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Am I Screwed?


Coutinho

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Well that depends.

 

How much of a beginner are you and which AModels have you picked up? Some are 'easier' than others...

 

They will be great for developing your modelling skill set. That might be some time/years down the road, but as long as they will be built then welcome to the start of your personal stash!

 

Build the Hobbyboss kits first, and probably some other non-limited run models first and then have a crack.

 

Christian, exiled to africa

 

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This might not fill everyone with much confidence, but this Mig-3 I'm building is the first model kit I've ever built. I am 23.

 

However, I am finding it extremely easy, as it probably should be.

 

The kits I purchased in 1/72:

 

- Lisunov Li-2P/T
- 1/72 Ilyushin Il-14P "Crate"
- 1/72 Polikarpov I-16 Type 5/6
- Zvezda 1/72 Lavochkin La-5FN
- Yakovlev Yak-8
- Yak-18A

 

My mistake earlier, it's actually 5 Amodels and 1 Zvezda

 

Keep in mind though, I'm in no way thinking that I'll get through all of these models in a few months and rush them. I got them simply because once they are sold out or disappear, it's probably very hard to find them again!

 

 

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I know of no reason to be concerned about the Zvezda La.5FN, but that is assuming it is a Zvezda original or at least a recent tooling, not something dredged up from the 90s. 

The Yak 18 is straightforward enough if a bit fiddly and not ideal as a first kit.  I have made one of these.

I've no direct knowledge of the Yak 8 or I-16, but expect them to be much the same as the Yak.18

The  L1.2 and Il.14 are pretty recent additions so should be  fairly good, but are also rather large for their 1/72 types.  The largest one i've bought is the Ar.2, which looks fine on the runners...  

 

Basically, with AModel look at the number.  If it is fairly low then you are in for some tussle, and considerable effort will be required on the preparation of the parts before assembly..  If it implies a recent kit then they are pretty well standard but a beginner might not like the lack of location pins.

 

I also like the Hobbyboss MiG 3, but it does lack features that should be expected on a modern kit, such as at least some cockpit detail.  Given the difficulties other companies have had with replicating the shape of the MiG.3, it really is quite amazingly good.

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I did I-16 type 5 last year and it does not fit very well, what I would name just to be gently. The wings -fuselage fit required serious sanding. With rest no problem. The Li-2 in box looks very good but I have not done it yet. The other I have not in stash so I do not know.

Regards

J-W

 

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Thank you for all the extra knowledge. I may attempt other mass produced kits after the Hobby Boss ones before giving the A Models a go. Maybe even the Zvezda.

 

All of the AModels look to have numbers above 70,000, so I'm assuming that's a good thing? 

 

When you say sanding, it's just sanding edges down so they fit comfortably right?

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55 minutes ago, Coutinho said:

All of the AModels look to have numbers above 70,000, so I'm assuming that's a good thing? 

 

When you say sanding, it's just sanding edges down so they fit comfortably right?

Alas no.  Their stock codes start with 72 because that's the scale.  It's the last three digits you're interested in.

 

And sanding: you're more likely to find gaps and mismatched levels, and you'll be introduced to the joys of fill, sand, fill, sand, fill sand ... Some experience of the better-designed end of the market will help.  Very few kits are completely problem-free, but very few are as rough as some AModel stuff can be, so you can practise on a small scale before steeling yourself for the big challenges.  And at least none of of your kits has the weird fibreglass fuselage ...

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Are you in a club? Depending where in our great brown land you're located, there should be at least one within striking distance. Most will make you more than welcome, and you'll learn a lot on techniques from just being there and talking to other members.

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Looking at the numbers again, they range from 123 to 254.

 

46 minutes ago, Admiral Puff said:

Are you in a club? Depending where in our great brown land you're located, there should be at least one within striking distance. Most will make you more than welcome, and you'll learn a lot on techniques from just being there and talking to other members.

Joining a club is a great idea! I am in Sydney, so I'm guessing it shouldn't be too hard to find one.

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Hi Coutinho! Judging by your choice of kits, it seems you have a strong interest in Russian aircraft, and in my book, that's a very good thing! Welcome aboard!

 

10 hours ago, Graham Boak said:

I know of no reason to be concerned about the Zvezda La.5FN, but that is assuming it is a Zvezda original or at least a recent tooling, not something dredged up from the 90s.

