Trumpeter, Dragon, Academy, Tamiya (new stuff) Really it depends on the kit, for example the old Airfix 1:32 Multipose figures are still really excellent. Tom
Tamiya seem very good, I've yet to actually buy any of their kits because they tend to come up a bit pricey for my skills at the moment, but looking at them in the boxes their aircraft are very nice kits.
In aircraft, Accurate Miniatures set a new benchmark. Top-fliers are Tamiya, Hasegawa, Academy... and I always loved those old Pro-Modeler kits from Monogram. All in 1/48 scale. In Armor: Tamiya, DML/Dragon, Italeri and Academy would be my favorite makers. In 1/35 scale of course. Tim
Value for Money wise Revell score pretty well as far as I'm concerned, they're about the same price-wise as Airfix with the bonus that they're moulds aren't 50 years old. The downside is that you don't tend to get a pilot figure in 1/72nd but that's not exactly a major issue. If you want a kit that looks about right but you're not confident enough to pay the extra for the better kits then they're a pretty good buy, I think. Just get a conversion table and go for Humbrol paints instead...
amazing to see that airfix and revell are thesame price over there. Over here you pay about twice as much for a revell kit as for an airfix. But I think you guys also have pretty different airfix models than we do, because the description of you all of their models does not seem to fit the models I can buy here. We get the rubbish!
I grew up with mainly Airfix models and some Revell - mainly 1/72 but some larger - varied a great deal from kit to kit but Airfix at their best were excellent - particularly some of their later output. Does anyone remember Frog ? I'd never heard of them when I saw a Dewoitine D.520 in a local newsagent - I bought it and produced a very nice model. At the time I assumed that they were foreign because I'd never seen them before - not realising that they were actually British and the pioneers of such kits. PS. Yes - I do realise that some were later made in USSR.
post subject the earliest models I made were in early 1940's and were elastic powered, balsa framed and made by Keil Craft. Popular after the Battle of the River Plate were Ajax,Achilles and Exeter, named after the RN ships. Made from 1/8th or 3/32 balsa, tissue covered and doped to tighten up tissue. (I understand that the dope used today also tightens up your tissues!!!)
Mind you, ESCI instruction sheets were crappy - at least the paint scheme bit was, anyway. Nice models though, I have an Elefant, a Panzer I and an American truck with a 37mm gun on the back from them.
To my mind, ESCI kits are about on a par with the recent Revell/Matchbox offerings, though their instruction sheets are more like early Airfix...
While I don't go as far back as Merlin--heh-heh-- I DO remember building Aurora model-kits in the early-mid 1960s. I built an Me109 whose plastic was BRIGHT PURPLE and the wings/fuselage had outlines indicating where to place the decals. I believe it also came with a stand to display the plane in flight. It was not an accurate representation as compared to todays model kits, but quite enough to impress an 8-9yr old kid in the 1960s. I think I could finish one-up in a couple hours tops... without any reference to accompanying instructions. I believe they also made a Japanese Zero in BRIGHT YELLOW. Tim
Yes - Aurora were fun for kids but not the best - anyone remember their Anzio Beach and Rat Patrol sets ? Anzio Beach consisted of about fifty 1/72 soldiers (hard plastic remakes of Airfix version 1 German Infantry & US Marines), some clip together incorrect scale vehicles, beach obstacles & shell craters. Rat Patrol was similar with a jeep & some palm trees. Both are probably very collectable today despite their poor accuracy.