Best Beginner Scale Model - What starter model kit under £15 should you buy in plastic modelling?

What is the best beginner scale model under £15 to get started in the scale modelling hobby? This video provides a large range of low-cost model kits in the most popular scales in both airplane and military vehicles, selected for ease of build, availability, cost and achievable finish for the complete novice.
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Video Chapters
0.00 Introduction
0:23 Categories
0:53 Criteria
2:59 Aircraft 1/72nd Historical
7:30 Aircraft 1/72nd Modern
14:24 Aircraft 1/48th Historical
15:13 Aircraft 1/48th Modern
16:28 AFVs 1/72nd Historical
21:49 AFVs 1/72nd Modern
23:38 AFVs 1/35th Historical
25:24 AFVs 1/35th Modern
26:20 Summary
27:01 Like, Subscribe & Share
Links for kits shown;
P51B
www.hannants.co.uk/product/AC...
P51D
www.hannants.co.uk/product/AC...
www.hannants.co.uk/product/IT...
www.hannants.co.uk/product/TA...
www.hannants.co.uk/product/TA...
P47D
www.hannants.co.uk/product/AC...
F4
www.hannants.co.uk/product/IT...
www.hannants.co.uk/product/AC...
Spitfire
www.hannants.co.uk/product/IT...
www.hannants.co.uk/product/IT...
www.hannants.co.uk/product/TA...
www.hannants.co.uk/product/TA...
www.hannants.co.uk/product/AC...
Typhoon
www.hannants.co.uk/product/AC...
Tempest
www.hannants.co.uk/product/AC...
Go229
www.hannants.co.uk/product/RV...
Combat Set
www.hannants.co.uk/product/RV...
MiG15/15bis
www.hannants.co.uk/product/ED...
www.hannants.co.uk/product/ED...
MiG21MF/PFM
www.hannants.co.uk/product/ED...
www.hannants.co.uk/product/ED...
Bronco
www.hannants.co.uk/product/AC...
F117
www.hannants.co.uk/product/IT...
AH64
www.hannants.co.uk/product/AC...
www.hannants.co.uk/product/IT...
Hawk T1
www.hannants.co.uk/product/RV...
MiG27
www.hannants.co.uk/product/AC...
A37
www.hannants.co.uk/product/AC...
F16
www.hannants.co.uk/product/HAB02
Mirage F1
www.hannants.co.uk/product/HAB04
A10A
www.hannants.co.uk/product/AC...
Gripen
www.hannants.co.uk/product/IT...
Rafale
www.hannants.co.uk/product/IT...
F107A
www.hannants.co.uk/product/TU...
Spitfire MkI
www.hannants.co.uk/product/RV...
P39Q
www.hannants.co.uk/product/ED...
Mirage III
www.hannants.co.uk/product/AC...
Harrier FRS1
www.hannants.co.uk/product/TA...
Chaffee
www.hannants.co.uk/product/RV...
Humber MkII
www.hannants.co.uk/product/RV...
M35
www.hannants.co.uk/product/AC...
Ambulance & Tractor
www.hannants.co.uk/product/AC...
Truck & Accessories
www.hannants.co.uk/product/AC...
Fuel Truck & Schwimwagen
www.hannants.co.uk/product/AC...
M3, Amphibian & Motorbike
www.hannants.co.uk/product/AC...
Opel Blitz
www.hannants.co.uk/product/AC...
www.hannants.co.uk/product/IT...
Puma
www.hannants.co.uk/product/RV...
Tiger I
www.hannants.co.uk/product/HA...
Marder II
www.hannants.co.uk/product/SA...
Trumpeter kits
www.hannants.co.uk/product/TU...
www.hannants.co.uk/product/TU...
www.hannants.co.uk/product/TU...
AMX30
www.hannants.co.uk/product/HE...
M1126
www.hannants.co.uk/product/AC...
M163
www.hannants.co.uk/product/IT...
M1/M1E1
www.hannants.co.uk/product/HA...
www.hannants.co.uk/product/HA...
Strv103
www.hannants.co.uk/product/TU...
Oshkosh
www.hannants.co.uk/product/AC...
AS-90
www.hannants.co.uk/product/TU...
M113
www.hannants.co.uk/product/TU...
BTR70
www.hannants.co.uk/product/TU...
Type 74
www.hannants.co.uk/product/TU...
Type 90
www.hannants.co.uk/product/TU...
PzKpfw II
www.hannants.co.uk/product/TA...
Bren Carrier
www.hannants.co.uk/product/TA...
Chi-Ha
www.hannants.co.uk/product/TA...
Panther
www.hannants.co.uk/product/TA...
Kubelwagen
www.hannants.co.uk/product/IT...
Schwimmwagen
www.hannants.co.uk/product/IT...
Jeep
www.hannants.co.uk/product/TA...
www.hannants.co.uk/product/TA...
www.hannants.co.uk/product/IT...
T62
www.hannants.co.uk/product/TA...

