Everyone loves having a go at Trumpeter kits and picking them to pieces, especially for their surface detailing. Some of the critisism is justified but under a coat or two of paint and undercoat they tend to look far less pronounced.

It amazes me how people go off on how something is a tiny bit mishappen here or there and 'doesn't look right' yet they go and pre-shade and shade panel lines which make them look about 1 or 2 scale inches wide! Go look at a real aircraft and from just a few meres away you are hard pressed to see any panel lines on most aircraft.

This is not directed at anyone in particular, just a rant by myself on what seems to be huge double standards and prejudice against certain manufacturers. Keep it up Trumpeter as without you we would not have modern 1/32 kits of most of your catalogue.

Rememwer I am not having a go at anyone in particular.

Rant over...

I like building Academy kits, even with all their misshapen inaccuracies. Their instructions are great, and the parts fit. I echo what was said earlier by someone wiser than me (I think it was Dave O'Meara), "Build what you like how you want as long as it makes you happy" (paraphrased and mis-quoted). I haven't come across a kit yet that didn't have some issue, somewhere.

Not quite the same thing, but what I find it humorous is the paint finishes themselves, especially on Axis subjects. 90% of the pics (of actual vehicles) I have seen feature fairly crap paint jobs, ugly hand brushed or roughly sprayed designs, whereas most "serious" modellers are trying to make it some sort of complex art project!

I still say just build the damn thing to the best of your abillity!

It's a hobby and nothing more.

If you want to fret over shadows and "weathering" knock yourself out!

I prefer to improve my skills with every kit knowing that with time I'll get better.

It boils down to what makes YOU happy and not what makes the rivet counters happy.

you feel better now?

I think complaining is a human thing. By commenting on supposedly bad things on a kit, people try to make themselves feel better (look at me, I found something bad, see how smart I am...). This effect is even bigger when there is a group of people saying the same things. (So you also think this grab handle is 0,0003 mm too thick, wow I thought the same, we are so great).

I personally will build any kit you throw at me, if it has flaws, I see it as a challenge to make something of it. I am just too glad there are so many different kits out there to worry about small errors. If you don't like it, don't buy it... But unfortunately this is the internet so everybody can bash anything and anyone safely hidden behind the computer screen.

Matthijs

Depends on who you are trying to convince!!
If its not a problem for you ... why post here and now?

Everybody has their own opinion on things. You don´t have to agree with them, ... in fact their opinions don´t meet squat if you dont agree or its not a problem for you. Its your model ... you dont have to justify anything.
I see posts like this all the time, where modellers are trying to explain why they still want to build a model, eventhough somebody has given the model negative critic. Its a model .. build it ... don´t be swayed. Reviews are there for your information. That particular person may have hang-ups about certain details personal to them ... doesn´t mean that it is a law and must be rectified by everybody else. Personally, I can´t stand one piece tracks on tanks ... but many use Dragon DS happily and convincingly. Why shouldn´t they? Not because I don´t like them.

I agree with Frank....you don't have to justify anything to anyone on any of your builds or kits...build a given kit, whether it's good or poorly reviewed by anyone, simply because you like it and it brings you enjoyment. Long ago when I built armor kits I always did the tracks unrusted...I guess the given norm was to have them rusted, but I wanted mine non-rusted and muddy..so guess what I did!
I just found the old AMT space 1999 Eagle kit...totally inacurrate and ocassionaly prone to flash, but I love the dang thing for the memories it brings so I'll tweek it alittle and be happy - works for me! {Maybe finemolds will do one someday} I like mopars and maybe you like chevys, we can still get along I figure.......

No, sorry, not gunna happen !!

...ahhhhhh shaddup!

Rivot counters

Build what you like how you like. Good quote. Leave the armchair history to the armchair historians. We aren't always right. Well, some of the time we are right. At least, when nobody is willing to dig any deeper. Be a rivet counter and go blind by 30.