Well, just tossed my primed and partially-painted Revell Ju-88A4 in the trash. I got it off Ebay for a low amount of money--now I know why. Poor fit, not much detail, lots of filling and sanding required, which destroyed a lot of the detail. When my paintjob started to go wrong on it, I decided I'd had enough of working on a troublesome model. I figure "why bother?" when I can go out and get something else that goes together like a dream and is so much more fun to make. Anyone else feel like that? I just figure if I'm going to be doing something for fun after working with troublesome models (the mathematical and statistical variety) all day, why should I mess with it in my free time when it is just tedious.

Next up: perhaps another mistake. The Dragon SU-24.

Stephen

Well, I can most definitely understand your frustration. When working with poor fitting kits, I too feel like throwing it off the balcony sometimes. I then say to myself, "go to your stash and just build one of those nice kits....yes...one of those kits that is easy to build.....Mu ha ha ha......"
It seems that when I get into these situations, it is just best to put the model aside for awhile, and work on something else -- I guess that is why I have 20 models in progress For instance, right now I am working on the Revell of Germany EF-2000 Eurofighter, Monogram A-26, and Trumpeter T-55, and worst fitting of all, the Revell 1/144 Space shuttle! For some reason, I seem to always build the poor fitting kits I guess I'm either a model masochist8-| , or maybe its something else.....I guess what I am trying to say, is that I seem to get more satisfaction out of a model if I know that I have put a lot of work into it. To be honest, out of the probably fifty or so DML/Hasegawa/Tamiya models I have, I still seem to build the old Monogram kits. Maybe I am just crazy #:-)

I'm already glad that I did it. I had washed up the SU-24 parts a few weeks ago and so they were ready to go. It was nice to look over the model and see some nice details. I hope I'm not sticking my foot in my mouth and this thing goes together. But it was nice to do some modelling work and not have to worry about whether it was going to be fun or worth it or not. The SU-24 is an interesting looking plane in any event.

Actually, Doug, you raise an interesting question I've had for some time: how do those (much less expensive) Revell-Monogram, Testors, and Italeri (sometimes) kits hold up to the gold standards of model fit and detail? I think some of their models are really old, but I wouldn't want to give up categorically on them...would I?

Stephen

I did this model..It took me a LONG time to complete due to poor fits. I think some of the frustration yoy guys have is because you work on more than ONE model at a time. I make sure that I dont even crack the plastic wrap on the next model until I am at the final dull coat stage or Antenna string stage....This keeps me focused on completing the kit..no matter how bad....My 2 cents.

The Revell Ju 88 is a re-boxing of the Dragon kit. I haven't built the A-4, yet (it's in my stash, with an Aeries detail set ) but I am in the proces of building the Dragon Mistel. The Ju 88 G in this kit has many of the fit problems you describe, but I have percivered with it and now it's coming on well (it can be seen in the Critics Corner). Not only did it have all the fit issues associated with this kit, but one fuselage half was mis-molded and that had to be fixed as well. I take your point that you got it cheap so there aint a great loss in throwing it away. My Mistel was free :-) (swapped it plus other kits, for some made up armour :-) ) I would never have bought it myself but it will be good to have this model, in my collection, when it's finally complete. The difficulty will make me look back on the kit with satisfaction because I didn't let it beat me. Incidently, I have about 30-40 kits on the go at any one time. If I get frustrated or bored with one I move to another. I can have bouts of finishing several models in a week. I finished 19 models last year and have finished 2, so far, this year. I would never throw a kit away, I would hang on to it, you never know when the bug will hit and you get the urge to have a go.
Mal

Wow, 40 models! I think that I'm reaching my limits when I have 3 going in various stages. I think part of my frustration with it was that it was sitting on my kitchen table (I have an accomodating wife since she uses the other half for her hobbies) and I cringed inside every time I passed by it. I don't have enough room on the shelf for my models I've completed, never mind 40 under way!

It has been hard to attenuate collecting more models when I have unfinished ones in the stash. Throwing out the problematic ones at least gets me closer to whittling down that pile...which of course leads to the fun part: making it bigger again.

Stephen

I think this is what I was getting at

That would be impossible, rubber power is too light, and the only electric motors small enough are not powerful enough.I would try a Guillows stick and tissue model instead.

I happen to fly alot of R/C and stick and tissue, and plastic won't work, and, if it was warped, it would be impossible to trim.

As a nice contrast, despite the things I've heard about it, the SU-24 fuselage/wings fit together perfectly. Since this is usally where things go most wrong (engine mounts on props, too, I guess) the rest of it can't be that bad! It was nice to push them together and not see some huge glaring mismatch!

Stephen

The strange thing is I don't mind building these really basic and poor fitting kits normally. If I got them for a cheap price I tend to think of them as a way of practicing for my next "serious" model and I don't get too uptight if I make a mistake on them. The one exception to this was the airfix 1/48 sea harrier I built earlier this year, it really got to me and within a day of building it I had launched it on its maiden flight out of the upstairs window. It is amazing how far bits can scatter, and strange how some small parts survived the fall without breaking loose. :-)

Was the ProModeler JU88 that bad?? I read reviews that indicated fit issues, but was told on "another board" that the issues were "easily overcome" and it was a great kit.

I bought the C6 version as it has the A4 glass, my favorite version, but I haven't opened the sprue bags to confirm ALL the glass is there... my suspicion is that I'm missing the two circular gun mounts at the back of the canopy. If so, eBay it goes. I can live without bombs, but the non-A4 glass...