trumpeter products

They hit the market in 1999 with really nasty copies of Tamiya and Academy tank kits. Motorized hulls with direct copies of Tamiya and Academy instruction sheets. They even left in the original company's part numbers for pieces they molded onto the surface of the upper hull or turret!

My first Trumpeter kit was the M60A3. It looked like it was made of wax or soap. The detail looked so soft and terrible that it was like someone had left the Tamiya kit under a heat lamp and the plastic was melted.

Even their T-55 series did not impress me. It wasn't until their Abrams kit came out that I saw some potential in the company. After I saw their Chinese BJ212A recoilless rifle Jeep, I saw that they really improved and were a company that was up and coming. It was one of the better softskinned vehicles produced by any company (Tamiya's Jeep and Skybow's trucks are still better though).

They went from 0 to 60 in under 4 years.

Check out their 1:72 Westland Wyvern Model, a very well executed kit, that dare I say is Hasegawa quality.

Certainly a subject no mainstream manufacturer would ever release!

I heard the same about their old stuff and I have experience only with some of their recent releases.

I built their Chally 2, Sturer Emil and I am now building the KV-2. The Chally have some minor problems but came out quite good even with my beginner's touch.



The Sturer is a very good kit for its price. The KV-2 is very good, too.

zokissima,
My Challenger II had many gaps in the turret boxes/blast panels ( If that's the correct term). Overall fit left alot to be desired also. I just wasn't impressed.
The AS90 went together pretty well though. Maybe it's just me, but I have heard many similar complaints about the Challenger and other Trumpeter kits. But like I said, if my local HOBLOB will stock them, I'll buy them. They're good practice as I am not the best modeler, but I'm not anywhere near the worst either.
Good day.

-60

As far as their ships go, I'm still not really fond for the quality as compared to the price. Their knock-offs under the Banner / Mini-Hobby names should be avoided be all means. I have built the 1/350 Arizona which was one of their first releases and the deck and hull fit was horrible. I just started a 1/350 Yorktown, which is a fairly new release, and the fit is still terrible. I also am not real crazy about the quality of styrene they use. It is very soft and I cannot use artist grade thinners, acrylics, or automitive primer on it without causing crazing and peeling.

They do have good instructions, the part layout is very good, and there is hardly ever any flash on the parts, however, ejector pin marks and sink spots are everywhere.

But they still have some really cool subjects, and the PE and resin manufactures are doing a great job at making aftermarket stuff that fits perfectly to their kits. These kits are "builder" kits and with some effort, come to be very nice looking models.

Scott

What's wrong with their Chally II? It was reviewed in FSM, and was a pretty good score. I have one, and it doesn't look too bad.

Their newer kits are just fine, in many cases, they are just fantastic kits, such as all their large rail guns and tank transporters, and you get them at very good prices.
As for their old kits, well, I wouldn't say that you'd get a better result from sculpting a 2-pound hunk of plastic. Everyone complains about them. Ok, so they're not tamiya, but you got what you paid for. They're ridiculously cheap, and if you take more care in building, doing a few scratched bits, and take care painting them, they'll build into decent models.

The 1/35 scale Challenger is a piece of junk. But I got what I paid for. It was cheap. And honestly I would buy more, knowing what I know. The 1/35 AS 90 was inexpensive and was a better kit. Cheap=fun.
-60

QUOTE: Originally posted by tigerman We must be talking about their M1 Abrams................dog of a kit as far as fit. At least it had the anti-skid texture that Tamiya failed to include. I'm looking forward to their newer KV-1's. They sound promising from what I've read.

no that is a new one for me no i have 5 of there chinese army tanks
ant a couple of their 1/350 ships

and

We must be talking about their M1 Abrams................dog of a kit as far as fit. At least it had the anti-skid texture that Tamiya failed to include. I'm looking forward to their newer KV-1's. They sound promising from what I've read.

Having recently come back to the insanity we call modeling, Trumpeter did not exist when I was I the hobby last. I had read a lot of good things about them so when a LHS went out of biz I picked up the 1/24 Fw 190D-9 for cheap. I have only recently started going over the parts to get ready for the Battle for Germany GB and I have to say I am not overly impressed. I am sure it will build up into a great A/C. The flaps are really a sight… The areas between the ribs look as though the mold was gouged with a grapefruit spoon and just to make it fun there is a sink hole in the middle of each as well.

Plus-their logo sucks!

most of their early releases are excellent for smashing against walls.

Even their newer kits have a few Quirks, but the new releases are much better than the early releases. Some of the early releases were pretty bad, as you have found out.

Regards, Rick

Yup, like almost all model companies, Trumpeter's newer stuff is much better than their older stuff.
They got better REAL quick, though!