The Worst Kit

[davecww1]

I can't complain too much about the Glencoe Albatoos - I built a contest winning model out of it in the early 1990's (before Eduard issued anything except the Fokker E.III and Brandenburg D.1). I built a bunch of Aurora, Smer and Monogram 1/48 kits in the early 1990's and had very few fit problems, but they all took work to accurize and detail. Worst kit I have ever owned was the Merlin Roland C.II, 2 different shaped fuselage halves, about 1/8" thick, and flat slabs for wings (but the only game in town when they appeared)

http://www.wwi-models.org/Images/Cal...ros/index.html

Cut & paste the above link to check out the Glencoe Albatros finished in Linke-Crawford's markings.
Dave

[Shooter]

I need to ask: is this question limited to plastic model kits?

Do balsa kits qualify?

Are R/C kits included in the mix?


Shooter sends

[StephenLawson]

In my honest opinion I would say...send it Shooter.

[Shooter]

Oh, I have a kit in mind, Steve, but I wanted to know how wide the range was on this thread before I submitted.


Shooter sends

[StephenLawson]

Incoming!

[Shooter]

Now, now, Stephen! You are not being fair!

In any case, since you give me no guidance, I can bring up what I consider to be the worst kit I have ever purchased. I have considered several balsa kits that tortured me as a juvenile builder as well as an R/C kit that I eventually thew away in disgust, and I consulted the most knowledgable person I know who builds plastic kits. But the worst kit is easily those produced by LTD Models, coming from the Czech Republic.

I purchased two kits (a YAK-9 and a Dewoitine D.520) and they were uniformly crude examples of the art. parts were badly formed (I do not think they understand the process of injection molding), edges did not meet, panel lines were missing, there was none of the detail I am accustomed to seeing from say Tamiya, Hasagawa, and DML. In their defense, LTD Models state that these kits are crudely done and designed for the master builder who likes sanding, filing, pin-vice work, putty, etc. I say that these kits are too much like work.

Barker tells me that all bi-plane kits are all more or less this way, but I had two DML kits (the D-VII and the Dr-1) that were obvious exceptions to the rule.

I still have the YAK for anyone who wants the challenge. It was not in the garage when the fire took some sixty kits along with my compressors, airbrush, paint booth, and paints. The two DML kits were.


Shooter sends

[StephenLawson]

2 DML kits destroyed in a fire? !!!!! NOOOOO!!!!

[PeterL]

Shooter, without wishing to hijack this thread I just have to ask. How did an Honest To God Mud Marine who can spit bullets with far greater accuracy than I can shoot them, and take the top off a beer bottle with his belly button (I was going to write something else but thought better of it ), get into WWI aeroplanes/models?

[NeilE]

Originally posted by StephenLawson@Jul 20 2004, 06:55 AM
[b] 2 DML kits destroyed in a fire? !!!!! NOOOOO!!!!

Not to worry, they are superceded by Eduard, Roden, and Special Hobby anyway these days.....

Just say no to PE struts.....

ATB

neil

[Michael]

Originally posted by Neil_E@Jul 20 2004, 03:28 AM
[b] Just say no to PE struts.....

ATB

neil

Neil, are you telling me to stuff my strut?

:P