clovis Posted July 15, 2013 Share Posted July 15, 2013 (edited) While I have immensely enjoyed building a recent car kit, (and have started on a second car kit), my real love in life is military history, namely WWII airplanes in the European theater. I'd love to build another larger scale airplane with my daughter for next year's 4-H fair. I really like the larger scale stuff. The bigger, the better, IMO. One of my last builds was a Bf-109. I think it was a 1/24 MPC kit that I bought second hand from a friend of mine. I absolutely loved that build, and look back on that kit as one of the favorite times of my life. But that was 27 years ago, and I know a lot has changed in the model industry since then. What should I expect from all the new manufacturers of plane kits these days??? Trumpeter and Hasegawa are new players since my hay day, How are those kits? Quality? Ease of build? (I like challenging kits, but warped fuselages and ill fitting parts are not fun for me.) Whatever happened to the old MPC kits? I'd love to build another Bf-109. Any chance that Airfix has the molds to the old MPC 1/24 kits? How are the Airfix kits? Anyone else have nightmare issues with any of the vintage Revell 1/32 airplane kits? I fought a Revell Corsair kit as a kid with both seam lines and landing gear, and then had a D-I-S-A-S-T-E-R build a few years ago with my nephew's Smithsonian Hellcat. (If anything could go wrong with a model, we experienced it in the worst way!!!) Who else is making large scale kits? I'd love to be educated about what is on the market these days, so please fill me in!!!!! Primarily looking for European Theater stuff, but the Pacific might be alright too. Thoughts and opinions please!!!! Edited July 15, 2013 by clovis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zarana-X Posted July 15, 2013 Share Posted July 15, 2013 I have an old (1980's) Hasegawa 1/72 anti aircraft gun, and the newer 1/24 Nippon Grand Prix '72 Celica. Both are superb. I've heard good things about their (aircraft) kits, but don't own any. I would like to get ahold of their 1/72 Macross Valkyries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raildogg Posted July 17, 2013 Share Posted July 17, 2013 There are a bunch of new high quality kits now available. Check out 1/32nd scale online. Zoukie Mauro(sp) is in the forefront with Wingnuts close behind with WW1 Biplanes. These models will cost you though. There is even a 1/32nd B-17 coming this year for around $250.00, so far. I had a Trumpy Corsair F4 but traded it away. It has been replaced by a newer more detailed model. Good Luck, this is a high end subject. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace-Garageguy Posted July 17, 2013 Share Posted July 17, 2013 I picked up both the MPC 1/24 Bf-109 and the Spitfire Mk-I on ebay for not too much money within the last few years. I also have the 1/24 Airfix FW-190 and P-51 on the shelf. They seem to be very nice kits, comparable to the MPCs, though I haven't built any of them yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rel14 Posted July 17, 2013 Share Posted July 17, 2013 got a revell B240 liberator, and a few others, 1/72 is getting to small for me to see anymore.. check on the WWW,shopgoodwill.com site, i find a few good deals on there,, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace-Garageguy Posted July 17, 2013 Share Posted July 17, 2013 I don't know if you have any interest in large-scale historic racing planes, but if you do, a simple kit (that could be detailed quite nicely) that might work well to build with a younger person is the vintage Pyro / Lindberg Gee Bee. It's incorrectly described on the box and by most 'experts" as being 1/32 scale, but if you measure the wingspan and scale it out, it's actually 1/26 (though the tiny pilot figure IS 1/32). I'm building one to accompany some period hot-rods and race cars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agent G Posted July 18, 2013 Share Posted July 18, 2013 Tamiya just released a 1/32 F4U1 Corsair early model with the birdcage canopy. It looks spectacular and I can only assume from sprue shots a F4U1D with blown canopy is next. Trumpeter produces some awesome 1/32 scale fighters. Someone, I cannot remember who, just released a 1/32 B17. There are also a series of 1/32 B25's. Airfix has a 1/24 line up of airplanes the Spitfire and Hurricane are the first to come to mind. I built the original issue Spitfire decades ago and it was a doozy! Lotsa good stuff out there. G Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clovis Posted July 18, 2013 Author Share Posted July 18, 2013 (edited) Thank you for all of the replies!!!! They are appreciated!!!! I am still shopping for a deal on an MPC 1/24 kit. Hopefully, I can snag one when someone lists one with a super low start, and no one else is bidding. I'd love to have either of the 1/32 HK Models of the B-25 or B-17. I've read a pre-production review on the B-17 kit, and it looks awesome!!!! It also comes with a hefty pre-order price of $287. I am a budget builder, and there is no way I can justify almost $300 for a kit. The B-25 is selling for $175 or so on ebay. Maybe someday... BTW, my big fear about any of the vintage kits is that I get a warped fuselage, or have severe problems with the molding of the kit, like we did on my nephew's Smithsonian kit. Again, thank you, and keep the posts coming!!! I love learning new stuff! Edited July 18, 2013 by clovis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raildogg Posted July 18, 2013 Share Posted July 18, 2013 Yep it's Tamiya that has the inside track on the F4UI, very detailed and probably the most accurate of all the issues. I do believe that it includes both types of canopies, soon to be profiled in their magazine. Price is what keeps me away from larger scale modelling, I'm retired now disposable income has vanished. L.O.L. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clovis Posted August 6, 2013 Author Share Posted August 6, 2013 Thank you again for the replies. I'm still shopping for a 1/24 scale plane, but would consider one of the 1/32 models suggested in this thread. Has anyone built a vintage Airfix kit? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
george 53 Posted August 7, 2013 Share Posted August 7, 2013 I have almost all the 24th Airfix aircraft kits except the Stuka.(Just never cared for it,go figger!) They are BIG when finished so take that into account. They assemble VERY nicely. No more difficult than a good Tamiya multi part kit. I have quite a few 24th scale aircraft, Trumpeter and some older OOB company's ,Bandai and VFS, for example, can still be found in the 24th scale Aircraft section of E-Bay. They have some REALLY good deals! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
george 53 Posted August 7, 2013 Share Posted August 7, 2013 Oh and if you don't mind REALLY building it yourself, Combat Models makes a Vaccu formed F-4 phantom in 24th scale! THAT rascal IS BIG and it comes in a cool triangled shaped box! Theres some cool stuff out there if can just look for it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dptydawg Posted August 7, 2013 Share Posted August 7, 2013 I have 2 1/24th scale choppers. The Hobbycraft Hughes D500 done as a news chopper and a Monogram Hughy (the Rambo version) done as an air ambulance. Hopefully if more aircraft in this scale becomes available then we may see more flight and ground crew figures and support equipment also become available. Carl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clovis Posted August 7, 2013 Author Share Posted August 7, 2013 I appreciate the continued replies!!! It is nice to hear that Airfix makes a decent kit. I feel better now about bidding on an Airfix should I find one on ebay. Again, thanks everyone!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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