1/72 WWII planes

[kuya]

I'm just new to the hobby and would like to get some help...I'm into WWII a/c and already built only 4 so far (Hobby Boss' F4U-4 Corsair,P-51 Mustang in an RAF scheme, and Hellcat and Academy's Hawker Tempest V)

reason why I started out with Hobby Boss is because they're cheap and friendly to those who are just new to the hobby but now since I feel I need to polish my skills with more challenging kits, can anyone give some tips on what kits out there are both still easy to build for someone like me who's just a beginner and also challenging that it will actually help me out in developing my skills...already heard that Tamiya's Spitfires are good and it will be next on my list of a/c to build...

I'd like to know which brands are good on their 1/72 line for these kind of a/c's

-Corsairs

-Hellcats

-Mustangs

-Me/Bf-109's

-FW-190's

-Tempest/Typhoon

-Thunderbolts

-Zeroes

[dancho]

You can't go wrong with Tamiya. Stick with them, or Hasegawa. I'd recommend Academy but their decals are iffy. Some folks love to complain about Hasegawa and/or Tamiya decals, but just ignore those people. Those decals work just fine, even if they "look thick."

[Steve N]

Welcome!

While there's no such thing as a "perfect" kit, There are definitely some preferred choices in 1/72. Of course, there's always a compromise between price, accuracy and ease of assembly. In the following list I've deliberately avoided the HobbyBoss "EZ Build" kits. While some are good, most are simplified copies of other manufacturers traditional kits, and repeat some of the same shape and dimensional errors. As you mention, they're great for beginners, but if you're ready to move up to more detailed kits, here are some suggestions. Others may have differing opinions, particularly regarding the Luftwaffe subjects...

Corsairs: The Tamiya kits are widely regarded as the best for the F4U-1 variants. Well detailed, and with excellent fit. They can be a bit expensive though. If you're on a budget, the Academy F4U-1 is very good, and goes together easily. Not as detailed as Tamiya, but usually only about half the price. For the later Corsairs, your choice is very limited. I think Italeri and Matchbox may be the only companies to make the later variants. I don't have any of those kits so I can't comment.

Hellcats: Your only real choices are Hasegawa, Academy, or Italeri. The Hasegawa is more accurate in outline, but has raised panel lines. The Academy F6F is not as accurately shaped as the Hasegawa kit, but again is about half the price. The Italeri kit offers the option of dropped flaps, but to me it just seems to lack the finesse of the others.

Mustangs: For the P-51D, again Tamiya is regarded as top of the line, with Hasegawa running a close second..and again, both can be expensive. And once again, the Academy kit looks pretty good, and is much less expensive. For the high-back P-51B, there is some argument, but the Academy kit seems to be the favorite..fairly accurate, easy to assemble, and not very expensive.

Bf-109s: This is a real can of worms! There seem to be as many opinions as there are kits. For the earlier Battle of Britain E-model, Tamiya and Hasegawa are probably the best that are easily available (I've heard that the ICM kit is more accurate and less expensive, but it's hard to find.) The Academy kit is OK, but has some accuracy issues. For the later F/G/K-models, the "Cadillac" of kits in terms of accuracy are from Fine Molds, but these are quite expensive. Hasegawa's Gs are very good, but still pricey..I looked at the Academy G and was not particularly impressed but if you're on a budget it's a workable choice.

Fw-190s: Starting to sound like a broken record, but again Tamiya and Hasegawa are probably the best, but also most expensive, while the Academy kits aren't as good, but still OK and about half the price.

Tempest/Typhoon: Academy is about the only real choice. I've heard that both the Typhoon and Tempest have some shape and dimensional inaccuracies, but they're the only modern kits of these types available.

Thunderbolts: For both the Bubbletop and Razorback, the Tamiya kits are absolutely the best. But if you're on a budget, the Academy kits still look OK. Revell AG also makes an excellent Bubbletop that's fairly inexpensive and goes together well. Hasegawa makes bot the Razorback and Bubbletop, but their kits are from the 70s, and are not very detailed and too short in scale.

Zeroes: Hasegawa's 1990s toolings are about the best choice. Accurate and fairly easy to assemble. For the early A6M2 there's also the Fine Molds kit..it's accurate and extremely detailed, but it's hard to find, quite expensive, and probably not the best choice for someone just starting out. For the later A6M5 there's also the Academy kit..inexpensive and easy to build, but I've read that it has some issues regarding shape and dimensional accuracy.

A quick note about Academy. As Dancho mentions, while their decals often look beautiful on the sheet, they have a reputation for being very difficult to work with. I tried using Academy's decals on their P-51B, and ended up replacing them with aftermarket decals. The kit decals refused to conform to the surface detail, and didn't adhere well at all (I managed to peel them of with just a post-it note!)

