Trumpeter Models, a brief overview

A quick look at Trumpeter model company which is part of Wasan Development in Macau China.
My FT-5 build kzbin.info/www/bejne/rHmtlKmqjLZ_lZo

[@bradleisure8339]

My Trumpeter story might be a little different. I was contacted by the American distributor to do the box art for the '64 Ford Falcon series. I painted the stock and custom versions of the coupe, convertible and the '65 Ranchero. Six in all and a fun series to do. I learned a lot. They argued over price routinely. The first illustration was the red coupe. They wanted it to look like an old Pontiac ad from the 60's. The second illustration was the yellow convertible. (my personal favorite) They didn't want to pay for a detailed background that time so I gave them a background with painting a background. Just the scenery blurring by! I wanted all the art to look related! They usually sent me test shots of the kits. They seemed a little square. The engraving on the small dog dish hubcap made for the street version of the coupe initially said FROD not FORD. I brought it to their attention but I'm not sure if they ever fixed it. To insure the illustrations made it to China in one piece I covered them in thin Masonite on both sides. No one was going to bend those puppies in half! That happened once with an illustration I sent to Round 2. I've been wary ever since. A brief side note; You may notice the stock blue Ranchero had horse in the background. (featured in this video) The horse was painted by my wife, Sheryl, an excellent equine artist. And it was of our own horse! Too bad the kits were supposed to retail for around $50.00. I don't think they sold well.

[@maxsmodels]

Interesting. I just got Tom Daniel's book on drawing cars the old school way. Now for the time.

[@dalecomer5951]

How much do you charge them?

[@reigels]

Trumpeter: When good enough is good enough.

[@naturalobserver6130]

My trumpeter story is just as you called it. The kits got better as the years went by.

[@charliemessenger6537]

Ok, I'll try not to rant too much. I have the 1/48 U-Boat and if you ever wondered what the term "designed by committee" means, this is the poster child. I'm a super detail freak so this was right up my alley as each compartment is represented. Some are wonderfully detail while others are almost toy-like. The biggest kicker is the clear hull. An ok design although most cut windows in it and paint the rest. Look closely at the pics. The Starboard side of the hull is clear but the Conning Tower was rendered on the Port side. So much for mounting it on the wall! Designed by committee. Oy! Interesting vid Max.

[@Arp1757]

Trumpeter has been a real friend to the warship modeler, with their Yorktown and Essex-class CVS in 1/350 and with their cruisers, etc. in 1/700.

[@stevie65able]

I agree, their range of 1/350 warships alone is huge. Not to mention the range of WW1 battleships, etc.

[@map3384]

I have to agree but they should have gone with a one piece flight deck. Fitting the deck to the hull took some expertise.

[@Bookblue39]

Hi Max good to see you back in the groove

[@maxsmodels]

good to be back

[@slartybartfarst55]

Remembers that Maxmodels has a soft commentary Turns up volume in headphones accordingly, sits back Trumpeter Models Intro plays 😳 Nearly spills morning coffee trying to turn down volume again😊

[@maxsmodels]

Bazinga! 😁

[@kenhaight7774]

I spent 18 years in the injection molding industry doing mold processing and mold set up . I’ve been a modeler for 54 years I’ve built at least 25 of the 1/72 scale armor kits and find them to be very well manufactured.

[@Anlushac11]

I have three Trumpeter kits, two I have built but still awaiting paint. All three are German 1/35th scale armor. One is a Krupp Steyr Waffentrager armed with 88mm L/71 main gun. plastic is thin, almost no flash so very little clean up. They came with some photo etch parts and a turned aluminum barrel. The other one I built is a Henschel VK30.01H. Good detail, good fit. Only complaint was the center holes for the road wheels were not large enough so I had to ream them out with drill bit so they would slide on. The third kit is a 128mm Krupp Waffentrager. Have not started it yet but the quality looks good, has metal barrel and some photo etch parts. My experience with Trumpeter is I have been impressed with the quality of their kits and would not hesitate to buy something else from them. My exposure to Flight Of The Bumblebee was as a kid I watched the Green Hornet TV show.

[@davidnickels3325]

I am under the impression that Trumpeter, Hobby Boss, MiniHobby and Banner are all names for kits by the same company/parent company (Wasan). They also do kits for Merit. You will see at one of the big hobby trade shows a kit under development by, say, Trumpeter. But, when it is on the market, it says Hobby Boss on the box. Or, vice versa. The Hobby Boss 1/48 T-34 tanks are scaled down from the 1/16 Trumpeter versions. Both companies still copy other kits and Hobby Boss has the nickname Copy Boss. The quality of their kits, though, overall is really good but they definitely have an A team working, and a B or even F team. The old kits were ABS plastic, too.

[@theblytonian3906]

Only two Trumpeter brand kits, both 1/35 scale armour. 00359 KV-1 Model 1942 (heavy cast turret) & 00312 KV-2. Very impressed with the quality, inclusions and value, particularly of 00359. I have a few Hobby Boss kits in 1/48. e.g. Me 262, Ta 152, Rafale M. I'm impressed.

[@kennethkwilinski4899]

Technically that’s a bugle call at the beginning. Another great video history. Keep um coming. I’ll be watching. CHARGE!

