1/350 USS Entrprise - CVN-65

Howdy all,

These two ships are identical in every detail. The Hobbycraft is a Tamiya copyright for the chinese market. I have both kits and did a side by side comparison. The only real notible difference that I saw was the HC kit is motorized and and the switch comes up through the #3 blast deflector. The instruction sheet (not booklet like Tamiya) is very low on detail.

If you want cheap this is the way to go. I bought the kit with the thought of making it the Conny or Kitty, just haven't got around to it yet.

I have done one of MiniHobby Models ship kits - the 1/72 Perkasa converted to HMS Brave Borderer (see www.aberdeenmodeller.plus.com and look in gallery). The moulds look similar to the Tamiya offering and some of the sprues are identical, but some are from another source. The project took some 5 months but I was prepared to put in the time to do the conversion. The plastic was softer.
If you want a cheap kit - but are prepared to accept that the quality will suffer - then go for it. But be warned - you will have to put in the hours on the modelling bench!!

I'm holdin' off buying anymore ship models till it comes out myself. Of course I've also got two projects crying from the kit pile! "I'm next, I'm next!" Or is that just me smellin' the glue?

Thanks for the info guys. I guess I will wait and save my $$ to get the Trumpeter Nimitz. Gotr the Hobbyland flyer this afternoon in the mail. They are offering a pre-release price of $139.99.

IMHO, I'd stay away from the MINIHOBBY Naval kits. I'm trying to finish one of their USS Ticonderoga's right not. Soft plastis parts, bad fit on some. I mean really bad fit! It was cheap enough, guess why! I don't know about the Big E, but the kit I got took plenty of putty just to make the hull look reasonable. Now if you're looking for a real challenge, go for it.

I've been told it's a knockoff of the Tamiya kit. Also that it's not as good; both the plastic and the detailing are soft. You get what you pay for, apparently.
Paul