. maybe with one exception (aoshima pagani huayra- horible fitting) based on just cars/truck/moto and including rating on details, fitting, quality of plastic, number of separate parts, accuracy compared to real life and range of models i would rate manufacturers as follows: Tamiya- always great quality, great range and detailed kits Revell/Monogram - great range including the American muscle and trucks. good details and good quality as well Aoshima - good range especially for JDM. Some issues with fitment on some kits but otherwise good quality Italeri - Great for trucks models with good quality. otherwise range is limited Hasegawa/Belkits/Beemax - good range on rally cars. quality is average Fujimi- some good selection of cars but the execution is poor. lacks details and quality is below average AMT - good range on old American muscle cars but average quality Heller - some interesting models range wise but otherwise average Airfix - Bad selection on car range, the ones that would be good are the wrong scale and bad quality At the end of the day, you can do anything with the right skills so depends on the challenge
I'm starting to think about scratch building models from now on. Using Balsa, copper, odd bits of old plastic accessories. It will be more satisfying and a greater challenge.
For me i wouldn’t say one company is better than the other as they are different in a lot of ways, but Airfix and Revell are both really good value for their price as cheeper brands compared to the Japanese brands. As a Brit I can say Airfix is synonymous with the hobby up to the point where if I say model kits or scale modelling people don’t know what I’m talking about until I say Airfix and everyone says ohh you mean Airfix models. It’s at that point where Revell is another brand of Airfix instead of another brand of models lol. Also I actually really like Revell despite being British, I have a couple of old Tamiya kits the 700 scale King George V and Nelson I really want to try their ships but don’t have the money. Never tried Italeri but theirs kits I want but I really want to try Hasegawa and Fujimi as they have some really nice looking ships and Hasegawa also as a couple Macross kits but they cost too much at the moment. Edit the part of the video talking about companies buying other molds reminds me that Airfix doesn’t really exists in America while Monogram doesn’t really exist in the Uk but they had an agreement that Airfix will sell Monogram’s kits over here while Monogram will sell Airfix molds in the US.
I will try to talk less and say more in the future, sounds reasonable to me😁. Im sorry if i have stolen you 10 minutes of your time, but if it was so boring why did you watch it anyway? Thanks for the feedback!
I'll start by saying I just subbed. I'll end by saying 'no bad kits? never seen a Valom boxing, eh?' :P Jokes aside, I think it really is a kit by kit basis rather than manufacturer.
@@chrisveya7556 Short-run Czech company that specializes in unique, experimental, or neglected subjects (typically aircraft in 1/72). Lots of detail but it definitely falls into the category of "filler & paint makes me the modeler I ain't."
Can't put a company REALLY below or above another, it depends on each kit. Old molds Airfix vs new molds Airfix? Just this example is enough to prove my point. And, modelers expect different experience from the hobby: A- Easy to build because the fun's in the paint. B- I want to turn a *meh* kit into a masterpiece. C- Don't care about the kit the important is the subject. D- ? other reasons?
D: Learn something and improve my skills E: Getting a flow, focus and tune out everything else while building. F: Get satisfaction from solving problems I created myself. 😅
HASEGAWA. My excuse is that I live in Japan so they are actually *cheaper* than any of the European brands. Actually, I don't need that excuse. Hasegawa really do make the best aircraft kits.
Hasegawa Corporation make the most detailed models in existence from what I can tell. Very high quality, maybe a smaller range, a bit more expensive, but worth it. If you are going to put that much effort into a model, go for Hasegawa or maybe Tamiya.
Strange, I built some Heller kits (ships) amongst wich the pocket battleship Deutschland 1:400. Seldom seen a model that good. Unfortunately its not there anymore. It was 40 years ago...
@@vereferreus5262 me, I built recently aircrafts and cars from there range, and infortunately the quality was not there, but I've never tried the ships
Other brands than Airfix: Bristol BLENHEIM Mk.I/IF, Revell 04102 Zvezda 6230 BRISTOL BLENHEIM Mk.IV Special Hobby, Bristol Blenheim Mk.I "Finnish Post War Service" SH72202
The point im trying to make is: for some people a bad kit is a good thing, because they love the challenge in it. For these people a perfect fit modern kit with masks and everything is boring. In the end, its your mindset, not the kit itself.
I agree, I never understood the purpose of BGM in an informative video. It does not improve the message or makes it easier to listen to the message. I think many creators include it because everyone else is. In the end I like this video anyway.
Meanwhile i tone it down a lot, so it only is hearable when theres silence in the video. The microphone picks up the background noise of the room while recording, and the BGM helps to kill these nasty frequencies so they're less heard in the end
You absolutely should give it a try. I was in a similar situation when i started. Most of my friends thought i lost it😄. Just start small and simple and see where it takes you
I'd recommend staying away from the airfix starter kits that come with paint. Get something from airfix like a spitfire or something easy, but buy the normal kit and then the paints separately. The paints included in the stagger kits are way too thick and actually make it harder to build in my opinion. Plus if you enjoy that build then you already have some paints for the next one so after 3 or so kits in similar colours you actually save money!
Frankly this is a terrible analysis. There are definitely good and bad kits out there. Building a well researched, detailed and well molded kit is a tremendous joy that gives you the time and energy to spend on adding further details or creating a diorama. Having a good challenge should mean reaching the next level on your build, this is not to be confused with the frustration that comes with with struggling with figment, fighting through poorly written instructions filled with mistakes and incorrect details on a bad kit. Saying that there are no bad kits is akin to giving the entire classroom of kids the same medal regardless of their performance, it completely discounts the hard work that went into a well thought out kit while encourages laziness and poor workmanship of a bad kit.