[@orangelion03]

The only 32nd kit with their logo I have bought is the Bearcat which I am converting into a racer with the help of a Fisher Sea Fury prop spinner modified to accommodate some re-profiled P-51 Aeroproducts blades, chopped wings, and a 48th scale F-16 canopy. That's been in the works for about 15 years. Also have Hobby Boss Sea Fury and P-51A kits in 32nd. I have built (well, purchased anyway) several of their armor kits, mostly AAA and AT guns and have found them to be pretty good in detail and engineering. Some of the newer Chinese brands are outstanding, particularly Bronco, Rye Field, and TigerModel.

[@swdw973]

My trumpeter story has yet to be written. I bought the USS Astoria kit. Not because it was highly rated, but because my Dad was on her during the battle of Coral Sea, the battle of Midway, and was on her the night she was sunk at Savo Island, where he got the Purple heart and the Bronze Star for Valor. This will be a labor of love, and extra /better details will either be resin printed by me, or photoetched parts.

[@runways_railways]

As soon as I heard you're Trumpet joke, I gave this video as thumbs up

[@garyc.5152]

Thanks Max for your effort with the programs you present & the research you do with this fascinating bit of historical manufacturing industry...

[@xgalex6191]

I do love when I get that lovely notification that you've uploaded yet again ;)

[@maxsmodels]

thanks

[@kennethkwilinski4899]

@@maxsmodelsWaaa!!! How do I get that? Mine isn’t telling me anything. I’m finding out by chance.

[@maxsmodels]

@@kennethkwilinski4899 KZbin algos have deemed you unworthy. 🤣

[@Banner_Bearer_of_Eternity]

Thanks Max! The first Trumpeter kit I've built was 1/144 H6K5 Type 97. This was not from their eraliest kits bunch and went together nice.

[@maxsmodels]

glad to hear it

[@allandavis8201]

I have bought a few Trumpeter aircraft kits recently and have found the quality of the materials to be quite acceptable, the detailing is also reasonable but nowhere as good the likes of Eduard and Tamiya and they do require a lot of “fetaling” to get a good fit in places, but for the price of the kits it worth the hassle as building the kit properly, and is my ultimate aim, the joy of the end result is what I like to achieve and what drives me. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and informative videos, always a great help. 😀👍🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@nanorider426]

I made a WWII German tank, I think it was a Tiger mark 2 in 1/72. It was an easy job with good fitting parts so I'm very pleased. :)

[@honkvollpfosten]

Thank you for this very informative video. Right now I build Trumpeters 1/350 Roma and have the 1/350 Richelieu waiting. So far I have more complaints on the aftermarket PE parts than on the model. Good fit, good plastic, good details. Here and there are a few irregularities like misplaced doors, but it's ok. I guess the problem about sunken WW2 battleships is scarce source of information like construction plans. And I think all model producing companies will have that problem.

[@ernestoescudero1524]

Love this brand, the way they packaged the model ...like no other. I only do 1/72 and can say they are the best fit and the best canopies I've ever seen. I've built 4 and have about 10 on schedule, absolute top quality ! I believe they are partners with Aoshima or Platz from japan. Max thanks again for an awesome video....can you please check out Platz from japan ! Thanks!

[@paulbervid1610]

Great intro with trumpet music 🎺

[@jcwoodman5285]

They have boosted 350th ship models greatly🤗

[@Nemesisrooster]

@JC Woodman, they certainly have. I have built a few Russian warships from them. 1/350 Kuznetzov, Pyotr Veliky and a Sovremny. Nice kits once you add a bit of etch.

[@frankryan2505]

I have their 1/350 roma on the shelf, big hopes for that kit..

[@mauswerxtv3566]

I was in close contact with Stevens hobby when trumpeter started with the MiG 15 and 17s. (They were also marketed under Frog) Stevens told me they were planning a 1/32nd scale A-10 but trumpeter was not sure it would sell. I told them if it remotely resembles an A-10 and is scribed panels they will sell thousands enough to pay for the molds. The A-10 put them on the map. The rest is history. I bet Tamiya wishes they did a 1/32nd A-10 first.

[@derf-vr1fc]

Oh, so you played cornet... Good. Nice to know a fellow modeller who also used to play a music instrument.

[@travis_thompson]

As long as you do your homework I think you can get some real gems from Trumpeter and hobbyboss.

[@mbryson2899]

Your intro woke me up immediately. Your outro made me laugh with nostalgia. I built a couple of Pit Road waterline kits in the early 90s. They were pretty good. I wonder if they were Trumpeter products.

[@maxsmodels]

very possibly

[@arnoldj.rimmer812]

Who's got the better outro, Max or Steve? I think it's a toss up. Greetings fellow Lehto's Law viewer.

[@mbryson2899]

@@arnoldj.rimmer812 , that's a tie for me but both are entertaining in different ways. Crime Reel also has good outros, as does Lost in Adaptation. And Drachinifel still uses his robot voice for all but Dry-Dock which my eldest cat recognizes. But Max's music choices versus Canadian Robot Lady's bits of wisdom? I'm glad I don't have to rank or choose. I just suck 'em down like the glutton I am. I must say that Max's "Model Kits" video was one of the most glorious of all vids I've ever seen. It even made my better half howl with laughter as she cried along with me. She's never built a model but she was a gamer, built and painted innumerable minis. Same art, different material...same mania!