 

It's actually dredged up from the 70s, being a reboxing of a kit released by Italeri (or Italaeri, to be period-correct for that era) that was first released in 1972! That said, it's a reasonably easy build if I remember correctly, although it's not as accurate a representation of a La-5FN as one might wish for. But I suspect you aren't fanatical about accuracy at this point in your enjoyment of the hobby - the thrill of "rivet-counting" is a taste acquired over many years!

 

The Amodel I-16 has been issued/reissued several times; originally it was one of Amodel's first kits, in the 1990s, according to Scalemates. Check this link for the various reboxings (the first 4 kits, not the UTI-4 trainers at the bottom of the list), which are all basically the same kit except for decals:

https://www.scalemates.com/search.php?fkSECTION[]=All&q=Amodel+I-16

The only difference among them regarding the plastic which comes to mind is the inclusion of skis and RS-82 rockets with the "type 6", kit no.72164. I actually like this kit in any of its 4 versions although it's pretty rough in places as J-W has pointed out. Overall it's reasonably accurate; my main beef about it is that the trailing edges of the wings are rather thick, but this can be improved by sanding them thinner on the undersides where the damage this does to the aileron details isn't as noticeable. The canopy is pretty ugly too, unfortunately. A new kit of the type 5 is long overdue - I keep hoping Amodel will retool it, but so far, no luck.

 

Enjoy!

 

John

Edited by John Thompson
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Yes - building ill fitting kits is not all bad. I enjoy building old "classic" kits (mostly FROG and Airfix from the 1960s and 70s). They are often a challenge involving lots of putty, filing and sanding - but you do learn a lot in the process.

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I'm just wondering if the classic civil aircraft forum is the best place for this?  Apart from the IL-14 and the Li-2 the rest are military.  

 

Most of us who build airliners work in 1/144 rather than 1/72 and for my own part I know nothing about 1/72 Russian military aircraft. You might get a better response if it was moved to the appropriate section of the military aircraft forum.  The moderators will sort that if you ask them.

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10 hours ago, John Thompson said:

It's actually dredged up from the 70s, being a reboxing of a kit released by Italeri (or Italaeri, to be period-correct for that era) that was first released in 1972! That said, it's a reasonably easy build if I remember correctly, although it's not as accurate a representation of a La-5FN as one might wish for.

 

Thanks John, but you are too kind about that obese distortion.  Yes, it should go together easily enough and once bought I guess you (Coutinho) are stuck with it, but it can't be recommended.  Treat it as a paint mule - just think of all the learning to do about Soviet camouflages and model paint availabilities!

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Coutinho, my advice to you is sell them! If you can find someone to pay for them what you paid in the first place that`s, in my opinion, the best thing to do. The other two solutions are really flawed, in my opinion. Waiting it out while you gain experience means a really long time and, in the meantime, better kits might be released for those subjects. Besides, since you`re a beginner now you can`t know if you`ll be in this hobby for the very long term, which is what is necessary. Using them for practice now is even worse. My first completed model was the Parc models (Amodel plastic in Parc models box) IAR-80M kit and it was a terrible experience. Looking back, I think it practically put me off modelling. People will - correctly - tell you that these short run kits are for the experienced modellers, but many beginners will take this as a positive challenge. You`d think that if you take your time, are careful enough and don`t have very high expectations you`ll achieve an acceptable result. You won`t. Both the experience and the result will be unpleasant and will test your commitment to this hobby before you had a chance to actually enjoy it. You need lots of specialized tools and materials to properly finish one of these short run kits (and I think Amodel`s are some of the most challenging, to put it nicely) in addition to the necessary skills to work with these. It just isn`t worth the investment. There are nicer kits out there that are about as cheap as the Amodel ones and build nicely. Most will have some flaw that will need to be overcome and this will allow you to gradually gain experience and slowly build a sophisticated inventory of modelling tools and materials. I`m sorry if that was somewhat blunt, but I believe that avoiding euphemism on this subject might save you quite alot of grief (which, as mentioned, I did went through as, not so long ago, I was pretty much in your place).

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Blunt is fine, but possibly slightly pessimistic, though it is difficult to think myself back to my absolute beginning in the late '50s.  However, I'm sure that I made kits then which nowadays would be considered terribly crude and ill-fitting, and difficult enough to warn off any new starter.  Memory says that were quite fun.  (I was however a lot younger than 23.)  That aside, I think the criticism is probably true of the early AModel kits but not necessarily the current ones.  Standard tools such as knife and files are perfectly adequate.  As to being too difficult, that rather depends on you rather than the kit, and forewarned is forearmed.  Modelling is very difficult if you set your heart on competition standards, but much less so if you remember it is supposed to be fun. 

