Hi all I'm new to modeling and want to start up soon building star wars models. I've been having a look around and it seems that Fine Molds is one of the most detailed brands. Can you let me know what you think is the best brand please? I was hoping to go for around 1/48 if possible or secondly 1/72 scale but don't seem to find many models out there, have they been discontinued? Thing is I don't want to start buying them and find I end up having to mix the scales, certainly on similar sized ships. I'd like to start with X-wing and Y-wing but ultimately would like to build up a millennium falcon, tydirium shuttle and star destroyer. From there more imperial fighters and onwards and upwards.. I guess you can tell I'm a bit of a star wars fan. So if anybody could lend me a hand on what brands, where to buy them and common scales that would be great. Thank you
Best brand of star wars models & where to buy
- Thread starter yandoo
- Start date
Finemolds. it will help you keep the scales in check, AMT are all over the place, and TBH are for the most part, horrible models.
Right now to keep your scales the same, 1/72 is your calling, as there is no 1/48 Y wing as yet, but it may happen, who knows with Finemolds lol.
lee
Right now to keep your scales the same, 1/72 is your calling, as there is no 1/48 Y wing as yet, but it may happen, who knows with Finemolds lol.
lee
Thank you for the replies. I'll go for 1/72 for fighters.. Can i just ask you something quickly please, perhaps I'm getting a little carried away and over excited but I've found a Star Destroyer with optic lights for £80 made my AMT Ertl. Is that worth it for the money?
I'm new to this and don't want to be ripped off on first purchase.
Thanks
I'm new to this and don't want to be ripped off on first purchase.
Thanks
The AMT SD is a very poor kit detail wise, as well as shape. It is general looking at best. However, you can cut your teeth on it. I would not spend the extra money on the FO version. You can get a standard kit off ebay for a lot cheaper and add your own lights for a fraction of the cost.
With that being said, you do not have a lot of options for a SD model. You have the large Randy Cooper resin kit, the slightly smaller Anigrand kit, then the AMT kit and finally a half dozen palm sized and smaller resin kits. Revel of Germany is releasing a small snap together kit soon, but again, it suffers from shape issues as well as detail.
With that being said, you do not have a lot of options for a SD model. You have the large Randy Cooper resin kit, the slightly smaller Anigrand kit, then the AMT kit and finally a half dozen palm sized and smaller resin kits. Revel of Germany is releasing a small snap together kit soon, but again, it suffers from shape issues as well as detail.
JMChladek
Sr Member
I've found that with Star Wars subjects, most of the brands that have done kits have done both good kits and maybe not quite so good kits. FineMolds kits are consistently the best (all their products are well molded for what they are), but some of them can be a little on the pricey side (or in the 1/72 Millennium Falcon kit's case, very expensive). So if you are operating on a budget, that is something to keep in mind. Of the SW kit producers, Fine Molds is the only company that seems to do subjects in consistent aircraft scales (1/48, 1/72, 1/144). Another obsticle is FineMolds kits are technically only available in Japan. Yes, you can find them from certain US vendors, but the prices can vary as some companies just buy them at the yen price and mark them up as though the yen price is considered wholesale (making such kits even MORE expensive). Best place to get those kits for the best prices IMHO are HLJ.com or Starshipmodeler.com. But you can sometimes find good deals on eBay as well if you shop around.
AMT/Ertl did some of their own SW kits as well as reissued most of the old MPC kit catalog (those model kits dating back to the 1970s) when they had the kit license. The MPC stuff can be good or bad depending on the subject. For instance, MPC's Vader's TIE Fighter is considered to be good for its time as it is still the biggest Vader's TIE issued to date. But it is also still a product of 1970s modeling technology. So, you do have to grab the filler tube and work a little harder to get things to fit. AMT hasn't had a Star Wars kit license since about 2005. So the only way to find AMT/Ertl kits today is through secondary sources such as eBay or going to model shows (or joining a model club and make friends with somebody who is selling older SW kits). Every once in a great while you can find older Star Wars kits on model shelves, but that is rare.
Revell is the most commonly available in the US and Europe. To date, they have only done one glue SW kit and that is the Republic Star Destroyer. All their other kits are pre-painted snap models. Quality and detail vary depending on the subject and the scales are all over the map it seems. Plus, the bigger kits have pilot and crew figures that are molded in soft vinyl type plastic (tough to clean seams off of and you have to be careful with paint selection unless you give it a good primer) which I don't like. At least the pocket kits have styrene pilot figures. They can at least be found in hobby shops and the prices are mostly reasonable.