[@vibeforge]

Especially good about Trumpeter is availability. I stashed everything I wanted from their catalogues except a couple of kits, usually it takes 2 weeks to have ordered kits in local shop. Also the customer service is excellent, wrote an email about defective clear sprue and received replacement in 3 weeks, though the kit was 14 years old and out of production long ago. As for prices, some kits are ridiculously high priced, like MAN military trucks without engine for 70 euro. Others are absolute baggers like last mod Terminator BMPT for around 40 euro with 1100 used parts and another 300 unused spares. Their superkits are great and I have most of them, tank transporters, rocket launchers, anti aircraft kits etc. As for planes, almost every

[@vibeforge]

...kit has geometry issues which are very hard to correct. As for HobbyBoss, I think it is the same design and production lines, probably different management. Merit and I love model kits (Atomic Annie 1/35) are also Trumpeter made. Besides scale kits they also produce boat motors, skate boards, toys etc. Recently they cooperate with Pontos etc aftermarket makers and include PE sets in special editions.

[@calvinsaxton9925]

great job (as always) ! a friend of mine who is an accomplished modeler has been doing the u-boat kit. he ran into some complications and put it on hold although he recommends trumpeter kits.

[@Brera011]

My Trumpeter story is the 1/16 Jagdtiger I've build a few years ago. Lots and lots of detail. Full interior, engine etc. Tracklinks had to be hammered in with a life size hammer! Very tight fit some may call that. And a lot of the detail will remain hidden forever by panels and other parts. But, when you are in lockdown, go ahead and buy it (together with lots of paint) and enjoy the build if you are skilled enough.

[@undraftedplayer]

Hello Max, thanks for sharing this video. For this moment i do not need a trumpeter kit. Happy Modeling.

[@johnftaliaferro3011]

The F-106 kit is really good. I like the Decals have the NJ National Guard Unite out if Alantic City!!

[@ITOWords]

I've built Trumpeter's 1/35 KV-2 which is a good kit. They released it in the mid 2000s, at the time I was able to pick it up for about £12 retail, which was amazingly good value. Like a lot of model companies their prices have gone up in the last decade, but in the UK the KV-2 can still be picked up for around £20-25 which still represents solid value for money.

[@thestrangechannelofjeff7426]

I got the EE-T2 Osorio kit . I haven't built it yet. Because I just love looking at the box and i'm amazed it was even produced. The Osorio was a tank built by Brazil and it out classed the m1 Abrams and leopard 2 in testing . Saudi arabia was going to order Osorios instead of m1s . But due to political reasons , the tank was cancelled and the Abrams is all we know of today . So I like the kit because it's physical evidence of forgotten history

[@gustavoantonelli]

The evolution of Trumpeter kits over time is remarkable. I have at 1/72 the honorable An-2 with floats, and it doesn't compare to the new Su-30MKK or J-20. Also at 1/72, the IS-3 tank is a little wonder. And not to mention the Su-27UB of the Russian Knights in 1/144. A masterpiece. And Max, thanks again for this video, the green hornet play at the end is great!

[@vasili1207]

Building the 1-144 Russian nights ATM , also there su-34 and the difference is. Night and day but so are the prices £15 for su 27 or £3 delivered.

[@chrispacer4231]

Never bought any trumpeter kits. Never even scene any at Hobby Town or Hobbyland. Did get a Hobby Boss 1/72 F4F 3 Wildcat. Did look at other F4Fs. They just changed the decals issued. That’s my only experience with this brand. Looking for a special MUG for coffee with MAXMODELS. Thanks for another episode. Good night

[@Grundag]

This has been highly anticipated and thank you, Mr. Max for going into the detail that the company requires. ;o) ( Pardon the pun ) I build the Trumpeter 1/35 and 1/72 armor kits as research for my 1/16 RC versions. They have come down a long road to the Quality that we as hobbyists enjoy today from the Company.

[@paulschumacher1263]

I got and built two big (BIG) Russian bombers: TU 16 and TU 95, both in 1/72. Both have such long fuselages that they come in two sections: front and rear (each with two sides). There were some fit issues, and bare minimum cockpit detail, but I really liked both, because the outside parts were fine and fit well. Also bought 1/48 Mig 15 and Mig 21. Gorgeous cockpit detail and complete jet engines. Overall, I like them, but I would not recommend them to a novice modeler.

[@dennisgraham3087]

I have a T-38C Talon that i built a couple of years ago. I liked it enough that i purchased another one this week and will be building it pretty soon.

[@FastSports-ScaleCarGarage]

Thanks very much for this video! I've yet to build one of their models, but I just might give one a try! Keep 'em coming!

[@trappenweisseguy27]

Their early stuff was a little dodgy but likely not as bad as talked about. I built their KV-1 about 15 years ago and it went together with zero putty or filling. I was very impressed.

[@martinmengh]

their very first serious hobby model kit in 1/35 was the IS-3, followed closely by the Emil self propelled gun. KV came just after that, and was much better in quality than earlier kits.