 

I must admit I don't think that large twin transports are ideal subjects for a first kit, and from what John says neither is the I-16, but the old Italeri La.5FN is perfectly suitable for a beginner.

 

One thing I think I can guarantee - if you try selling them then you won't get anything like the price you paid for them.  Which is true regardless of how good they are or are not.  The second-hand model market has a few high-level collectors (and these kits won't qualify for them) but is dominated by people only interested in a cheap bargain.  If you do decide to look for something easier for now, stick these kits into a box for later consideration.  Perhaps haul them out now and again for the sake of giving them a trial - there's no shame in having kits hanging around for years, or even decades, inching towards the light.  They may even rise a little in value, but I wouldn't rely upon that.   I'd also point out that if you don't try something beyond your current ability, your abilities will never improve, but perhaps you do need to gain some experience first.

 

Another approach for us on the board is to consider which kits are suitable for beginners and make recommendations.  To be honest if Eastern European kits are to be ruled out because of fear/lack of confidence then the answer is Not Many.  So here's a short list to begin with, not all readily available:

Hasegawa or Heller Yak 3

Italeri/Xvezda or Hobby Boss Pe 2

Plastikart/Revell Il 4  (a bit difficult)

Tamiya or Academy Il 2

Hobby Boss Tu 2

Hasegawa I-16
Heller I-153

Airfix Pe 2 is a bit vague on variant but decent enough for a beginner.  Their Yak 9 and Il2 however are pretty awful in shape: not too difficult but you wouldn't really want to.

 

Perhaps also the Valom Yak 7, but once you dip into the Eastern European ranges then there are quite a lot that can be considered.

Edited by Graham Boak
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10 hours ago, Fin said:

Coutinho, my advice to you is sell them! If you can find someone to pay for them what you paid in the first place that`s, in my opinion, the best thing to do. The other two solutions are really flawed, in my opinion. Waiting it out while you gain experience means a really long time and, in the meantime, better kits might be released for those subjects. Besides, since you`re a beginner now you can`t know if you`ll be in this hobby for the very long term, which is what is necessary. Using them for practice now is even worse. My first completed model was the Parc models (Amodel plastic in Parc models box) IAR-80M kit and it was a terrible experience. Looking back, I think it practically put me off modelling. People will - correctly - tell you that these short run kits are for the experienced modellers, but many beginners will take this as a positive challenge. You`d think that if you take your time, are careful enough and don`t have very high expectations you`ll achieve an acceptable result. You won`t. Both the experience and the result will be unpleasant and will test your commitment to this hobby before you had a chance to actually enjoy it. You need lots of specialized tools and materials to properly finish one of these short run kits (and I think Amodel`s are some of the most challenging, to put it nicely) in addition to the necessary skills to work with these. It just isn`t worth the investment. There are nicer kits out there that are about as cheap as the Amodel ones and build nicely. Most will have some flaw that will need to be overcome and this will allow you to gradually gain experience and slowly build a sophisticated inventory of modelling tools and materials. I`m sorry if that was somewhat blunt, but I believe that avoiding euphemism on this subject might save you quite alot of grief (which, as mentioned, I did went through as, not so long ago, I was pretty much in your place).

Oh man my confidence has just been crushed...

 

10 hours ago, Graham Boak said:

Blunt is fine, but possibly slightly pessimistic, though it is difficult to think myself back to my absolute beginning in the late '50s.  However, I'm sure that I made kits then which nowadays would be considered terribly crude and ill-fitting, and difficult enough to warn off any new starter.  Memory says that were quite fun.  (I was however a lot younger than 23.)  That aside, I think the criticism is probably true of the early AModel kits but not necessarily the current ones.  Standard tools such as knife and files are perfectly adequate.  As to being too difficult, that rather depends on you rather than the kit, and forewarned is forearmed.  Modelling is very difficult if you set your heart on competition standards, but much less so if you remember it is supposed to be fun. 

 

I must admit I don't think that large twin transports are ideal subjects for a first kit, and from what John says neither is the I-16, but the old Italeri La.5FN is perfectly suitable for a beginner.