I do mostly car kits and I must say that I do not agree with you when you say that it's the builder fault. Everyone knows that Heller Peugeot 905 Group C is a very bad kit, and nothing in the world, neither the most skilled builder can make a perfect car out of that kit. I've built Revell, Amt, Monogram, Hasegawa and Tamiya kits (I've also an Academy one) and I have to say I've not a preferred make in terms of moulds and fitting. I've a preferred make for the instructions sheets that is Monogram and Tamiya. Because a lot of difference could be done with a god instruction sheet. I like that Monogram give the name to every piece (like the intercooler for example) and you can find the exact piece on the real car almost with the same shape and colour. But without simple instructions sheets that helps you to understand the logic behind that pieces, you'll fail in every build
The usual ''woke' reality denial. 'There are no well or badly made things. The problem is you.' There are no delusions in the so called trans movement. Who needs to admit that biology exists or that some kits are well made and beautifully detailed kits vs simply wrongly built poorly defined quality kits. Sure point out that some kits have differant origins, that is informative and factual information. However simply stating that there are no bad kits is more 1+1 = 3 reality denial. Sure all kits from one company vary in detail and quality. Simply putting it down to the efforts or skills of the builders is just obnoxious.The most talented model builders who are real modelling artists like 'Plasmo' ENHANCE their kits and do tremendous creative work to improve them but even they appreciate the differances of well made vs not well made kits (hence often loving Tamiya) even when they work with older simpler kits. Sorry not buying into this absurd reality denial.
how the fuck did you somehow make a video about models about transgender people? do they live rent free in your head? also you need to learn a little more about biology if you don't believe you can be born in the wrong body.
I love a challenge and have no real preference as far as manufacturer. I go for the type of aircraft or armour kit. I mostly build Trumpeter, Hobby Boss, Academy or Eduard, but I must say if you like a challenge like me you can't go past an ICM or PM Models model kit!
I was a big fan of Trumpeter back in the day, their Westland Wyvern in 1/48 was a great kit. My other favourite kit was an Academy Spitfire XIV also in 1/48 I painted it in RAF markings but looking back I wish I’d gone for the Belgian option, it just looked really cool and a bit different.
Great and logical analysis of model kits. Maybe, before building a plastic kit, people should try a wooden ship model. Tha'ts a challende. After that any plastic model is much easier. One will learn to solve things themselves.
I agree with ..it's the skill of the modeler I turned reg civilian land rovers into an SAS . Afghanistan group of 4 and it turn out great I made all my own add on kit camo nets boxes roll bars ect..
I learned my first naughty words building models. My naughty words advanced when I started working on cars. (real cars). Any model kit can be a masterpiece. It is the builder that decides it.
I mostly like building armoured viechles i sort of dislike planes but still build them but the part i hate the most is decals They keep overlapping and in most of my planes a lot of the decals are missing
I've been building for almost 50 years and have seen the industry evolve to what it is now. There is no perfect kit. Any kit out is only as good as the builder can make it.
Totally agree! I started modelling in 1960, and what we took for granted and built with pleasure then will give today's builders a fit. We are spoilt nowadays, plus techniques and materials and tools have changed a HUGE amount over the last 60 years.
To be honest there are some decent Revell kits with recent tooling, and the price makes them very attractive, yeah more work than Tamiya but the price more than makes up for it..
David R Lentz, USA An interesting perspective. Thanks. As a boy growing up in the USA, I very much liked Airfix kits for their great variety. I fondly recall their 1:72nd-scale models of the Avro Lancaster, Handley-Page Halifax, and Short Stirling Heavy Bombers, and the Vickers Wellington Medium Bomber. Kits then were not especially well-detailed or accurate, though that was more a function of the mold-making in those days.
I'm so glad I stumbled across your channel, Chris! We think very much alike. And, like you, I use Scalemates a lot. I also feel sorry for people who want all kits from all times to be like the very latest from Tamiya or Zoukei-Mura. That, I often point out to them, is like hating a Model T Ford because it doesn't have ABS brakes! If you can't or don't want to built a model that requires a bit of extra thought, extra dry fitting and extra patience, then switch to Bandai! Since I returned to the hobby six years ago, the kit that's given me the greatest pleasure was an Esci Mirage F1 tooled in 1978, and the kit that had me swearing like crazy because of fit issues was an Eduard FW-190 D9, a new tool from 2010!
Thanks a lot for your feedback! Its crazy how good the quality is from some of these 30+ years old kits compared to new ones. It seems like the quality standards have changed through the years at some points
got myself eduard kit, didnt know where its from until i finished it and really saw it as superior to any other (you can guess where im from) but since theres a small portfolio i preffer academy then revell
A bad fitting is not a challenging, its a problem and true some people think that are the same, a problem needs to be adressed to get a acceptable result a challenge is a personal choice. When you buy a kit without previous information about it, and are in a process of modeling is not a challenge is a problem from bad production and design. If you can solve it good for you and bit the person that didnt inform about his purchase could find and unpleased experience.
What i wanted to say is, its the state of mind which defines if a difficult build is a problem or a challenge. And yes, its better to get some infos about the model kit before you buy it. Thanks for the feedback!
I agree mostly with what you are saying about skill levels when building kits, but am struggling to agree that you can't blame the kit itself........how do you explain 'MisterCraft' ? The quality of their kits is so bad you would need the patience of a saint to produce even a half decent model with what you get in the box.
Man, the British RUclipsrs have pushed me away, they can't stop glorifying Airfix whilst p*ssing on Revell 24/7 and their "evidence" to back it up are long videos that completely miss the point, which is what you get for what you pay for, they instead focus on anything irrelevant to build their "case". Need be understood of course that many of them, if not most, own modelling shops and it's in their interests to promote Airfix, although that's their own problem and not the rest of the world's, it doesn't make it any less off-putting for us. Excellent video, well said.
