and have enjoyed Guillow's models
584468
I'm into building scale model aircraft, and have enjoyed Guillow's models. For a scale subject their " Zero" has very good outlines. But their canopy is slightly larger than scale. It's not their fault- they based their model on drawings that had it this way. All in all, it's a very good model.
2469201
I'm up to about thirty of them different models. fun to collect not kids stuff.
2690970
Didn't buy this on Amazon, but got the same one at Booksamillion. This was a lot of fun. I am now hooked on these models (working on Artoo & C-3PO now).  Sure am glad to have started on an easy one to see what I was getting into. Looks great finished.
2498468
This is the same Y-wing fighter for the Hasbro 3 3/4" Star Wars figures that was released several years ago as a Target exclusive, save that it is painted with a red trim, blue canopy frame, and silver body.  It is essentially a copy of the origional Kenner Y-wing from the early 1980s, but without the electronics and removable R2 Robot unit.  The landing gear retract using a switch, a bomb can be attached and dropped by pushing a button, the canopy opens sideways (like in the movies), the cockpit is detailed and seats one figure, the ion cannons elevate and rotate, the R2 Robot's head turns.

I was surprised when I found this at a Toys R Us, and quite pleased as I had previously been unable to purchase the rare POTF Y-wing released at Target.  My hats off to Hasbro for providing a second chance.  The vehicle, while undersized in scale, nonetheless appears accurate to the movie version.  It is NOT loaded with funky, innacurate features as some Hasbro Star Wars vehicles are.  A removable R2 unit (like on the large X-wing just released) would have been preferable, however.  The paint job is nice and includes some wear and tear.  All in all, the Y-wing is a good addition to a Star Wars vehicle collection.
1889333
Over the years I have collected many of the monographs published or distributed by the Naval Institute Press, including the Anatomy of the Ship volumes on the Yamato, Fuso and Takao.  The exceptional 2D drafting in those books made them great sources for modeling, but it is very interesting to see 3D CAD drawings really bring the ships to life.  The Tone was always very interesting for the unusual disposition of its armament, and mostly known through photos of the wreck at Kure.  Even the monumental volume on Japanese cruisers left many details obscure, but this model, exquisitely rendered, is a boon to modelers and shows the power of CAD, where the kit of parts developed for repetitive features on various classes of ships makes it possible to show the development through successive classes.  The clarity and unlimited number of views from the model goes far beyond the grainy period photos in showing how these ships were built.  I'm looking forward to some aircraft carriers next!
1018294
Lovely model  some good poses and nice size of photos to work from for artist needing sword wielding ladies and a sorceress or two. Some poses are a bit hokey but over all well done. Some nice nude and clothed photo references as well.
4610101
I got this for my six-year old grandson who loves models, and paper airplanes-- to keep him busy over summer break from school and keep up his reading skills.  Each paper model  has several short paragraphs about the airplane (facts, specs, history) and reasonably-easy directions that a six-year old can handle with a some guidance.  Each day, he gets to pick a model from the book as long as he reads the text about the airplane aloud.  Punching out the press-outs can be a little tricky, but is also good exercise in fine motor skills.  Once put together, the planes actually fly reasonable well - although don't expect them to fly as good as a traditional paper airplane.  As an adult, I also am enjoying helping him with these models and have learned some things about airplanes as well.
2366106
Nicely detailed kit of Spike Spiegel's Swordfish II mono racer from Cowboy Bebop. Although the instructions are in Japanese (I'm guessing), the drawings are clear enough that an experienced modeler should be able to figure it out. The kit is well molded with parts in several different colors and has some nice articulation features. It should produce a decent looking model straight out of the box - but some extra work painting and detailing will really pay off. As a bonus, the kit includes figures of Jet Black, Spike Spiegel, and Faye Valentine in a larger scale; there's a scale version of Spike for inside the cockpit, and another to place standing next to the Swordfish.

