Armor/AFV
For discussions on tanks, artillery, jeeps, etc.
What is the best OOTB kit you've made?
MLD
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Vermont, United States
Joined: July 21, 2002
KitMaker: 3,569 posts
Armorama: 2,070 posts
Posted: Tuesday, June 19, 2018 - 02:25 AM UTC
Meng's little pickups, both flavors, hands down fun builds.


Ok, so the pic has a scratch mg pedestal and a Live Resin gun, but the pickup was a sweet little build. The AA guns that come with them, much MUCH less so.
Ringleheim
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Florida, United States
Joined: September 04, 2009
KitMaker: 184 posts
Armorama: 183 posts
Posted: Wednesday, June 20, 2018 - 09:42 PM UTC
Two kits that stand out for me are:

1) Meng M3A3 Bradley

2) Dragon Flak 37 (6287) 3-in-1 kit

Both of these kits went together extremely well with near perfect fit, were easy builds, and make stunning finished pieces.

What separates them from many of the Tamiya kits mentioned is that they also feature huge levels of detail rarely, if ever, seen on a Tamiya armor kit.

If you like German WWII stuff, build 6287; it is one of the best modeling experiences out there.

If you are into modern armor, get the Meng Bradley. Just a stunning kit.

*caveat* if you are simply looking for a kit that falls together with tremendous ease of build, almost any Tamiya kit made in the last 10 years or more fits the bill. They're brilliant in that manner.

However, I have noticed that after a steady diet of Dragon 1/35 armor subjects, I can't go back to Tamiya. Once you get used to the level of detail in the Dragon kits, almost all Tamiya offerings seem like overly-simplified toys in comparison.

Put a Dragon Panther or Tiger side by side with their Tamiya equivalents.

It's pretty shocking.

I still love Tamiya and would consider them for a kit here or there, or for something that Dragon doesn't do.




wildbill426
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Connecticut, United States
Joined: December 08, 2006
KitMaker: 403 posts
Armorama: 375 posts
Posted: Wednesday, June 20, 2018 - 10:42 PM UTC
I'd have to vote for the Tamiya Su76m.
panamadan
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Minnesota, United States
Joined: July 20, 2004
KitMaker: 1,513 posts
Armorama: 1,449 posts
Posted: Thursday, June 21, 2018 - 02:17 AM UTC
Bronco’s Pz I ausf F.
Dan
Lakota
#123
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New Mexico, United States
Joined: November 17, 2008
KitMaker: 1,202 posts
Armorama: 635 posts
Posted: Sunday, July 21, 2019 - 05:41 AM UTC
Howdy Y'all
It has been over a year since anyone has added to the list. Any more additions? I've bought the Meng pickup trucks, a Flyhawk USS Ward and the Bandai U-Wing fighter but haven't had time to build them.
I also tried to pick up an Airfix 1/32 US Lee on eBay without any luck.
Take care,
Don "Lakota"
Bizarre
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Akershus, Norway
Joined: July 20, 2010
KitMaker: 1,709 posts
Armorama: 1,581 posts
Posted: Sunday, July 21, 2019 - 08:30 AM UTC
Flyhawk 1/72 armour kits, 1/48 Bronco staghounds, RFM Panther. Bandai Star Wars kits.
Tojo72
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North Carolina, United States
Joined: June 06, 2006
KitMaker: 4,691 posts
Armorama: 3,509 posts
Posted: Sunday, July 21, 2019 - 09:20 AM UTC
Meng T-90 a very detailed build,the turret was a kit unto itself.Good engineering,good fit,good instructions.Loved the workable tracks.I would post pictures but my builds are stored and my Photobucket is locled up.
barkingdigger
Staff MemberAssociate Editor
ARMORAMA
#013
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England - East Anglia, United Kingdom
Joined: June 20, 2008
KitMaker: 3,981 posts
Armorama: 3,403 posts
Posted: Sunday, July 21, 2019 - 09:30 AM UTC
Hmm. I'd say either the new Tamiya M551 Sheridan, or the Hobby Boss St Chamond, as both are stunningly accurate and fall together without my usual trip to the Evergreen pile.

