Your top ten kits to buy for the novice modeller?

[Weaver]

I did consider being even more self-serving and putting the Angel Interceptor

i always liked the Imai kit better than the Airfix one 

Just looking at that, I'd say the canopy is too wide, the upper nose section from the cockpit to the gun is too steeply sloped, the winglets on the tailplane are too cropped and the upper slots on the front of the fin are missing. On the up side, at least the nose spike is less "Schnozzle Durante" than the Airfix one, although it's still not as sharp as the "real" thing.

[Weaver]

For an easy, good looking result, how about an F-8 Crusader kit? It'll have a one-piece wing, so no need to get the left and right wing angles just right and then wait for them to dry before adding the undercarriage, and since the wing elevates anyhow, the joint doesn't have to be perfect. It's also got a simple nose intake which is good because side intakes often don't fit properly and need a fair bit of filling/sanding. The end result looks sleek and aggressive, and it'll probably come with colourful decals that go over an easy grey/white paint job.

Needd to think about paint schemes generally with this challenge. For instance, WWII RAF cammo is a natural for free-hand brush-painting, but Luftwaffe schemes often feature straight-edged splinter patterns (which really need masking) and/or mottling which is hard to get looking good with a brush. Likewise, most modern air-superiority grey schemes really need airbrushing to look half-decent. Display team colours like the Red Arrows Hawk have instant "box appeal", but they actually involve either a lot of masking or fitting a lot of big, tricky decals.

[PR19_Kit]

F-4
F-16
1/144 or smaller Space Shuttle
A-4
F-104
F-86D
Corsair
P-51D
B-17
F-14

Hm, you wouldn't be American by any chance, would you? 

In my choices above, the long list of Canberras, I was being entirely facetious of course, picking models which fitted own particular biases, which are RAF early jets and airliners. In truth, you'd have to think really carefully to come with a sensible list, and Weaver's idea of the F-8 Crusader makes that point nicely, with the one piece wing etc.

My Canberras would make TERRIBLE first models, as would the Meteor NF14, as both have massive part counts to take into account the number of different variants. On the other hand the 767 would make a great first kit a) the part count is low b) the fit is good c) the build procedure is quite simple d) it's big when finished so impresses the viewers e) the paint jobs is simple f) even the standard decals are well produced and the whole thing looks good right out of the box.

I'd venture to suggest that quite a few of the models that we've selected in this thread don't fit many of those criteria really.

[beowulf]

I did consider being even more self-serving and putting the Angel Interceptor

i always liked the Imai kit better than the Airfix one  

Just looking at that, I'd say the canopy is too wide, the upper nose section from the cockpit to the gun is too steeply sloped, the winglets on the tailplane are too cropped and the upper slots on the front of the fin are missing. On the up side, at least the nose spike is less "Schnozzle Durante" than the Airfix one, although it's still not as sharp as the "real" thing.

sheeesh............you forgot to count the rivets too  


was a fun build for a sci fi build somewhere else

[Weaver]

sheeesh............you forgot to count the rivets too  


was a fun build for a sci fi build somewhere else

Yeah sorry - didn't mean to get all JMN on you...

I've looked at the kit boxes a lot but I've never seen one built up, so I had a VERY close look at it.

[McColm]

Would I be guessing that you liked Canberra kits?

Do a search on 'Canberra MR23'...........

Hi I did a search but came up with this page.

[beowulf]

Yeah sorry - didn't mean to get all JMN on you...

I've looked at the kit boxes a lot but I've never seen one built up, so I had a VERY close look at it.

no worries

its actually a s***e kit..........about 15 parts and some very dodgy decals but at least its closer 1/72 than the airfix one but i have a gerry anderson fixation so i had to build one...........mind you, the Thunderbirds 2 was even worse!  (when will i ever learn about Imai  )

[B777LR]

Thought it through now. It is for a beginner or novice modeller. A little of everything of the worlds most famous things:

1. 1/72 Airfix Spitfire Mk.1
2. 1/72 Bf-109
3. Titanic (worlds most popular model according to some)
4. Bismarck
5. HMS Hood
6. Tiger tank
7. Sherman tank
8. Mig-21
9. Harrier
10. Something from the Harrier and Mig-21 era. Lightning, Mirage III, or something else along those lines.

