I gather different companies make different qualities of kits, some more accurate and complicated to build than others.

As an aviation artist, I want to have the most accurate of models, while still keeping within a rather strict budget. With my little experience I have found that the Tamiya kits are extremely well finished. Just looking round on my shelf I have unmade:

1 no Tamiya P-47D Razorback (making now)
1 no Tamiya Mossie (assembled but not painted, and used for a commission drawing)
1 no Airfix P-38
1 no Airfix B-29
1 no Airfix Spit Mk 1(assembled but not painted for a commission ref)
1 no Dragon Wildcat
1 no Haswegawa Ki-45
2 no Acadamy P-51s (a C&D)

Can anyone tell me anything about any of the brands above and which are considered the most accurate?

Cheers,
Prop

Hi Prop

there is no company that does not make mistakes. Every model is an artwork of the original (and you will hardly find two artifacts made by man that are totally the same).

With that said very nice models come from Tamiya, Hasegawa, Revell/Monogram, Eduard also Airfix/heller have some really good models, but all of the companies have "dogs". So please be more specific, what you are after.

An example from a discussion here not long ago:

Fw 190 A-8:

The most accurate and detailed Fw 190 A-8 is from Eduard (in my opinion) but it has some strange points too (windshield and probably narrow wheels) It is very complex and has some tricky construction features (remember MS .. it is not a bug, it's a feature).

The 2nd at the moment is Tamiya with a very nice model, easy to build but also with some errors (u/c legs angle, wheels too small in diameter)

3rd the old Trimaster/Dragon/Revell series which is more accurate than the Tamiya but is also tricky to get together (and meanwhile the price is very low!)

IMO these are the 3 to choose from. I know modellers that still prefer the Dragon others the Tamiya for ease of constructions and maniacs like myself the Eduard for a 1000 details. We'll see if Hasegawa will also issue a Fw 190 A-8 (their A-5 is due soon)

This was just one special example and there ae literally thousands of a/c types that were kitted by several companies in many scales .... so you see there is no general answer to your question!

HTH

best wishes

Steffen

Steffen, thanks for your in-depth reply. Sure I'll see some of your work in the galleries.

Bon weekend.

Hi Propwash.
Despite its poor detail, the Airfix 1:72 Spitfire MKI is known for being one of the best in its scale dimension wise.The Tamiya MKI,despite being a far superior kit from a modellers viewpoint,is reckoned on being a bit short in the fusalage behind the cockpit.
For P-47's, the Tamiya kits are spot on.In fact,some people are of the opinion that these are among the best plastic injection kits ever produced.
I dont know about the Airfix P-38, but recently I reviewed the 1:72 Dragon "Droop Snoot" Lightning and it was spot on when I compared the major parts to some 1:72 plans I have in my reference library.
Hope this helps a little.
Is there anywhere online that we could see some of your work?
Nige

It depends on scale and subject. I like Eduard kits because they really push the accuracy and detail envelope. If you want to build an Albatross, Nieuport or a Fokker D.VII or E.VIII in 1/48, there are none better. They go together like a dream with colorful paint decal options. Their FW 190 is a long, complicated build though. Also, they offer nothing in 1/32. Tamiya kits offer a quick easy build with beautiful surface detail, but sparse interiors...usually. If you want to do a bomber in 1/48th, you are really limited. Tamiya and Hasegawa offer a wide selection of mostly dated kits, that are still pretty good.

Best thing is to look up reviews on your choice of subjects, and go from there. That is what I do. I won't wait for the review on the Me 110 from Eduard, though I would like to write it.

Cheers guys.

Nige, if you want to see some of my aviation art, please check out the website link in my sig. You may have to copy and paste it into google though.

If you mean models, I'm still on my first serious build, as I usually only assemble the fuselages and wings for extra references along with original WW2 photos and so on. It seemed a waste, so decided to try building one properly in between commissions and other projects.

Cheers,
Alex