[@theblytonian3906]

@@martinmengh In 1/35 armour I have a lot of Dragon kits, a smattering of Tamiya and increasingly, new tool Zvezda. I was stunned by the quality and fit of Trumpeter's 1/35 KV-1. I didn't quite know what to expect when I bought the brand, but the relevant term which comes to mind in hindsight is "exceeded expection". Not only did they include link and length (love) as well as continuous length silicon (loath) satisfying both majority modeller either or favourites, but the slide moulding was just so impressive. I bought an RB metal KV-1 barrel for that kit at the time I bought it, but needn't have. The kit supplied barrel is so good it just doesn't need replacing.

[@trappenweisseguy27]

I was very impressed with my KV model as I mentioned. About half the price of a Tamiya product iirc. I theorize that they were able to do such a good job on it because there must’ve been hundreds of these tanks built under license hanging around China. Also, they were able to get a lot of life out of the moulds with the KV-2 and other variants.

[@martinmengh]

@@trappenweisseguy27 actually KV's were not exported to China. some T-26, lots of T-34, and some IS-2 went to China. From early on Trumpeter makes T-34 in 1/16 and then later in 1/48 scale, but interestingly not in 1/35. Their KV line sees periodic addition even to recent years, e.g. KV-85 ?.

[@darrellid]

Trumpeter is the Airfix of China. Some superb kits that are a joy to build and provide a great deal of size and detail for the cost, and others that are a nightmare to put together and leave you questioning your life choices. If you haven't tried Hobby Boss's T-34 series in 1:48, give them a look. For about 20 bucks, you get Zoukei-Mura--level detail because they are scaled down moldings from Trumpeter's original 1:16 series. They all have _tons_ of flash, but for the money, they're incredible bargains. Much of that detail will get covered up if built to spec, but with some clever modifications (such as magnets holding the upper and lower hulls together), all your hard work can be proudly displayed.

[@firstnamelastname1101]

In my stash, I have the following Trumpeter kits in 1/32: F6F Hellcat, F4U Corsair & P47 Thunderbolt. Quality and details are right up there with Tamiya and I'm looking forward to building these kits. Bonus: At the time of purchase, they were on sale and I only paid about $35.00 for each kit sometime in winter 2018/2019. I also have a few 1/72 jet aircraft kits that are equally impressive. Love your content, Max!

[@FireballsGarage]

The red and blue mig in the photo collage belonged to my dear friend Jack Wilheit. I flew many hours in it

[@th3kgbdog385]

My experience with trumpeter has been...complicated to say the least, I've only built one model from them but I can really say I was able to acquire some information on how they work and manufacture kits. The one I built was a T'64B model 1975, a nice subject that a lot of kit companies seem to just ignore, something that really annoyed me since it was both a cutting edge design for its time and a gorgeous looking machine. Back to the model, the details are insane if compared to your average, fairly simple but good to look at tamiya model, there are more than 550 parts, some of wich are really small (like 1/2mm). This is both a good and a bad thing as you can understand, since they offer great detail but are also really difficult to glue togheter if you (like me) don't have suitable tools or aren't experienced enough to hande them. The fitting is not top notch but not bad either, I only had a serious problem with the turret not fitting in the hull, but luckily I was able to solve it with a bit of ingenuity. Speaking of the turret, it cannot turn, and that left me a little disappointed, but you can still detach it and reposition it as you like, again not as smooth as a tamiya turret but good enough. the instructions were good qualitatively speaking, but completely skipped one step when attaching the unditching log, again this was a problem I had to deal with myself since even the instructions I had downloaded from Scalemates had this issue, making it really hard to understand the parts I had to use. the decal sheet that comes with the kit is nice, good quality but little variety, only some numbers and a soviet parade symbol, the marking guide however was a whole different story, because it literally tells you only to put the parade symbol on the side of the turret, nothing else, so you'll do a better job by searching some reference pictures online. back to the parts, the tracks are link-and-lenght, nothing too out of the ordinary here, but their fit is a little subpar, so you'll struggle a bit against them but they look really nice once painted. There are a lot of really delicate photo etched parts, some of wich have to be glued together with cyanoacrilate glue (super glue) and will not react to normal plastic cement. Overall building this kit was a new and challenging (albeit really frustrating at times) experience, the results however won't disappount you, and from the informations I was able to find online this is true for all their 1/35 soviet tank models dating to 2012/2013, it seems that trumpeter's "A team" produced those. Thanks to everybody who payed attention to my comment, have a good day!

[@mingkangzhou7974]

Trumpeter's T-64s are actually one of their not so good soviet series, or products of their "b team" if you may. They have been long criticised for there accuracy, especially the turret part. Many instructions I found online recommend to replace the original turret with an after market one for an accurate build. Their T-72 and T-80 are fine though. Currently they are the best in the market.

[@mingkangzhou7974]

Also, trumpeter's soviet series has been well known for their huge counts of parts. The t-80 and t-72 series I mentioned has an average of 1000+ parts in one kit.