Not really im British, no matter who makes it if its shite its shite and same if its good. Ive found some airfix kits tedious, same with other manufacturers, i do find airfix obsessed with spitfires, i dont like Dragon as they're figure kits are bland and again obsessed with Tiger tanks
Yeah nah, if I wanted to have to build something from scratch, I'd just build something from scratch instead of spending money on a "kit". You hearing me Revell? How about you, ICM?
i have been building models since my dad got me started when i was 5 years old.the kits i have built over the year has taught me that skill is more important then details.details are great but it does not make the model.the modeler does,i have taken some turds of a kit and turn them into gems.this is what modeling is about.to challenge you as a modeler.the easier the kit ,the more you have to put into it as far as weathering, adding details and buying after market parts.this is to make it look like the real thing and not a piece of plastic.this is where a real modeler comes in.we growing up did not have after market parts and enamel paints was all we have to change a piece of plastic to the real thing.look at plasmo and chris here,they use most of the time what they have on hand and can take what you call a bad kit and make it into a show piece.flying s model can some you the same with raised panel lines and how you can get that look as if it is recessed lines.don't get me wrong i do like a lot of these newer kits but finding out the pains of over engineering on the details.the point is build the model and learn to up your skills as well to look at your handiwork when you are done.so there are no bad kits or manufacturers,just under skilled modelers.have fun and learn the craft.you will enjoy it better.........
Absolutely!
Thanks for this great feedback! Its from modellers like yourself, greenhorns like me can learn a lot about the mindset to be in as a modeler👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻. I'll stay in this lane ✊🏻
Spot on!
I have built 7 scratch built ww2 Aircraft in 1/32 ( Including decals) & the last two took me 9 years on & off.
One of the kits I built years ago was an old basic MatchBox Lysander & it is one of my favourites.
After 30 years out of models I am now building a Tamiya 1/32 Spitfire VIII with fantastic detail.
Basic Lysander, Scratch built or fantastic Spitfire kit which do I like the best? All of them!
As for country of origin I don't care.
Kit Building V Plastic Modelling, I am old school when there were not to many kits around and kit conversions was the rule.
My personal frustration is more about the shady marketing done by re-boxing these vintage kits and not even adding more value to it with better decals or new parts.
Thank god for scalemates, but it would be nice if I wouldn't have to check every time the past of a kit just to make sure I am not pocking the hornet's nest (yup, it was intentional).
I've been around for years. Early kits were by and large not the best, especially compared to todays standard. But that was half the fun. Making a bad kit look good. It's upto the modeller to make the kit they are working on to look good. I don't go by manufacturer, I go by subject.
Totally disagree with your analysis. You absolutely can get bad kits. Kits that have bad fit, bad detail, excessive flash, warping, scaling is off, bad sprue design and injection points and the use of wrong material for support structures. None of that has anything to do with the modeler. The modelers skill will depend whether those failings from the manufacture can be corrected and overcome. Saying there is no such thing as bad kits is disingenuous. Your skill and patience will determine whether a kit is the right kit for you or not. Every model company has their bad kits and their good kits. Some are better then others depending on whether it's a aircraft kit, armour, ship or something else. Good example is Italeri. They make solid armour kits but aren't so great at car kits. Tamiya are a solid build but some of their older stuff leaves a lot to be desired which is understandable. It comes down to what you can handle, where your interests lie, what materials you have at hand and how much patience you've got. A somewhat deeper pocket doesn't go astray either.
Totally agree. And with the experience, you know you must avoid to buy some brands. Kitty Hawk for example is awful even if their kits look gorgeous. The same for several Kinetic kits ; the Sufa is almost impossible to assembly... There's a famous video on YT. A contrario, with Tamiya, even very old kits like the F-15J 1/48, it's always a pleasure.
My best surprise came from the close East : Zvezda, Eduard, ICM, Special Hobby, etc.
I am 88 years old and have been modeling since I was eight years old. I started with the old balsa wood Hawk kits.
If you want to see a truly bad kit, try to build the Rodan Hienkle He 111, It is the worst I have ever built. It is close to impossible to achieve good results with this kit.
David R Lentz, USA
I have seen such awful kits, too! Several years past had I started Italeri’s 1:35th-scale kit of the GMC CCKW-353 U.S. Army 2½-ton 6×6 Cargo Truck, one of which I found for 10 USD at a model shop’s discount bin. For the poor directions and the sloppy fit, I put the rear axle on backwards; unable to remove it without risking breakage, I deemed it an utter botch, chucking it back into the box in disgust.
I immediately set out to the model store for Tamiya’s kit costing over thrice as much (plus another 8 bucks for an add-on kit including cargo). It assembled flawlessly in scarcely a fortnight, even with painting, dry-brushing to indicate dust and wear, etc. I set it next to Tamiya’s assembled model of the Willys M-38 Jeep U.S. Army ¼-ton 4×4 Utility Truck. A veteran visiting one of my neighbours saw them, and he asked to buy them from me, as work keeps him too busy to build them himself. I only charge service personnel what it costs me, which delighted him no end. 😀
I did save the Italeri kit’s cab, however, as it was the older steel body design (not the canvas of the Tamiya kit), which I greatly prefer.
Of those 4 signs, TAMIYA without any doubt.
Fifty years of modeling. With certainty: 1- Tamiya, 2-Italeri, 3- Airfix (new moldings only), 4- Revell. And no, it is NOT the user's fault if a kit is garbage. And no, I will bin a garbage kit if it is not satisfying.
I didn't expect italeri so high up on your list considering that half of them have raised panel lines. The good ones are also just rebox of kits from other brands like esci or tamiya
Have you never built a Hasegawa model in that time?
Tamiya, Hasegawa, Hobby Boss, Revell. Been building 50+ years and Airfix kits just don't fit like the Asian mfgrs. kits do.