 

One thing I think I can guarantee - if you try selling them then you won't get anything like the price you paid for them.  Which is true regardless of how good they are or are not.  The second-hand model market has a few high-level collectors (and these kits won't qualify for them) but is dominated by people only interested in a cheap bargain.  If you do decide to look for something easier for now, stick these kits into a box for later consideration.  Perhaps haul them out now and again for the sake of giving them a trial - there's no shame in having kits hanging around for years, or even decades, inching towards the light.  They may even rise a little in value, but I wouldn't rely upon that.   I'd also point out that if you don't try something beyond your current ability, your abilities will never improve, but perhaps you do need to gain some experience first.

 

Another approach for us on the board is to consider which kits are suitable for beginners and make recommendations.  To be honest if Eastern European kits are to be ruled out because of fear/lack of confidence then the answer is Not Many.  So here's a short list to begin with, not all readily available:

Hasegawa or Heller Yak 3

Italeri/Xvezda or Hobby Boss Pe 2

Plastikart/Revell Il 4  (a bit difficult)

Tamiya or Academy Il 2

Hobby Boss Tu 2

Hasegawa I-16
Heller I-153

Airfix Pe 2 is a bit vague on variant but decent enough for a beginner.  Their Yak 9 and Il2 however are pretty awful in shape: not too difficult but you wouldn't really want to.

 

Perhaps also the Valom Yak 7, but once you dip into the Eastern European ranges then there are quite a lot that can be considered.

Thank you very much for the advice.

 

I am by no means looking to build up to competition standards.

 

I simply love all Soviet aircraft, have read of their history, do have a Russian background etc...

 

I just want to somehow recreate the planes I've read about and AModel seems to be the only company that makes them. I have made sure that they're recent releases.

 

 

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Stash the A Model stuff for now; get some experience with easier kits then just go for it.  Cease worrying about it!  This is meant to be a pastime, and a most absorbing, satisfying and relaxing one at that. When you feel you're ready, choose your build, and build it.

 

A story from Chinese philosophy (Zhuang Zi, retold):

 

An archer entered a competition for a rich prize.  He took aim, but he kept thinking of his prize; he therefore effectively had his attention split between two targets.  He was out of his mind and could not expect to hit the designated target, could therefore never win. 

What does this mean for you?

Just build, when you have acquired the skill.  Never mind the opinions of others.  As you say, you are not entering competitions, there is no prize to distract you.  There is just you and the target - your aircraft.  Concentrate on your builds and enjoy.  There is nothing else!

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Amongst the monsters out there in the modelling world, a few manufacturers stand head and shoulders above the rest for being downright challenging, and I use the term loosely. In 55 years of modelling, I have so far built one A Model kit (I have one more in the stash). I'm known for making obscure, challenging and downright difficult kits. To date I have scrapped one kit before attempting to build it. The Amodel kit I built last year came close to following it. It was the only kit I have needed to take an 8 inch engineering file to in order to get it to fit. When it was done, it looked the part, and was the only game in town. If you are desperate for a particular Amodel kit in your collection, put it aside, and find something fairly simple to attempt first. Jumping straight into Amodel will put you off for sure. Finishing one to your satisfaction will give you an immense sense of pleasure, knowing you have defeated it.

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Most of us began building model kits when we were kids and had the experience of building a kit in one afternoon, gluey fingerprints and all. Only later did some of us begin worrying about that extra 1.25 mm on our subject (I never have, as according to my wife I never grew past 5 years old), which is entirely up to the modeller.

 

But to try a nice Soviet design with gazillions of choices as to civil markings, and will also not break the bank or require too much filling, sanding etc and will give you a good intro into this fascinating hobby try a Revell or Trumpeter 1/72 Antonov An-2.

 

DennisTheBear (not the Russian type)

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  • 4 weeks later...

As noted, Amodel are great kits for skill building. Lots of fitting, sanding, filing, filling, and some scratch building are required. Here are my 1/144 CL-415 build photos. I also built their HU-16. I have their 1/144 Lancaster B.III Dambuster, An-2, and DHC-8A, as well as 1/48 DH.60M in my stash.

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On 2/22/2018 at 2:06 PM, wyverns4 said:

They will be great for developing your modelling skill set

That is the truth...and with some patience and care they really do build up to interesting birds, sometimes odd ones to boot.

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