After much teeth gnashing, hand wringing, foot stomping and prayers to the God's of styrene and glue I've decided the Worst Kit I've Ever Built is the ...1/48 Kinetic F-16.
Why you ask? Simple, every part in that kit required, trimming, sculpting, bending, blending, replacing, puttying, filling, modifying, cursing and coercing, breaking, wedging, stomping, prying, pushing or heating to fit. But I suppose worse kits grace the shelves of local hobby shops around the globe.
SO! I pose the question, what is the worst kit you've ever built?
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Worst Kit You've Ever Built?
Grenadier37
Joined: June 02, 2008
KitMaker: 232 posts
AeroScale: 155 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 05, 2013 - 03:51 AM UTC
windysean
Joined: September 11, 2009
KitMaker: 1,917 posts
AeroScale: 563 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 05, 2013 - 06:06 AM UTC
Okay, I'll play along.
The worst I ever attempted was Minicraft's DC-6B with Capital Air markings. Besides the clean-up as you mentioned, many parts were not fully formed.
The most frustrating part was that the plastic did not respond well to Testor's Liquid Cement, Tenax 7d or Plastruct Cement. The bonds were tentative at best, and staring too hard at the model made parts drop off.
I eventually gave it to my young son to play with (when he was old enough not to swallow the parts, of course), without the half-formed prop hubs, propellers, and landing gear.
I haven't bought a Minicraft kit since then, to see if they've improved.
-Sean H.
The worst I ever attempted was Minicraft's DC-6B with Capital Air markings. Besides the clean-up as you mentioned, many parts were not fully formed.
The most frustrating part was that the plastic did not respond well to Testor's Liquid Cement, Tenax 7d or Plastruct Cement. The bonds were tentative at best, and staring too hard at the model made parts drop off.
I eventually gave it to my young son to play with (when he was old enough not to swallow the parts, of course), without the half-formed prop hubs, propellers, and landing gear.
I haven't bought a Minicraft kit since then, to see if they've improved.
-Sean H.
spaarndammer
Joined: January 28, 2007
KitMaker: 1,945 posts
AeroScale: 388 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 05, 2013 - 06:35 AM UTC
Quoted Text
After much teeth gnashing, hand wringing, foot stomping and prayers to the God's of styrene and glue I've decided the Worst Kit I've Ever Built is the ...1/48 Kinetic F-16.
Why you ask? Simple, every part in that kit required, trimming, sculpting, bending, blending, replacing, puttying, filling, modifying, cursing and coercing, breaking, wedging, stomping, prying, pushing or heating to fit. But I suppose worse kits grace the shelves of local hobby shops around the globe.
SO! I pose the question, what is the worst kit you've ever built?
Ow no! I am about to start this kit.... Well we see. My worst kit is the Minicraft Bonanza. However, the P-47N of Italeri in 1/72 was also pretty bad, especially the fuselage - wing (un)fit.
Jelger
Mcleod
Joined: April 07, 2010
KitMaker: 1,028 posts
AeroScale: 939 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 05, 2013 - 07:14 AM UTC
Quoted Text
many parts were not fully formed.
-Sean H.
Sean, one of the outstanding qualities with MiniCraft, is that they have fantastic customer relations. If parts are not formed properly or not there at all, they fix it. I know through experience dealing with them. They sent me my missing parts free and based on a simple e-mail to them. Quick and no problem.
Grenadier37
Joined: June 02, 2008
KitMaker: 232 posts
AeroScale: 155 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 05, 2013 - 07:43 AM UTC
[/quote]
Ow no! I am about to start this kit.... Well we see. My worst kit is the Minicraft Bonanza. However, the P-47N of Italeri in 1/72 was also pretty bad, especially the fuselage - wing (un)fit.
Jelger[/quote]
Good luck my friend, and may the Gods of Styrene smile upon you. Beer helps...lots and lots of beer.
Ow no! I am about to start this kit.... Well we see. My worst kit is the Minicraft Bonanza. However, the P-47N of Italeri in 1/72 was also pretty bad, especially the fuselage - wing (un)fit.
Jelger[/quote]
Good luck my friend, and may the Gods of Styrene smile upon you. Beer helps...lots and lots of beer.