[@johntaylor8095]

Lots of really good suggestions for me, as I've just got started in this hobby. Thank you for making this video and providing several choices!

[@accountnamewithheld]

I appreciate you making this video! as a 12 year old, I got taken to the Fleet Air Arm museum in Yeovilton, and they had a billion of these kits available in the exit shop. I picked an entirely unsuitable tank, which went together quite well, until it came to sewing the tracks together! Hopefully that trend hasn't persisted to modern AFV kits...

[@robertgarner11]

This is a great list, having come back to kits after many years. Sadly not surprised that there aren’t any Airfix kits - they are always frustrating in some way. The Revell Hawk looks good!

[@slwilliams75]

Hi Alex. A quick note to say a huge thank you for your videos! I'm just getting into the hobby (scale model aircraft) and really appreciate your views and insight. It is also easy to see how much thought you put into your content and it's presentation. Cheers 👌🏻

[@MannsModelMoments]

Thanks very much!

[@bearisland7200]

picked up a Hunting Percival 1/72 airfix starter kit kit from Aldi recently, only £4! great start for my 10 year old brother who wants to make one, simple to put together and impressised with the detail on it, an easy near fully red colour scheme too.

[@MannsModelMoments]

Glad to hear that - hope he enjoys it and its the start of that plastic addiction!

[@ajvsnajfb484]

just getting into the hobby myself and i got for my first model the 88mm gun and tractor from airfix it is one of the vintage classics so it had a bit more flash and seams than i wouldve liked to have dealt with. still a very fun little kit to assemble (1/72 scale probably wasnt the best choice for my first model) i got it all painted with primer and put together. cant wait to give it some paint here soon 😄.

[@4Vlad]

Hi Ajvs. I have not touched a sprue since I was a teen. Recently bought a 1/24 Revell Porsche Junior tractor. About at the same stage as you with painting. Lots of detail, but snap fit to appeal to the beginner. Finding too many small parts for this kit to be suitable for a starter and too much prep to get it ready for painting!

[@Rihosk76]

Very good presentation for beginners!

[@MannsModelMoments]

Glad you think so!

[@doczoff5655]

I was very pleased to see the old Matchbox 1/76 kits leading the way in your vehicle selection. They really were ahead of the competition when first released, and I have very fond memories of the weekly Saturday morning trip to the local news agent to add the next kit to my collection (35p each back then). I did wonder about the absence of Airfix in this review, but I take your point re new mouldings being more expensive and the old 'classic' kits just not meeting the mark for ease of constructional for the beginner. Don't get me wrong, I love building those Airfix old classics, but I love them for the challenge as often it requires advanced skills just to get them to fit together properly. There is immense satisfaction to be had from researching what those vague plastic blobs represent and then refining them, but the classic kits are a labour of love that will probably discourage beginners. I bought the Tamiya Sea Harrier for my son based on the general quality of Tamiya kits, but I have to say that example was appalling, he couldn't get it to fit together so repeatedly had to ask me to help (and I also found it a real battle) and he eventually got disheartened and gave up. I see you have built this kit (I've not watched yet) so you may prove me wrong, but personally I'd steer the complete beginner away from this kit, it has to much of the "I guess I'm rubbish at building models!" factor to get my recommendation. Apologies for decent in the ranks, but this kit almost killed my son's interest. Luckily he discovered Games Workshop which always fit brilliantly and are super 'beginner friendly' but OMG are they expensive!!!! However, personal opinion re the Sea Harrier asides, this is a great guide for beginners!