Interesting.
As a Brit I think if we have a soft spot for Airfix it's because we grew up with them.
Maybe it's the same for other countries ?
Now I'll buy a kit from anywhere if i find that kit is a subject i want to do.
Currently have kits from Airfix, Eduard, Hasegawa, Tamiya, GWH, Zvezda, Meng, Revell, Hobby Boss, Dragon, Finemolds, Miniart, Tumpeter, HKM, Italeri, Hobby 2000, Heller, Special Hobby, ICM.
And theres nothing wrong about having a soft spot for Airfix. Especially when you grow up with a manufacturer as good company althrough the years👍🏻
Airfix was very "playable", not the least because of their extensive range of figurines. No other brand came close to it.
Definitely. I live, and grew up, in Japan, so it was always Hasegawa for aircraft, Tamiya for tanks and cars. The domestic brands had the best selection and were the most affordable. Airfix and Heller were exotic imports.
Airfix Classic kits are shite
It is about bad kits being too costly. If I pay big bucks for a F-15E in 1/48th scale and it has worse detail than a kit of 1/72nd scale. If I am being charged premium prices I expect premium quality.
True! It feels like a rip off if such kits are overcharged. The prize categorys are making no sense sometimes
The best kits for quality, detail and build are Tamiya, though take care not to buy the older kits (1970-80s) which are not up the current standard. Dragon are also good if you are into military vehicles.
For me italeri's miniatures are much even more detailed if you look at it closely, I had like 4 collection of miniatures in italeri:
US airborne ww2
NATO Troops
US special forces Vietnam war
US infantry (90s version or 1980s)
And the next miniature I'm about to collect is the German elite troops, it's a good thing hobbies comics shops sales a lot of miniatures of italeri
its really annoying to find trash kit tbh... bcs everyone want quality so they sell it as it is quality...
but like what if i just want a ugly looking plane for cheap to kitbash it into something??? can't seller look at their stuff and be honest about it? there always and will always be ppl that buy weird stuff, trash stuff and so on just need a bit more honesty... not straight up scamming by using other kit picture and straaight up lying to ppl about the quality of the object
I started out with Airfix kits but have had kits from all the other brands you mentioned in the 40+ years I've been in this hobby. I would say Airfix and Italeri do good aircraft models, and for cars Revell and Tamiya. Italeri also has good truck kits. However I've never built armor kits and never done a Tamiya or Revell plane.
Us Aussies manage to upset everyone 🤣
😅👍🏻
Yep, Aussies love upset everyone. Especially the rivet counters.
I’ve been building for over fifty years. Sir you are exactly right! There truly are more challenging and less challenging. The more challenging kits are the ones that make us better model builders. You need to hone those skills. It would be nice if more RUclips creators would stop using terms like horrible kit or crap kit. If all someone wants to do is build high end easy kits that’s their right but a lot of people worked hard for many years making model kits since the 1950s so we could have this hobby that we love so much. You have a great channel I hope mine is as good when I finally get it going
Tbh the reason i made this video, was because ive seen too many videos about how some model kits seem to be so bad and crap and not worth the money and so on. I couldnt take anymore😁.
Thanks for the feedback!
The older the kit the bigger the challenge, Ive just abandoned an Airfix Harrier gr3 1/72, its a very old kit tooled in the 80s raised panel lines that have disintegrated at parts, alignment is poor, edges are ruff and the two part wings are different sizes. That being said I'm sure a pro could make this look awesome but its beyond my skill set. I'll not bin it because maybe in time and experience it will be a challenge I can meet.
Scalemates is there to prevent me from re-buying the 70s kits I had as a kid, and to discover new ones !
Best models? Eduard, Arma hobby...
Tamiya above all. I eqally like Italeri, especially their fantastic battlesets but their fit is not always perfect.
Who cares. Modelling is meant to be fun. Worrying about which manufacturers make the best kits is thinking way to hard.
@brentgilley7208 absolutely best comment, ‘prolly 80% of the hobby buy a kit they like the look of, regardless of manufacturer, spend a few relaxing weeks building, detailing and painting it to the best of their ability, most likely nobody else will ever see it, move onto the next kit…
Mistercraft has bad kits cause the decals are very bad. The quality of Mistercraft decals is very, very bad.
Ha ha. I had to laugh at the reference (picture, even) of fellow Aussie Harry Houdini.
I would say Harry is NOT a hater of Tamiya, as such, but has a dislike. I think, too, that his more nuanced explanation of Tamiya as Shake n' Bake is more accurate, in that he acknowledges the precision engineering - complexity, even! - but eschews the design and marketing philosophy they have, which is hugely popular!
Like Harry, I grew up building really Airfix basic bag kits from my newsagent. They were horrible things, but I thought they were wonderful.
Acknowledging their place in the current modelling world, I'd rate Tamiya and Eduard as generally superior, but at a cost. And, Airfix kits are improving, generally. I just loved building their 1/72 Messerschmitt 109 E4. What a gem, and so cheap.
Keep the great content coming. I've subbed!
I absolutely respect Harrys opinion and i understand his points. And i guess he has enough experience to know his way of best practice.
Usually good quality has its price and i think thats appropriate. But there are some gems selled at a low price which are fantastic kits in great quality as well.
Thanks for the feedback
Blen-m the 'hei' is mostly silent. Or Blen-hm. Nice video, funny and accurate. My vote? Bandai... I'll see myself out....
For 1/35 armor ,Italeri ' s most recent kits seem to be....a letdown. They seem to be surviving mostly on re-pops of older kits these days .Airfix has been doing more 1/35 armor, mostly British .A few errors along the way,but l'm not gonna cry about it . Revell,hits it sometimes, but is gradually improving.But they are way behind . Tamiya is redoing a lot of their older kits ,which is cool ,but need to stop doing every possible tiger,sherman ,panther variant .Their R-35 and hellcat are lovely and l' m eager too see their Comet .
