Martyhh
I was wondering if people had thoughts on which manufacturers provide the best set of instruction with their models. Particularly aircraft. I've found that sometimes it's hard to follow what the manufacturer is trying to tell you in a particular step. Thoughts?
Top of the line is probably the companies like ICM, Eduard, Dorawings, the now-defunct Wingnut Wings, and probably others I've left out, whose instructions on some of their ranges of kits, or even their entire catalogs, are almost comparable to publications like Squadron's "In Action" or "Walkaround" series. Photos, text, as well as exploded drawings for each step of construction, diagrams of sprue layouts, extensive illustrations of the subjects you can finish the kit into, and similar information.
But those makers' kits are also more expensive than other brands' kits. Quality generally costs more.
You've missed out if you're younger than say, 40 years. Back in the day, companies like Monogram and Revell put a lot of thought into their instructions. Kit instructions not only showed the parts and a build sequence, but usually named the part itself. So you learned about the subject as you built it. Monogram used to apply a user test to its instructions. They invited kids to come in and build first-run issues of the kits, and the instructions, to help identify where they could be improved.
But eventually, most companies wound up reducing the info to the least amount they felt necessary, thereby reducing the cost of producing instructions.
Then there are instruction sheets from the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, and even today, from companies overseas, with poor English translations, often humorous, too. And you should see the instructions in kits from eastern Europe, especially Russia, from the 80s and 90s. Often a single sheet, just an exploded drawing, maybe text, maybe translated.
As Jim notes, you develop some experience, too, and find after a while that you don't necessarily need to follow the instructions exactly, in every case.