SEARCH FINESCALE.COM

Enter keywords or a search phrase below:

Your most complex model

8265 views
31 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    July 2008
  • From: Vancouver, the "wet coast"
Your most complex model
Posted by castelnuovo on Saturday, July 27, 2019 10:42 AM

By complex I mean most parts. Mine was Dragons Nashorn in 1:35 with some 700 parts. Took me a long time to put it together but I enjoyed it. 

  • Member since
    April 2005
Posted by ddp59 on Saturday, July 27, 2019 10:58 AM

kit, kitbash or scratch build?

  • Member since
    July 2004
  • From: Sonora Desert
Posted by stikpusher on Saturday, July 27, 2019 11:10 AM

For highest parts count, I would guess that it was the Academy 1/350 Graf Spee. But for actual complexity, I would say that it was the Dragon 1/35 SS-1C Scud TEL. Lots of sub assemblies and moving parts on that one. Self inflicted? My Monogram 1/48 B-26 where I scratch built up all missing interior detail for the fuselage, wheel wells, bomb bays, engines...

 

 

F is for FIRE, That burns down the whole town!

U is for URANIUM... BOMBS!

N is for NO SURVIVORS...

       - Plankton

LSM

 

  • Member since
    June 2014
  • From: New Braunfels , Texas
Posted by Tanker - Builder on Saturday, July 27, 2019 11:21 AM

Hi !

   I would have to say it was a scratch built model of a Hydraulic Log Loader. With the size at Barbie and Ken scale it took seven months and 3200 parts.

 As far as a kit it would be the Shell " North Cormorant " offshore oil rig and those types of Revell models. I now have the 1/32 Clear Mustang. Low parts count. But,Many of the moving parts are molded in clear plastic. After examining them under a bright light with a Jewelers Loupe they will have to be re-manufactured out of something else. Starring and Stress marks not visible to the naked eye.

Ships run the Gamut and I found the Bismark and the New Jersey the best in these categories.

  • Member since
    July 2008
  • From: Summerville, SC
Posted by jeffpez on Saturday, July 27, 2019 11:43 AM

Heller's 1/100 scale Soleil Royal which has 2300 parts. I should also confess that I haven't rigged it so mine isn't complete.

  • Member since
    August 2013
Posted by Jay Jay on Saturday, July 27, 2019 11:47 AM

Hey Stick,

Being a fan of the B-26 I would love to see your model of it. I did one with all the PE but I bet it pales in comparrison to yours.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 I'm finally retired. Now time I got, money I don't.

  • Member since
    July 2004
  • From: Sonora Desert
Posted by stikpusher on Saturday, July 27, 2019 1:00 PM

Jay Jay

Hey Stick,

Being a fan of the B-26 I would love to see your model of it. I did one with all the PE but I bet it pales in comparrison to yours.

 

 

Jay Jay, thank you. You can see the finished build here...

 

http://cs.finescale.com/fsm/modeling_subjects/f/2/t/161156.aspx

 

But to follow the build WIP, it was part of the D-Day 70th Anniversary Longest Day GB... that’s where my insanity took over and was well documented...

 

F is for FIRE, That burns down the whole town!

U is for URANIUM... BOMBS!

N is for NO SURVIVORS...

       - Plankton

LSM

 

  • Member since
    May 2011
  • From: Honolulu, Hawaii
Posted by Real G on Saturday, July 27, 2019 1:59 PM

Mine would be DML’s 1/48 Me-262a night fighter prototype.  I define complex as difficulty getting parts to fit, demanding assembly, and additional self-inflicted detailing.  The kit’s fit is not stellar at the wing/fuse join line, and atrocious at the wing/engine nacelle fairing.  The PE is stainless steel, so it resists most attempts to trim and clean.  This was the first kit where I used PE, so it was a real trial.  I detailed both exposed engines with missing bits and all the fuel and electrical lines I could descipher from photos.  That alone took over a month of continuous work.  I did gain an understanding of how the Jumo engine worked though, so it was educational.

The kit I built with the highest part count is the Perfect Grade Gundam GP-01 in 1/60 scale.  If any model could be said to have kicked my heinie, this one would be it.  It had well over a thousand pieces in it, and the construction just wore me down.

 Both models taught me some valuable lessons:

- Stainless steel PE is to be avoided

- PE seat belts are highly addictive; I can’t build an aircaft model without some form of seat belt anymore

- Exposed engine models are not my thing.  They are tedious to do, fragile, and nigh impossible to dust

- The level of complexity in the Gundam kit’s joints leads me to believe that real mobile suits are definitely not practical, as they would be a headache to service and maintain

- Don’t build more PG 1/60 Gundam kits.  It just wasn’t fun slogging through the assembly sequences, and the size/mass tips past the point of the strength of the polycaps used in their joints.

“Ya ya ya, unicorn papoi!”

  • Member since
    March 2013
Posted by patrick206 on Saturday, July 27, 2019 2:31 PM

Easily the Pocher car kits, I built three of them over the years. Very precise parts fit and quality materials, but they took PLENTY of time to complete.