[@th3kgbdog385]

@@mingkangzhou7974 after some research I found out about that too, but the kit itself really is fine and I never really got the chance to understand how the turret's shape was bad anyway

[@mingkangzhou7974]

@@th3kgbdog385 haha, yeah, Trumpeter kit after 2010 are always pretty high standard, so did the price. The Trumpeter T-64's fitting are great I agree. I wrote that only want to provide some additional information for whoever see the comment. No mean of offense :)

[@th3kgbdog385]

@@mingkangzhou7974 don't worry, I did not see your comment as offensive at all :) btw actually the 1975 T64 kit is, as far as I got to know, pretty accurate

[@wheelsdeal]

I am building a Trumpeter KV-2 soviet tank 1/35 (00312) as we speak...i am pretty much done with the construction and start painting tommorow. I can tell you its a wonderfull kit , everything fit nicely , not much cleaning up to do , came with both plastic and rubber trucks , just a great kit overall. A couple of spots that needed a bit of putty and thats it. Spruts date was 2005 and from what i hear they only getting better plus they have a huge variety of kits...Did i mention it was 24 euro with shipping?

[@mafmaf6417]

Trumpeter/Hobby Boss have some nice model kits. They have alot of subjects that other manufacturers have. How many Tigers or Panthers do we really need. I know there has been alot of talk about the accuracy of their kits, I am not a rivet counter so as long as it looks like a Spitfire, it is good enough for me. Up until the past few years the price of their kits were more than reasonable.

[@stevie65able]

I always chuckle when people complain about the accuracy of Trumpeter/HB kits. The kits that I have of theirs are absolutely superb, albeit later toolings, so no surprises there. But even the ones that are less than ideal are still fine for the average modeller. The majority of kits sold will either never be built, or end up in a cabinet. And the vast number of people who see these kits in the aforementioned cabinet will never notice or care about the "inaccuracies".

[@DeerHunter308]

I bought and built the JS III about 7 years ago. Not realizing it was as old as it was. It was pretty pretty bad, considering the competition from Dragon and Tamiya (Cromwell). But the increased use of CAD designed tooling has made them all (Dragon, Trumpeter etc) pretty good now. I do have some axes to grind. Eg. Meng, who bought my favorite Modelling magazine - AFV out of England. And turned it into their own company promotional rag. I could go on.

[@diabolicalartificer]

Haven't made a kit since 1975, have no real interest in model kits either, but for some inexplicable reason i enjoy watching your video's maybe it's the dulcet tone of your voice and the obvious amount of research you've put into your video's? Thanks for another great video......DA.

[@markwatson3135]

I really want to build the 1/200 Titanic, but at around 400.00 the last time I checked, I have a hard time spending that kind of cash. But that 53” long hull is appealing.

[@andrewmacdonald5158]

Come along way from the early days, i have a lote of there kits like 1,35 german trains and guns and an impressive 1,16 panther g late version.😊

[@kaleu6]

Oh man, their early armor kits were rough. The plastic was weird and only super glue would work. They also didn't react well to some paints, thinners and weathering products. I built some of those early armor kits and over the years, the pieces have come loose and fallen apart. Most of my stash is 1/35 Trumpter Russian armor kits. I'm glad they got their act together.

[@farpointgamingdirect]

Interesting! Was always a submarine fan, so that U-552 model looks great!

[@pfrancescutti]

I have a Hobby Boss 1/32 IL2 Stuhrmovik with impressive detail. The fit is C+ and the plastic is not the same as I'm used to but it is a very nice kit. It even came with photo etch, rubber components and white metal landing gear struts.

[@calvingifford9442]

I've got one of their 1/700 John W. Brown kits that I just finished the basic assembly on and is ready to paint. It really is an amazing kit even without PE! Yeah, a few things could have been a little better but since I'm not used to handling such TINY pieces any mistakes were probably of my own doing. Got a number of their other kits in the stash including the two-seat Six and very much looking forward to building it! Edit: Built probably 8~10 of the 1/72 HobbyBoss planes and I love 'em!

[@reigels]

Yea- Their 1/700 Liberty Ships may be my favorite 1/700 kit ever. Really nice level of detail and overall good accuracy. Straps on the cargo hatches are too heavy, and the bulwark/hull seam needs putty and sanding, but overall a real winner with tons of potential for great weathering and deck cargo.

[@gatblau1]

I remember buying a Trumpeter A6 Intruder in the late 90s or early 2000s that was so awful I gave up on it. Impressive how much better they got in a short time.

[@ScaleModellingVideos]

Excellent video, very informative.

[@lancerevell5979]

I have built several Trumpeter kits. Aircraft and armor mostly. My favorites are the Convair F-106A and F-106B Delta Dart kits in 1/72. I've built each, both in markings of my old USAF duty station, Tyndall AFB, Fl. Then home of the ADC's Air Defense Weapon Center. I modded the F-106A with the 20mm gun pod from the Meng kit (which was missing an entire sprue making it unbuildable) and depicting aircraft 0-80795, which I had worked on. The B model two seater I did in the markings of General Chappie James, which he flew occasionally to get his flight hours in. A Tuskeegee Airman of WWII, he commanded the Air Defense Command in those days. I have two more Trumpeter F-106 kits in 1/72, and recently got it in 1/48. The 1/72 kit is so far above and beyond the ancient Hasegawa F-106 kit it's amazing. The Trumpeter armor and ship kits are using far too much PE brass for my taste though. I have trouble handling the tiny pieces, trying to superglue them in place. Fiddly and infuriating, just too much for my 63 year old eyes and XXL size fingers. I leave such kits to the younger rivet counters.

