I got back into modeling after a couple year hiatus and have since built 3 tanks. It’s been a long time since I’ve built a plane kit but think I want to get back into it. I’m looking for suggestions of a good kit to get back into it. My main interest is WW2 but I am also interested in modern stuff too. To help narrow it down my top 6 interest would be:
- Bf-109
- F4U Corsair
- WW2 allied bomber (Lancaster, B-17, etc, I’m not too picky
- Stuka Ju-87
- CF-188 (my grandpa was in the RCAF for a while and recently passed, so this would interest me. He wasn’t a pilot but still)
- F-16
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Can’t go wrong with a Tamiya Viper, fabulous kits.
Ditto that.
The 1/48 Tamiya Lancaster is awesome, but a bit pricy…
(On the plus side you can build it as RCAF)
The Eduard Bf-109s are good.
Kinetic has some great CF-18s
I only build 1/32, so my suggestions are based on that.
- Dragon makes probably the most accurate E-4. I have built Revell’s G-6 and it’s a pretty good kit and I believe the Hasegawa kits are reasonably good.
- Tamiya’s kits are tremendous but pricey and maybe too much for your fourth kit. The old Revell kit has lots of aftermarket, but I think you might find something nicer in 1/48 more suitable.
- While I have the large scale versions of these they take up a lot of space which I fortunately have. They are expensive and complicated. The 1/48 Monogram/Revell B-17 is still a good kit that builds up nice and you cannot convince me there is no aftermarket available to spruce it up. I built two as a teen and if I wasn’t stuck on 1/32 would build another and throw everything at it. Pretty sure 1/72 will net you an even larger array of aircraft to choose from and you can actually fit them on shelves!
- The Trumpeter and Hasegawa kits have their pluses and minuses that you may not notice if you don’t count rivets. The only other Stuka I’ve built is the Monogram 1/48 scale. If you can find the 21st Century Toys kit on eBay that is a simple yet pretty accurate kit. It is actually a knock-down kit of a collectible toy and has working features so there is some work to blend in the caps over the screws used to assemble it. Comes with two crew figures as well. I’ve actually modified a few of these figures to crew my Revell He 111P-1.
- I don’t build outside of WWII subjects so I can’t comment on this aircraft, but there is no shortage of Modern guys here who will help.
- I built the Monogram 1/48 kit as a teen (Getting an idea of what I built a lot of as a teen?). I know there are some good kits available in my scale but I also know these kits get expensive at this size so this would be a great kit in 1/72 I think, and I’m pretty sure there are hundreds of F-16s in that scale. I think Hasegawa alone has made like 80,000 of the damn things. Almost as bad as Tiger tank kits.
Don’t know if that helps any, but there you go.
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I think a Tamiya F4U or Bf-109 would be a good starting point first (1/72 or 1/48) heck big T makes a nice 1/32 F4U, then a F-16 (intake). I would wait on the CF-18 as the intakes can be another challenge.
Thanks for all the great suggestions. I’ll look into some of these. Leaning towards a Corsair or F-16. The F-16 is my favourite modern fighter, I’m not sure why I like it so much but it just looks mean.
Having not built aircraft in a while, one question I had is why the huge price jump from 1/48-1/32? I know bigger kits comes with more detail and often 1/35 armor is pricier than 1/48 armor but not like aircraft. For example why is the 1/32 F16 $200 and the 1/48 versions $50 do I really get 4 times the kit out of the 1/32 variants?
Often 1/48 to 1/35 armor caries maybe a $20 difference
Idk, it just one of those things. Could be the production runs are smaller. Most 1/32 ac are well over $100 and seems new 1/48 ac are moving that way too.
Fair enough was just curious if I was missing something that would make 1/32 worth it. Will probably star with an older 1/48 scale, so I don’t have to sink $100 into a kit I might butcher
I get that. Here is good cheap option link.
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Thanks for the link, think I might order it. However being in Canada I think I’ll add some things to make the shipping worth it. I’m thinking of adding metal barrels for my Panzer II build, and was also thinking of adding an F-16.
I was wondering how small the 1/72 scale F-16 are? I don’t like tiny kits but I know aircraft are larger than armor so maybe a 1/72 won’t be too bad
In 1/72 a F-16 is around 5-6 inches Im pretty sure.
Cannot help you on the size of the F-16 but here is an 1/72 F-18 which is much bigger. The figure is 1/35 and 1/72. The 1/35 T-34 is matched up with the 1/48 Tamiya F4U. Should give you some ideas in size but me think you don’t want 1/72. HTH
According to Tamiya website their 1/72 F-16 is listed at 213 mm or just over 8 inches in length. That seems too long too me. That would make a 1/32 scale one over 16 inches?
For the Corsair I am for sure going with 1/48, might do 1/48 in the f-16 too
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8” sounds like the box size and not the completed model.
That would certainly make more sense.
Think I may go with a 1/48 F-16 offering. Can anyone recommend the best 1/48 F-16?
Alright sorry for my ignorance on the subject, like I said I’m more used to armor but like aircraft and wanted a change of pace. I’ve settled in a 1/48 F-16 (the Tamiya F-16 CJ) and a F4U Corsair. I am ordering these from Hobby Easy. I can get the F-16, Corsair, and PE for the F-16 for cheaper than just the F-16 locally.
I am stuck on deciding between the Hobby Boss F4U-1 early and late variants. What is the main difference between these two variants?
One difference is the Canopy.
The early is more of a challenge to mask while the Late is much easier.
I though the bubble was on the F4U-4. I prefer the birdcage one, I know it’ll be harder to work with but I like the look. I was curious in difference between the F4U-1 early and F4U-1 late.
Ooh your right the bubble is just on the F4U-4.