[@MannsModelMoments]

I have a very soft spot for Matchbox, and still have many to build - surface texture on their Wellesley and Wellington was actually very evocative, and well ahead of other manufacturers of the day, as well as being priced affordably. You're 100% right about Airfix - I've had a chance to build some newer kits recently and they've hugely upped their game since being part of the Hornby company, but most of their kits fall outside the self-imposed price range here. The new Airfix 1/24th Spitfire is gorgeous...but also almost £100 - not that it's not value for money, but it's not where to start! As for the Tamiya Sea Harrier, I chose it precisely because it's not perfect, as I wanted to show use of basic modelling skills that would be absent if I'd made the Eduard P-39, for example (which is a LOVELY kit). These basic skills are all needed for any modeller, and if you only build the highest quality kits available it will affect your wallet and limit your range in future....but if I had to recommend a kit to "turn someone on" to the hobby out of the list, it would be the Eduard or Trumpeter kits without a doubt. Anyway, thanks for the comments and welcome to the channel!

[@stevesstuff1450]

@doczoff: Your trials with the Tamiya Sea Harrier were just what 'we' of the late 60s/70s had to deal with, with those earlier Airfix, and sometimes Revell, kits..... They were challenging at times to get them to fit, and were a little disappointing even then for their total lack of interior detailing, and even quite a lot of the lack of exterior detailing with their crude raised panel lines - and in some cases for Revell, excessive raised rivets; on a 1/72 kit.....good god, some felt like nail files, the riveting was so bad!! (Stuka, for instance!) The thing is though, those old kits were OUR 'Starter Kits'.....!! 🫢 And yes, we loved 'em!! 😂 Those were how we started our plastic model making journey....It wasn't really until the 80s/90s when kits started getting more refined, with more delicate detailing becoming apparent. Some brands like Tamiya had already shown through the 70s that they were capable of excellent AFV kits, but back then, they were beyond the average pocket money price, and were more in the birthday/Christmas present realm!! 😆 Youngsters nowadays getting into the hobby have a wide range of excellent, inexpensive models available - especially if you consider the new Airfix Starter Sets, which are typically of very modern moulds, with great details, excellent transfers/decals, and comprehensive, detailed instructions....

[@sneakyfildy]

I have a very bad experience trying to buy a cheaper kit "for training". What usually happens is that fit issues and frustration are making me lose interest in a kit. For a beginner I can highly recommend to stick to the best quality kits possible, so you can focus on a model instead of fighting problems. Later, with more experience you can buy something more challenging.

[@MannsModelMoments]

I have to say this is exactly the opposite of my experience and recommendation for a starter

[@julianmhall]

Hi Alex.. this is what I meant WRT scales. Ordinarily I would ignore a Scale 3 for a beginner but Revell's Hawk T1 is a Scale 3.

[@MannsModelMoments]

Manufacturers Skill Levels are almost meaningless, I'm afraid.

[@julianmhall]

@@MannsModelMoments agreed.

[@huwtindall7096]

Pretty damn comprehensive. I'd be chucking in the new tool Airfix "Starter Sets". They are 100% designed for beginners with brilliant simple designs minimising parts without sacrificing detail. Just built the Spit XkV and Red Arrows Hawk.

[@MannsModelMoments]

I've no personal experience of these kits, and there are some old tools in these series, so didn't include them for that reason - though the Spitfire and Hawk do look like nice toolings. However, the glue/paints/brush in these sets are more of a hindrance than a help in my experience!

[@nedlooby7419]

​@@MannsModelMoments can confirm such a shame doesn't help that red is atrocious

[@robertgarner11]

I thought I’d better warn others that the Revell Hawk was one of the worst kits I’ve built since restarting the hobby. There was flash everywhere, the fit in some places was nonexistent, some pieces had to be cut to fit, and as for the separate red circles on the transfers… I’ve literally just finished it but it so nearly ended up in the bin. I’m amazed it didn’t tbh. This one felt like a Vintage Classic - at best. All I want is an easy and fun 1/72 Allied plane or 1/43 vehicle!

