What kits to choose?

Blackwolf,

Thanks for the corrections. I should have gone and opened the closet door and verified my list, but I was affraid of the possible avelanch (sp) if I opened the door! Boy, I completely forgot about the Academy P-38s. The memory ain't what it used to be. And thanks for the link also.

Is it woth mentioning the revell-Monogram P51 B and D, their P47s, and their P-38, Avenger, dauntless, etc. Jan, you may want to look at these if you are just beginning in model building. They are relatively inexpensive, not to bad for fit and detail, and woulod provide experience before getting into more expensive kits.
Just a thought ! rangerj

Jan,

Sometime back I responded to a guy who started a thread called 'Manufacturer Evaluation'. What I wrote was rather lengthy, and it only really covered 48th stuff, but it may help you decipher what's kinda good and not so good and it'll also help you figure out what's in the box. (ie; "is this latest ProModeler kit REALLY from a Revellogram mold or is it a Hasegawa kit?")

Anyhoo, if you care to read it here's the link.

Ranger got it pretty much right, although here's a few corrections and additions:

Hasegawa doesn't make a P-51B, Tamiya's is your best bet for the Baker Mustang. As to the 'D' my personal choice is Hasegawa's kit. Tamiya's kit has dropped flaps (a MUST for the Stang on the ground) and goes together almost effortlessly, but the clear parts are WAY too thick. (And I kinda hate vacs! ) That's just my personal peeve, though. If you wanna great kit to build an aren't gonna worry about that kinda stuff, go with Tamiya's Stang.

Academy also makes very nice P-38's of just about any variant you could want. They recently released a boxing of the kit that includes options to build many if not all of these variants. (About time!)

I'd stay away from the 'ole Monogram P-40B/C. It's a bit more accurate in many ways than the Hobbycrap kit, but it's an aggravating build in this day and age. Wait for AMtech's new Tomahawk(s). They're bound to be light years ahead of Hobbycrap's kit. Having built the Hobbycrap P-40 it does go together with relatively little fuss, and is a decent model. But there's a few REALLY aggravating things about it, like the cockpit ledges. GRRRRR......

Hasegawa also makes a P-47 Razorback and it's a good kit. It's also alot cheaper than Tamiya's. As with the Mustangs, the Hasegawa Jug doesn't have dropped flaps. My personal choice would be the Tamiya kit, but Hasegawa's is an excellent model.

Hasegawa doesn't make a P-47N and you'd best steer clear of the ProModeler (Revellogram) kit. () Academy makes a very nice kit of the 'N'. Only a few problems here and there. I wouldn't be surprised if Tamiya releases an 'N' in the future, though...


Fade to Black...

Jan,

P-51B or D Tamiya or Hasagawa
P-51 A or C and A-36 Accurate Miniture
P-38 F,G,H Hasagawa or Revell-Monogram (Hasagawa kit in Revell box but less expensive)
P-38 J or L Hasagawa
SBD Dauntless (3/5) Hasagawa or Accurate Miniture
Dauntless Army version (A-24?) Hasagawa
Dauntless early version (Marines) Accurate Miniture
Hellcat Hasagawa (several versions)
P-40 B (I think) Revell-Monogram (OK and inexpensive - lacks detail)
P-40 B/C Accadamy/Hobbycraft
P-40 E/ anf P-40F/L AM Tech
P-47 D (Razerback) Tamiya,
P47 D (Bubble top) Tamiya or Hasagawa
P-47 N Hasagawa, Revell-Monogram
Avenger Accurate Miniture (several versions)
Wildcat Tamiya
Devastator Revell-Monogram (only one I know, of and its pretty good for a 20+ year old model. It lacks detail)

The Tamiya P-51 D with the AIRES Cockpit and wheel well sets makes an outstanding model of the Mustang!

This should get you started! rangerj