Gremlin56
Joined: October 30, 2005
KitMaker: 3,897 posts
AeroScale: 564 posts
KitMaker: 3,897 posts
AeroScale: 564 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 05, 2013 - 07:49 AM UTC
The Miniart 1/16th Samurai. Didn't finish the build. Nothing fit. Absolutely dreadful.
Julian
Julian
MLD
Joined: July 21, 2002
KitMaker: 3,569 posts
AeroScale: 419 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 05, 2013 - 08:07 AM UTC
good lord, we have this many replies and nobody mentioned Mach2 yet?
Their 1/72 X-24 kits are an abomination.
Short run injection plastic horror show.
Carving the things out of frozen dog droppings would have been a less painful experience.
blech!
Mike
Their 1/72 X-24 kits are an abomination.
Short run injection plastic horror show.
Carving the things out of frozen dog droppings would have been a less painful experience.
blech!
Mike
windysean
Joined: September 11, 2009
KitMaker: 1,917 posts
AeroScale: 563 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 05, 2013 - 08:09 AM UTC
Quoted Text
Quoted Textmany parts were not fully formed.
-Sean H.
Sean, one of the outstanding qualities with MiniCraft, is that they have fantastic customer relations. If parts are not formed properly or not there at all, they fix it. I know through experience dealing with them. They sent me my missing parts free and based on a simple e-mail to them. Quick and no problem.
I'm glad to hear it! They have a nice selection of aircraft that no one else offers, and it's reassuring to know they'll work with the modeler.
-Sean H.
JClapp
#259
Joined: October 23, 2011
KitMaker: 2,265 posts
AeroScale: 1,715 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 05, 2013 - 08:12 AM UTC
Revell Mini 1:144 F4U corsair.
flash all around every part, terrible fits, no cockpit interior.
flash all around every part, terrible fits, no cockpit interior.
AussieReg
Associate Editor
#007
Joined: June 09, 2009
KitMaker: 8,156 posts
AeroScale: 3,756 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 05, 2013 - 08:43 AM UTC
Modelcraft 1/48 F-82, almost made me quit the hobby. I am almost finished my second round of therapy and the twitch in my Xacto hand is not really noticeable.
Removed by original poster on 02/05/13 - 21:21:36 (GMT).
drabslab
Joined: September 28, 2004
KitMaker: 2,186 posts
AeroScale: 1,587 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 05, 2013 - 09:20 AM UTC
Quoted Text
A su-25:) a will not mention the brand because that is not relevant. I bought the kit at an exhebition. IT must have travelled many years from one show to another. Every part was warped:):D
markchis
Joined: February 09, 2009
KitMaker: 467 posts
AeroScale: 60 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 05, 2013 - 09:48 AM UTC
hope you dont mind me including a non - aircraft kit in this thread.
For me it was the Military Wheels 1/35 uAZ-469 (Russian jeep) that thick chunky distorted "kinder egg toy" plastic still sends shivers up my spine to this day.
Kit had a life span of about 30 minutes before i had the epiphany that i simply did not have enough course grade sanding sticks to deal with the thing - so it was quickly slung in the trash.
For me it was the Military Wheels 1/35 uAZ-469 (Russian jeep) that thick chunky distorted "kinder egg toy" plastic still sends shivers up my spine to this day.
Kit had a life span of about 30 minutes before i had the epiphany that i simply did not have enough course grade sanding sticks to deal with the thing - so it was quickly slung in the trash.
Grenadier37
Joined: June 02, 2008
KitMaker: 232 posts
AeroScale: 155 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 05, 2013 - 10:28 AM UTC
Quoted Text
good lord, we have this many replies and nobody mentioned Mach2 yet?
Their 1/72 X-24 kits are an abomination.
Short run injection plastic horror show.
Carving the things out of frozen dog droppings would have been a less painful experience.
blech!
Mike
Well MIke, you see the thing about Mach-DOO is it isn't actually a "model company” per se. On the interweb it is listed under “sadomasochism/torture”. So you’re not actually supposed to attempt building one of their “kits" unless it's time to get your comeuppance.
No bias here Mark, it's the worst kit, no matter the subject.
