They made poor quality old kits, but I do have a set of Russian dog bomb soldiers that is of quite decent quality. Also they put out recent kits of Soviet T-34 tanks. Reboxes or new designs, and how is the quality of theirs? Tamiya and Trumpeter have both put out dud and great model kits as well.
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The newest kits? Extremely good.
A few builds and photos in the beginning of this thread:
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I built a bunch of their WWII Russian stuff back in the early 90s. Quality was good. But the packaging stank. Just a bunch of sprues stuffed into a flimsy box. I lost more than a few parts that broke off sprue and slid out the flap.
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Just built their new(ish) BM-21. A few minor annoyances, but a great build overall.
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Thanks! I looked up the instructions for the newer kits on Scalemates, and they look like good building!
Their new kits are very good. I have built their Sherman and T-34 and with minor improvement they look very nice!
Yes indeed price wise and quality top, i only think that once the stocks run dry hard to come by for some time to come,…
Zvezda used to be bad kits or reboxes in flimsy packaging. Then in 2018 they completely re-invented the company. They switched to high quality computer design and molding. High parts breakdown for finer detail. Computer engineering for excellent fit. Original manufacturer blueprints for accuracy. A heavy cardboard box inside a slipcase outer cover to protect the kit parts. Prices 30% less than the competition. If you buy a Zvezda kit molded after 2018, the quality is excellent. The fit is outstanding. Tamiya-like in engineering but with a higher parts count for more detail. Not as finicky as Miniart, though. Good, solid, kits, cheap. Detail is fantastic and molding is the highest quality. Zvezda today puts out some of the best kits out there.
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Since few Zvezda kits I’ve seen come directly from Russian sellers, I don’t that will be a problem for a while.
I mainly model 1/72 so my response may not be too relevant, but their 1/72 figure sets (meant for war-gaming) are very good, and are dio-quality. Likewise, their 1/72 Panther D is far superior to the Revell release. In general, all their latest kits (from the last 10 yrs, or so) are very good, and less expensive than competitors.
I also build 1/72 but have seen some examples of 1//35 and was impressed.
Zvezda 1/144 scale airliner kits are simply superb. The Boeing 707, 720, 727 and 737 cockpit and nose have a nearly identical, conspicuous shape. Zvezda and Ukrainian company Roden may be the only model kit manufacturers to capture that shape correctly. The Roden 720 and Zvezda 737 kits are brilliant.
Zvezda reportedly was provided Boeing CAD files as part of the license received from Boeing to produce and sell models of Boeing jets. If true, it certainly shows in their kits.
Some modelers point out a very slightly grainy feel to Zvezda plastic. A layer of primer normally takes care of it.
Got to be honest, I’ve always been put off Zvezda based on experience from their old kits. Much the same with Trumpeter. I’ve had a couple of Trumpeters more recent aircraft which I really liked, but armour I’ve steered clear of. Only tank of theirs I attempted, was the Challenger 2. Not only refused to fit, but was made from some sort of strange, brittle and greasy feeling plastic that resisted any glue.
Based on what has been said here’s, maybe I should give them another chance.
Don’t go by “old Zvezda” at all. Yes, they were mostly crap kits. Get any Zvezda kit molded after 2018 and prepare to be amazed. By the way, I haven’t noticed any grainy texture to Zvezda plastic, actually quite the opposite, it’s smooth and consistent.
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I’d be willing to give them another try if I spot something in the catalogue that interests me. Trouble it’s mostly Russian and Soviet subjects, which find a bit, well, ugly.
I have a Sherman a2 that is not bad and a line of civilian airliners like Beoing and Airbus that are not strictly Russian.
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Now the Shermans more my thing. I’ll have to look at that.
Here is a build that shows some warts and fixes to see if those things are important to your build or not.
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Thanks, that does look good. I like how they did the tracks.
I’ve got plenty of things to do at the moment, but I will keep my eyes peeled for it. Would probably go with the Marine Corps version if I did.
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That is plan as well.
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