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Nice 1/48 kit for beginner


AndyK2479

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Hello all, 

After cutting my teeth on a few Airfix starter kits, namely Spitfire and 109 and with a Airfix 1/72 Vampire ready to build next (along with a first foray into airbrushing) I am looking for some advice on a relatively easy 1/48 kit to move up into my preferred scale.

Anything from end of WWII up to around early 80's. 

Something not overly complicated and that will give me some good experience opportunities with the cement and airbrush.

Advice and opinions much appreciated.

 

Andy

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Hi Andy, 

 

Recent 1/48 convert here! I've found Trumpeter kits to be very quick and simple to build (but not the most accurate)! 

 

Tamiyas new Spitfire Mk I is a bit more complicated but goes together perfectly (almost snap fit). I've also really enjoyed building a couple Airfix Sea Furys (all all their 1/48 Spitfires for that matter - just be careful on the undercarriage and cowl). 

 

Ben 

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10 minutes ago, wellsprop said:

Hi Andy, 

 

Recent 1/48 convert here! I've found Trumpeter kits to be very quick and simple to build (but not the most accurate)! 

 

Tamiyas new Spitfire Mk I is a bit more complicated but goes together perfectly (almost snap fit). I've also really enjoyed building a couple Airfix Sea Furys (all all their 1/48 Spitfires for that matter - just be careful on the undercarriage and cowl). 

 

Ben 

Thanks Ben, will have a look at the Sea Fury from Airfix. 

I must say, I'm impressed how well the Airfix starter kits go together.

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the Airfix Gnat is a lovely litte jet!

 

alternatively any Eduard MiG-21 (fantastic nearly perfect kits, rel. cheap. but many many parts!) maybe start with a weekend kit, (no Photoetch or resin included) this then would be a next step

 

also Eduard Spitfires, and the newer FW 190 would be candidates!

 

Trumpeter/ Hobbyboss kits might also be an alterantive (great fit, nice details)

 

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F-117 from Tamiya, Academy or Monogram/Revell should be easy enough and don't remember any issues with any of those when I built them over 10 years ago (it was retiring that year so I built the plane in 48 scale from all manufacturers except Italeri/Testors).

Edited by Doom3r
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Some of the Esci ones are worth having a go at; the recent Italeri release of the A-7 has a straight forward construction, simple colour schemes and a lovely decal sheet. It's also not that expensive.

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The HobbyBoss 1/48 P-51D is an easy build, and looks good when finished.

Don't decry the Pegasus Hobbies snap-fit 1/48 kits either, they're not Tamigawa, but again, build easily and look good when finished.

Here is a review of their Hawker Hurricane , , ,

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Hi Andy, you don't mention your budget, but if you have £40 or so to spare I would recommend  any of the Tamiya F-16 Family in 1/48 scale- they are great kits, just the right size when complete and a very important type in the western inventory. 

If that's a little more than you are looking to spend, the Italeri F-16A or  Kinetic at around £30 are a decent substitute.

 

Best of luck!

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If you don't mind late WW2, the Tamiya P-47s are awesome builds. Expensive, but you get what you pay for.

Airfix Sea Fury is very nice, but you'll probably want to invest in a replacement engine cowling (Barracuda and Aerocraft both do one).

Tamiya F-16 family are extremely fun builds, but IMHO not shake-and-bake.

Airfix Meteor F.8 might be worth considering. I've got one, but haven't built it yet.

I had a pretty good time with the Airfix Seafire XVII. Snappy paint scheme.

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Once again, thanks for the advice and list of models to look at. I’ve gone for the Eduard Mig21PF Weekend Edition, due to always liking that era of Soviet aircraft (I was a bit of an expert at naming them from silhouettes in my Army days) and also it was reasonably cheap as a first ‘proper’ build after dabbling with a few starter kits from  Airfix

 

I still have a 1/72 Mk1 Spitfire and Vampire, both Airfix, to have a go at before I move up to the 1/48. I’ll use these as my introduction to airbrushing 😳

 

I’ve made a shortlist ok kits recommended here, so thanks for your input.

 

Andy

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On 3/9/2021 at 8:36 AM, exdraken said:

 

 

alternatively any Eduard MiG-21 (fantastic nearly perfect kits, rel. cheap. but many many parts!)

 

Seconded.