Hope this helps!

Steve

Edited November 29, 2010 by Steve N

[mbittner]

One one thing to add to Steve's list. Eduard has announced a series of 1/72 Hellcats. Whenever they do get to them (no dates given) they would probably be the most accurate.

[Ham]

Steve's list really nails it. I might add that eBay is your friend. I have picked up Hasegawa and Tamiya kits for less than $10 on eBay. Sometimes the box is open but as long as the inner bags are sealed or the seller tells you it is complete, it is a good deal.

The ICM Bf 109E series are also a good value but hard to find in shops where I live. I find them on eBay as well. Basically a copy of the Tamiya kit.

[Steve N]

Eduard has announced a series of 1/72 Hellcats. Whenever they do get to them (no dates given) they would probably be the most accurate.

Dragon has also announced a new 1/72 F6F. They recently showed CAD renderings of the parts, and it looks very nice. However, as with the Eduard kit, it's nothing but "vaporware" right now.

SN

[Mark M.]

I'd like to add to a couple of fields listed above:

Bf109: Academy is redoing many of their Battle of Britain boxings with new molds. I'd expect there's a 1/72nd Bf109E (or one coming) that will be relatively cheap and pretty accurate.

Fw190: From what I have heard the Academy 190D is actually quite good. Just avoid the -As if you care about any kind of accuracy. They build just fine, but aren't all that great in terms of details, interior bits, etc.

Academy decals are not the best. When I have built them, the whites are transparent, the decals are picky (you NEED to seal them! They WILL come off!) and the colors absolutely dull and lifeless. Overall they go on okay, they're just subpar in terms of quality, registry, and in general look like they were done in MS Paint rather than a real program. I had to trim off the edges of Balkenkreuze on German planes to prevent white borders and black "teeth" sticking out. Carefully trim them before applying.

Or, just use after-market!

[kuya]

thanks for all the replies...I actually already have the FW-190 A8 of Academy on my workbench, I'll be posting some pix soon to get some comments...and I also built Academy's Tempest...I really had problems with the decals...although I didn't have any problems to it sticking into the a/c, it was really thick, even after huge dose of Mr Mark Softener...suppose I get the Academy kits since yes I know it is cheaper compared to the other brands, can anyone give any comments on potential aftermarket decals that are both cheap but good? I may have of course buy them to replace the kit's decals, I don't want to go through the nightmare I had with them again...

speaking of decals...actually Hobby Boss' decals are far better than Academy's and actually just needs a little dose of Mark Softener

[Chuck1945]

... can anyone give any comments on potential aftermarket decals that are both cheap but good? I may have of course buy them to replace the kit's decals, I don't want to go through the nightmare I had with them again...

speaking of decals...actually Hobby Boss' decals are far better than Academy's and actually just needs a little dose of Mark Softener

In general, decals printed by Microscale or Cartograph are going to be good. Various decal producers use these, as well as other, printers for their decals.

EagleCals, the decal branch of Jerry Crandal's Luftwaffe emporium has very well researched Luftwaffe, as well as a few Allied sheets

BarracudaCals are Roy Sutherland's product, again very well researched Allied markings (Spitfires, P-47s and P-40s in 1/72)

Xtradecals from Hannants both WWII and modern, emphasis on RAF, again pretty well researched

KitsWorld - 8 AF bomber (mostly B-17s) and fighter markings

I am sure others will add ones I have missed, usually the price of the decal sheet is about the same as what you pay for the model. My experience has been any really inexpensive decals are usually not very good unless the price is a result of someone having a sale.

[Mark M.]

I'd say don't shop by aftermarket decal manufacturer, shop by the subject you want. Most of them are decent, or at least usable. I'm sure even the worst after-market will be better quality than the stock Academy decals. Win-win situation.

I also have the AC 1/72 190A-8 under construction. Goes together nicely, but the cockpit is a total joke. Not even an IP decal!

Oh well. I haven't got to the gear yet, can't say how it sits or how it assembles.

[kuya]

BTW some academy kits now have cartograph decals...has anyone tried actually building and using these kits with cartograph decals?

[Antonov]

BTW, I have a couple of very nice WWII era kits in my stash sale, and I gladly ship to the Philippines, if you like. Good prices guaranteed. Kits include the Academy P-39 and the RoG P-47, which are both excellent.

Edited December 1, 2010 by Antonov

[Nigel Bunker]

already heard that Tamiya's Spitfires are good

Well for my money, Airfix have the best 72 Spitfires with their new mould Mk 1, Mk IX and Mk XIX (they are all in the new red box). Doubtless others will disagree, but that's my opinion.

[kuya]

are the new molds of airfix have recessed panels or raised?

[Nigel Bunker]

The new Airfix Spitfires have recessed panel lines.