Hello all,

I'm more of an armor modeler, but wanted to attempt an aircraft. Haven't done any aircraft since I was probably ~15 years old.

I'm looking for what "you" think is the best WWII fighter kit out there in 48th scale. I'd like to keep the camo pattern fairly simple. Larger shapes, areas I can mask, etc.

I don't need the simpliest model out there, but I'd like to avoid major surgery to make an accurate, detailed model. If there's a kit you love, but it really needs "X" PE set or whatever, that is fine too. I'd like to keep total cost for the kit and any AM under $50.

Other thing is that I'd like avoid bare metal finishes, unless it's a simple single tone job.

Tamiya P-47D Razorback. OD over neutral gray. The kit is very nicely detailed and goes together very well. The only thing it really needs is seatbelts if you don't use the pilot figure. In fact, most Tamiya kits are like this.

Check out the P-51 campaign and the dressed to kill campaign. Folks are building a number of WWII planes. There are a lot of positive comments on the P-51 thread about the Tamiya P-51.

I agree that the Tamiya P-47D Razorback kit, in OD over grey, would be a good choice given your preferences. The kit certainly is a gem and goes together very well.

Another candidate would be the Tamiya F4U-1D Corsair; simple paint scheme, cool looking bird, and another jewel of a kit.

My personal favorite? The Eduard Hellcats. You can score the F6F-5 or -5N ProfiPACK kits for under $40 online. They come with enough PE and resin in the box to make most of us happy, and build up really nicely OOB. All you need is some Gloss Sea Blue and you're set.

-YL

The Hellcat kits look really nice. I like the addition of the colored PE. I've never worked with that before.

Keep the ideas coming!

No experience with 1/48 Tamiya USN A/C, but it seems like it's hard to screw up an F6F-3/5 Hellcat. The -5 might even be easier since most of them were all 1 color.

I was actually going to recommend the Eduard Hellcat originally. I just built one not too long ago. Everything is there, assembly is pretty good, no major fit issues, and no problems with the instructions. The only problem I had was the decals were off register.

It's hard to beat the simplicity of overall Dark Sea Blue, so I give the nod to the F6F-5 (or -5N).

The Eduard F6F-3 (another excellent kit, btw) comes with markings that are all for Hellcats with the mid-war, three-color scheme. That's not a bad thing, but it's certainly a lot more complicated paint job than a one-color application.

-YL

I think the 3 tone is within my skill set. Some of the finer German camo schemes I'd rather not go for.

Hi Jesse

Alternatively, you could go for Tamiya's P-51D Mustang and add Vector's stunning resin wheel-well correction set (no mainstream kit manufacturer has got it right), and still be within your budget.

All the best

Rowan

Hi Jesse
I have also just finished a Eduard 1/48 Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat and it was very straightforward and I would recommend it highly. Eduard have a good range of Hellcats at the moment and the combo is good value if you fancy building two. Have a look at Jean - Luc review here.
tim

I would recomend either of Tamiya's 1/48 Spitfires. Easy build, and they include camoflage pattern drawings that are in scale with the kit that can be cut up and used for masks. All you would really need are some seat belts.

There is only one obvious answer to your request in my opinion: Hasegawa's J2M3 "Jack": Perfect in every way, but not accurate if with the J2M5 canopy variant.

Tamiya's F4U-1D Corsair is more complex, but almost equivalent, and easier to paint in just overall glossy sea blue...

The Tamiya P-47D has a "swollen" fuselage in plan view that is false (see Yoyuso's corrected build), and both its variants and the P-51D have slightly inaccurate clear parts...

The Tamiya P-51B/D builds with the wrong, far too flat, dihedral as is, if you don't watch it and carve the wingroots severely, and the prop/Spinner is horrible... The cowl lacks the room for valve covers at the front, but the Hasegawa P-51D is much inferior in almost ever other way...

Hasegawa's P-38 is very inaccurate in pod/engine cross-section, and a very difficult build. Same issue with all P-40s as far as accuracy goes, though Mauve/Eduard is a little better, still with very poor radiator and prop...

The Eduard F6F Hellcat is poor IMHO, and has poor wheels, prop, cowl, and nose profile. The windshield is very poor in accuracy too, especially the F6F-3!

Their I-16 is infinitely better, near flawless, and a fun, peculiar subject that stands out...

Tamiya's gorgeous Me-262 is basically disqualified with closed slats that are actually impossible on the ground... Tamiya could learn from Trumpeteer how a real 262 should be done!

Tamiya's new A6M5 Zero is a very good kit, but has the fin leading edge too sloped, and the aileron chord far too short: 1 mm +: Very nice still...

Difficult to paint, but also truly superior to almost anything else in accuracy, is Hasegawa's Fw-190A-5/6/8 series, not to be confused with their inaccurate A-3/4s... However the prop is wrong in shape, so use a Tamiya prop and even the cowl ring if you can... Can only be built canopy closed, but Eduard's 190 is truly pitiful in comparison, with very creative errors...

Better than any of these kits, in my opinion, is this oddball fighter choice: Hasegawa C6N1 with 30 mm shrage music gun: The absolute premier kit in 1/48th for accuracy, IMHO, even though I failed to build it by mislocating the cockpit tub!

Finemolds A7M Reppu is also a true masterpiece, but it only existed as a series of prototypes...