It arrived in good shape and was packed well. Now if only they'd come out with a kit for Jet Black's Hammerhead...
3259149
My nephew asked for several models that he had looked over very carefully. This is one that made the cut and he really enjoys having and playing with this model
3945450
Having built a number of the models from L'Instant Durable over the past few years, I without hesitation recommend these models to the serious hobbyist and those interested in gothic architecture in general. The French cathedrals (Chartres, here, but also the Reims, Notre Dame de Paris, and Sainte Chapelle maquette models which the company also produces) are realistic and detailed replicas of the actual buildings in France. A visit to any of these locations in France will easily provide "proof" of the accuracy of these replica models, but then, in reverse, building one of these replica models prior to visiting its real-life equivalent will greatly enhance the experience by making one more attuned to picking out the architectural elements present in these physically immense structures.

These models are not for "quick-and-dirty" projects: to assemble one of these models in your spare time, and taking care to do a good job while doing so, will require a commitment of many weeks, and perhaps, months (I spent four months on the Reims cathedral maquette and about three on the Chartres maquette). But in taking the care to carefully score, cut, fold, and then properly glue each of the pieces, typically some 400 or so per model, can yield stunning results.

The Chartres model is not without its difficulties. There appears to be the slightest "mismatch" of pieces at certain points, but most of these are addressed with careful planning before gluing final pieces in place. Some of these issues can be caused by not exactingly placing "foundation" pieces earlier in construction: make sure you cut, score, and place pieces correctly, or you'll doubtless pay the price later in the project (just like the real buildings!). But the Chartres maquette is expertly designed with few flaws, and is probably among the best of the cathedral maquettes (with Reims being the best I've seen so far).

If you are interested in French gothic cathedrals, or just architecture in general, these are truly unique items that can teach as much as entertain you. Note: See my and others' uploaded photos of the completed model by clicking "See all 9 customer images" directly below the product image, above. If you wish to see more of the available models from L'Instant Durable, click on the author's link above, directly below the title, and you will see many other available models. Not all authors worked on each model, so try selecting different author names to view the entire set, which now must number in the 30 to 40 range.

After you've constructed the model and are enjoying looking at it, "top off" your experience by picking up the newly-published&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Universe-of-Stone-A-Biography-of-Chartres-Cathedral/dp/0061154296/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Universe of Stone: A Biography of Chartres Cathedral</a>&nbsp;by Ball. By the end of that read and comparing the things you will learn in that book to your Chartres maquette, you'll be a Chartres armchair expert. To cap it all off, make sure you go to visit the cathedral itself at least once. The building is only some 45 miles south-east of Paris, and nothing can replace the experience of actually seing Chartres in person.
4965445
I must admit my dexterity isn't what it used to be, so to have an already beautifully completed model in my hands is delightful!
598434
This is a beautiful rendition of the Bf109E Trop in 1/72. I built it alongside the&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Airfix-1-72-FW190/dp/B00DUBGI3Y/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Airfix 1:72 FW190</a>&nbsp;and they are very much birds of a feather, with superlative detailing, engraved panel lines and excellent fit. If anything, the 109 is better than the Focke Wulf, with much more fine detail. It has the added bonus of an exposed engine block which allows you to pose the kit with the "bonnet" up and giving the more advanced modeller the option to do a little super-detailing. It's also simple to build, although the paint job will cause some headaches unless you have an airbrush or are very competent with your hairy sticks.

Airfix continue to impress with their recent kits. Highly recommended.

Don't forget the paint,&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/glue/dp/B000KJPUL0/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">glue</a>,<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/filler/dp/B004RNY89U/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">filler</a>,<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/masking-tape/dp/B0000WRZZQ/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">masking tape</a>, and some decal setting solution (<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/MicroSol/dp/B0006O9K5Q/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">MicroSol</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/MicroSet/dp/B0006O9K4W/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">MicroSet</a>).
2403320
A really lovely kit all round. Roden have filled a long awaited niche with airline modellers with their Boeing 720 kit. Beautiful panel lines and well moulded parts. The decals are magnificent.