But without a doubt my "best" armour kit was a Monogram 1:32 Panzer IV Wirbelwind. Took only a day to build, the gloss green & brown camo (over raw sand-yellow plastic) was dry overnight (well, mostly - it was Testors enamel after all), and I got tons of play-hours from it. But then I was only eight, and knew absolutely nothing about the real thing...
M4A1Sherman
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New York, United States
Joined: May 02, 2013
KitMaker: 4,403 posts
Armorama: 4,078 posts
Posted: Sunday, July 21, 2019 - 09:37 AM UTC
Hi, All!

Man, I'm going to have to think about this one. I haven't built anything "OOTB" since 1961, when I started to "imagineer" some of my own details, as the late, Great Shep Paine used to say...

Back in '61 there weren't too many models to choose from without having to "improve" SOMETHING...

1961... Jeez, I'd probably have to say the old ORIGINAL REVELL USS OLYMPIA kit...

It was a "really neat" model kit, which included Rigging Line and it was molded in three different colors; White for the Hull and Superstructure, Tan for the "Wooden" Decks and Smoke Funnels, and a Medium-darkish Brown for the details such as the Masts, Crow's Nests, the "Wood" Trim on the Pilot House, Anchors, Gun Barrels and a host of other stuff. I was only 8 years old at the time, so this model took me several weeks to complete...

This was a point in plastic model history when MONOGRAM 1/48 Aircraft were just around the corner, along with their Classic and Special Interest Cars. AMT and JO-HAN were also starting to come out with various 1/25 cars, and AURORA was doing their 1/16(?) "Old Timer" Cars, such as the 1903 "Curved-Dash" Oldsmobile, 1910 Buick Model 11 "Bug" and their fabulous 1913(?) Mercer Raceabout kit. Some of you older guys will probably remember the 1/12 AURORA Figure kits; Superman, Dracula (the Bela Lugosi permutation), The Wolfman and best of all, a 1/20(?) OPERATING GUILLOTINE, complete with a miniature "Aristo" whose head one could chop off with astonishing repetition!!! My Mom didn't much care for that idea, so my Guillotine eventually wound up going out in the garbage... These particular kits go for big bucks on Ebay, if one can still find them!!!

I could wax "enthusiastic and nostalgic" for hours, but I don't want to stray too far from the subject at hand. I seem to have already accomplished that, though...
Biggles2
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Quebec, Canada
Joined: January 01, 2004
KitMaker: 7,600 posts
Armorama: 6,110 posts
Posted: Sunday, July 21, 2019 - 10:25 AM UTC
Any Flyhawk kit (either 1/72 or 1/700).
panamadan
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Minnesota, United States
Joined: July 20, 2004
KitMaker: 1,513 posts
Armorama: 1,449 posts
Posted: Sunday, July 21, 2019 - 10:33 AM UTC
Bronco’s Pz I ausf F
Dan
Charlie-66
#186
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Texas, United States
Joined: May 24, 2006
KitMaker: 771 posts
Armorama: 750 posts
Posted: Sunday, July 21, 2019 - 11:55 AM UTC
Any of the Dragon Stug III's or Pz III's
trickymissfit
Joined: October 03, 2007
KitMaker: 1,388 posts
Armorama: 1,357 posts
Posted: Sunday, July 21, 2019 - 01:21 PM UTC
Without an after thought, it would be the Tasca Luchs.
Gary
JmeDubya
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California, United States
Joined: July 25, 2013
KitMaker: 124 posts
Armorama: 124 posts
Posted: Sunday, July 21, 2019 - 01:59 PM UTC
Might get some grief for this, but, the Tamiya T-72M.