[Weaver]

The Sherman's a good choice: the bogie system is easier to handle than lots of little individual wheels and keeps them automatically aligned better, and the turret's in one piece. The Tiger I's pretty complicated with all the overlapping wheels though: how about something modern like the Airfix Chieftain?

A Harrier has some of the advantages of the Crusader that I mentioned earlier, but NOT if it's the old Airfix GR.3, which has separate right and left wings, which have to be at exactly the right anhedral for the outriggers to touch the ground! Don't get me started on the nozzle linkage system.....

[PR19_Kit]

Hi I did a search but came up with this page.

Try this :- http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,23243.msg336249.html#msg336249

[anthonyp]

Hm, you wouldn't be American by any chance, would you? 

Well, let's put it this way, those were my novice kits once upon a time.  Cheap, not too detailed, and got me into building.  Around these parts, they also happen to be some of the cheaper kits readily available (though substitute any other WWII fighter for the Mustang and Corsair if you want).  A-4, F-104, F-4 and F-16's can be built with any decals, and the F-14 is in there for a step-up challenge with the swing wings.

Like I said, those are my novice kits.  Too bad MPC isn't around, as at least a couple of those were what I was thinking of.  Actually, now that I think about it, substitute any of the old MPC kits (Texan, Devastator, etc) for the F-104, F-4, F-16, etc, and you've got what I used to build growing up.

You don't want anything too detailed, or big.  Any 1/350 ship is too big for a novice, as is something like a Harrier and most 1/700 ships.  Now, a 1/800 carrier would be good, something like in those old Monogram USS Kitty Hawk and F-4 combo packs.

[McColm]

Hi I did a search but came up with this page.

Try this :- http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,23243.msg336249.html#msg336249

Spooky,
Your Canberra is the spitting image of a Swedish design that did land at RAF Machrihanish or is it MOD Machrihanish briefly, not quite a 'fast mover' as recall. Some of the 'Whiffs' do resemble a few of the aircraft I've seen on other air bases and at RAF Machrihanish in the late 80s/early 90s.

[B777LR]

Hm, you wouldn't be American by any chance, would you? 

Well, let's put it this way, those were my novice kits once upon a time.  Cheap, not too detailed, and got me into building.  Around these parts, they also happen to be some of the cheaper kits readily available (though substitute any other WWII fighter for the Mustang and Corsair if you want).  A-4, F-104, F-4 and F-16's can be built with any decals, and the F-14 is in there for a step-up challenge with the swing wings.

Like I said, those are my novice kits.  Too bad MPC isn't around, as at least a couple of those were what I was thinking of.  Actually, now that I think about it, substitute any of the old MPC kits (Texan, Devastator, etc) for the F-104, F-4, F-16, etc, and you've got what I used to build growing up.

You don't want anything too detailed, or big.  Any 1/350 ship is too big for a novice, as is something like a Harrier and most 1/700 ships.  Now, a 1/800 carrier would be good, something like in those old Monogram USS Kitty Hawk and F-4 combo packs.

I agree, easy and simple, not too big. For ships the Airfix 1/600 ships are rather nice and cheap. Most Airfix 1/72 aircraft kits are rather simple and easy too. Always loved the Ark Royal. Heller also fits into that category. Italeri does quite a few too, such as their A-4 and F-4.

[Weaver]

Thinking back over the kits I've built, I'd have to say the Airfix Fouga Magister would make a good choice. There's enough cockpit detail to make a good job of it with careful painting, but it's not so critical that a "black hole job" will spoil it. It also goes together in a very solid way (even the butterfly tails), and it came with interesting colour schemes.

[puddingwrestler]

If I had to recommend ten model kits to a beginner, I'd porbably just list ten of the Hobby Boss ww2 easy kits.
Of course, this ignores the fact that my first model was a ship if memory serves, and the first one I took seriously was an anti-tank gun.