I worked in plastic injection molding for many years this just comes down to a plain fact of rushing the job it looks like they're injection cycles are set too fast The clamping pressure is not enough The mold is worn out and the parts are still warm and soft when stacked on the work table causing scratches
Yep reeks of insufficient cycle times to speed up manufacture, it's as if they rented the machine for a number of hours and tried to kick out as many kits as possible
@@ModelMinutes this is an odd company with little care and attention to what they are doing....even in their paclaging dept.....once bought their 1/72 SU -7 "Fishpot" kits and while it was supposed to only have 1 kit in the box it included 90% of parts to be able to make a 2nd model.
The two “28”s are likely printed on a separate sheet because they are the only markings that need yellow. It’s probably cheaper to run a separate sheet of yellow 28s and cut it up than to add another colour run to one of the other sheets.
In general, You're only buying MisterCraft models only for decals/paint schemes. Models are entirely repacked, nothing od that company is of their production. Even the instructions are from different models 😂😂😂 This particular model was first released in 1986 by ZTS Plastyk, and I wouldn't be supprised, if those where the original molds from that year 😂😂😂
Isn't their Huey their own kit? At least according to Scalemates it was a new mould, and the moulding looked actually nice. Not started assembling it yet, but it looks decent.
I have the orignal kit and yea they didn't change anything in the parts, this one also seems to have even more flashes than mine. The decals are also different and mine came with two cockpits for 2 different variants.
Give it a go Matt, let's see the results. Some of the most enjoyable builds are with duff kits. Clean up the flash, some scratch or aftermarket bits and pieces, hey presto! I'd have more fun with this than that Flying Fortress.
Great comment. I haven't built a kit for over 40 years but this is what what modelling should about, having fun and adding your ingenuity to what's in the box
I agree with u in some way. Mistercraft kits are a bit difficult to handle, but they have some very rare models or way cheaper equivalents. Example? No problem - i found in my local store Revell Vietnam War helicopter with the price of 15$ or so. Same model by Mistercraft costed me 3$... surely, the quality is not the same but i needed it for river wreckage diorama, so it was perfect for me. Another cool thing is that they often include figures. Sorry for writing such a long comment 🤣 respect if u read it to the end!
I had ski version with photo etched parts from Směr. It was amazing to build, i practiced all the new techniques on it, rivets, first airbrush model with winter scheme, etc. Great for practice, you can get more patience and you will find new ways, filling, scribing new panel lines, etc. :) For that purpose those are amazing. Same as old 72 academy kits, just buy metal guns and PE for them and you have cheap kit for experimenting with possible nice results. :)
Now I know what to look for in the $5 and under kits to learn how to airbrush on. Great evaluation, only bit in wrap up was forgetting the Amazon wrapping possible causing SOME damage. Otherwise first rate and solid. Appreciate your effort, and hopefully you enjoy adult beverages before building attempts of this kit.
Well, now I've seen the review, and I totally agree.I have given all my Mistercraft away, and moved to another part of the country, so that those I gave the kits, can't locate me ! :D
I've actually built this one. Can vouch for how overwhelmingly horrific an experience it was. Most Mistercraft models I've built have been that way, frankly. They're cheap enough though, so as long as you've got a decent parts box they can look half-decent when finished.
@@BobMuir100 it’s a box you put all the spare parts from other kits in. Many kits have extra parts that are included (but not needed) for making different versions of the model kit. Most modellers then keep these extra parts as spares for future projects
Some kits are amazingly bad. They're like buying a kit of the Eiffel Tower, then opening the box and finding a bunch of toothpicks and some super glue. Yes, it's technically possible to build the Eiffel Tower with that. But not easy! The landing gear on my Heller kit of the Fiesler Storch fi156 come to mind. Finishing them involved a lot of guesswork!
I once got a cheapo Yak-1 model, just for the fun of it. Brand: Mister Craft. Many parts fitted very badly, most notably an added razorback (you could build a Yak-1B without one) which was made of the same clear plastic the canopy was made of. Decals were so fragile that they ripped when I tried to set them on the model. Maybe that's why there were spares included - so you could layer the decals and get complete roundels. For what it was worth, it turned out alright, but I'm never buying a model cheaper than the paint I used on that. I nicknamed it "Revenge for Katyń".