[@4Vlad]

Hi. Any recommendations for non military scale model kits for beginners? Thanks

[@MannsModelMoments]

Something like Tamiya's cars or Bikes would be a good start - you can find some bargains on these out there

[@BansheeNT-D]

Tamiya VW Käfer 1/24 Very very simple kit and easy to paint. 😊

[@4Vlad]

@@BansheeNT-D Hi. Much appreciated. Tamiya stuff a bit beyond my budget, but will try to be good (until Christmas at least), so that I might be given this kit as a present!

[@davepasopton8840]

Hi, that’s a great set of suggestions. Is there a reason why Airfix don’t appear in your recommendations..? I found and subscribed to your channel after watching your ‘No hassles’ Harrier FRS build that I found encouraging. I’ve had one waiting to start this autumn but been concerned about the negativity expressed on the kit by other tubers. I just like your style.

[@MannsModelMoments]

I set a really low budget for a first kit as this is going to be for people who don't know if this is going to be the hobby for them. As such, most Airfix kits in that range tend to be older moulds with less than great fit. For a first timer, I think accuracy, detail and finesse are not as important as enjoyment and learning with ease of build and finishing. As for the Sea Harrier, If you want to make a really accurate and detailed FRS1 Sea Harrier, then I'd make a different recommendation...but the Airfix kit (for example) is going to set you back £24, another £12.50 for the NeOmega resin cockpit set as a baseline, and probably another £9.50 for the Pavla nozzle/intake set....so almost £50 without P&P before you even consider buying the paints and other items you need to make the model. I will be revisiting the first kit build of the FRS1 in an upcoming video that will show how you can improve that first build, but if I were to start on a recommendation for an experienced modeller then accuracy would rank much higher in the list.

[@davepasopton8840]

@@MannsModelMoments cheers. I intend to follow your example with the FRS and just build on the basic skills and confidence. Then continue with some discounted Revell kits I got from Hobbycraft. Point taken on Airfix prices especially at 1/48 scales. Onwards and Upwards.

[@dandanita1692]

Airfix is overpriced crap, Chinese/Ukranian/Russian model kit companies are light years ahead

[@MottysMilitaryModels]

Good morning Duck ! Are you all ok ? Family ? Etc. Just come past your channel and I've subbed.. when I get back to my Channel and doing more videos, I'll give you a few shout outs as your one very talented chap.your w9dk needs to be seen by more folks. I f you been anything, anything at all please give me a nudge. My email address is in the " About" part of our channels. If I can't help I'm sure I'll know someone that can. Decals, Ode instructions, parts, paints weathering stuff or books if I have I'll try and help out with whatever . If you've watched any of my videos I explain here and there why I set channel up and if someone needs and cant get anything, if I have you can have. Aslong as it brings a smile and helps to the person then job done ! Oh I also do not want anything in return, sweat, blood , money etc ... nothing . If the aforementioned reactions have done for the folks that asked, that's good enough for me, stay safe my friend, family too !! Regards Steve

[@MannsModelMoments]

Thanks for the comment and likewise - modellers together! :-)

[@gadeeshi]

P-51 is not good choice for beginner at all due to bare metal finishes and difficult to build and paint places like radiator tunnel entrance area.

[@MannsModelMoments]

Natural metal finishes are very easy with a spray can for a beginner

[@gadeeshi]

@@MannsModelMoments what about getting all the surfaces ready for metallics? Smoothing, polishing, removing imperfections, black basing?

[@MannsModelMoments]

@@gadeeshi All not needed for a beginner - these are all advanced techniques

[@ndenyer]

All fine until you suggest the Tamiya Panther A - its dreadful.

[@MannsModelMoments]

If you're not concerned about accuracy etc, it's not. It's still one of the highest-selling Tamiya kits to date. If you're on a budget and just want to start with a 1/35th scale kit, it's not an issue - I think you're looking at it from a general modelling perspective - which is not what this video is about.