I think this comes down to design of the kit, then who then molds it, Take the Airfix Austin K2 ambulance than was made by Academy, but there's so many new kit makes coming along, Gekko, Border models, Amusing, Ryefield models Takom seem to be getting better and better, as does Meng, so is Hobby Boss! But one thing i know for sure with all the rising cost of energy, petrol and oil the kits you will be buying next year will be double what your paying now for!
IMO there different ppl with different goals.
I for example hate masking tiny details so I look up the decals and buy the one with the most decals xD
if you want to look at the real skill there's a channel called A4 Garage, they've made some kits from '80s and '90s with varying amount of detail
they're not someone who makes something bad into something good, they're someone who makes something good into something amazing, the videos are demonstrations of pure skill, experience and patience and i recommend you check at least one full build even if you're not interested in model cars
1) Wingnut Wings
2) Tamiya
3) Eduard
as someone with no model kit manufacturers out of my country, airfix, italeri and tamiya are good and never have any flash, revell is OK too, but it has a lot of flash
All of the brands are good in a lot of ways but this is my list.
1.Tamiya
2.Italeri
3.Airfix
4.Revell
Tamiya is quite cheap the plastic is good quality and all the models i have got from them have all been good so I think that it deserves to be first.
Italeri is good but there are some errors like parts not fitting, some expensive kits and decals that’s aren’t the best quality but Italeri has most of the details and the kits are normally not to expensive and there is quite a lot of good sets.
Airfix is pretty much always good but some of the kits are a bit expensive and sometimes lacking for the price. Airfix probably has the best quality plastic and really well designed kits and the decals are great, Airfix also has the best starter kits and the WW2 era planes are always amazing.
Revell is the worst because the plastic quality is bad, the kits are expensive and the kits don’t normally have the best detail. Revell does have alot of kits for sale but they are normally just old kits with a new box and 1 or 2 new decals.
I like the way you broke this down and i agree with almost everything actually. Just the 2nd and the 3rd place could be challenged, to switch them. Airfix on 2nd and Italeri 3rd. But as a guy who kinda likes Italeri, i think is interesting you put Italeri 2nd👍🏻
Thanks for the feedback!
I guess it comes down to different peoples perspective and how they judge kits by their own metrics. For me I get frustrated by sloppy design and engineering, I'd rather spend time detailing rather then fixing issues that shouldn't be there. Model kits are the same as any other thing life, there are good and bad.
Well done Chris! I've told modelers essentially the same thing for years.
Well at least this tells me, i havent said anything completely wrong. And you see im still referring to your knowledge somehow. Thanks Bob!
Wow what a interesting vlog 👏 new follower here 👍🏴
🙌🏼🙌🏼thanks mate!
I grew up with Airfix, but I love Revell for the choice of German "what if" planes from WW2. I think Tamiya are amazing for exact fit and Italeri are great too. Trumpeter and Zvezda are up there with the other manufacturer. Finally, I'd like to mention Huma for super kits. My only criticism with Huma is the small range.
I have to get some Trumpeter kits soon, i have never built any of their models tbh. Would you know something of Trumpeter to recommend?
Thanks for the feedback!
@@chrisveya7556 I build their 172 scale aircraft, which are super, their 1/72 scale tanks (parts fit together really well, but there is great variability among the range for difficulty.) However, all of the kits by Trumpeter look superb, especially the detail. I've also tried their great range of 1/700 scale warships. Again, the detail is superb, but they take longer to put togather than their Japanese counterparts (lots of little pieces. Overall, I would say you need more patience with Trumpeter kits, as they have more to put together, but the wait is truly worthwhile. I've heard great things about their wide range of 1/35 scale arnour, but have never purchased any. I hope this helps and wish you all the best!
The (Airfix) Top Gun F-18 kit is a pure scam, shame on Airfix ! The F-18 "from" Top Gun the movie is the C version, which is not in the 2nd movie (it's the E version, the Super Hornet, a completely different plane). You could say, ok, may be it's the plane of the 1st movie... Wrong ! In the 1987 Top Gun you only have F-14 and F-5 and A-4. So, there is absolutely no connection at all between this F-18C and Tony Scott's masterpiece !!! Not to mention the horrible outdated kit Airfix is refurbishing. Red card for this brand that has - fortunately - very good kits to her catalog.
I like a challenge when modelling, but I don't want the challenge to come from the shortcomings in the quality of the moulding. I prefer new kits compared to older moulds for the quality of the moulding. That said, I do get nostalgic when I see a kit I built in my youth and I feel encouraged to rekindle the old days.
Id you want a modelling challenge, get an Ilya Muromet by Maquette. I bought one for myself and one for my brother. He thought I had given him it as a joke, based on the quality of the moulding. Off all the struts in the kit, there weren't two that were the same length.
Airfix kits are no longer made in the U.K.
Airfix kits today are made in India !