Jessie_C
Joined: September 03, 2009
KitMaker: 6,965 posts
AeroScale: 6,247 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 05, 2013 - 10:33 AM UTC
On the subject of company names: "Combat Models" wasn't a brand name, it was a description.
amegan
#243
Joined: March 21, 2008
KitMaker: 996 posts
AeroScale: 915 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 05, 2013 - 10:34 AM UTC
Can I play? Airfix DH88 Comet, the first I built 5 or 6 years ago was terrible, short shots, flash, no detail, thick canopy, mismatched And malformed parts. I built Black Magic a couple of years ago, it was a bit better Parts were better shaped and flash reduced, but detail is still poor. I'll start the Green One next week, but a peek in the box doesn't look promising
Ruffus
Joined: April 12, 2005
KitMaker: 343 posts
AeroScale: 111 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 05, 2013 - 11:17 AM UTC
Well, for me the worst kit I ever attempt to build as far as I can remember, are the 1/48 F-86D from Lindberg. or the Draken they did in the past century. Boy! those are BAD kits, never ever buy anything else from them.
Happy Modeling
Byron
Happy Modeling
Byron
warmonger
Joined: November 08, 2006
KitMaker: 217 posts
AeroScale: 82 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 05, 2013 - 11:34 AM UTC
Without a doubt, the worst that I have built (well, tried anyway) was Minicraft's 1/144 scale C-130H. I spent 11 years working on the aircraft on the boxart. The kit was not even close to being what was on the cover. The kit inside was a E model. Fit was horrible, that big glass flight deck with nothing inside, etc. I couldn't even finish the kit.
raypalmer
Joined: March 29, 2010
KitMaker: 1,151 posts
AeroScale: 985 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 05, 2013 - 11:54 AM UTC
Dragon 1/48 Fw190G-3. Looks good at first. But nothing fits. Detail ain't great. Nothing fits. Accuracy ain't great. Nothing fits.
It's the worst because it's from a mainstream company, clearly they had the technical prowess to make a good model, they know how. But they just didn't.
It's the worst because it's from a mainstream company, clearly they had the technical prowess to make a good model, they know how. But they just didn't.
bdanie6
Joined: November 09, 2008
KitMaker: 615 posts
AeroScale: 459 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 05, 2013 - 12:39 PM UTC
I have to agree with Damian. Modelcraft managed to put out the worst kit ever with their Twin Mustang in 1/48 scale. I believe I warned him against it before he even started. Horrible instructions, brittle plastic, no interior detail, horrendously thick parts, enough flash to build a Tamyia Mustang, not a straight line anywhere....the list goes on 
Honestly, if you could find a problem in any kit, it was present in this abomination. If Modelcraft was still in business today they should hang their heads in shame!
The only other kit that I have attempted to build that wound up stuck in the work room wall was the Eduard Fw-190A-3 that I tried to build for the Butcher Bird campaign. Fit was horrid on that thing too, but I did keep it for spare parts because the detail on that thing is superb
Later
Honestly, if you could find a problem in any kit, it was present in this abomination. If Modelcraft was still in business today they should hang their heads in shame!
The only other kit that I have attempted to build that wound up stuck in the work room wall was the Eduard Fw-190A-3 that I tried to build for the Butcher Bird campaign. Fit was horrid on that thing too, but I did keep it for spare parts because the detail on that thing is superb
Later
warreni
Joined: August 14, 2007
KitMaker: 5,926 posts
AeroScale: 2,201 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 05, 2013 - 01:36 PM UTC
Quoted Text
good lord, we have this many replies and nobody mentioned Mach2 yet?
Their 1/72 X-24 kits are an abomination.
Short run injection plastic horror show.
Carving the things out of frozen dog droppings would have been a less painful experience.
blech!
Mike
I haven't been stupid/lucky enough to have bought one of Mach2's'kits' yet, but I can tell you the ICM TB-3 is a killer. Don't buy one of these unless you like inducing pain in yourself. How does corrugated skin on a massive wing with three or four panels and seperate spars sound?.. (shiver)
There is a very old saying, "It does not matter how much you polish a s__t it is still a s__t". I think there is something in that for everyone.