You should definitely build this. A decent paint job could possibly salvage even as rudimentary a kit as this. After market decals might be an idea, though.
I tried their 1/72 Hawker Hunter F Mk.6 kit a few months ago... The mouldings supplied were for an ancient Frog FGA Mk.9 The 'instructions' looked like they were reworked from the 1960's Airfix kit The fuselage and wing sprues were actually different shades of grey with different textures The decals Ooh dear me, HAHAHAHA All in all, Mistercraft kits are on 'finals' for the swing-bin...
It still looks more detailed than their F-104 (1/72), cockpit is just a plastic tub, plus it offers a sort of pilot ... creature thingy! Very good channel! Well done sir!
After the ordeal of making that Mistercraft PZL-37B, I thought you would be through this brand. Well good luck with the build of this one. However since this kit isn't as valuable it can offer a way of practicing new skills. For example you can learn restore a canopy via sanding & polishing. Also you can attempt scratch building by adding a bit more cockpit detail. Or if all else fails........well at least you have got a bunch of test pieces to play around with painting etc.
@@ModelMinutes I can see why, Mistercraft offers some interesting subjects you don't often seen in miniature ........but the kits leave a lot to be desired. Good luck Matt with this one!
I would have been delighted with this kit in 1970. Reminds me of the old Classic kit sets in New Zealand in the 1960’s. Always wondered where those dies came from and where they went? This was before we could even get Airfix.
LOL the picture on the box has the aircraft with a really dark blue colour as part of the upper camo. But when you got to the colour illustration for the painting guide. Not one of them showed the dark blue colour as part of the camo.
@@ModelMinutes just seen the video now, you're going to find a lot more nasty surprises if you are going to build it... Fitment isn't really a word I would use to describe the kit...
@@backinblack03 a 1/48 F-100D from ESCI. I had to put in more putty than plastic. The wheels didn't fit at all because there was no interior where they would attach too. In the end I just used it as a paint try out model hahah.
I bought the harrier GR.7 ‘Operation Harric’ today and was absolutely appalled with what I was given… I’m glad that I wasn’t the only one who has seen bad mistercraft kits…
I was stung by a Mistercraft F-16, the "Wisconsin ANG" edition. Its exhaust nozzle was more chimney pot than nozzle, just a slightly conical tube. I carved on some detail myself. Some of the decals were out of register and the completed aircraft sits low at the back end. The wings needed filler too.
Looks about like the stuff I'd expect from the bagged series 1 kits molded by Airfix in the sixties. Also what you get from Valom, but with Valom you at least get subjects that nobody else does.
Mistercraft are what you pay for. I built IL2 early single seat version and it was ok except canopy which was completely unusable. However for fit issues the Roden early Heinkel IIIs take some beating. I also gave up on the KP Piper Cub as poor design for the wing fit when one of the transparency holes split. Sadly and it probably reflects on me I got on much better with the older Smer moulding where the wing is one unit.
Mistercraft is just a joke. I did an unboxing on one of their F-16s and it had the same problems - nice boxart, no plastic bags, missing decals, detailed parts only in the manual...
It's bizarre, it's like the different people who are responsible for the parts, decals and instructions didn't talk to each other when they decided to include it in the range
I have their Su-22M2 and Su-22M3, same issue with the instructions, beautiful drawings of ejection seats and what you get are just plastic lumps 🤣 My Su-22M2 is missing a sprue that contains an underbelly gun pod, it is not mentioned at all in the instruction sheet, but I know that it is included with some kits, a friend of mine got it, same box art, he got the parts, I didn't. The only good point for me: They come with Peruvian Air Force decals.
Lol , i wonder if its even worth building , personally i dont think so. Anyways, Matt i would like you to build a tamiya 1/35 tank please. If you do a good research , you can find tanks for less than 20 bucks and the detail is incredible for the price , and for ideas , you should check out nightshift, great techiques, i want to see a 1/35 tank on this channel and you would make it look great. Cheers!
Start with the Tiger I. Just built it as my first tank ever (kit given to me by a veteran armour guy) and it's amazing. Looks bloody good built and great way of experimenting with weathering.
