Your top ten kits to buy for the novice modeller?

[McColm]

Hi guys,
What are the ten essential model kits to buy if you are a beginner to scale modelling?
You've seen kits built by your relatives or in museums and thought I'll have a go at that. Nothing too complicated as this will be your first kit. Keeping the canopy clear of glue or even painting the finished article may not be in your list of priorities, but by the second or third attempt it should resemble the picture on the front of the box.

My list would be:
F-4 Phantom
F-104 Starfighter
Red Arrows Hawk
Spitfire
Hurricane
BF 109
P-51 Mustang
Lancaster
Halifax
C-47

Would your list be any different?
What was your first ever kit?                                              Mine was the  Airfix  1/72 Red Arrows Gnat.
Your list can include vehicles, boats, cardboard buildings, scratch built models, paper, metal, wood or even fibre glass/resin.

[Weaver]

Ah, but which kits of those aircraft? Some manufacturers make life more difficult for the modeller than others. Matchbox, for instance, had an occasional aversion to making wing anhedral/dihedral rigidly set by the kit design, which can turn even a seemingly simple kit into a major jigging operation.


Regarding your list of types, I'd modify it slightly, thus:

F-4 Phantom
F-16
Red Arrows Hawk
Spitfire
Hurricane
BF 109
P-51 Mustang
Lancaster
B-17 Flying Fortress
Some kind of airliner (can't think...)

[beowulf]

hmm..........if its for a novice i wouldnt include lancaster/halifax/c47

id substitue FW190/Me 262/A7 Corsair 2

[PR19_Kit]

Hmmmm..........

Boeing 767-300
McD-D DC10
Airbus A330
Canberra B6
Canberra PR9
Canberra B(I)8
Canberra PR7
Canberra (any other version that comes to mind)
Meteor NF14
Hunter F6

 

[Weaver]

Not one tank, ship, car or spacecraft yet: maybe we need to broaden this out (or redefine the novice )?

Kit (nice to see you back BTW  ): little bit of bias in that list huh?

I did consider being even more self-serving and putting the Angel Interceptor on the list, the idea being that if enough novices go into model shops and ask for them, Airfix might dig out the moulds again (to the sound of cheers from the kit builders and the screams of kit collectors jumping from window ledges.... )

[McColm]

Okay doekay,

RAF Launch
Ford Focus Rally Car
Robin Hood Figure
Airfix D-Day collection gift set
Airfix Falklands collection gift set
Airfix Airfield Control Tower
Dapol wagon kit 00/ho scale
Metcalfe Pub card kit
Superquick Police/Library card kit
Challenger tank

[B777LR]

One kit. The 1/72 Airfix Spitfire Mk.1. Everybody has to do it as one of the 10 first Whatever you think next is up to you The Airfix Spitfire is THE most classical model aircraft ever, as well as the most famous. It is also very simple, and the props + landing gear don't break easily (compared to other kits/types) Only a few parts, and it is cheap

Hmmmm..........

Boeing 767-300
McD-D DC10
Airbus A330
Canberra B6
Canberra PR9
Canberra B(I)8
Canberra PR7
Canberra (any other version that comes to mind)
Meteor NF14
Hunter F6

 

Amen to all the airliners The Airfix 727 and 737, as well as the Revell 737-800 are obvious choices too.

[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 

[PR19_Kit]

Kit (nice to see you back BTW  ): little bit of bias in that list huh?

Who, me? Biased? Naaah..... 

[McColm]

Would I be guessing that you liked Canberra kits?

[PR19_Kit]

Would I be guessing that you liked Canberra kits?

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

[Hobbes]

Um, wouldn't this be up to the modeller in question, i.e. his/her likes and preferences? I wouldn't want to give a new modeller a bunch of kits he's not interested in. I've been given too many kits I'll probably never build myself...

[anthonyp]

Hi guys,
What are the ten essential model kits to buy if you are a novice with the basic tools; knife, brushes,glue, masking tape and cutting board?

So how novice?  Never built one before?  Done some snap-tite stuff?  First kits to mutilate with knife, tube glue, and default "Testor's" brushes?

If that's the case, then here's mine (and the cheaper the kits the better):

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

[pyro-manic]

Games Workshop's vehicle kits are very nice for "beginner" modellers - low parts count, no tiny easily-broken bits, straightforward construction (with the exception of the Imperial Guard tank tracks). The only problem is the price! Good deals can be found online though, so it's worth hunting around.

In terms of specific kits (that I own/have built), something like this:

Games Workshop Chimera
Games Workshop Leman Russ
Airfix 1:72 Spitfire (MkI/Vb)
Airfix 1:72 Hurricane
Italeri 1:72 Hawk
Italeri 1:72 F-14A Tomcat
Revell Hawker Hunter F6/FGA9 (either 1:72 or 1:32 - both are superb)
Revell 1:72 Bf110 E-1
Fujimi 1:72 Phantom FG1 (bit pricy this one)
Hasegawa 1:72 F-20 Tigershark

[Bryan H.]

Since the person already has the basic tools & supplies – I'll suppose that they've already built a few "snap-tites."  I'll also suppose the new modeler will quite often be satisfied with quality at the level of the "classic" Revell-Monogram kits.  For the most part, the schemes are one or two or three colors, can easily be masked off and painted with rattle cans and are in commonly stocked colors.  Most with the exception of the Missouri are inexpensive.

The List
1.Revell-Monogram 1/48 DC-3/C-47
2.Revell-Monogram 1/72 Space Shuttle
3.Tamiya 1/48 Spitfire Mk.V
4.Tamiya 1/48 P-51D Mustang
5.Revell-Monogram 1/48 F-14 Tomcat
6.Revell-Monogram 1/48 F-4C/D Phantom II
7.Monogram 1/24 Deusenberg SJ
8.Academy 1/35 M3 "Honey" Stuart light tank
9.Tamiya 1/35 M3 Half-track
10.Tamiya 1/350 USS Missouri

Almost made the list, list...
1.Tamiya 1/48 A6M5c Type 52 Zero Fighter
2.Tamiya 1/48 F4U-1D Corsair
3.Hasegawa 1/48 F-16C Fighting Falcon
4.Revell-Monogram 1/48 A-4E Skyhawk
5.Tamiya 1/48 MiG-15
6.Minicraft 1/350 RMS Titanic
7.Tamiya 1/48 FRS.1 Sea Harrier
8.Revell-Monogram 1/48 B-17G Flying Fortress
9.Minicraft 1/144 Boeing 737
10.Italeri (old ESCI) 1/48 Mirage F.1C
11.Revell-Monogram 1/48 P-61 Black Widow

Bryan