 

I'm currently in the middle of my first 1/48 kit, an Eduard MiG-21 SMT, a lot of parts as you say but the fit and detail is spot on and a thoroughly enjoyable build so far.

 

The one element I'm really NOT looking forward to is the approximately 250-300 stencils 

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1 hour ago, Seawinder said:

If you don't mind late WW2, the Tamiya P-47s are awesome builds. Expensive, but you get what you pay for.

Airfix Sea Fury is very nice, but you'll probably want to invest in a replacement engine cowling (Barracuda and Aerocraft both do one).

Tamiya F-16 family are extremely fun builds, but IMHO not shake-and-bake.

Airfix Meteor F.8 might be worth considering. I've got one, but haven't built it yet.

I had a pretty good time with the Airfix Seafire XVII. Snappy paint scheme.

Love the look of the Sea Fury, will definitely be part of my Korean War group.

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26 minutes ago, exdraken said:

There is an easy solution :D

 

The thought had crossed my mind 😁

 

With my track record on stencils I'll probably screw up at least 30 of them anyway.

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On 3/9/2021 at 9:36 AM, exdraken said:

the Airfix Gant is a lovely litte jet!

 

alternatively any Eduard MiG-21 (fantastic nearly perfect kits, rel. cheap. but many many parts!) maybe start with a weekend kit, (no Photoetch or resin included) this then would be a next step

Wasn't aware Airfix have moved into posh menswear, but might be worth a thought 😉

 

I have only looked into the boxes of my Eduard MiG-21s, but they are extremely impressive, and I bought my MF Weekenders for around 15 € each, which is unbeatable.  

 

If you want something that you will absolutely not miss if you completely mess it up and burn it in the garden, then look for a Hobbycraft Vampire. Some people may even give you money if you take one from them. It's about as accurate a Vampire as a Lindberg or Aurora MiG-17 are resembling a MiG-17. Nothing (and I mean NOTHING) on this kit is correct, there is hardly anything even close to reality. I chopped one up - which I inherited from a "friend" 😉  - some 20 years ago to try to get some reasonable shapes out of it but in the end had much more worthwhile things to do. But then if you get one very cheap (don't pay anything except postage), it may make an acceptable paint mule to try and test techniques.

 

Before I get whipped out of this place: Many Monogram kits will fit your bill, even if they are not state of the art any more. I am thinking of F-84F, Sabre and F-80, and their series of Centuries; and F-5E, for example. Most of them should be available on the net for a good price (possibly in a Revell box), and while some may be challenging a bit, you will not waste a fortune if you don't like the fit or are unsatisfied with your finish. As the Esci A-7 was mentioned, you may also want to have a look for one of their F-4s which really weren't bad at all but are equally dated and should be available quite cheaply. 

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No one seems to have mentioned the Revell Phantom FGR2 as a decent price Cold War jet in 1/48.  Can go grey/green camo or later grey interceptors.  The old Monogram kits are a good shout. Airfix Hawk is a cheap option too.  The old ESCI kits are a bit more primitive and have surface raised panel lines but the F-16 is not bad.  Plenty to have a go at & build up to those nice Kinetic / Hasegawa or trickier Valom or other kits

 

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Edited by bar side
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On 3/10/2021 at 2:26 PM, tempestfan said:

Before I get whipped out of this place: Many Monogram kits will fit your bill, even if they are not state of the art any more. I am thinking of F-84F, Sabre and F-80, and their series of Centuries; and F-5E, for example. Most of them should be available on the net for a good price (possibly in a Revell box), and while some may be challenging a bit, you will not waste a fortune if you don't like the fit or are unsatisfied with your finish. 

While Monogram 1/48 Century Series Fighters are really nice kits even by today's standards (namely Voodoo, Delta Dagger, Thud, Delta Dart and Spectre..err..Phantom II (I would also add here their Panther, Tomcat and Eagle) I would not advise to pick them up to somebody who does not have too much of experience b/c the fit isn't perfect and most important they have lot of raised details that might get easily misaligned or lost while sanding the joins. At this point you would have to either leave with it, attempt to restore raised details, scribe lost detail or go all in and rescribe the whole model (ask me how I know). At this stage I would advise to go for something nice and easy as Tamiya (beware of their SHAR though). Speaking of Revell though: their Sabre Dog https://www.scalemates.com/kits/revell-85-5868-f-86d-sabre-dog--940576 is cheap, easy to build and quite nice (however good luck with trying to get a natural metal finish :P )

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