@@ModelMinutes There are exceptions, like the Ex-Heller Me-262 B1a, the Ex-Vista/Revell/Airfix/Smer Fairy Fulmar and the Ex-Vista/Revell/Smer Curtis Kittyhawk Mk. III
@@ModelMinutes That's good to know because I've been trying to hunt down a semi-affordable A2D-1 kit in 1/72 and they're kind of the only game in town. Looks like I'll just have to settle for a framed photo haha.
I had the courage to finish this model three days ago. this is a rebranded Plastyk model. It's him, even the badly stamped wheel. the canopy does not fit the fuselage, but the absurd thing is that the two halves of the fuselage have different panel lines from each other, and the length of the two parts is also different. there is so much flash that the pieces look like casts of Pompeii. never again.
Sorry Matt but you are looking at this kit as an assembler,this is without doubt a challenging builders kit where every part needs reworking with TLC,there is nothing in this kit that cannot be fixed and made good,I intend to get one and make a proper build,done it with old Starfix kits from Israel complete with Clydside rivets that were all removed,firstly the flash is no big deal and nothing a good Tamiya file will not clean up,the gun assembly can be scratch built,the canopy dunked in some Johnsons Kleer,a prop from the spares box and anything warped soaked in hot water and held tight overnight,this model is a builders challenge and I like model building challenges like a lot of people out there ! it is what it is a cheap Eastern kit produced from worn out moulds nothing more.
Mistercraft is a Polish manufacturer. These kits aren't really something that actual modellers consider purchasing. They're pretty much made for supermarkets so you can go and pick up one for an equivalent of 2-5 pounds. Unfortunately there aren't many decent model manufacturers here in Poland. In fact Ithe only brand I can think of is IBG Models.
The underside blue Russian WWII planes used varied by location of manufacture, but usually tends to be 'bluer' than the equivalent German colours. It can be researched independently from and Federal Standard USA colours, and a number of Eastern European paint ranges carry it. I'm still using my Humbrol equivalent of the old Russian Underside Blue. Keeps things simple.
Lads, at the end of the day were modelers! I believe we should take these sorts of things as a challenge. I've had to deal with worse (old ICM Warszawa Regiment)
Anyone want to start a list of kits that REALLY are bad. How about the Lindberg Mig 19? (And before anybody else can say anything about Boomers, "I'll never forget first day at t'kit")
I recently viewed a review of the rereleased airfix heron kit reviewed by scale mates. However they conveniently missed the big hole in the port fuselage by deliberately hiding it from viewers
Nightmare to build - ? No, it's a challenge - ! I'm working my way through a mid sixties release of the Airfix Type B bus. With the mould quality, ejector marks, fit issues, now that is also a challenge- ! 😁
The DML 1/32 scale Mustang is one of the worst I have built. Please don't buy it, ok?!!!! The Revell 1/48 mosquito was highly disappointing. There are others, the brain just can't go there!!!!
Yeah, I made the mistake of buying one of those buggers as well ages ago and it's literally the only kit I ever gave to someone to play with and keep .... it was that horrible and I bloody started with KPs, so it's not a particularly high benchmark to begin with :D It's amusing, to see the difference in kit quality for such vintage kits (this bugger supposedly first appeared as a ZTS in the mid 80s), especially compared to equivalent Western models... Hell, the Ju-87 Kanonenvogel MM built and wasn't too thrilled with(though at 5quid from Amazon, I don't think it was really worth including on the bottom 5 builds of 2020) is a decade older, yet looks several classes above the Sturmovik. By the way, I wonder what MM's opinion would be of the better-regarded vintage Bloc kits, like the VEB airliners or Novo fighters.... Preferably the re-issue ones, because original VEBs cost an arm and leg on eBay (I found that the hard way, when I wanted to surprise my dad with replacements for a couple of his wrecked kits :D) and I somehow I don't think paying like 80 quid for something like the IL-62 (mint, in-box ... and since I don't feel any sentimental connection to it, I'd have just gotten a 1/144th better kit at 1/5th the price) will end well
@@ModelMinutes So it'd appear judging by the eye-watering prices on ebay (ie the VC10 I picked up in a shop in Helsinki a couple of years go for 12Eur(sealed) is 75 pounds.. minus shipping. If you don't mind the reissues (after all, Novo was basically the parts of FROG that the Soviets decided to buy), I think Academy picked several moulds including the P-40 and I know for certain that Zvezda's doing the Fokker F.VII (in fact, if you tilt the sprues just right, you can see both previous owners' markings :D). I think I read somewhere that some of the Axis planes (some or all, not sure) ended up with Revell
@@ModelMinutes why by a Novo kit when you can just get an original FROG? Novo was created to acquire the FROG molds and produce kits when FROG went bust in 1976-77. Novo did not acquire the FROG WWII Luftwaffe or Italian aircraft kits; those went to Revell. In addition there were some completed molds that FROG didn’t get to issue kits from. These include: Lockheed PV-2 Ventura, Vickers Wellington Mk.Ic, Lavochkin La-7, MiG-3, Lagg-3, and Anatra Anasal DS. Both brands are long out of production so they have to be acquired from eBay or other source of secondhand kits.
