Model Kits that you remember

[pierrelm]

Originally Posted by BustyEscortLovr

Anyone try a Wingnuts Wings 1/32nd scale World War One kit?
They look freaking awesome in the box and built, but I have not tried one yet.

I've got a couple in the 'to do' pile. They are limited run kits and the very popular ones sold out quickly. It's easy to see why - the standard of moulding is excellent, the instruction sheets are clear and very informative. One word of caution is that these are definitely for modellers with patience and some experience. If you can handle the likes of Tamiya kits then there should be no concerns in terms of skill.
If you haven't made any WWI a/c though, then perhaps best advised to chose one without too much rigging! The Fokker D.VII has next to none and although the first set of options sold out in just about record time, there is a very nice re-release of an early Fokker-built kit which would make an ideal introduction.
There are 'add-ons' if you wish: Aviattic decals have produced some superb German 'lozenge' decals which, imo, are superior to those in the kits. Similarly, if you want to get into real detailing, Gaspatch (v. reliable) mail order produce some fantastic scale turnbuckles for the rigging attachment points.
With any modelling, part of the enjoyment for me is reading up around the subject and finding some reference material if possible. For the Albatros D.Va I have 'in waiting' I've just finished researching the pattern orientation of the lozenge fabric wing coverings (sad, but it keeps me happy) and for the a/c I have in mind, I'll be printing my own decals onto blank laser decal paper. This is something I hadn't tried before but has proved relatively straightforward.
It also helped with the Mosquito model I have underway, as the nose marking provided for the Mossie I'm modelling has markings taken from an Eagle Strike decal sheet, but the nose code is incorrect in terms of the colours used.
But, going back to your question, if you are prepared to take your time, these WNW kits are a joy, even if you want to build straight from the box.

[ManofKent]

Originally Posted by BustyEscortLovr

Anyone try a Wingnuts Wings 1/32nd scale World War One kit?
They look freaking awesome in the box and built, but I have not tried one yet.

That sounds like a name of a restaurant that serves fried chicken!

[73north]

This made me laugh ( I love Japanese Aircraft Carriers )

[scotpens]

The Aurora classic movie monsters, the Renwal Visible Man, Visible Woman and animal anatomy kits, the Revell line of civil and military aircraft -- I built a ton of them in my preteen and teen years.

How about the Hawk Weird-Ohs? These caricature figure kits were silly, but fun to build and paint. (Although you could never really get them to look like the cartoon box illustrations.) Were they as popular in the U.K. as they were here in the States?

Originally Posted by AlanF

My first was Dracula in December 1972. I had them all.
Aurora produced the glow-in-the-dark parts that gave me nightmares, but worth it.
Polar Lights (which was a small faction of Aurora) re-released them WITHOUT the glow in the dark pieces.

Aurora Plastics Corp. went out of business in 1977. Polar Lights was a completely new brand established by Tom Lowe at Playing Mantis in 1996. Polar Lights reissued many of the classic Aurora kits, either from original tooling or by reverse-engineering from existing kits where the molds were no longer available.

Polar Lights History -- Link

[seany65]

All of the plastic kits I can remember were lumps of glue with a bit of plastic stuck to them...

[73north]

This sums up some comments when new kits are released

[deepsepia]

Originally Posted by FXK

My dad worked at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds as a Public Affairs Officer during the 1950's and part of his job was to assist Model companies to get the blueprints declassified so that the companies could make military models.

I used to live near APG . . . they had a terrific collection of tanks, APCs and other armored fighting vehicles-- I gather since removed to some military museum. On one occasion when I was building a model of a WW II halftrack, I discovered that they had the actual vehicle . . . the best kind of reference, one you could walk around !

[BustyWomenLovr]

Originally Posted by deepsepia

I used to live near APG . . . they had a terrific collection of tanks, APCs and other armored fighting vehicles-- I gather since removed to some military museum. On one occasion when I was building a model of a WW II halftrack, I discovered that they had the actual vehicle . . . the best kind of reference, one you could walk around !

The director/lead curator at APG Museum is/was a moron. Gave a bunch of stuff back to the countries of origin, and then started to disperse the rest. Easier than trying to properly restore what was a world-class collection, rivaled only by Bovington. A lot went to Patton Museum at Ft Knox, others to Ft Eustis. V-2 with rare Meilerwagen went to USAF Museum in Dayton. The famous "mile of tanks" has become the "tank every so often in the median." When the purge started there was no excuse, the military contractors were fat with money and they could have built a (or several) nice buildings to house it all. State of Maryland would have bent over backward to support a tourist draw like that.

Funny side story, they shipped a French APC back to France, the French found what had been a playhouse for the base high school students/teen dependents. There was a hatch on the bottom that had not been welded shut, and the kids had dragged inside a mattress or two, and the inside was littered with beer bottles, cigarette and reefer butts, and many many used condoms and wrappers. "so I was told"

[otokonomidori]

Originally Posted by 73north

This made me laugh ( I love Japanese Aircraft Carriers )

Especially that one that has the control tower on the port side of the deck!

[73north]

The 4 missing propeller support shafts fitted ( in white )


Kit stern Hawsepipe hole filled and relocated in correct position