Next would be some of the old balsa Cleveland model airplane kits, with scale parts assembly. Elegant when finished, too nice to cover and hide the details. Like the Pocher car kits, plan on spending some time at the bench, not week end projects. 

  • Member since
    August 2015
  • From: the redlands Fl
Posted by crown r n7 on Saturday, July 27, 2019 4:57 PM

A Hubley 1930 Packard with a metal body working suspension worm gear steering a lot of  filing 

 

 

 Nick.

  • Member since
    March 2005
  • From: Lancaster, South Carolina
Posted by Devil Dawg on Saturday, July 27, 2019 5:21 PM

The Tamiya 1/32nd McDonnel-Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle. I built it back in 2002 or 2003, and that kit had a LOT of parts!! Especially all the ordnance pieces. Took me a little over a year to finish it, but, it met its demise at the hands of an angry ex-wife, so it exists no more.

Devil Dawg

On The Bench: Tamiya 1/32nd Mitsubishi A6M5 Model 52 Zeke For Japanese Group Build

Build one at a time? Hah! That'll be the day!!

  • Member since
    April 2009
  • From: Longmont, Colorado
Posted by Cadet Chuck on Saturday, July 27, 2019 7:35 PM

I must agree with Patrick, re the Pocher car kits.  I also built three of them years ago.  The engineering and parts manufacturing was amazing!  Thousands of multimedia parts, including lots of metal hardware, like individual wire wheel spokes, and lots of special brass fittings; tiny nuts, bolts, and screws and on and on.  They were totally amazing kits with spectacular results.  I still have them, protected in dust proof display cases.

Gimme a pigfoot, and a bottle of beer...

  • Member since
    July 2008
  • From: Vancouver, the "wet coast"
Posted by castelnuovo on Saturday, July 27, 2019 11:49 PM

Devil Dawg

The Tamiya 1/32nd McDonnel-Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle. I built it back in 2002 or 2003, and that kit had a LOT of parts!! Especially all the ordnance pieces. Took me a little over a year to finish it, but, it met its demise at the hands of an angry ex-wife, so it exists no more.

 

 

That is just criminal Angry

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • From: USA
Posted by keavdog on Saturday, July 27, 2019 11:54 PM

Oh Dawg.... thats just wrong.  Like keying the hot-rod.  Nasty, nasty woman.  

So for complex (not to hijack) but the level of surgery is a big deal.  The S2T fire attack plane I did was a pretty complex build which required quite a bit of cutting and resin.

Thanks,

John

  • Member since
    August 2013
  • From: Michigan
Posted by Straycat1911 on Sunday, July 28, 2019 12:04 AM

My vote would be the Collect Aire 1/48 scale F-108 Rapier. 

I’m gonna name it The Bondo Girl if I ever finish it. 

My first, only, and guaranteed LAST resin kit. 

  • Member since
    August 2013
Posted by Jay Jay on Sunday, July 28, 2019 7:07 AM

 Stick

As usual , the FSM search for your B-26 turned up "no results" so I can't find your B-26 .

 

 

 

 

 

 I'm finally retired. Now time I got, money I don't.

  • Member since
    July 2004
  • From: Sonora Desert
Posted by stikpusher on Sunday, July 28, 2019 10:23 AM

Jay Jay

 Stick

As usual , the FSM search for your B-26 turned up "no results" so I can't find your B-26 .

 

Jay Jay, look at my last post above. I copied and posted the B-26 build thread address. Unfortunately the stellar interaction between the last new improved forum update and Apple iOS do not allow for a hot link to the thread. Even if I did copy and paste it into the link icon... just like the FSM forum search functionality... anyways, copy and paste it into an open browser window to see B-26 Flak Bait.

 

F is for FIRE, That burns down the whole town!

U is for URANIUM... BOMBS!

N is for NO SURVIVORS...

       - Plankton

LSM

 

  • Member since
    February 2011
Posted by GreySnake on Tuesday, July 30, 2019 9:25 AM
Mine would be the Dragon 1/35 Sd.Kfz. 234/4 with the 75mm pak. Think all told there is around five hundred or so parts. Took around three months working on it on and off. I haven’t built them yet but I have a couple Russian tanks that have over eleven hundred parts.
  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: Twin Cities of Minnesota
Posted by Don Stauffer on Wednesday, July 31, 2019 8:49 AM

I have two in contention.  Neither is finished- they are ones I work on for awhile and then put aside for doing something easy in meantime.  First one is a ship, Hellers 1:00 Soleil Royal.  I know it has over a thousand parts, forget the exact number.  It is in the rigging stages.  Sailing ship models always go slow in the rigging stage, since I find I cannot work at rigging for very long at any one time.  Have been working on it for quite a few years.

Second is the Revell London bus.  I am not aware of the total parts count, but it is lots.  And  lots of difficult masking, painting, and decaling.

 

Don Stauffer in Minnesota

  • Member since
    August 2013
Posted by Jay Jay on Wednesday, July 31, 2019 9:23 AM
Mine was a 1/350 scale resin US light cruiser. Since it was the ship on which my Father served in WWII I wanted to do it as accurately as possible so the research took a year and a half and was very hard to find. I had to invest in all the PE I could find because the kit's resin parts where for the most part junk, all 104 guns for example. I finally finished it after 2 years and I'll never do another.