[@maxsmodels]

One of my Monogram 1/48 F-106s is in the Tyndall livery. The Gulf Coast Defenders!

[@lancerevell5979]

@@maxsmodels I likely wrenched on the plane your model depicts! Cool!

[@simongalling3700]

I have the temperature fire truck first opened the box the mouldings were fantastically crisp and clear the other little surprise with the sheets of photo-etched parts I haven't started it the problem is with some of these big kits is when you have built them where do you put?

[@ualuuanie]

Yup I remember those days in the 80s when the local hobby store introduced Trumpeter to us. The price was less than half of Dargon and Tamiya. I grabbed a 1/700 ship and tried it out Those parts were so damn small and it can't fit into the holes and the warpage was so bad that I gave up.

[@guillermopelaez5859]

Great information. I have a T-55 Titan that is quite forgettable when compared with the Tamiya newest product. The new kits are as you mention far better than the early ones... Thanks!

[@mrbeast85]

A very good brand, I have a million Trumpeter kits in the stash. I think they have single handedly cornered the Soviet/Russian AFV market and have an outstanding range of kits of that subject, including many large and esoteric subjects which many would not have expected to see in plastic until a couple of years ago. One thing that I find very good about Trumpeter is that they will release a whole line of different versions of a vehicle. Take their KV-1 heavy tank range (which runs to 10+ kits(?)). You can build basically any KV-1 version from either a dedicated kit or by mixing the features of 2 other KV-1 kits. So unlike Tamiya which tends to release 1 maybe 2 versions of a vehicle and then leave that subject, Trumpeter gives you practically every option you could want in kit form. Trumpeter are almost a microcosm of the Chinese economy over the last few decades. Beginning with cheap, poor quality and often obviously counterfeit products, underestimated and derided, they have evolved and improved to a point where they can now challenge 1st class competitors on their own turf. Giving established companies a somewhat rude awakening.

[@yochitoranaga]

I recently did a Leopard C2 Mexas 1/35 from them. I really liked the kit. If there's a flaw I could point out is that there are frequent plastic drips on the underside of several of their parts. They're easy enough to clean up, but that waste material is uncommon/absent amongst the other companies I made kits from. So far, my mexas is the best results I've gotten out of a kit. But not my favorite. The "Edelweiss" tank from Zhoukei-Mura was my favorite, it even had some internal details despite having a closed design. And the best kit I've worked on was the JS-2 from Tamiya, which I finished yesterday.

[@yochitoranaga]

ah, my bad... that kit was from Meng... my trumpeter kit was the E-50 german standardpanzer. I messed up the whole treads and wheels on that one (it was the first time I dealt with rubber treads) It was a decent kit overall though. didn't have much in terms of details.. but considering it's a paper tank (never went past design stage), I don't blame them.

[@ghrey8282]

The ship kit picture that you use for the 1/72 scale category will be my first Trumpeter model, as soon as I can track one down... ..., and yes I lost your email again.... Great video Max, Take Five ( had to, sorry )

[@simonworrall7950]

I built Trumpeter Russian Soviet tank kits because they do so many including the early ones. The most recent ones fit together beautifully and look great. Not sure about accuracy as I am not a rivet counter. Generally they are cheaper than Tamiya, etc as well.

[@paulsheriff5733]

I've made several Trumpeter 1/32, the 262 is really impressive but I didn't use the clear parts, the rest are the 109 series- f4, g6, g10. I think they are excellent. I like the fact I can get a great result oob. Decals on the G10 have been awful, the rest fine.

[@jangelbrich7056]

Having some 10 1/72 airplanes from them, those Soviet/Russian ones that no one else is producing (e.g. the Tu-160) - that was the point. I only wonder when I will find time to actually build them =)

[@imagereader_9]

After a 30 year gap, I resumed plastic model building in mid 2021. I decided to focus exclusively on ship models. From childhood until I stopped building in the early 1990s, the hobby had always suffered from a paucity of quality ship models. The only 1/350 ships of any quality I recall were the Minicraft RMS Titanic and RMS Lusitania, and the Tamiya USS Enterprise. There may have been others but I wasn't particularly focused on ships at that time. Now those kits are considered very dated in terms of quality, and in the case of the Lusitania, simply unavailable. Upon my return to the hobby I was surprised by the explosion in the number of 1/350 ships, the extensive selection of the subjects offered, and most of all the vast improvement in overall quality. Quality that was even more enhanced by the wood deck veneers and after market PE detail sets. I don't get it. Maybe I'm not picky enough. I'm not a rivet counter. But compared to the state of ship modeling as it existed years ago, the kits available now are, with few exceptions, simply wonderful. The fit and finish. The level of detail is stunning in comparison, even if you must contend with sometimes hundreds of tiny parts that can only be handled with tweezers and have a nasty habit of popping off the tweezers and disappearing into a sort of 'Bermuda Triangle' for these parts. And for my money, Trumpeter is leading the way in all these things.

[@THROTTLEPOWER]

Nice video full of information, thanks Max.

[@glenchapman3899]

Their recent release of a 1/200 Titanic has been very highly regarded. When the did the first test kits they sent them to a couple of Titanic historical organizations and actually incorporated their suggestions into the build when released. Mind you, going to need deep pockets for that one. $500 for the base kit and about $300 for the aftermarket.

