Best jet in 1/48, OOB?

[Mustang381]

Hello friends,

 

Ok, my mojo have gone to .....

I am tired of aftermarket etc, I want to have some period to make some jets OOB in 1/48.

Which one you is your best OOB project?

[sierrascale]

Tamiya F-4B. (Runner up: Tamiya F-14).

[Mustang381]

3 minutes ago, sierrascale said:

Tamiya F-4B. (Runner up: Tamiya F-14).

Ok, lets see what more is out there, and how much people will tell their opinion 🙂

Edited March 10, 2024 by Mustang381

[Ben Brown]

That’s a pretty broad subject! Is there any particular jet(s) that appeals to you? Then folks could point you towards the best kit.  I’ve really scaled back my use of aftermarket, too.

 

Some of my favorite jet kits I’ve built:

F-4 Phantom: I’m currently building a Zoukei-Mura F-4E and have thoroughly enjoyed it. The Meng F-4E and G are also supposed to be quite good. The Tamiya F-4B is the absolute best F-4 kit available in 1/48.

F-16: Tamiya is very good and I hear the new Kinetic kits are pretty good, too. 

Hawker Hunter: Airfix. Airfix’s other recent 1/48 jet kits are also supposed to be pretty good.

F-104: I’ve built the Hasegawa C and it was a fun build. The new Kinetic kits are supposed to be even better.

F-15E: Revell is very good, especially as an early, Gulf War version. I’ve heard good and bad things about the Great Wall kit.

 

I have no personal experience with these, but have read good things about them:
A-10: The upcoming Great Wall A-10C is supposed to be very good, with the new Academy kit also getting pretty good reviews.

F-14: Tamiya

F-35: Tamiya

I can say stay away from Kitty Hawk kits if you want an enjoyable build experience. 
 

Others will have more and better info for you. I’m sure there are a lot of good non-US jet subjects, but I’m drawing a blank right now.

 

Ben

 

[Mustang381]

2 minutes ago, Ben Brown said:

That’s a pretty broad subject! Is there any particular jet(s) that appeals to you? Then folks could point you towards the best kit.  I’ve really scaled back my use of aftermarket, too.

 

Some of my favorite jet kits I’ve built:

F-4 Phantom: I’m currently building a Zoukei-Mura F-4E and have thoroughly enjoyed it. The Meng F-4E and G are also supposed to be quite good. The Tamiya F-4B is the absolute best F-4 kit available in 1/48.

F-16: Tamiya is very good and I hear the new Kinetic kits are pretty good, too. 

Hawker Hunter: Airfix. Airfix’s other recent 1/48 jet kits are also supposed to be pretty good.

F-104: I’ve built the Hasegawa C and it was a fun build. The new Kinetic kits are supposed to be even better.

F-15E: Revell is very good, especially as an early, Gulf War version. I’ve heard good and bad things about the Great Wall kit.

 

I have no personal experience with these, but have read good things about them:
A-10: The upcoming Great Wall A-10C is supposed to be very good, with the new Academy kit also getting pretty good reviews.

F-14: Tamiya

F-35: Tamiya

I can say stay away from Kitty Hawk kits if you want an enjoyable build experience. 
 

Others will have more and better info for you. I’m sure there are a lot of good non-US jet subjects, but I’m drawing a blank right now.

 

Ben

 

Dear Ben,

Thank you very much for detail and kind answer.I really apriciate your post and infoes from it,I find to be extreme useful to chose what next.

I like any jets, and they need to be in 1/48 scale.

 Ok, lets see what other modelers will say.

 Also it would be great to hear, why some kits are the best, and what was the most enjoyable part of journey, and why is that specific kit the best.

[Mustang381]

Ok, Tamiya leads ehehehehe 🙂

[Rando]

I wanted the Tamiya F-4B in part because I heard just how great it is to build. I started my first year of modeling with old kits that don’t fit well together, so I’d like to see how it is to assemble the finest kits modern manufacturing has to offer. I plan to build mine in a year or so. 

[Mustang381]

4 hours ago, Rando said:

I wanted the Tamiya F-4B in part because I heard just how great it is to build. I started my first year of modeling with old kits that don’t fit well together, so I’d like to see how it is to assemble the finest kits modern manufacturing has to offer. I plan to build mine in a year or so. 

I think it is not good to start this hobby with short run or old and bad kits, because you need few kits under your belt to have experience to make those bad to look good.I think that it is better that you start this hobby with excellent kits, so that you have mojo for those complicated project.For example, why to make Monogram F-4C/D, when you have ZM. In terms of accurasy both have issues and they are delicate to make, but if one really love Phantom II, it is better to make Tamiya F-4B and flow in safe river, and have full joy of this hobby... IMHO

Edited March 10, 2024 by Mustang381

[potez]

8 hours ago, Ben Brown said:

I hear the new Kinetic kits are pretty good, too. 

 

 

Nope. I'm building 2 in a row now and it's a disaster in terms of engeneering and fitting in comparison to Tamiya's gem. If you don't have to build A or D do not buy this. I think that D will be easier to make kitbashing Tamiya C with Front upper hull from Kinetic. A lot of soft lines on soft plastic, tricky bond of the parts for upper half and wrong panel lines - strange mix of Block 40 with 52 but not matching any of them.

Best Jet OOB? 

If you have modelling skills Minibase Su-33

If you hava a little or lack of: Tamiya's F-14a or D with non slated wings.

Edited March 10, 2024 by potez

[tomthegrom]

From what I have built,

Tamiya F14. Perfect.