I have only one bug-bear; The JT-3C engines appear perhaps a little oversize, but it can be worked with as it's not a major problem (and any modeller really concerned about such accuracy can no doubt seek after-market remedies if necessary).
154963
A gift for our grandson, which he has enjoyed.
4235483
Wife's Review: I have to agree with other collectors about Mattel going cheap on many of the recent releases.  It's becoming a bit frustrating to be unable to dress and display these dolls in some custom clothing because of the molded/painted leggings.  Those simply don't work with the EAH lingerie show that I am planning to display in my curio cabinet.  They could at least make the first release of a new character detailed and well made, as they have done in the past.  I don't mind if the tights or tops are painted on subsequent releases from other themes/series but the first one should give the general feel for the character and present her with the jewelry and the look she was introduced with in the movies and webisodes. Crystal, for example, is a lovely doll but without her belt, the top looks a bit odd and without jewelry,  she seems underdressed.  As with many of these dolls, the ornate sculpting on the accessories  (shoes, crown, and sceptre in this case) is just magnificent! But they are lacking the colors that make them really 'pop'. They are often presented as they came out of the mold, a solid colored bit of plastic.  Occasionally, we might get a single shade of paint slathered quickly over one section and it really detracts from the visage of the doll.  They really do look unfinished and hastily thrown together. It's dissappointing when you consider the exquisite detail of the first release dolls other than the ones released in the last year or so.  I enjoy customizing dolls but I should not be forced to just to make her look like herself, as I like to keep a boxed, minty version of most of them as well as a deboxed one for display.
1778566
It's nice when you can find Star Trek models in matching scales, it makes displaying them more satisfying somehow. Though small, the detailing on these models is quite good, and the decal sheets and painting instructions are far better than when models of these vessels originally appeared in larger (and different) scales. If you're a modeler and you like Star Trek, you'll want these.
4610480
First off, let me preface this by saying I'm not building this "stock out of the box" but instead intend to make significant "upgrades" to the model... all of which are easily supported by this kit as shipped.

This is a model of the "Hunter Killer Tank" as seen in the flashback sequences in "Terminator 2."  There are some sequences in the first terminator movie showing this same era, but this is not seen clearly in those (although it's presumed to be there).  In the later Terminator films (and TV series) there are alternative versions of this... similar but not identical... as well as dramatically different designs in some cases.  But this is the one you see crushing skulls under the treads in the best of the movie series.

It's actually a very well-designed machine.  If you've ever built a model kit of a tank, construction of this will be pretty familiar, except of course that most tanks are tan or grey or green, while this is supposed to be something like stainless steel.  (It's actually a fictitious metal, but it's a steel alloy, supposedly, as described in the "Sarah Connor Chronicles" TV series).  So, you'll need to work on doing high-quality metal finishes to make this look good.

It has clear colored parts for the "siren lights" on the head, as well as for the "eye" searchlights.  The rest is all a nice, neutral grey plastic, except for the treads, which are rubber and which wrap around rotating rollers on the foot tread mechanisms.

There's plenty of hardware in here to allow the thing to actually drive...  and I'm thinking about doing that (with an RC controller).  In addition to the fully-articulated treadwork, you also have pivoting joints for the head (atop the torso) and the torso (atop the base) and for the two plasma turrets which are in place of "arms" for this particular robot.  There are also two "gripping arms" at the front of the torso, but they cannot be made into functional devices without basically rebuilding them from scratch, and I'm not inclined to do that.

There's a nice "garage kit" lighting kit already available for this (and for the air-borne variant which Pegasus also offers a model of) which, in this case, includes the "siren lights" in their proper flashing configuration.  With some small servomotors for the canon turrets and torso joints, and a decent gearbox and cable-drives for the motive section, I ought to be able to make this into a working scale-model (less the ability to shoot plasma, of course... or to operate without external control!)

The build quality is excellent, and takes into account the desire of people like me to do the sort of thing I'm planning to do.

The main "drawback" (if you can call it that) is that this is a pretty big model...  bear that in mind.