Accurate Spitfires in 1/48th are still basically n/a...

Choices 1/48th fighter kits is extremely limited if you want true out of the box accuracy, so your question is a very useful one. 1/32 scale is already doing better in quality choices in just a few short years, showing there is no excuse for this mediocrity...

Let's not forget Zvezda's incredible Me-109F, a milestone that hopefully will raise the below-potential, but slowly improving now, 1/48th bar in fighters...

I hope this helps...

Gaston

Gaston,

I'm surprised you forgot the Zvezda La-5.

(I should also assume we're talking single engine here).

The more I think about it... the more I guess I pigeonholed myself into this. If it fits into the budget, feel free to suggest stuff other than single seat fighters. Also, I was unaware of the rise of the 1/32nd stuff, so if anything from that scale is a favorite, please suggest it.

Thanks so far!

Surprised no-one has mentioned the Tamiya 1/48 Mosquito. Best engineered kit I have ever built, an absolute joy, and comes with some simple colour schemes too

That's good to hear Nev since I picked up the pair, bomber and fighter bomber for extra cheap recently. Everyone seemed to be getting shot either to buy the airfix 1/24 mossie or the tamiya 1/32 spit

I'm thinking the Eduard F6F-3 set is the leader at this point. I like the 3 tone color scheme. Any thoughts on some of the aftermarket items out there for the kit?

I looked at the SAC landing gear, and Quickboost.net undercarriage doors. Thoughts? Anything else I'm missing?

Quote, Frederick Rose: "Gaston, I'm surprised you forgot the Zvezda La-5..."

- I am confused about it... Excellent kit in fit to build, amazingly intricate and well-fitting, and beautifully accurate except for a slight shallowness of the cockpit glass in the La-5FN "Bubbletop" variant: Fixable but not easy: Some carving into the cockpit sill is required, plus 4 or 5 flat glass panes need to be a bit deeper...

The La-5 razorback variant has a correct deeper canopy that had me jumping for joy, but it has a really shockingly broad, shallowly curved cross-section... I don't know what to make of it, as true cross-section is concealed in most photos and not reliable from most plans...

In twin-engines fighters, Tamiya's Mosquito is one of their worst kit ever accuracy-wise: Do not trust Tamiya ever... Canopy not prominent enough by far, nose totally the wrong shape, truly awful, putting the Mgs far too high vs spinner centers by several inches, rear profile of nacelles very wrong, too square or not square enough... need I go on?

http://www.doghousecrafts.co.uk/handdaf/ha1900/mosfbvi.jpg

http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/Gal5/4701-4800/gal4726_Mosquito_Limbert/01.jpg

People assume that good fit means good accuracy, but I am always wary of Tamiya, as I am of Hasegawa despite their wonderful late 190As, C6Ns and "Pete" floatplane:

Hasegawa's Ki-45's Tei nose lenght/shape and rear fuselage profile depth are very wrong...

Tamiya J1N is very good except only for the windshield width which might be a bit odd...

Eduard's Me-110G is very honest with just the fixed windshield part's bottom window frames needing to be cheat-masked 1 mm higher, and a lack of "corners" in the rear fuselage cross-section... Spinner blade holes far too large but shape excellent... Dragon may yet improve on the tail cross-section... All previous 110s are eclipsed by these two.

My favourite twin so far is Eduard's Me-110G, but I may tack on a Dragon tail if it really makes a difference... Note that OWl (or Zotz?) decals offer an all-blue Me-110G-2 with simple black bottom for ease of painting: My kind of thing too: A rare late Lufwaffe aircraft devoid of mottling...

HTH

Gaston

Hi Jesse
With the Eduard 1/48 Hellcat you do not need any aftermarket goodies, although glue and paints not included. The three tone camouflage is very easy to apply and I think makes for a very distinctive model. Here a couple of pictures of the Hellcat I did for the 'Aces High II' campaign.
tim

I say build what you want I doubt anyone is going to come up to your model and say great work but this is just the total wrong shape and that spar should be a little longer.REALLY

Everyone in this hobby has their own little niche. If you want to glue the thing together with elmers and paint it pink, good for you. If you want to make sure the dihedral is correct on a plane that was built 80 years ago, good for you.

I wasn't expecting the post about how almost every available kit had "major" problems... so I took it with my own version of what modeling is, and moved on.

I'll be placing the order for the Hellcat tomorrow.

A wise choice, IMHO.

There are a few aftermarket goodies that you could use on the Hellcat, but the kit really does build up just fine OOB. A little Google searching will lead you to some articles & kit reviews so you can make up your own mind about what the kit "needs" (or doesn't need).

I hope you enjoy the build. You never know, it might leave you wanting to do another!

-YL

Hellcat ordered... won't be here for awhile (SAL shipping)

Hope no one minds me reviving this thread, but I have pretty much the same question as Jesse. From all of the comments above, it seems like the following get the most votes (or at least are good choices in 1/48 scale):

1) Eduard F6F-3 Hellcat
2) Tamiya P-47D Razorback
3) Tamiya F4U1D Corsair
4) Tamiya A6M5 Zero
5) Zvezda Me 109F

Can anyone elaborate on the Zvezda kit? Any other good German single-engine fighters out there? Given the love German subjects get, I'm surprised more kits didn't come up.