Tamiya f16, almost perfect 

Meng f18e, very good

Meng F4G, very very good

GWH su27 flanker B. Superb.

 

All required little to zero filler. Build quickly. Look good. Ideal for having FUN

[Rando]

@Mustang381 I kind of agree. Depends on how determined you are to get into the hobby. Having a good first experience on a nice Tamiya kit is a good way to get started for those who just want to get their feet wet. But I’m glad I started on old/bad kits, because I was less afraid to try different paints/tools/fillers since I viewed them more as practice, and wasn’t risking ruining nice expensive kit which I cared more about the result. Personally I think the early challenges are good for improving your skills quicker, but there’s no wrong way to go about it as long as it’s fun and rewarding somehow. 

[seawinder]

I recently finished the Tamiya F-14A and had a great time with it. Especially given the complexity of the subject, the engineering is in a class by itself. The whole wing-swing mechanism is screwed up tight in its own box and simply works, period. Everything fits. The missiles provided in the box were quite satisfactory for me, and the kit missile (and other) stencils worked just fine, contrary to Tamiya's somewhat spotty reputation in that department. I did use a Quinta Studio cockpit set and AM resin ejection seats.

 

I've also very much enjoyed the two Tamiya F-16s I've built, one a Block 25 and the other a Block 32 aggressor. Only a very slight step down from the F-14 in fit and ease of assembly IMHO; still clever engineering, very good detail OOB. On the first one I built, I used the kit seat with belts from Eduard and thought it looked really good.

 

Two other kits I've built that I think at least deserve to be mentioned are the Eduard MiG-21 (I did the SMT kit) and the GWH MiG-29 (I did the 9-12 Early kit). They both take somewhat more work then the Tamiyas, but IMHO yield really nice models.

 

I've got a Tamiya F-4B in the stash and can't wait to do it.

[Mustang381]

Ok we have now next:

 

Tamiya F-14,F-16,F-4

GWH Flanker and Fulcrum series

Eduard MiG-21 series.

Kinetic F-104 series.

 

Thank you, for me that is enough 🙂

Edited March 11, 2024 by Mustang381

[airmechaja]

The Tamiya F-35A goes together so flawlessly, you barley have to touch it! 😃

[Mustang381]

2 hours ago, airmechaja said:

The Tamiya F-35A goes together so flawlessly, you barley have to touch it! 😃

Ok, F-35A is also on the list 🙂

[potez]

22 hours ago, Illu said:

 

You’re talking about the 2014 Kinetic F-16s, not the newly tooled ones.  The F-16A I’m building from the new MLU kit is every bit as good as the Tamiya kit.

Nope. I'm talking about a new 2022 tooling. It's a far far away from Tamiya quality and fitting. Both F-16A K48100 and F-16D K48105 .

Edited March 11, 2024 by potez

[Mustang381]

4 hours ago, Illu said:

 

Then you’re doing something wrong.  Mine went together perfectly.  I used basically zero putty anywhere on it.

That is strange, I am not saying that I dont trust you, but I have heard and seen in person, that people have some issues with that kit.Can you please share some photos etc, so that we all be sure that we can put also that kit on the list,and to see, maybe a lot of us is doing things wrong with this kit.

[Helmsman]

Most has been said, I'd add AMK MiG-31 and Kfir to this list. 

Also Kitty Hawk Su-30SM and Su-34 are not that bad. They might not be perfectly accurate but can be built into very nice models with moderate effort.

[Alternative 4]

Tamiya F-35A or F-14. I had issues with the vertical stabilizers on the F-35 and found it hard to remove the seam there, but otherwise it's a feat of engineering.

 

Tamiya F-4B doesn't count because it's the wrong variant!

[Sabrejet]

I recall the Minibase Su-27 being touted as "the best [plastic] kit of all time".

 

Has anyone built one yet? And is it the best in plastic?

 

 

[Mustang381]

2 hours ago, Sabrejet said:

I recall the Minibase Su-27 being touted as "the best [plastic] kit of all time".

 

Has anyone built one yet? And is it the best in plastic?

 

 

It really is 🙂

[Mustang381]

3 minutes ago, Illu said:

I think the Tamiya F-35 has taken that mantle.

That kit is so good, that if one buys kit and while bring it home, shake a little bit box, there is a posability that kit comes out of the box ready for paint 🙂 Ok I am joking, but it is almost like that.And yes, I think that she is at the first place.

[sigtau]

On 3/11/2024 at 4:31 PM, Illu said:

 

Then you’re doing something wrong.  Mine went together perfectly.  I used basically zero putty anywhere on it.

Regarding the 2022 F-16 tooled kit, mine was a total dumpster fire as far as fit.  I won't completely rehash all my other commentary and photos posted on ARC, you can look that up yourself.  But the key flaws with the kit are:

• It's tooled as a block 52 plane.....anything else requires tons of panel line rework and other airframe mods
• The Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM) die for the single seat upper fuselage "cut" too deep, resulting in a ~0.4MM step at the wing root.  The two seater fuselage doesn't have this problem.
• The "A" early vertical tail has the same shape issues as the original tooling.
• Weak panel lines
• Fit issues everywhere, warped parts, cupping on some parts resulting from mold extraction before the plastic was cooled enough.

I've also built the Tamiya kit.  Despite it's age, it's far superior to the Kinetic 2022 kit.

Edited March 17, 2024 by sigtau

[foxmulder_ms]

GWH Flankers

Kinetic / Minihobby Su-33

Tamiya F-16

Tamiya F-14

AMK Mig-31

[gtypecanare]