In my experience the worst kit I've dealt with is the 1/35 Zvezda StuG III Ausf. F. The sprues have dozens of parts for alternate or different models, none of which are outlined in the instructions (neither do the instructions have steps for the upper hull, it shows the finished finished assembly only). None of the parts fit with the others so almost every single piece needs major modification to go together properly. The kit also comes with rubber band track which aren't even long enough to go around the running gear. However, the detail and textures for the kit are amazing, and so are the decals, so I guess it isn't all bad
I had a mister craft tank once it ended up being used as a green army men tank then it became a really nice target to shoot with the air rifle from 40meteres away .
I've got a Mustang from Mistercraft. What a mistake. Lot's of flash, like yours but the worst thing is that the fuselage halfs don't match up. Spent about an hour with it removing flash and correcting faults on just 5 parts so far. It's back in its box. Maybe it'll stay there.
I'm apologize for the MC sets, in Poland we also don't like the fact that they are still repacking the old ZTS Plastyk sets. It is a small family business, but still stamping the same old forms and printing decals at cost, pirates' instructions from other companies. We call it Master sCrap or a return to models from the Polish People's Republic
@@ModelMinutes We have several models producing companies in Poland. Each has its pros and cons. Plus they are cheap and likes produce less known vehicles outside of Poland. The disadvantage is that you need to know what you are doing so that the model does not end up in the bin, because they require work. And there are Arma Hobby and IBG's are in a class of their own. For Polish, they sell super models for their price (lower than foreign producers). And First to Fight, which creates interesting battle models. The most important thing is to have the will and plan and carve something. Model making is not only gluing and painting. It's a creation process
I started to build this kit years ago. I gave up on it, and started building some better kits. I used it as a paint tester for quite some time. I would love to see someone çomplete it !!!!
I have this kit, an original ZTS Plastyk release from the late 80s. I just looked at it and there isnt any flash on it and everything looks nice and crisp. I guess they havent taken care of the molds at all. same decals as one of the sheets in yours though. :)
We're spoilt for models today - in actuality, "crap" like this is the basis for real model making. As an aside I fondly remember making the Mikro boxing of this back in the mid 80s - it was fun and infuriating.
You have NEVER, EVER tried to build the VEB- Plasticard Tupolev Tu-2. Let's just say that any 2 parts on that kit that had mating surfaces was purely coincidental and the right wing was NOT a mirror image of the left. All joints were but joints, including the main and tail wings, no alignment pins at all. The canopies were vaguely translucent and did not fit and the fuselage halves were different lengths. I traded for this in the late 70s and it tested ignorance semi made until burned it a fit of frustrated rage. Btw no decals, just a badly printed sheet of newsprint.
Camo has two major different versions: two-colour and three-colour, not even the same colours, if a little research is done. Many factories were pushing them out, little actual standardisation done, much modern research relies on 'official' documents from the 1990s, I'm sorry to say.
i have built 3 mister craft kits and can state that they are horrible but not as horrible as the Lindberg Sabre kit i made a few years ago. the decals fell apart on the paper and the fitting of the kit was horrid. nice vid as usual.
That's cute ... Try the Trumpter 1/12 US Sports Car sometime! Question: what glue do you use to attach chrome parts together, Answer: nothing. 75% of the kit is chrome (for no reason) and the other 25% simply does not fit together. This kit almost put me off the hobby!
