Beginner, Intermediate, or Advanced

Transcript*

Intro

Where is my standard nylon bristle pencil? Uh, hello all. This is David from Loisirs vers le soleil. So, how long have you been building scale models? In today’s video, we’re going to be talking about skill levels in the hobby and which model kits are appropriate for each one. So, we’ll be talking about three different levels today. Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced. Plus, there’s two bonus levels I like to add here. There is also baby and people with too much time on their hands. But mainly, we’re just going to be talking about the three levels where I feel most people are.

What skill level are you?

So, what determines what skill level you are? Well, the simplest way that I can put it is if you actively go out and purchase aftermarket photo-etch resin or 3D decals and you can apply them to your model kits without a hitch, then you’re Advanced. If you can fill seams, dry brush, or apply varnish coat successfully, then you are Intermediate. And if you just know how to glue things and paint them, then you’re a Beginner. What kind of model kit should I be building then? Well, I’ve picked out one example from each skill level, and we’re [music] going to quickly unbox each one, and I will explain in my own opinion why I feel each one perfectly represents each skill level. How this table gets so high.

Beginner

So, for beginners, I recommend anything Tamiya 1/72 scale. Now, me being an airplane guy, I stuck to what I know best. However, pretty much all Tamiya kits are manufactured and built the same way. So, I recommend 1/72 scale Tamiya planes because Tamiya is the gold standard for plastic model kits. They’re 1/72 scale aircraft series specifically. They’re basically like scaled down versions of their 1/48 scale kits, just with fewer parts, so there isn’t as much to do here. I chose a Spitfire because it’s a nice easy aircraft design and it’s beautiful. Plus, everybody knows it. So, with kits like these, you usually only get two, maybe three sprue trees and you have basically all the detail you need. It doesn’t go overboard, but it’s not lacking either.

And Tamiya kits have great surface detail. Plus, the most important thing and why I consider these beginner kits. You will never have an issue with fit. No matter how lousy you are, everything will fit together nicely. So, you won’t get frustrated. You won’t want to quit. And their instructions [music] are straightforward. Uh, we’re not building a Dragon kit here, so everything is easy to follow. And usually with kits like these, you don’t get much more than 30 to maybe 70 parts. And uh, sometimes they even throw you a transparent stand, [music] too. Now, the one thing that might be a little challenging for a Tamiya [music] kit is their decals, as they are known for being quite thick. That being said, they can be a little tricky [music] to put on, but once you uh learn the ropes, it becomes a breeze just like everything else in the box.

Intermediate

Here is my recommendation for the intermediate steel modeler. Anything from Revell Germany in a level four. Now, basically the only thing Revell does to determine their steel levels is how many parts they have. So this is their 1/72nd scale F-15E Strike Eagle. Now I choose this as an Intermediate example because Revell is very hit and miss. Sometimes you get a good quality mold with decent detail. Sometimes you don’t. This however is one of the better efforts by Revell. So the kit has almost 200 parts. You’ve got five plastic sprues [music] and two clear ones. So already you’ve got more to work with here than the beginner Tamiya kit, as well as a thicker booklet with over 60 steps to follow. Uh, Revell’s instructions are also pretty good. Although in my own experience, I have noticed Revell several times have made errors. They they list something as one thing, but it’s actually another. So, yes, uh, a revel kit like this requires a bit more patience. And uh there may be a fit issue here and there which may need filling with putty. But if you’ve got some experience under belt then a kit like this shouldn’t be any problem.

Advanced

Let’s move on to the advanced stage. [music] And my example for this is Borders 1/35th scale Nakajima B5N. So we’re getting into the larger scales now. [music] And larger scales means more detail, more parts. [music] Now 1/35th scale normally isn’t an aircraft scale, [music] but uh Border has been trying to make that a thing for the last few years. So right away you can see uh we’ve got way more parts than what we’ve been used to. So, we got one, two, three, four, five, six, eight plastic sprues and one clear one. [music] I estimate there’s at least 250 parts in here. [music] And you’ll notice there’s lots and lots of smaller detail oriented parts. [music] And the the engine alone is in halves and there’s 14 cylinders. Also, the surface detail is even more advanced than what we saw in the [music] previous kits as it has fully riveted designs in both recessed and [music] raised. Not to mention, this particular kit even has the uh stressed [music] skin effect on it as well.

So, not only was it hard for them to make, it’ll be hard for you to make as well. And [music] to further add to the difficulty, we are now introduced to photo-etch. [music] Now, when I was a beginner, I used to hate photo-etch because I had no idea really how to properly use it, and now I love it. Although, I do prefer pre-painted photo-etch from Eduard. Uh, anyway, you got a large decal sheet here as well. and another fairly thick booklet. You open the first page and already you’re overwhelmed. So, for kits like these, it requires even more patience. It requires uh precise application [music] when you’re gluing. And no, no matter what skill level you are, although it’s absolutely imperative and advanced, [music] you must dry fit all the time. Now, kits like these are normally very well uh moulded, so there shouldn’t be fit issues. However, when you’ve got something like this, which has [music] many bulkheads, many parts that need to align together, you’re bound to have something not fit right, thus leaving a potential gap. But uh if you [music] feel you’re past the intermediate stage, you already know how to do that stuff. So yes, if you feel you are a seasoned veteran, then something like this is the kit for you.

David’s Conclusion

In conclusion, these I feel are the best examples for model kits for beginners, intermediate or advanced stage modelers. So, feel free to let us know in the comments what skill level you are, or at least you think you are, as well as which manufacturers you typically like to build from. And you can easily purchase any of these three kits, as well as many others that these manufacturers make at Loisirs vers le soleil in store or online. [music] Thank you very much for watching this video. Remember to like, comment, subscribe, follow us on our socials, and until the next one, adios. Oh, hey, there’s my standard nylon bristle brush. How was this used again?

About the Author:

David Peckam has built scale models since he was 12, specializing largely on military aircraft. He is a makeup artist and background actor for films and TV. He enjoys watching hockey and of course, movies. He has an excellent knowledge of hobby products and if you have questions concerning scale model airplanes.

*Video by David Peckham
Video Edited by
Daniela Castellano and Leo Nguyen
Transcript generated by youtube
Edited by Angelo Castellano