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Worst fitting plastic kit you've ever built or tried to build ?


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I think I would have to go with the Amodel HUP-1/2 (and I'm sure the HUP-3 and H-25 since they are the same kit just different decals and box). Short run so the sprue gates are huge, many small parts essentially had to be carved from the sprue, the side windows were bigger that the holes in the fuselage so had to be reshaped to fit, and there was barely any interior (not that it mattered much due to the thick cloudy canopy). All in all not much nice to say about it, except getting it finished and looking halfway decent made me feel like a modelling god. :woot.gif:

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I had a 1/48 F-16A from Revell back in the mid 80s that was a right nightmare for fit.

The wings were moulded integral with the fuselage halves, which resulted in some rather noticeable warpage related fit problems between the upper and lower wing halves. I got the warpage under control, or so I thought, but a couple of years later, the joins between the wing halves started popping open.

The intake section was really nasty, not only in getting it put together, but also mated up properly to the fuselage, I never did get it to sit quite right.

I did get it finished, but was never happy with it.

In the late 90s, I picked up a 1/48 F-16 ADV in Monogram boxing for a good price. I opened it up at home and found that old Revell F-16 staring back at me from under some extra sprues with parts to make an approximation of an ADV out of it. With a short shot canopy to top it all off!

I set the whole kit aside for spares after dry fitting the fuesalge/wing halves to find the old warpage still in place and the intake promising to be every bit the pain in the backside it was the first time I tackled the kit.

If I extend it from mainstream kits to limited run; Amodel's 1/72 Aero 45 and 145 kits are a right pain.

The worst part of them is that the canopies are significantly too wide for the fuselage. Other problems are the mating surfaces of the fuselage halves being quite ragged and a bit short shot in the section right ahead of the wing opening.

The engine nacelles, propellers and main gear legs are all rather on the crude side and the method of fitting the main gear legs into the "bays" is just begging for the gear legs to be broken.

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I have built both the Testors B-2 and the AMT XB-70 and yes they both had horrible fit issues amoung other things. But with careful bulding and lots of patience, they looked really good. Unfortunately I lost both in a move, but I have replacement kits at the ready. These kits that 'fall together' I get bored with. No challenge. I like them from time to time, but I need a challenge to keep my building techniques sharp!

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I have that one in the stash. This does not bode well for my future...

Ken

Regarding the MPM Pe-2...Typical MPM. If you test fit sand test fit sand test fit glue, you'll be OK. The PE-2 does have a multitude of raised ejector pins molded on mating surfaces that need grinding away too. But it can be done. Just expect to have to work it.

Edited by Gundamhead
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A long, very long time ago I built a Revel bag kit of the 1/72 P-47. The fuselage wash litterally bent like a banana. Seriously, both halves were bent to the same correct banana shape. It was about 20 years before I bought another Revel kit.

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1 48 modelcraft p82 has my vote

I will second that nomination! After assembly, tub of putty and a pack of sanding paper, the kit has been relegated to the island of misfit kits. It is the only one there and after two years, it is lonely.

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Regarding the MPM Pe-2...Typical MPM. If you test fit sand test fit sand test fit glue, you'll be OK. The PE-2 does have a multitude of raised ejector pins molded on mating surfaces that need grinding away too. But it can be done. Just expect to have to work it.

I'd expected that. I built their Arado 196 some years ago (my first limited run kit, IIRC) and learned. I want one on the shelf bad enough to slug it out with another MPM kit.

The problem with the Rodent is it looks so damned good in the box. Complete bomb bay and everything. Then comes time to start gluing parts together. Mating a lower wing panel to a fuselage half would have been just about as easy as mating the fuselage halves together...

Ken

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KenLily mantioned the Halcyon Alien with Egg. I have that kit and so far just glued the head together with no problems. Will heed his warnings about it if I ever go back to building it.

Now the original Alien kit from MPC reboxed by AMT in 1999. That kit is an atrocity. Huge gaps where plastic doesn't even come close to touching. Then the mismatch molding of the ribcage. I ended up having to resculpt this area with a diamond burr. Still aint finished as I lost my 'passion' for it.

The worst so far is Polar Lights Snap tight Crash Bandicoot. Years ago this was a father daughter project. I figured maybe I could interest my little one into becoming a builder. At some points I literally needed three hands to get parts together. I thought for a kids snap kit it was garbage. Give that to a kid to build on their own and they will never want to build another kit of anything, because of the frustration they encountered! She enjoyed slinging paint on him though :D

Max Bryant

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Monogram 1/72 SR-71

Monogram 1/48 F-18 Hornet "Blue Angels" - currently an on hold project - mental health break needed in order to prevent going off the deep end

AMT 1/24 1973 Ford Mustang Mach 1 - it did go into the garbage

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I'll second the Testor B-2 kit, gave up on mine a long time ago.

One I haven't seen mentioned is the old Halcyon 'Alien Warrior w/Egg' kit, apparently the guy that cut the tooling for the front half of a part was working off of different drawings or never talked to the guy cutting the tool for the back half of the part, one half would easily be 1/16" wider than its mate, thankfully the plastic was thick enough to sand down. The whole kit was like that, every seam took a lot of filing sanding in order to remove any steps.

Ken

are you a pimp named slick back?

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