Model Companies

[Jennings]

Really folks... people 'cringe' at Hasegawa?  Some of the best kits ever made.  People like AMT/Ertl?  Some of the worst kits ever made!

My point is, no model company (nor anything or anyone else) is perfect.  They've all had their gems and they've all had their dogs (some more than others in both categories).  

If someone is a newbie, please don't taint him by making categorical statements.  I must agree that I never saw anything from Merlin that wasn't a shapless blob of resin (two of the oddest, most eccentric little old Englishmen ever, that lot).  But in general, every other line has good and bad.  There are some real gems from Classic Airframes.  Not for the rank novice (none of them are), but certainly not worthy of dismissal out of hand.

If someone is a noob, my suggestion is, if there's any question, ask it here before plonking down your hard-earned cash.  Ultimately it's the buyer's decision though.

Just my US $.02 worth.

J

[Jennings]

You can't pin the blame on Airfix for that one, that's one they did when they still had the mold swapping deal with MPC and the Thud is an MPC originated kit.

The only thing you can fault Airfix for on that one is not knowing better than to release it under their own name.

I beg to differ.  MPC was not putting out their own kits in the 1980s (hadn't since the mid-1960s).  That was an Airfix kit from the get-go, and one that's never seen the light of day since it was initially issued.  MPC was only a marketing entity in the 1980s.  There was no kit production whatsoever.

J

[Eddie M.]

Just heard that RoG has been purchased by Hobbico. I hope it's for the better.  
  Eddie  

[B777LR]

My list:
Revell (germany of course)
Italeri
Hasegawa
KP

And don't forget possibly the worst model kit ever made:

Airfix's 1/72 F-105G.

Really, i would kill for that kit  My daddys buildof that kit turned out very good  

[Maverick]

To clarify, my cringing at Hasegawa wasn't due to their newer kits or even the bulk of their current catalogue.  It was directed at such a 'prestigious' company's attitude in the release of kits improved by only their decal sheets.  Their F/A-18D Hornet in 72nd was just a warmed over -18B with another sprue for instance.

Mav

[P1127]

Thus, in a Revell Germany box, you can find kits that originated with:

Revell Germany
Revell US
Monogram
Italeri
ESCI
Hasegawa
Matchbox
(and I'm sure I'm missing some)

Frog
Lindberg
Fujimi
Tamiya
VEB Plasticart
Dragon
Crown
Vista


the list goes on!

[B777LR]

In Italeri boxes you can find kits that originated with:

Italeri
MPM/Special Hobby
ESCI
AMT/Ertl
(and I'm sure I'm missing some)

Testors i think

[Leigh]

.......... There are some real gems from Classic Airframes.  Not for the rank novice (none of them are), but certainly not worthy of dismissal out of hand.............

Really, which ones?
I'm in the process of building the Attacker, my first ever look at a Classic Airframes product and the most expensive kit I've ever bought from a store, and it is categorically the worst kit I've ever had the displeasure to build. Almost no pieces fit together,ambiguous instructions that lead to errors, the clean up required is as much as a vac form kit, shape is not uniform, huge gaps, absence of required holes, holes on some parts and pins on others where they should be holes, off centre main wheel hubs and square tail wheels.
Now I expect a limited run kit to have some challenges and certain nuances, and consider myself a reasonably skilled modeller but this one has almost hit the bin a few times. Most of the problems are simple quality control issues and I feel totally ripped off, they'll never see my money again.

[cthulhu77]

Well, the dogt*rds available from some of the major kit manufacturer's are too long to list.
 Agree with you, Leigh, both CA kits I've bought were never assembled.

 One of the biggies for me is the newer plastic that ROG seems to be using...utter junk. Flash, brittle in some spots, soft in others. I finished one kit just out of spite, but the others were given away.

 Here's hoping that the purchase of Revell here in the states improves their stuff.

  Of course, if a frog had wings....