 

 

 

 

 

 I'm finally retired. Now time I got, money I don't.

  • Member since
    March 2005
Posted by philo426 on Wednesday, July 31, 2019 10:11 AM

I would say one that comes to mind is this Contrail 1/72 HP-42.Lots of fabrication and  sub assemblies.The border wing construction is like building a bridge on the lower wing rock solid and unyielding.I can see why bridges are made that way.

  • Member since
    March 2005
Posted by philo426 on Wednesday, July 31, 2019 10:11 AM

  • Member since
    March 2005
Posted by philo426 on Wednesday, July 31, 2019 10:17 AM

Other builds were labor intensive and time consuming like this airship I built .stryrene bulkheads and stringers covered by dozens of .10 styrene plates to form the skin. 

  • Member since
    March 2005
Posted by philo426 on Wednesday, July 31, 2019 10:17 AM

  • Member since
    March 2005
Posted by philo426 on Wednesday, July 31, 2019 10:19 AM

  • Member since
    September 2017
Posted by Jrock83 on Wednesday, July 31, 2019 12:36 PM
I have yet to do it, but I will easily say 1/350 Revell Tirpitz Platinum Edition. I have been watching a guy on YouTube doing it and it is very involved from the looks of it.
  • Member since
    September 2012
Posted by GMorrison on Wednesday, July 31, 2019 2:09 PM

That's a tough one. I'll use the definition of complex (my guess) as referring to the number of steps, number of parts, and time involved. Not poor fit, inscrutible instructions or the need for more than the usual outside research.

I recently built a model Italeri 1/9 scale Norton 750 Commando motorcycle kit.

It came out well IMO, and there was only a small amount of lack of clarity in the instructions.

Complexity factors;

A lot of parts in several different materials- styrene, rubber, metal.

The need to pre-paint most all of the parts prior to assembly.

Assembly a combination of adhesives, mechanical and interference fit.

Movable parts including steering, front and rear suspension and turning wheels (rear when the chain isn't fit onto the sprocket.)

Extreme delicacy in the assembled model.

I really liked it.

The Revell 1/144 Flower Class Corvette. I'm working on it in stages, as it has a really complex set of aftermarket PE. Not the kit's fault. I'm also backdating it to an earlier short forecastle ship. The subject is the fictitious "Compass Rose" from the novel The Cruel Sea.

75 PE parts on the engine skylight (except several brass wire parts I had to make for ones that the floor stole).

 Some yerars ago for the FSM Aeroplane GB. Roden 1/72 Felixstowe.

 

 

 

 Modeling is an excuse to buy books.

 

  • Member since
    June 2018
  • From: Ohio (USA)
Posted by DRUMS01 on Wednesday, July 31, 2019 2:27 PM

Sorry for being picture heavy, but I thought it would add to my answer.

For wheeled vehicles it would be a toss-up between my 1/16 Bandai Red Ball Lola (scratchbuilt with over 475 one-off parts and around 30 kit parts)

and my 1/18 Tamiya Nissan/Prince RC381 (scratchbuilt chassis, suspension, interior, driver, engine bay, etc. which is well over 500 parts):

For aircraft, it would have to be the 1/24 Airfix AV-8 Harrier. Between the poor fit, lack of detail parts, extensive scratch building, I ended with around 233 parts. 

And for ships,, even though the choice is limited, it would be the 1/350 HMS Roberts Monitor (including the many after-market parts and several sheets of PE, I know it has no less than 300 peices):

I have not built very many land based military vehicles, but of what I've done, it would be the 1/35 DML SCUD Missle Launcher with over 235 parts:

Great question.... perhaps the next follow-on question could be what was your most difficult model to build and why (?)....

Ben

"Everyones the normal until you get to know them" (Unknown)

LAST COMPLETED:

1/35 Churchill Mk IV AVRE with bridge - DONE

NEXT PROJECT:

1/35 CH-54A Tarhe Helicopter

 

  • Member since
    March 2005
Posted by philo426 on Wednesday, July 31, 2019 3:02 PM

Drum has elected to super detail his kits with impressive results!Bravo! 

  • Member since
    December 2018
Posted by Tosh on Thursday, August 1, 2019 1:58 AM

My Tamiya 1/32 Mosquito had the most parts and was most difficult to build as I wanted to show the engine as it took almost a week to assemble. What was extremely unusual were the tires.  

It came in several pieces and needed to fit almost like a puzzle.  Luckily as I always show a WIP on all builds, Forum members were chiming in and were amazed at the intricate nature of just the wheel assemblies.

After careful and a successful build, I was most pleased.  Just a quick note, it was also the most expensive model I’ve ever assembled.

Your Friend Toshi

Reside in Streetsboro, Ohio

 

JOIN OUR COMMUNITY!

Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.

SEARCH FORUMS
FREE NEWSLETTER
By signing up you may also receive reader surveys and occasional special offers. We do not sell, rent or trade our email lists. View our Privacy Policy.