I haven't built any WWII aircraft since I was in eighth grade. At that time I built a dozen 1/72 scale Monogram kits that I received as Christmas gifts. I just see quite a few kits by different manufacturers are available these days, so I was hoping someone might have some first experience about what kits to buy or to avoid. I did a search but found only reviews for 1/48 kits. I just don't have the room to display those.

I guess I should mention that I'm not a stickler for every little detail. I just remember some of the MPC kits where very simple and toy like, even to an eighth grader! Thanks for you help.

Personally I would recommend the Academy brand P-40E or N, as I have had good experiences with those kits. The canopy may be a bit too thick, and the decals are not the easiest to work with, but the fit and detailing are very good. Just stay away from the P-40 B Academy kits. They are older and not so well detailed, especially in the cockpit and the wheelwells. There may be better kits out there but usually this retails for about 10 bucks, which is a very good price if you are just starting out.

Just remember, decal set and softener is a must if you want to work with the Academy decals, and give the surface a good gloss coat to minimize silvering.

Hi there. My favorite scale is 1/72 and I build aircraft. Thought I'd give you the benefit of some experience. Hope it helps.
Academy have really good kits in 1/72, although the decals require a litle more work then some. Make sure you apply a good gloss coat onto the model, several in fact and have a shiny surface for those decals to settle on. Good advice no matter what manufacturer you buy from.
Revell of Germany, in the blue boxes, have some really nice kits as well. The P-47 Thunderbolt is a nice kit. I just built the Gotha 229 flying wing fighter from the end of the second world war. Also a nice kit.
Tamiya kits are a little more expensive but have good fit and are worth the seventeen to twenty dollars for a kit.
Just a few ideas for you. If you want more just write. Take care. Russell

Thanks for the advice guys. I have never built an Academy kit and was reading some mixed reviews on other kits by them. I like Revell of Germany kits, but wasn't sure if they might be reissuing some of the older questionable quality kits. I do know there seems to be a sudden surge in the number of knock-off kits by Chinese manufacturers. Of course the lower quality is reflected in the dirt cheap prices of those too. Not to mention the names have quickly disappeared from the market. After a decal of pretty much nothing but model cars, I recently returned to military vehicles and now aircraft.