Does anyone have any info on the quality of Arii kits? Are they good, bad or ugly? I saw a couple at my local shop and was interested.

Thanks
HastyP

Hi HastP

Arii's 1/48 scale range are pretty good for their age and feature scribed panel lines etc.

While newer kits from the likes Tamiya and Hasegawa generally offer more detail, the old Arii versions offer great value for money and can look really good with a bit of extra work on the cockpit etc. and some after-market decals. :-)

Hope this helps

Rowan

In my expirience with them, they have been pretty good. A little lacking in the cockpit detail, but other than tat they are okay. THey are also pretty cheap to, and th detail on the outside of the aircraft is pretty good.

Try one, and make up your mind.

~Chip :-)

back in the summer i built 2 Arii kits.
and they are really nice, for the price u get good detail.
but the cockpit could use some more detail.
but the out side is good and it goes together well

:-) As has been said they are not bad kits, just lacking in cockpit detail and refinements found on modern kits, such as separate canopy parts and choice of cowl flap positions. I have built 2, a Corsair, to which I added an Airwaves PE cockpit. This went together quite well and a P-51 Mustang which I'm building to try out a kitchen foil BMF, that had some fit issues, notably the air scoop and nose. Both required a lot of sanding to achieve conformity. Rivet detail also needs to be rendered over the spine, to match the rest of the airframe, as well as that lost in sanding the joints. I would certainly buy more, but mainly to experiment with different finishes.
Mal

Arii kits are repops of the old Otaki line back in the mid 70's. Despite their age and lack of interior detail, they do build up into a nice model. Remember these kits have been around before Hasegawa started their 1/48th line of kits. In the age of raised panel lines, these kits have engraved panel lines and are in light grey plastic. Quick Ez build. So go get one the Corsair, the Mustang and the Fw-190 is nice as well. You'll be pleasantly surprised.

Chuck
Fly Navy

Arii has good kits. They are old kits, think that from the 80´s, but they came in beautifull models. I built a P51 D and a Spitfire Mk VIII. The problem with the Spit is that it lacks of the gullwing shape in the lower part.

:-) Chuck reminded me that I had also built the Arii/Otaki FW 190-A8, and I have some pics of it. I included the Airwaves PE set (I think) and it looks every bit the 190. This was also about the first 1/48 WWII aircraft model I build, about a zillion years ago, so it aint one of my best, but I quite like it.
FW 190-A8, finished with Xtracolor paints in the RLM 74,75,76 scheme and kit decals




I've also teken some pics of my Arii/ Otaki P-51 Mustang. This is going to form the base for my experiment in using kitchen foil as a bare metal finish. It's been quite hard going, because a couple of pieces, nose and air scoop, where of a different size to the main fuselage. Nearly there now though :-)




I've included this one to show the surface detail.


Mal