What's your favorite kit of all time?

My favorite kit, has to be the first one I built. The monogram 1/72 B-36. That was about 40 years ago. The B-36 has al3as been my favorite plane. When I was a kid, liveing in Sugar Grove Pa they use to fly over, two/three times a week.

   They have a sound all of there own.

So far...

Accurate Miniature's 1/48 scale Avenger

Tamiya's 1/48 Bristol Beaufighter Mk. X

Monogram's 1/48 T-6 Texan

...some may be suprised to see a Monogram kit up here but that T-6 is a little gem of a kit.

I think my favorite kit is the 1/32 Monogram P-51D.  I think it captures the lines of the airplane better than any current 1/32 P-51, and has a very nice cockpit.  I built two in 1967, they were new then, weren't they?  I still have one of them on my shelf.  I wasn't concerned then about the gear retraction linkage stickiing out of the bottom of the wing then.  I would probably fill that hole if I built one now.  May not be as good a kit as what Tamiya makes today, but there are so many pleasant memories...

Hi All

At my Mum`s house is a small box with a nearly complete Airfix 1:72 Ju87 wrapped in cotton wool from the days when they came in plastic bags with a paper header. It`s painted in Airfix enamels with earth brown/dark green top camo` similar in style to early ww2 RAF, with a mid blue under side with white clouds. Its in a mixture of decals, I must of lost the kit sheet and used up bits from other models.

Back in the days when me and my brother used to get 2/6d each (or .12 1/2 pence) pocket money, we used to go to the local model shop at the back of the barbers/tobaconist who also sold records, and buy a kit each. For our combined money we used to get two kits, a tube of cement, a couple of paints and maybe a brush and the rush home and be quiet for an hour or two. I didn`t know that my parents still had this until it was pulled out when they moved a few years ago. Little did I realize then that I would still be looking out for unusual Luftwaffe schemes nearly 50 years later

barrovian wrote:

Favourite Kit of all time? Only one contender Mongram 1/48 TBD-1 Devastator, closely followed by ESCI 1/48 Henschel HS-123. I have a real soft spot for Monogram 1/48's during the 70's/80's they set the standard for detail.

 Thanks to this thread I have left the AFV world, for a while, and returned to my youth and have managed to obtain my favourite aircraft. The Devastator and HS-123 now sit awaiting build and I also managed to obtain one of my other favourites Monogram 1/48 Shooting star. Now for the Hustler, B-17G, C-47, Marauder, Mitchell, Black Widow and Peacemaker. Ah those sepia tinted memories of childhood!?

Aaahh, the memories!....That is what modeling is all about, relaxing and having fun.  I too ahve a soft spot for those Monogram kits from the past.  My personal favorite is the Monogram 1/48 P-38.  I have built this kit many times and I have enjoyed it every time.  Yes, the Hasegawa kit has superior detail but the Monogram kit is a GREAT buy.  Their 1/48 P-61, F-101, F-4, and
F-106  are also high on the list of favorite kits for the same reasons.  All of these kits go together well and require little effort to build a nice model at a low price.

Mac

ruddratt wrote:

When I was first getting my feet wet in plastic modeling, there were 3 kits that provided me the ultimate in enjoyment in both construction and display. Being as long ago as they were, I do not recall the manufacturer, but they were all of dinosaur skeletons, a T-rex, a Brontosaurus, and a Stegosaurus. Regardless of the state of the art in today's tooling processes, I have yet to build a kit that captures the exhuberance I felt in building and displaying those three kits. If I ever saw one of them again, I'd snatch it up in a heartbeat, regardless of cost. Some things you just cannot put a price tag on.

The first two kits I ever built were not of military vehicles, but were made by, IIRC, Aurora.  One was Tarzan standing on a dead lion with a knife sticking out of it, and the other was of a Green Beret soldier stalking thru the jungle.  Both would probably be considered politically incorrect nowdays, which would expalin why I've never seen them again since those days when I was about 9 or 10 yrs. old.

Revell now makes or use to anyway,Monogram Classics.There reissues of really old kits.I think they are better than any other 1/48 Models.

Tamiya 1/48  P-47's    Me-262   Corsair

Hasegawa 1/48 F-18F    F-15C   Me-190E

they all just fell together and i was extremely happy with the results

Hi guys! one of the best kits I ever build is the Tamiya 1/48 Gekko, the detail is great, (except for the seat belts decals -I use tape insted-) the fit is also great (no gaps to fill) and was one of my best jobs also the perfect combination.

another personal favorite is the Special Hobby FMA Ia 58 Pucara (from the malvinas -falklands- war) the detail is very good, and the fit %&%"@$·0 jajaj but I wait one decet pucara kit for many years.

regards

 Jeremias

For overall fit, build pleasure, detail and "I would build this over and over again" factor... in no particular order:

1/32 Rog Fw190D-9

1/48 Hasegawa P-40E

1/48 Tamiya P-51D (or "B")

1/48 Tamiya Me 262

1/418 Eduard P-39

I would definitely say the Eduard P-39 Profipack... the weight they provide for the nose is totally cool.

Just picked up the Eduard FW190A-5.  Wow!

From when I was ten or so during the 1960's I would spend my allowance money at a local discount store. It woud, cost me $.69 for a Monogram 1/48th scale aircraft model. My bedroom had recessed book shelves next to the beds and that became my "aircraft carrier hangar". I would build two or three at a time of Wildcats, Hellcats and Avengers. They would all be stored with their wings folded there on that bookshelf. There was alot of wear and tear and replacements were always coming in. 

There was one other kit of a Douglas F4D Skyray in about 1/48 scale. I don't know which company made it, it was an easy build with a scale engine and an opeing compartment door to view the engine. This was about 1970.

Mike T.

ted jayson wrote:

I also have to agree with Ruddratt about the dinosaur skeletons. I'd be afraid to find out how much I'd spend if I found one!

Ted, I've looked high & low for those kits with no luck. The only skeleton kits I've found are molded in resin, up to almost 2' long, and go for about $400. But I'll keep lookin'!

ruddratt - I remember those as well, I had the woolly mammoth kit. Was it from Pyro?

Mike T.

Tojo, it's interesting to see your answer now compared to 12 years ago.

Yes!  Will be interesting to compare given the 11 year lapse.  My favorite would be the Tamiya 1/12 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-RR - or any of the recent Tamiya bikes.  They are really fun to build and engineered and fit better than any other model I've built given the complexity and detail of a motorcycle in 1/12 scale.

AIrcraft wise - I have to go with the Tamiya P-47s, Spitfire Mk1 and P-51D - after 11 years they hold up.

hogfanfs

Tojo, it's interesting to see your answer now compared to 12 years ago.

 

Was trying just to be funny resurrecting a zombie thread while just hanging and watching football,but it might be interesting to see how some things change,but some kits hold up over time.

Tojo72

 

 

hogfanfs

Tojo, it's interesting to see your answer now compared to 12 years ago.

 

 

 

 

Was trying just to be funny resurrecting a zombie thread while just hanging and watching football,but it might be interseting to see how some things chage,but dome kits hold up over time.

 

Watching the Patriots play some good football. I started tinkering with the Tamiya 1/48 M1A2 kit, and while it is a rare version not widely fielded, it's a pretty decent casual kit.

I hope they produce different similar versions like the M1A1 or M1A2SEP.