I loved your rap (rant?😂😂😝)… Frog (now defunct) made Blenheims, their molds were taken over by the Soviets (!!!); MPM/special hobby have nice Blenheim’s in 1:72 (inc. Finnish versions). The Latest Airfix versions are great, there’s also a vintage one from the late ‘60’s. At the moment I adore eduard kits: wonderful moldings & interesting decal schemes at reasonable prices… new Ukrainian(!!!) kits, Wingsy, clear prop, ICM, etc. are also a joy! Best wishes from Rotterdam, 😉🤟🏽
The Russian company taking over Frog was Novo, though they didn't take over any of the German airplanes.
with my modelling "career" i would have to say from best to worst Tamiya - Italeri - Airfix - Revell. Tamiya is pretty expensive but its easy to assemble and has alot of nice details . ofc there are better detail focused brands like rfm but tamiya is the best starter brand. Italeri is for the people who dont want to pay as much as tamiya but they can tolerate stuff like bad fitment or just having to correct stuff. i have a few italeri models and i think building models you have to do "fix" yourself just so you improve your skill. Airfix is the perfect line between cheap and good. it needs more fixing and has alot of stuff you need to correct but its pretty cheap so if you want to make some destroyed tank , test some paint or weathering schemes or just want to build something cheap but not terrible its a pretty nice choice. BUT revell is in full honesty terrible, every single model i had from them had either missing or broken, i dont think most (because like every brand including revell there are atleast a few good kits) of revell kits are worth buying, if you want a model you really should just invest a few more bucks and buy something that isnt revell , revell especially in 1:72 (because some of their 1:48 kits are actually nice) just isnt good . but if you want to see if a certain airfix or revell model of some vechicle is worth it just look up some reviews, thats the mistake i made when i started and really just before buying even if a brand has good reputation just see if some kit is actually good , thats my advice.
There are bad kits, and then there is the Airfix Bismarck.
Every manufacturer has its gems and its turds. Even tamiya.
Classic airframes has several Blenheims. Including the mk IV Bolingbroke.
Oh really? I will definitely check it👍🏻
Blenhiem like Denim.
Depends on how you pronounce Denim 😁. So did i miss it by a nuance?
I have to say I find Tamiya kits mostly brilliant, followed by Airfix
Brit Modeler here building 1/24 cars, trucks and 1/12 motorcycles. i agree where there are no bad kits, but bad modelers. maybe with one exception (aoshima pagani huayra- horible fitting)
based on just cars/truck/moto and including rating on details, fitting, quality of plastic, number of separate parts, accuracy compared to real life and range of models i would rate manufacturers as follows:
Tamiya- always great quality, great range and detailed kits
Revell/Monogram - great range including the American muscle and trucks. good details and good quality as well
Aoshima - good range especially for JDM. Some issues with fitment on some kits but otherwise good quality
Italeri - Great for trucks models with good quality. otherwise range is limited
Hasegawa/Belkits/Beemax - good range on rally cars. quality is average
Fujimi- some good selection of cars but the execution is poor. lacks details and quality is below average
AMT - good range on old American muscle cars but average quality
Heller - some interesting models range wise but otherwise average
Airfix - Bad selection on car range, the ones that would be good are the wrong scale and bad quality
At the end of the day, you can do anything with the right skills so depends on the challenge
I'm starting to think about scratch building models from now on. Using Balsa, copper, odd bits of old plastic accessories. It will be more satisfying and a greater challenge.
I think this would be the greatest challenge. But i couldnt do it😄
For me i wouldn’t say one company is better than the other as they are different in a lot of ways, but Airfix and Revell are both really good value for their price as cheeper brands compared to the Japanese brands. As a Brit I can say Airfix is synonymous with the hobby up to the point where if I say model kits or scale modelling people don’t know what I’m talking about until I say Airfix and everyone says ohh you mean Airfix models. It’s at that point where Revell is another brand of Airfix instead of another brand of models lol. Also I actually really like Revell despite being British, I have a couple of old Tamiya kits the 700 scale King George V and Nelson I really want to try their ships but don’t have the money. Never tried Italeri but theirs kits I want but I really want to try Hasegawa and Fujimi as they have some really nice looking ships and Hasegawa also as a couple Macross kits but they cost too much at the moment.
Edit the part of the video talking about companies buying other molds reminds me that Airfix doesn’t really exists in America while Monogram doesn’t really exist in the Uk but they had an agreement that Airfix will sell Monogram’s kits over here while Monogram will sell Airfix molds in the US.
I find treasures from all manufacturers even the poorly designed kits. I guess that makes me a neutral.
How to talk for 10 minutes and say absolutely nothing.Todays standard it seems.Sad and horrifying at the same time
I will try to talk less and say more in the future, sounds reasonable to me😁. Im sorry if i have stolen you 10 minutes of your time, but if it was so boring why did you watch it anyway?
Thanks for the feedback!
@@chrisveya7556 How would you know if it was going to be boring without watching?
I'll start by saying I just subbed. I'll end by saying 'no bad kits? never seen a Valom boxing, eh?' :P
Jokes aside, I think it really is a kit by kit basis rather than manufacturer.
I dont even know what Valom is😄.
But youre exactly right, you cannot generalize, there are maybe tendencies in one other another direction
@@chrisveya7556 Short-run Czech company that specializes in unique, experimental, or neglected subjects (typically aircraft in 1/72). Lots of detail but it definitely falls into the category of "filler & paint makes me the modeler I ain't."
Love your channel. Can't wait to see more builds and content!!
Thanks for your feedback bro!
Can't put a company REALLY below or above another, it depends on each kit. Old molds Airfix vs new molds Airfix? Just this example is enough to prove my point. And, modelers expect different experience from the hobby: A- Easy to build because the fun's in the paint. B- I want to turn a *meh* kit into a masterpiece. C- Don't care about the kit the important is the subject. D- ? other reasons?
D: Learn something and improve my skills
E: Getting a flow, focus and tune out everything else while building.
F: Get satisfaction from solving problems I created myself. 😅
Blenn'm ;)
😄🙈
Absolutely, I believe there are no bad kits.
Zvezda?
@@cyhan1393 The latest Zvezda kits are fine.
HASEGAWA. My excuse is that I live in Japan so they are actually *cheaper* than any of the European brands. Actually, I don't need that excuse. Hasegawa really do make the best aircraft kits.
Hasegawa Corporation make the most detailed models in existence from what I can tell. Very high quality, maybe a smaller range, a bit more expensive, but worth it. If you are going to put that much effort into a model, go for Hasegawa or maybe Tamiya.
