Revell of Germany, old Monogram, and a good one now is Hobby Boss which is lesser priced Trumpeter.

Airfix has come a long ways.  Their kits were always comparitively  cheap, but their latest releases are very detailed and good fitting.  A bargain now.

I would recommend picking a subject and then asking who makes a kit that best meets your desires. Then many of the builders here can more precisely point you in the direction you wish to go.

BK

On top of what has already been said, I’d say look at Eduard Weekend Edition kits for kits that meet your general criteria. Some Hobbyboss kits fall into your price range as well.

One thing that makes a big difference is what is your preferred subject area.  Some subject areas are more limited in kit selection than others. 

If interested in either a P40 or P51, look at the new Airfix offerings.  The parts count is up there a little, but the fit and detail is good.

If you have a Hobby Lobby nearby they can be had for under $20 with the 40% coupon.

Thanks all for the advice. I am looking to build a Hurricane, Spitfire and F-4J Phantom in 1/48. I just finished a Panther tank and am looking for a new project.

Hurricane choices are Hasegawa and Airfix

Spitfire. Airfix Eduard Hasegawa Tamiya

Phantom. Hasegawa or the older Monogram which is a nice kit

Looking at scalehobbyist.com, I see a couple of F4-J Phantoms in the price range you specified - one by Hasegawa, one by Italeri.  The Hasegawa is a bit cheaper, but I'd look at online reviews to determine if it comes with ordinance (some times Hasegawa kits do not include ordinance since they sell a kit of all kinds of ordinance).  The photo on the scalehobbyist site shows some ordinance on the completed model.  A little pricier is an offering from Academy.

They have lots of choices for Spitfires.  I'd go with the newer Tamiya kit, but the older Tamiya kit will also be pretty good.  Eduard has a lot of choices for Spitfires.

Not too many choices for a Hurricane, but they do have a Hasegawa (I've built that kit, it is a good one).  I have the Airfix Hurricane in my stash; it looks like a really good, well-detailed kit.

The newer Tamiya Spitfire Mk. I is one of the best models I've ever built. The fit is superb! The Hasegawa kits are pretty good too but not this good. I dunno about Tamiya's other marks. 

The Hasegawa F-4 is pretty good too. It's a bit fussy with some parts like the tail stabs though. 

Bob D

Thanks all for the advice. I am looking to build a Hurricane, Spitfire and F-4J Phantom in 1/48...

See, I'd still build Monogram's classic 1/48 Spitfire and Hurricane.  Revell also produced a 1/48 Spitfire, which did not make it into the merged catalog  You can find them all on the secondary market, for less than $30.

I'd also build any of Monogram's large, multi-engine aircraft models-the B-17G, the B-24J and -D, the B-25 series, the B-26.  I also have no qualms about building the P-61 kit, either.  All of those were reissued, post-merger, and you can find them for the $30-$40 range, but also for far less, if you keep your eyes open and are patient.

The PBY and the PV-1 are good kits, too.  I never built the He-111, but I wouldn't pass on the opportunity to build one, if I got the urge.

Eduard is good, too.  I liken them to Monogram from back in the day, in that for the price, you get a decent kit that looks good out of the box.  And if you want to add extra detail, you can go nuts.

New Airfix kits are very nice, too.

I've built Hobby Boss' F4F-4 Wildcat, which also a nice kit.  Based on that, I wouldn't pass building other Hobby Boss 1/48 airplanes.

Accurate Miniatures made beautiful kits in 1/48, some of which have been re-released by other companies.  Italeri, for example, has the TBF/TBM in its catalog.  AM kits can also be found on the second-hand market.  If you want to pay $30 to $40, you can, but again, I prefer to watch and wait for a bargain.

And of course, there's always Tamiya or Hasegawa.

Thanks again guys. All the info is a big help. Once I learn how to use the the Metalic paint and Mask canopies I will get into the more complex models. I would hate to build a beautiful model and melt the canopy like I did on my last model. Good thing it was a cheaper kit. I learned what NOT to do, to make a canopy fit. 

sickdude

Quick tip for gluing clear parts; Elmers clear glue works great. You can get a huge jug for cheap, and it'll last for years. Not the basic school glue (though that works ok in a pinch too). Regular plastic model cement will in the least, craze clear parts like crazy. Testors Model Master clear parts cement is also a great product. Hope that helps! :)

 

I don't like white glue for windows that are inserted from inside of fuselage, like in bombers or airliners.  When you go to mask them after gluing fuselage sides together, if you are not careful you can press just a little too hard, and they pop inside.  good luck getting them out and re-inserted then.  The bond is just not strong enough.  I used to use epoxy, but now use the lazer hardening glue.  Stronger than white glue, and will not craze the plastic. Just make sure you can shine laser into interface (edge)- the plastic itself does not transmit the UV very well.

Thank you for the heads up Don, i didn't even think of that .