The thing that is nice is original trilogy subjects such as the X-Wing, TIEs and Falcon are very well represented with LOTS of choices from all the companies in various sizes and price ranges. Of the prequel trilogy kits, the subjects are a bit leaner, but aren't too bad. If you want animated Clone Wars stuff, only Revell has done those kits to date.
AMT/Ertl did some of their own SW kits as well as reissued most of the old MPC kit catalog (those model kits dating back to the 1970s) when they had the kit license. The MPC stuff can be good or bad depending on the subject. For instance, MPC's Vader's TIE Fighter is considered to be good for its time as it is still the biggest Vader's TIE issued to date. But it is also still a product of 1970s modeling technology. So, you do have to grab the filler tube and work a little harder to get things to fit. AMT hasn't had a Star Wars kit license since about 2005. So the only way to find AMT/Ertl kits today is through secondary sources such as eBay or going to model shows (or joining a model club and make friends with somebody who is selling older SW kits). Every once in a great while you can find older Star Wars kits on model shelves, but that is rare.
Revell is the most commonly available in the US and Europe. To date, they have only done one glue SW kit and that is the Republic Star Destroyer. All their other kits are pre-painted snap models. Quality and detail vary depending on the subject and the scales are all over the map it seems. Plus, the bigger kits have pilot and crew figures that are molded in soft vinyl type plastic (tough to clean seams off of and you have to be careful with paint selection unless you give it a good primer) which I don't like. At least the pocket kits have styrene pilot figures. They can at least be found in hobby shops and the prices are mostly reasonable.
The thing that is nice is original trilogy subjects such as the X-Wing, TIEs and Falcon are very well represented with LOTS of choices from all the companies in various sizes and price ranges. Of the prequel trilogy kits, the subjects are a bit leaner, but aren't too bad. If you want animated Clone Wars stuff, only Revell has done those kits to date.
Thank you for the replies I really appreciated it. I'm a bit overwhelmed with the amount of information out there. I'll go for FM's for fighters only. I think the falcon will be too expensive with that brand.
With regards to a Star Destroyer I'm really not sure which way to go.. Airfix vs AMT Ertl? in terms of detail which is better?
I'm now thinking at £80 is perhaps too much (although they all seem to be above £50 for either brand) for the fibre optic AMT Ertl version? Especially as I think I could do a better job with the lighting. Of these 2 brands which do you think is best please?
Thank you
With regards to a Star Destroyer I'm really not sure which way to go.. Airfix vs AMT Ertl? in terms of detail which is better?
I'm now thinking at £80 is perhaps too much (although they all seem to be above £50 for either brand) for the fibre optic AMT Ertl version? Especially as I think I could do a better job with the lighting. Of these 2 brands which do you think is best please?
Thank you
JMChladek
Sr Member
Airfix's Star Wars kits were ALL reboxed MPC kits... they are the same molds as what AMT/Ertl reissued. The Star Destroyer mold is exactly the same. Same goes for the French Meccano SW kit issues and the first Star Wars kits from Dennys Fisher. They were MPC molds with no real differences. There were also some reboxings that took place in Germany and Italy as well (the Italian issued X-Wing had peel and stick graphics instead of waterslide decals).
Now when Airfix did offer these kits, it was when Return of the Jedi was out and the kits that had clear stands and canopies had them molded in dark smoke tinted plastic just like the original MPC issues. The MPC/Ertl and AMT/Ertl reissues went with clear molded parts instead of smoke tinted ones. Other than that, the molds and parts are identical.
Now when Airfix did offer these kits, it was when Return of the Jedi was out and the kits that had clear stands and canopies had them molded in dark smoke tinted plastic just like the original MPC issues. The MPC/Ertl and AMT/Ertl reissues went with clear molded parts instead of smoke tinted ones. Other than that, the molds and parts are identical.
Thank all very much for the info!
I decided to start off going with an ISD and Tydirium shuttle. I'm going to try and modify them fully with LED's (and any other extras where I find inspiration) for cool effects. This will give me time and experience to improve my craft so when I come to the more sophisticated FM models they will be the best I can do!
I'll be sure to upload some pics when its done. Thanks again
I decided to start off going with an ISD and Tydirium shuttle. I'm going to try and modify them fully with LED's (and any other extras where I find inspiration) for cool effects. This will give me time and experience to improve my craft so when I come to the more sophisticated FM models they will be the best I can do!
I'll be sure to upload some pics when its done. Thanks again
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