"No such thing as a bad kit"
Lmao
It always depends on what youre up to, its a state of mind
If it's a state of mind, then you need to have your head examined. There are absolutely bad kits.@@chrisveya7556
Tamiya will always be # 1!
As a French guy, I can tell that Heller is not so great... (even thought they have very interesting subjects)
I will find out next year how their fully revised kits are feeling, havent had the chance yet, to build one
Strange, I built some Heller kits (ships) amongst wich the pocket battleship Deutschland 1:400. Seldom seen a model that good. Unfortunately its not there anymore. It was 40 years ago...
@@vereferreus5262 me, I built recently aircrafts and cars from there range, and infortunately the quality was not there, but I've never tried the ships
Other brands than Airfix:
Bristol BLENHEIM Mk.I/IF, Revell 04102
Zvezda 6230 BRISTOL BLENHEIM Mk.IV
Special Hobby, Bristol Blenheim Mk.I "Finnish Post War Service" SH72202
Of course skill matters but saying that there is no bad quality kit is a big lie
The point im trying to make is: for some people a bad kit is a good thing, because they love the challenge in it. For these people a perfect fit modern kit with masks and everything is boring. In the end, its your mindset, not the kit itself.
@@chrisveya7556 oh okay I get the point, I did not really had that way of seeing it
You should drop the anoying background music which is also playing too high
Done👌🏼
I agree, I never understood the purpose of BGM in an informative video.
It does not improve the message or makes it easier to listen to the message.
I think many creators include it because everyone else is.
In the end I like this video anyway.
Meanwhile i tone it down a lot, so it only is hearable when theres silence in the video.
The microphone picks up the background noise of the room while recording, and the BGM helps to kill these nasty frequencies so they're less heard in the end
I'm about to start on this hobby. I mistrust my painting skills and I don't have many ppl to support and guide me. Idk if I should get in and how
You absolutely should give it a try. I was in a similar situation when i started. Most of my friends thought i lost it😄. Just start small and simple and see where it takes you
@@chrisveya7556 that's cool. I should give it a try with something small and basic. Thanks!
I'd recommend staying away from the airfix starter kits that come with paint. Get something from airfix like a spitfire or something easy, but buy the normal kit and then the paints separately. The paints included in the stagger kits are way too thick and actually make it harder to build in my opinion. Plus if you enjoy that build then you already have some paints for the next one so after 3 or so kits in similar colours you actually save money!
Frankly this is a terrible analysis. There are definitely good and bad kits out there. Building a well researched, detailed and well molded kit is a tremendous joy that gives you the time and energy to spend on adding further details or creating a diorama. Having a good challenge should mean reaching the next level on your build, this is not to be confused with the frustration that comes with with struggling with figment, fighting through poorly written instructions filled with mistakes and incorrect details on a bad kit. Saying that there are no bad kits is akin to giving the entire classroom of kids the same medal regardless of their performance, it completely discounts the hard work that went into a well thought out kit while encourages laziness and poor workmanship of a bad kit.
I do mostly car kits and I must say that I do not agree with you when you say that it's the builder fault. Everyone knows that Heller Peugeot 905 Group C is a very bad kit, and nothing in the world, neither the most skilled builder can make a perfect car out of that kit. I've built Revell, Amt, Monogram, Hasegawa and Tamiya kits (I've also an Academy one) and I have to say I've not a preferred make in terms of moulds and fitting. I've a preferred make for the instructions sheets that is Monogram and Tamiya. Because a lot of difference could be done with a god instruction sheet. I like that Monogram give the name to every piece (like the intercooler for example) and you can find the exact piece on the real car almost with the same shape and colour. But without simple instructions sheets that helps you to understand the logic behind that pieces, you'll fail in every build
The usual ''woke' reality denial. 'There are no well or badly made things. The problem is you.' There are no delusions in the so called trans movement. Who needs to admit that biology exists or that some kits are well made and beautifully detailed kits vs simply wrongly built poorly defined quality kits. Sure point out that some kits have differant origins, that is informative and factual information. However simply stating that there are no bad kits is more 1+1 = 3 reality denial. Sure all kits from one company vary in detail and quality. Simply putting it down to the efforts or skills of the builders is just obnoxious.The most talented model builders who are real modelling artists like 'Plasmo' ENHANCE their kits and do tremendous creative work to improve them but even they appreciate the differances of well made vs not well made kits (hence often loving Tamiya) even when they work with older simpler kits. Sorry not buying into this absurd reality denial.
how the fuck did you somehow make a video about models about transgender people? do they live rent free in your head? also you need to learn a little more about biology if you don't believe you can be born in the wrong body.
@@sameerdodgerwell said, there’s always one, unfortunately…
I love a challenge and have no real preference as far as manufacturer. I go for the type of aircraft or armour kit. I mostly build Trumpeter, Hobby Boss, Academy or Eduard, but I must say if you like a challenge like me you can't go past an ICM or PM Models model kit!
I was a big fan of Trumpeter back in the day, their Westland Wyvern in 1/48 was a great kit. My other favourite kit was an Academy Spitfire XIV also in 1/48 I painted it in RAF markings but looking back I wish I’d gone for the Belgian option, it just looked really cool and a bit different.
You forgot eduard they make darn good kits
Many Eduard kits, don't forget, are reboxings of other manufacturers' kits, notably Hasegawa.
@@raytheron they have recently been putting out top of the line products such as the new zero and their line of WWI planes are the best out there
Great and logical analysis of model kits. Maybe, before building a plastic kit, people should try a wooden ship model. Tha'ts a challende. After that any plastic model is much easier. One will learn to solve things themselves.