Build it in East German colors and it’s a great kit right out of the box. Fun to build, in xpensive, looks great next to the current further generation T72s...
easyco69
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Ontario, Canada
Joined: November 03, 2012
KitMaker: 2,275 posts
Armorama: 2,233 posts
Posted: Monday, July 22, 2019 - 02:26 AM UTC
Dragon Panzer III smart kits.
GulfWarrior
Staff MemberCampaigns Administrator
ARMORAMA
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Texas, United States
Joined: January 05, 2010
KitMaker: 1,051 posts
Armorama: 1,029 posts
Posted: Monday, July 22, 2019 - 02:38 AM UTC
This is an oldie; but my favorite one so far is the Testor's History Makers series Nike Hercules. I still have the finished kit on my shelf nearly 20 years after it was built.

spongya
Staff MemberAssociate Editor
MODELGEEK
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Budapest, Hungary
Joined: February 01, 2005
KitMaker: 2,365 posts
Armorama: 1,709 posts
Posted: Monday, July 22, 2019 - 02:51 AM UTC
DML Flak 88... without a question. Amazing model.
kaleu
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Indiana, United States
Joined: June 11, 2003
KitMaker: 123 posts
Armorama: 112 posts
Posted: Monday, July 22, 2019 - 04:55 AM UTC
The Tamiya T-55 gets my vote. IMO, it was the best kit on the market until the Miniart and Takom kits (both of which I've built) came on the market. It needs some accuracy updates, but nothing that should be out of the range of most modellers.

Plus, the engineering on Tamiya kits can't be beat. After a difficult build, I always go to a Tamiya kit to get my mind back in the game.
vettejack
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Florida, United States
Joined: November 23, 2012
KitMaker: 1,277 posts
Armorama: 1,254 posts
Posted: Monday, July 22, 2019 - 05:52 AM UTC
Out of the box (OOTB)...what's that??!!
27-1025
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North Carolina, United States
Joined: September 16, 2004
KitMaker: 1,281 posts
Armorama: 1,222 posts
Posted: Monday, July 22, 2019 - 07:23 AM UTC
For me hands down the Takom M60A1. Pure joy to build.
lucer105
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Texas, United States
Joined: March 07, 2008
KitMaker: 189 posts
Armorama: 188 posts
Posted: Monday, July 22, 2019 - 08:11 AM UTC
This is the probably the only OOB build I have....I didn't even correct the track issue. Old Tamiya's M8 Howitzer. Everthing went together perfectly. You can see "OOB" on the registration sheet.

ivanhoe6
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Wisconsin, United States
Joined: April 05, 2007
KitMaker: 2,023 posts
Armorama: 1,234 posts
Posted: Monday, July 22, 2019 - 08:50 AM UTC
An oldie but goodie thread ! Some recent votes for Dragon Pz.III's with my original J model, #6463, still being my favorite. But it's been a couple of years since my first post on this subject. Currently, I just started Tamiya's new Stuart for our club's group build that's due Friday. It's kinda like homework. Put it off until the last moment. But the kit is SO easy I should finish (hopefully).
I'm liking Meng's new offerings. Right now I'm working on their Jagdpanther. Tamiya like in ease of build. The tracks are slowing me down though. While waiting for something to dry I trim & clean some links & horns. It'll get done before the snow flies.
rfbaer
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Texas, United States
Joined: June 12, 2007
KitMaker: 1,866 posts
Armorama: 1,696 posts
Posted: Tuesday, July 23, 2019 - 11:06 AM UTC
It's a Meng kit......
IMG_2305 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
I spent about six hours on the whole thing, and fixed a serious case of AMS.
billwinkes
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Alabama, United States
Joined: March 20, 2009
KitMaker: 33 posts
Armorama: 28 posts
Posted: Tuesday, July 23, 2019 - 12:02 PM UTC
Takom’s 1/35 M60A2
dmiles
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Queensland, Australia
Joined: August 17, 2008
KitMaker: 160 posts
Armorama: 159 posts
Posted: Wednesday, July 24, 2019 - 12:14 AM UTC
Academy’s K2 Black Panther