Trying to make something out of their IL-4 , definitely the worst ever. Sometimes even hard to find the part in the flash ... Training my sanding,filling, problem-solving skills with it. But it will be finished properly, as a challenge 🙂
wow... I feel a bit ashamed. This company actually has its seat about 30 miles away from where I live. Sad to see them output such horrendously bad kits. I hope you get the chance to review some of the Arma Hobby kits! I've heard they produce very high quality and they also have the same models in different skill levels, so everyone can have a go. I hope that can redeem the Polish kit quality 😂
If you want to try the "worst" kit try the Ark Models 1/48 Hurricane Mk1, but you will need more filler/putty than plastic that is included in the kit.
When you mention that translations were botched, I have checked Polish language, lo and behold everything seems fine (that is very, very rare that someone didn't screw polish language in translation). Quick check and their Hq as well as werehouse is in Poland. After that it didn't suprise me anymore. Those worn injection molds are probably still from the 60'/70'.
Quando compri un Mistercraft o Mastercraft non sai mai che cosa ti farà arrabbiare di più. Se le stampate, le decalcomanie o i trasparenti che di solito hanno veramente poco di trasparente. Grazie per la recensione.
I've built that kit before. Its a very old model. Its the Plastyk (zts) kit. Its a classic. Builds up like a toy. I actually kinda like those old crap models haha. Also Plastyk did a PZL 37 Los (Moose) and Pantera reboxed it. I'm sure others have reboxed it.
I built a couple of F-16 s . like building with marzipan , seemed to be a mixture of several different plastics and don't even think about putting the decals on !! wouldn't tempt me to buy again although they were very cheap ! AAAh well , my grandson liked them .
Certainly a challenge that one. I have only done one by that manufacturer Hurricane Mk 2 C from memory it was a rebox Heller and not too bad, but the decals complete trash ended up doing it in Russian markings decals from my stash and it turned out pretty good in the end.. I don't think though for the effort required I'd bother with that kit of yours, it's too bad. If you you want a cheap rebox job Smer in my experience and decals always OK. Did a Zveda Il2 that was a rebox job though and always wished I'd got the Tamiya version for the effort it required to get something half decent from it. I've come to the conclusion it's better to spend more money and buy a better quality kit i.e go via Tamiya, Airfix especially their new moulds etc..... Good review enjoy it keep up the good work.
I tried to build this kit. I honestly tried. But it would be nice to watch someone actually finish it. Oh well, at least you got yourself a cheap set of decals xd
If you think this kit is bad, search for the argentinian brand Modelex, they rebox olds moulds from Heller of the 70´s with decals that are unusable and a plastic that is used for toys.
Definitely not for a newbie modeller, but a really skilled modeller will have a great deal of fun enjoying the challenge and producing a great result. In the late 60s and 70s this was actually standard for models. Moulding and tooling have advanced light years since then. It's like comparing a MG TC to a Lamborghini Murcielago and calling the TC useless and bad.
I had an Il-2 that I built in the early 90s, it looked very similar, I'm unsure if it was Airfix or Heller. Could be the same model? It too had Soviet and Polish decals...
@@ModelMinutes Pretty certain this is the one I had: www.scalemates.com/kits/airfix-02013-ilyushin-il-2m-stormovik--159872 So looks like it's actually a different model
I built an Airfix one recently. It wasn't a bad kit for it's age. It had Russian and Mongolian Air Force decals. I have another as part of a (very unfair) 'Dogfight Double' set, from the early 1970's, where it was paired with an FW 190-D.
@@brianartillery That'd be this one: www.scalemates.com/ru/kits/airfix-a02013-ilyushin-sturmovik--100252 Which looks like a repackage of the model I had
If you can get your hands on an old Starfix 1/72nd Mitsubishi Zero I would love to see you do a review. It is the worst kit I have ever attempted. I decided it was a waste of any more glue and threw it in the trash.
If this model kit was going to be such a bad investment, why purchase it to begin with. It’s always best to purchase a model kit that is higher quality in manufacturing and doesn’t stress you out when you first examine the model and the instruction booklet of the model. Building should be fun and not a dreaded nightmare.
Would you make a video on how to make acrylic washes for enamel builds seeing as you did one for acrylic builds. I’m wondering because I don’t want to pay €15 in my local hobby shop for one.