[@johnashley-smith4987]

Thanks for this video. I have a couple of Trumpeter kits but have yet to build one. I am impressed with the detail in the kits I have, a 1350th U.S.S. Sanfrancisco in 1942 fit and a 1/72nd scale "Ferdinand" . I have also looked at a couple of their 1/700 th scale ships and was impressed with the level of detail. Perhaps I will get to one of these kits this year...when I aquire the needed reference materials mind you! Always something! Thanks again, Max! Hey! Do you plan to to a video on Dragon models sometime? I love their 1/144th aircraft! Even with the terrible cockpits!

[@billblass5961]

Thank you for this informative video. I'm looking to build a T-38 Talon and looking for the best start.

[@dennisgraham3087]

I've built one a couple of years ago. It's a pretty decent kit, good enough that I purchased a second one ( online) received it yesterday. It has a couple of minor fit Issues, but it's still a workable kit. I think you will like it.

[@defthammer]

I built Trumpeter's 1/350 scale USS England. It was my first model with photetch. I found it to be an enjoyable build and it now occupies a pride of place in my display cabinet. I may build another because my skills with PE and airbrushing have improved. However, based on some of the comments below, I will approach other subject with care.

[@glenchapman3899]

Same here. Made a mess of it, but still turned out cute as a button. Going to do it again in the near future.

[@kl0wnkiller912]

I built the Mig-21 bis in 1/32 scale years ago. The finish of the plastic was very poor. I covered it in bare metal foil hoping it would improve but even with primer it came out pebbly. Detail wasn't all that bad though. Still have it in my case and I have some of the newer kits including the Sukoi 30mm, the F/A 18 and the 1/200 Bismark waiting to build.

[@J.A.Hansen]

HI there😎✌Well i'm the new kid in town.I had a break of building modells for over 39 years with one expectation the Titanic from minicraft somewhere in the nineties.(Great Modell👌 However these days everybodys producing for everybody.Who made Who? I only have one Trumpeter Kit at the moment it is the Admiral Graf Spee in 1:350 and it looks great,but it is still in storage.When it comes to quality of products you can have a good or bad kit from every compa ny. A good example is Airfix.When i buildet Modells in the seventies and eighties they had a bad reputation for molding modell kits.But i bought a Airfix-modell from the Tirpitz in Copenhagen 1:600(you can't buy it anymore like many other modells from the company,because they sold Airfix to another company) in the eighties and it had a exellent quality better than Revell. The magic word these days is fairtrade.... The truth is when it comes to business nothing is fairtrade in this world. Bob Dylan wrote a song about it on his Infidels Album with the Name》 Union Sundown 《 which tells it all. Monogramn had a great quality but they are no more. My favorite company was Revell but they also have a lot of good ones and bad ones. My absolute favorite Company is Tamija but they don't have everything.But what they have is exellent. Also minicraft is great but again they also don't have everything. In my opionen one of the badest quality you can get is Italeri...but must have a better quality these day plus they have modell which are hard to find like the Arado 196... Well it is my absolute believe that there will be a day when they will stop producing Modell Kits because of the plastic which is made out of oil. So whatever you can get now.Get it.Sure there will be always some on ebay or second hand. People of today are more and more Smobies.They spend 80% of their money for smartphones and computer games and so on.If you tell some people today that you are a modell builder,they look at you,kind of strange,likethey wanna tell you... What is wrong with you...are you Einstein😀🤔Yes sometimes😉 However i have a lot of Trumpeter🎺Modells on my list and if i find one that i like i will buy it.It is the same with the other companys. It all depends if the have the modells in the scale that i want. What found out is that since the corona virus started,many modells are sold out or hard to get because they made in china or somewhere else in the far east. However.Thats my personal,point of view,maybe i'm wrong,but thats the way i look at these things at the moment. Have a nice day and god bless. Greetings from Germany🙋‍♂️🇩🇪 .

[@johnnoble01]

I only buy the Trumpy stuff when it's heavily discounted. I picked a 72nd English Electric Lightening from our local model shop when it shut down a few years ago, not the best lightening kit, ok though. I picked up a 48th Supermarine Spiteful that seems a nice kit. I like the Hobbyboss 72nd simple kits for a quick build and some are surprisingly good like the little Mig 3. Trouble with Trumpy kits is they seem over priced to me, well at least here in the UK. Another Chinese kit manufacturer needs your special attention Max named Kitech.

[@martinmengh]

HobbyBoss is owned by Trumpeter. Trumpeter is partially Japanese; i.e. the parent company is joint venture with ownerhsip split between Chinese and Japanese investments.

[@maxsmodels]

I wonder if it a marketing agreement or a real partnership but that is more than I was able to find out. Thanks

[@martinmengh]

@@maxsmodels the name of the parent company to either Trumpeter and HobbyBoss is printed in Chinese on box sides, with identical designation and address of business. 中山市雅太电器 (meaning Zhongshan City Yatai Electronics）。 They got their start making electro-mechanical compnents, e.g. mechanical switches, which required precision mold making. In Chinese domestic hobby circles, Trumpeter used to be nicknamed "the plastic washbasin factory", on account of its generally crude molding and tough ABS plastics. Much loved today though.