OEFFAG_153
Joined: February 19, 2010
KitMaker: 1,473 posts
AeroScale: 1,450 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 05, 2013 - 08:40 PM UTC
Hi all,
My worst experience was the Battle Axe Fokker DVII in 1:32 – nothing lined up, the mouldings were like a lump of plastic that you had to shape the parts from. The decals did'nt stick, and the whole thing was a disater area of massive proportions.
Worse still I had to pay some serious money for it (three figures in GBP if memory serves)... I did finish it, but only barely, and it was subsequently damaged beyond repair in a house move.
I still have the bits, and I plan to burn them once I finish the new WNW Fokker DVII that promises to be everything the old B.A. kit was'nt.
Mikael
My worst experience was the Battle Axe Fokker DVII in 1:32 – nothing lined up, the mouldings were like a lump of plastic that you had to shape the parts from. The decals did'nt stick, and the whole thing was a disater area of massive proportions.
Worse still I had to pay some serious money for it (three figures in GBP if memory serves)... I did finish it, but only barely, and it was subsequently damaged beyond repair in a house move.
I still have the bits, and I plan to burn them once I finish the new WNW Fokker DVII that promises to be everything the old B.A. kit was'nt.
Mikael
Shanghaied
Joined: June 30, 2011
KitMaker: 189 posts
AeroScale: 82 posts
Posted: Tuesday, February 05, 2013 - 09:00 PM UTC
Worst kit for me: MPM Pe-3/early Pe 2
Fuselage warped, wings warped, resin parts fitting lousy, options which required cutting to insert parts which look like the cut out parts, clear parts fitting lousy and most of them wrong anyway, Decal and paint options which are totally wrong. I am not even sure if one of the 4 Versions is completely right), very fine surface details which of course totally disappear after a light sanding or prepainting....
After that thing not much can frighten me more.
Greetings from cold China
Fuselage warped, wings warped, resin parts fitting lousy, options which required cutting to insert parts which look like the cut out parts, clear parts fitting lousy and most of them wrong anyway, Decal and paint options which are totally wrong. I am not even sure if one of the 4 Versions is completely right), very fine surface details which of course totally disappear after a light sanding or prepainting....
After that thing not much can frighten me more.
Greetings from cold China
MLD
Joined: July 21, 2002
KitMaker: 3,569 posts
AeroScale: 419 posts
Posted: Wednesday, February 06, 2013 - 01:56 AM UTC
Quoted Text
Can I play? Airfix DH88 Comet, the first I built 5 or 6 years ago was terrible, short shots, flash, no detail, thick canopy, mismatched And malformed parts. I built Black Magic a couple of years ago, it was a bit better Parts were better shaped and flash reduced, but detail is still poor. I'll start the Green One next week, but a peek in the box doesn't look promising
For such a beautiful looking airframe, it is a pretty miserable kit.
Even my 4th graders, looking up at them from 6+ft away, can tell (and comment) on the job I did on the Grosventor House red version.
I've got Black Magic and "The Green One" on the bench to add to the timeline of powered flight, but they are quite a struggle. Tube of putty each, easy..
Mike
doesnt even come close to the agony of a Mach2 kit though...
Maybe I'm just a masochist, or maybe those whiffs of brimstone I get every once in a while are a hint...
gaborka
Joined: October 09, 2005
KitMaker: 626 posts
AeroScale: 264 posts
Posted: Wednesday, February 06, 2013 - 02:06 AM UTC
Here in Eastern Europe we had a wide choice of bad kits but I could wrestle most of them together. One of those I could not build in the end, was the Czech KP (or KoPro) MiG-17. One fuselage half was about 1,5 longer than the other, so if you aligned the nose it was too long in the back. The difference was proportional so that you could not simply solve it by cutting out 1,5mm from the fuselage half. I had to discard this model, and I was sorry for that because there were Indonesian decals in the box which was a curiosity since most kits had red stars or Czech roundels.
It is strange because KP had some decent kits for the time (we speak about mid-80's now) as well, for example the Bloch MB-200 or the LA-5.
It is strange because KP had some decent kits for the time (we speak about mid-80's now) as well, for example the Bloch MB-200 or the LA-5.
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