Has anyone built any of Academy's 1/24 sports cars or world cars?

[Monty]

Some of the subject matter seems intriguing, but I'm totally unfamiliar with the brand.

Should I expect the design and execution to be closer to Tamiya in quality, or something closer to, say, mid-1970s AMT?

All comments are welcome, but I'd really like to see some pics of builds as well.

[hotrod59f100]

I love ther subjects but also wondered how they are made.

[sjordan]

It's a Korean company that - at least for model cars - usually does reboxing of other brands' kits and had a joint venture with Minicraft up to several years ago. This looks like the same Ferrari 250 California Spider issued by Italeri, Testors and Revell, but this generic labeling is intended to avoid dealing with Ferrari's trademark and licensing guys. Not a perfect kit, but the only game in town for this car at 1/24.

They sold a number of 1/16 kits that were previously issued by Gunze Sangyo, Entex, etc. They do a lot of military and aircraft, as well as RC. I really don't know how much of their product line has been designed, tooled and manufactured by them.

Info on Ferrari 250 kits here...

http://italianhorses...so%20Berlinetta

Edited April 3, 2012 by sjordan

[Eshaver]

Not zactly a sports car . Still, it's out by Academy Models . It's a 1981 Hundai Pony , similar to a comparable Volkswagen Rabbit

It's a very simplistic "Curb side kit .

Ed Shaver

[Scott - Elm City Hobbies]

Yes there were 3 or 4 that Academy released recently.....they are all Italeri reboxes.

Coincidentally, Italeri is re-releasing the California as well...not sure if they are going to re-release the others or not.

One of my suppliers announced that they had come in, but were gone as quick as they came...don't know if they ever had them or not.

Edited April 4, 2012 by Scott - Elm City Hobbies

[spad007]

So a kit manufacture has to buy rent beg barrow or steal a Ferrari 250 .then scan measure disassemble or what ever it then prototype it.in clay then

engineer and send plans to China to be tooled up and get test shots back send corrections back and forth for months on end.

to make one kit.

Or just reuse some one elses tooling .

Is that about right?

and is the expense of obtaining a car why there is no good 1/24th kit of a 27 "T" coupe'?

[Scott - Elm City Hobbies]

Not many manufacturers that do clay prototypes anymore, I would say that 99% of them do everything on CAD now. Take measurments, take pictures, plug it all into CAD, lay out the parts, and then send it to a CnC machine to cut the molds.

However manufacturers retool other company's kits all the time, and is nothing new.

[sjordan]

So a kit manufacture has to buy rent beg barrow or steal a Ferrari 250 .then scan measure disassemble or what ever it then prototype it.in clay then

engineer and send plans to China to be tooled up and get test shots back send corrections back and forth for months on end.

to make one kit.

Or just reuse some one elses tooling .

Is that about right?

and is the expense of obtaining a car why there is no good 1/24th kit of a 27 "T" coupe'?

They are just reusing other tooling under an agreement with the prior company and redistributing it under their name. No big deal.

Edited April 4, 2012 by sjordan

[robertw]

I built their BMW Mini convertible a couple of years ago and while at first some of the parts break down seemed a little strange, parts fit together well and the result was satisfying. I'd buy another of their kits if it was something that I wanted.

rob

[The Creative Explorer]

Not many manufacturers that do clay prototypes anymore, I would say that 99% of them do everything on CAD now. Take measurments, take pictures, plug it all into CAD, lay out the parts, and then send it to a CnC machine to cut the molds.

However manufacturers retool other company's kits all the time, and is nothing new.

I've been at Revell Germany and they now do it differently, they take the car, paint it in a flat paint (I forgot the color, but believe white) and put it in a laser machine, which will make thousands of scans, which turns it into a 3d model and they continue from there.

They even do it with the SLS and R8, ofcourse, they can rinse of the paint

[slotbaker]

I've only had experience with one of the Academy sports car kits; The Ferrari 250LM with copyright 1980 on it.

It's a curbside model with one piece body, no engine, and minimal interior details.

But, what is there looks pretty good, with quality mouldings having good detail, little flash and very few sinks.

I've got the same kit that was put out later (1986) by SUNNY.

The mouldings in both kits look to have come out of the same moulds.

Here is the Academy box art;

and this is the SUNNY;

I like the Sunny, as it showes different liveries for the real car.

The body for each kit;

Sunny on left, Academy on the right.

Chassis;

Sunny on left, Academy on the right.

Hard to see the details with black mouldings.

Interior, chrome and glass still sealed;

Sunny on left, Academy on the right.

Decal sheets;

Sunny on left, Academy on the right.

Decals are same artwork, but with some slight differences in colours, and paper they are printed on, but the Academy is much better quality.

There are photo etched head light rims in both kits.

I didn't take photo of the tyres, but they are the regular pliable black moulded type we are used to, and good tread detail but no sidewall detail because that comes with the decal sheet.

Axles are straight steel rod for both front and back.

I can try and take closer shots if anyone is interested.

Hope this is of interest.

Edited April 5, 2012 by slotbaker

[The Creative Explorer]

I have that kit too, after a long search for one with the right price. It is a very simple kit, but then again: the body is very actual and looks quite good. I have serious plans for this little kit,