I have, buried deep within my stash, a Bristol Blenheim Mk1, ski version, with Finnish markings, by Ark Models
I agree with ..it's the skill of the modeler I turned reg civilian land rovers into an SAS . Afghanistan group of 4 and it turn out great I made all my own add on kit camo nets boxes roll bars ect..
I learned my first naughty words building models. My naughty words advanced when I started working on cars. (real cars). Any model kit can be a masterpiece. It is the builder that decides it.
I mostly like building armoured viechles
i sort of dislike planes but still build them but the part i hate the most is decals
They keep overlapping and in most of my planes a lot of the decals are missing
I've been building for almost 50 years and have seen the industry evolve to what it is now. There is no perfect kit. Any kit out is only as good as the builder can make it.
Totally agree! I started modelling in 1960, and what we took for granted and built with pleasure then will give today's builders a fit. We are spoilt nowadays, plus techniques and materials and tools have changed a HUGE amount over the last 60 years.
To be honest there are some decent Revell kits with recent tooling, and the price makes them very attractive, yeah more work than Tamiya but the price more than makes up for it..
build anything yah like the look of, to hang with reviews, from your own opinions.....
I had a bad kit of a racing car, I think it didn't like me and in the end I didn't like it either so I gave it away, good riddance.
Well, I can say italeri makes skimpy skinny parts and other companys looks more like the real thing
Tamiya (*****) Eduard (****) Trumpeter (***) Academy (**) Revell (*)
This is the way to look at thungs/life in general.
It is what it is. No good no bad. Just is
Had to do a double take...? Seriously, it's Tamiya and Hasegawa and everything else is in last place.
Umm Eduard makes pretty good kits
David R Lentz, USA
An interesting perspective. Thanks.
As a boy growing up in the USA, I very much liked Airfix kits for their great variety. I fondly recall their 1:72nd-scale models of the Avro Lancaster, Handley-Page Halifax, and Short Stirling Heavy Bombers, and the Vickers Wellington Medium Bomber. Kits then were not especially well-detailed or accurate, though that was more a function of the mold-making in those days.
Sounds like great memories!
For sure the quality of model kits has improved a lot over time
Thanks for the feedback!
This is no excuse for poor quality kits though.
I'm so glad I stumbled across your channel, Chris! We think very much alike. And, like you, I use Scalemates a lot. I also feel sorry for people who want all kits from all times to be like the very latest from Tamiya or Zoukei-Mura. That, I often point out to them, is like hating a Model T Ford because it doesn't have ABS brakes! If you can't or don't want to built a model that requires a bit of extra thought, extra dry fitting and extra patience, then switch to Bandai! Since I returned to the hobby six years ago, the kit that's given me the greatest pleasure was an Esci Mirage F1 tooled in 1978, and the kit that had me swearing like crazy because of fit issues was an Eduard FW-190 D9, a new tool from 2010!
Thanks a lot for your feedback! Its crazy how good the quality is from some of these 30+ years old kits compared to new ones. It seems like the quality standards have changed through the years at some points
got myself eduard kit, didnt know where its from until i finished it and really saw it as superior to any other (you can guess where im from) but since theres a small portfolio i preffer academy then revell
The best kit i ever laid my hands on, was indeed an Eduard one
Why didn't the livery colour of the first ever V-22 Osprey never become available. ?
I dont know!
A bad fitting is not a challenging, its a problem and true some people think that are the same, a problem needs to be adressed to get a acceptable result a challenge is a personal choice. When you buy a kit without previous information about it, and are in a process of modeling is not a challenge is a problem from bad production and design. If you can solve it good for you and bit the person that didnt inform about his purchase could find and unpleased experience.
What i wanted to say is, its the state of mind which defines if a difficult build is a problem or a challenge. And yes, its better to get some infos about the model kit before you buy it.
Thanks for the feedback!
Revell is from Germany, good info man omw to buy them xD
Meanwhile they produce in Germany only i think
Good video. I agree with most of what you say.
Thanks for the feedback! At least with most of it😁
I agree mostly with what you are saying about skill levels when building kits, but am struggling to agree that you can't blame the kit itself........how do you explain 'MisterCraft' ? The quality of their kits is so bad you would need the patience of a saint to produce even a half decent model with what you get in the box.
I bet that revell kit is a reboxes italeri....
Always a possibility 😄
At 8:20 is the Scalemate History, so: probably not.
Well said
A true modeler can make any model look good.
Modelex les gana ✌️😳
Man, the British RUclipsrs have pushed me away, they can't stop glorifying Airfix whilst p*ssing on Revell 24/7 and their "evidence" to back it up are long videos that completely miss the point, which is what you get for what you pay for, they instead focus on anything irrelevant to build their "case".
Need be understood of course that many of them, if not most, own modelling shops and it's in their interests to promote Airfix, although that's their own problem and not the rest of the world's, it doesn't make it any less off-putting for us.
Excellent video, well said.
Excellent comment! Well said yourself😁✊🏻
Not really im British, no matter who makes it if its shite its shite and same if its good. Ive found some airfix kits tedious, same with other manufacturers, i do find airfix obsessed with spitfires, i dont like Dragon as they're figure kits are bland and again obsessed with Tiger tanks
tamiya and revell release the best kits, new airfix offerings are good, italeri on the other hand is ...
How about ZVEZDA
ruclips.net/video/jxpN61xAMLs/видео.htmlsi=dbZra8DdwQRnNbLN
We are talking about serious model kits.
Who has the best kits? The one you didn't mention: Hasegawa Corporation
Yeah nah, if I wanted to have to build something from scratch, I'd just build something from scratch instead of spending money on a "kit". You hearing me Revell? How about you, ICM?
When I clicked on this video I didn’t expect to see fellow Aussie Harry mentioned on it (doesn’t like Tamiya).
Glad I clicked, subscribed. 👍
I stumbled over his channel by coincidence, like people with strong characters!