What's your favorite kit of all time?

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.

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

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!?

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

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...

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.

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.

ill let you know when i finish one lol

Best one for me so far was the revell 1/72 f-14tomcat. Great first time build i reckon. 

My favorite kit would have to be the Testor's/Italeri 1/72 scale SR-71.  It is not the greatest kit in the world for miniscule detail or a lot of it, but I still like the kit.  It goes together rather well and I consider it the most accurate Blackbird kit available.  It can be built as an A model operational bird or the B model trainer with the raised second cockpit.  It also includes decals and instructions to build the M-21 mother ship that launched the D-21 drone, but that plane was quite a bit different from the SR-71.

Darwin, O.F.

My favorite kit of all time, geez that's a though one.  For me it would have to be the Tamiya Spitfire because I love them and keep building them, closely followed by the Tamiya P-47 which is simply a beautiful kit that is a joy to build.

For me, I'd say the old venerable Monogram B-17G, it's was always fun to build. Have built them in both O.D. and aluminum paint schemes.

bcamp1973 wrote:

ruddratt, i remember similar kits from my childhood. I think i built a T-Rex and Stegosaurus. Mine were wooden kits, but i was just a tyke and i think my eyes about popped out when i opened those boxes on Christmas :)

I know the feeling, Brian. The kits I did were styrene (I have seen the wooden ones you mention, and they are pretty cool too!), and I would give almost anything to be able to apply the techniques I've learned over the years on them now.

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.

Aggieman wrote:

I've done some real fine Tamiya, Hasegawa and Accurate Miniatures kits, but for me my favorite comes down to childhood memories - Monogram kits from the '70s.  I've re-built most of them since rejoining the hobby, and my favorite would be the 1/48 P-40B and the 1/48 B-17G.

soulcrusher wrote:

My most enjoyable build in the last couple of years was the Accurate Minatures P-51A. Good detail great fix nice panel lines and she went together without a hitch....I enjoyed the Mustang build so much I went a little overboard on the weathering! I guess I did not want it to end.

Any of the three Tamiya 1/48 Spitfires woukd get my vote. Superb fit and detail.

Darren. 

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.

From a nostalgia standpoint, it would be the Monogram HU-16 Albatross from the late '50s, but from a quality/results standpoint, it is the Acc Min P-51A I just finished for the Secret Santa Group build, followed bay all my iother Acc Min kits!

Brian