{"id":1819,"date":"2020-10-12T12:56:46","date_gmt":"2020-10-12T12:56:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.jadlamracingmodels.com\/?page_id=1819"},"modified":"2020-10-12T12:56:46","modified_gmt":"2020-10-12T12:56:46","slug":"model-kits-buying-guide-2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/blog.jadlamracingmodels.com\/buying-guides\/model-kits-buying-guide-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Model Kits Buying Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Most manufacturers offer a wide range of subject matter, from WW2 Vehicles through to Modern Supercars. Ultimately its pretty straight forward, choose something that you or the intended recipient is interested in. If you are buying as a gift then the range of “Starter Sets” from a manufacturer like Airfix (more Starter Set info below) will give a good indication of the most popular subjects, e.g Spitfires, Classic Cars, Tanks etc.<\/p>\n
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Large manufacturers like Airfix and Revell advertise a Skill Level on the packaging of nearly all of their kits. Use this to help choose a kit suitable for either yourself or the recipient. Assume that a lower level kit has less parts and detail – however you can still create a great model!<\/p>\n
Airfix – Skill level from 1-4, a higher skill level often has more parts and is more challenging to build.
\nRevell – Skill level from 1-5, typically:<\/p>\n
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Scale is a tricky one, as they vary across the industry, across manufacturers and can have a huge impact on the price and difficulty of a model. If you are buying models for an experienced modeller it’s important to find out which scales they are interested in, as many modellers prefer to build a certain size as it may fit their existing collection. The most important things to consider are: Cost, Size when completed & Difficulty (typically the bigger the model the harder and more expensive it is to finish to a high standard)<\/p>\n
Aircraft<\/strong>: The most common scales for Aircraft are 1:72 & 1:48 – typically the bigger the model the more detail it has and the more expensive it will be to buy and finish. Aircraft are also commonly available in 1:32 & 1:24 – however please note that these kits will create large models typically reserved for more experienced modellers.<\/p>\n Tanks and Armoured Vehicles<\/strong>: The most common scale for Tanks and Armoured Vehicles is 1:35 (A Tank is approx 20cm long in this scale).<\/p>\n Cars\/Trucks<\/strong>:\u00a0The most common scale for Cars and Trucks is 1:24 creating a car up to 20cm long. Cars are often available in 1:12 or even 1:6 scales – but are notoriously difficult to paint as you typically have large surfaces of solid colour which generally requires an Airbrush\/spray paint to create a high quality finish etc.<\/p>\n Boats\/Ships<\/strong>: Common ship scales are 1:700 & 1:350. Boats are tricky as they are typically long and thin – with a 1:350 ship being up to 50cm long when completed. However due to the shape & proportions of the vehicle you typically need a large model to be able to add a good level of detail. 1:700 kits are smaller and easier to store\/display – but will not contain a huge amount of detail due to its small overall size.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Starter sets are designed for total beginners or as a re-entry to the Hobby. They usually include everything you need to finish the model to a basic standard, i.e adhesive, paint and brushes. Some of the manufacturers (e.g Revell) offer sets that do not require glue and simply clip together! At Jadlam’s we try our best to make it as clear as possible in the product title\/description – but do ask if you are unsure.<\/p>\n If you are looking to introduce somebody new into the hobby we would recommend starting with an Airfix Starter Set. This comprehensive range comes complete with Adhesive, Paints and Brush and detailed instructions – it also covers a wide range of subjects from a classic Spitfire to a Modern WRC Rally Car. We personally think that that every Model maker should give the A55100 Spitfire a go – its a great little model and typically only costs around \u00a310-12!<\/p>\nStarter Sets<\/h4>\n