Which is the better model.

I assume that tamiya is because it is almost twice the price.

What do you guys know about each brand?

thanks,

I like Tamiya because they are more detailed and more "accurate" in terms of details.

Academy is a little sparse in the detail area. All around though Academy is pretty good.

If your a poor kid like I am, than academy is a good choice, but if you want to spend some big bills Tamiya then. Some of Tamiyas kits though, are reasonably priced.

Hope this helps!

~Chip

I think you have to compare specific kits. Tamiya has some kits out there that are 20 year old designs for their motorized line.

Shermie is dead on you have to compair kits, to look at my shelves I'd have to say Tamiya I have nearly a 100 in the to be built pile. But Academy has some good models out there too, as well as Dragon, AFV Club, Hobby Fan et.al. So the short of the long of it is the kit .. check reviews.

Dave

where can I find reviews?

I am going to purchase a 1/48 F-117 to complete my area 51 dio.

I did a little googling and I found this .... so here you go.

http://modelingmadness.com/reviews/mod/laskodi117.htm
and this
http://modelingmadness.com/reviews/mod/gren117.htm


Later Dave

Gosmsgo - Check out the following sites for reviews:

http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/
http://www.modelingmadness.com/
http://www.kitreview.com/reviews.htm

Also, check out www.greatmodels.com as they often include links to various reviews in each of their kit descriptions.

I read those two reviews. It didnt all make alot of sense to me.

For those of you who have modeled both brands. Which seems to be the higher quality of the two.

Why would one be twice as much as the other?

Well I don't know what to tell you those are the two most comperhensive reviews I found on the models you are looking for. Most of the time it boils down to you get what you pay for, I've found most Tamiya models to be highly details and a great fit, they have slipped as of late with a mass of re-issues. But over all they still have a excellent product. Good luck in your quest.

Dave

thank you for your help. I am new at this and sometimes I get lost in some of the wording.

An example is this quote from one of the reviews you directed me to.

"A great alternative to the more expensive Tamiya kit especially when bolstered with the Eduard’s photo etch "

what is a photo etch?

That statement really doesn't make sense and here is why, photo ectch is brass sheets of add-on detail and they are not cheap to buy. So to buy a cheaper kit just to add photo etch to it at a higher cost is not a savings. So the authors comment kind of didn;t make sense to me at all, the photo etch kit he speaks of is about $16 alone. Check this link below for prices.

Prices

If you are new to the hobbie, photo etch is NOT where to start IMHO. It's a more advanced modelling method that can even drive advanced modeller insaine with the tiny parts and bends ... they can be a pain, but they bring models to life. So there you have it.

Sound to me like you should just go with the Tamiya.

Dave

Thanks!! I think I will.

Its only 10-15 more dollars.

With as many dollars and hours I have already put into this thing...it may be foolish not to get the more expensive model.

There you have it, why go cheap if it's just going to look cheap?

Dave

Hi gosmsgo


Sounds like an interesting dio, and you are putting a lot of effort into it Do we get to see it when it's finished?
I agree with Dave:


There is something else to take into account. As a new modeller (not sure how new you are, I'm not trying to be patronising), you would probably have a better experience with the Tamiya kit, due to the better engineering of the kit (I don't know that in fact cos I ain't built their F117A, but I have built plenty of others). But all things taken into account it is no fun when you ditch a project because it has become a pain in the backside.
Tamiya sounds like the way to go, but if you get the opportunity when you go to purchase the kit (assuming you aren't buying on line) and the vendor has both, ask to compare them. Look at the way the kits look on the sprues. It is possible that they look similar, which will mean they are engineered in similar ways (doesn’t mean one will go together better than the other though. Although I would bet on the Tamiya kit). If they are similar, look at the detail, the cockpit parts tend to reflect whether there is a good level of detail, but some times cockpits are left spars to enable other areas to be better detailed, cost wise. You will probably get an instant feel of the quality of the 2 kits, a tangible difference in look and feel of the plastic and the overall package.
Looking forward to seeing your dio
Mal

'sup

I recently bought academy's Bf-109 G, 14 euro,Tamiya's Bf-109 costs 25 euro.
Academy's Bf looks good but it's lacking the "extra",it has panel lines ,it has cockpit interiour and the fit is good But it is nothing compared with the Tamiya !!

I rather see it as a challenge,modelling would not be modelling if everything would fit perfectly and go smooth

cheerz ! Q
(Happy newyear)

Sounds like an interesting dio, and you are putting a lot of effort into it Do we get to see it when it's finished?

sure will! Lets just hope I get some "constructive" criticism. :-)

Many Academy kits are old Tamiya kits, sometimes with some added items, but inevitably with holes and battery mounts in the hull. Thus the detail is on par with old Tamiya kits, but not with the new molds. Problem with Tamiya is that the new releases are expensive, but 'worth' it as the detail is much improved (compare the 2 figures in the new Pzr IV H kit) but they also keep re-issuing old kits, and the prizes can vary a lot. I picked up the Pzr IV for £ 23 in my LHS, which seems reasonable value for money, but I've seen the more popular Tigers and like for well over £ 30 or £ 40 !!! If buying a less (crisply) detailed kit, for a dio or for some severe weathering, I would go for Academy (StuG IV, kit no. TA968 1332 £ 9.99) rather than Tamiya. If you are able and willing to spend upwards of £ 30 you might want to check out the other brands like Dragon or AFV as they have some nice stuff aswel.

Cheers
Henk

as someone already said, it depends on the kits.
I built Academy's Merkava Mk.II with KMT mineroller and I think it can hold its own against newer Tamiya kits that I built such as the Stug.III, Spit mk.I and P-51D which are all great kits.
the Academy M-60 series or their Tiger I with interior will need some TLC to come out nice.
Tamiya's T-62 and 1/48 A-10 will need a lot of TLC to achive satsifying results so at the end the answer to which is better depends on which kits you are comparing (although generally everyone agrees that all around Tamiya has the best mix of detail, fit and simplicity of construction on the majority of their kits, espiceally those introduced since '94 onwards).

I did a little more poking around on the Aircraft Resource Center for you. Believe it or not, the actual online galleries are better than some reviews as the builders include their "build log" or "build summary" along with the photos.

From the commentary there, the Tamiya kit is much more highly regarded than the Academy. My personal experience, as said by many others, is that Tamiya's kits tend to go to well very well (with a few kit exceptions). I'd go with the Tamiya.