[@garfieldsmith332]

The great Al Hirt. From the album The Horn Meets The Hornet. I have the tune and still play it. Also the Billy May LP from the TV show, however the trumpet play is no where near Al Hirt. You played trumpet in the band eh, I played the Sax. Seems like everyone from the era ended up on some high school or junior high band. No Trumpeter kits in the stash, pricey up here. I would love that U-Boat but it would be astronomical up here. My local shop had the 1/200 Hood at $ 660. CDN (taxes in); OUCH. Thanks for the information.

[@maxsmodels]

Coronet, bugle and trumpet but only 2 years. Wish I stayed with it.

[@garfieldsmith332]

@@maxsmodels Same here, 2 years. One of the guys in HS did go thru for music, trombone. He ended up a music teacher and minor composer. Won a Juno for something in music.

[@grimjimc]

Trumpeter's newer armour kits are pretty good, but even the newer kits tend to reuse sprues from older kits that have markedly poorer quality. In the U.K., Trumpeter kits have become weirdly expensive, with nothing-special armour kits costing the equivalent on $100+. The same is happening with Dragon kits, making them basically too expensive for what they are. It’s fairly well-known (or at least widely assumed) that Hobby Boss is pretty much just the budget range of Trumpeter. You might also want to look into Merit, who seem to be the same as Hobby Boss, but specialising in larger (in scale and / or size) kits. The instruction style between these companies is pretty much identical.

[@letoubib21]

Hi Jim! Just a little tip: At least as long as GB is still member of the EU just order kits in Poland. The seller there are extremely fast ,and the postage costs do be pretty low, though you'll get your orders in a record braking time. Last time I'd ordered by Monday afternoon, and got those two kits (Academy tank and a Fitting tank crew made by Dragon) by Wednesday 11:00 a.m.---not 48h later. . .

[@CAPNMAC82]

I've seen/followed five of the 1/48 U-Boot builds. For being in 1/48, the figures resemble Life-Like 1/40 figures from the 70s rather than modern kits. The interior of the Sub is squinting accurate. Amazingly, while the starboard hull is clear, it's the port side of the conning tower is clear--oops. It does have plenty of rom for super detailing. And there's a ton of aftermarket out (as if the price needed bumping up). There's a really intense build of one over on Model Ship World--caution, it's 23 pages long.

[@NigelsModellingBench]

Great video. So.. where do Merit fit in??

[@maxsmodels]

I cannot find out enough about them

[@33Verst]

They have extremely unique sets from every side of the world, I mean military tanks, trucks and cars from any country. And they're quite cheap as well.

[@davidbowman6689]

I once had the A-10 1/32 with plenty of Edward aftermarkets. I keep the weapons for my Phantom projects and sold the A-10.

[@Anlushac11]

There was a video on KZbin of a guy getting his 1/48 U-boat home. He had to borrow his wife's station wagon to get it home.

[@pauloconnor5931]

Am still waiting for their 1/200 USS Enterprise (CV-6). Figured it would come out after the Yorktown.

[@wells5150]

A few weeks ago I received a care package from my VA - 3 Trumpeter models. A French fighter jet, WW2 Russian soldiers & a Russian Tank - all different scales. I don't know about building them, I want the parts to customize into something original.

[@mallbennett983]

The 1/16 panzer iv kits are fun and the newer panther is quite nice too :)

[@tgmccoy1556]

Tim McCoy here wife's account. Have a trumpeter kit in my stash .The Chinese version of the An-2 Biplane. Never built too much work to get right. Al Hurt's tune was the theme to the "Green Hornet" TV series it has Bruce Lee as Kato. A bit of a Chinese connection. I was aound a Chinese Jinyang Two seat trainer a derived version of a Yak 12. Two things : 1 it was built to the philosophy of: " Close enough for Government Work. " Also: 2. We aren't going to run out of Chinese soon.

[@adammitry3543]

Finishing up the USS Arleigh Burke (1/350)..then the Lassen..The kits are good, but better directions would be great. The aftermkt PE is tricky.

[@kenhanson1819]

I started a Trumpeter 1/48 Mig-21 back in January for a group build, which has come and gone. I didn't progress very far, as I had too many other builds on the go, and sadly, not a high interest in Soviet aircraft. From what I did build of the kit, it went together well, once some areas of flash were cleaned up. There is some really nice wheel well detail and beautiful cockpit details. I didn't like the particular shade of turquoise green (or is it blue?) that was in my Hataka Polish Air Force Colors set. I overcoated with a custom mix, which looks better, but still not right to my eye. First World problems, eh!

[@damianstellabott1952]

The buzz I've been hearing about them lately concerns the 1/200 Titanic.

[@modelar705]

i have always been curious about trumpeter hobbyboss mini hobby model WSN and I love kits which i believe are all related. i am a fan and will keep buying and building thier kits. mini hobby model and WSN are even cheaper by 3 times the trumpeters kits but can be build into nice models.

[@alphinerollei35mig28]

They came from the same Factory

[@rkyyrs9477]

The final song was also in kill Bill. LOVE the movies

[@maxsmodels]

good ear

[@richardklug822]

Trumpeter also offered a fairly large selection of WWII railway equipment and armored trains. Their K5 Leopold RR gun and Karl mortar kits are considered by many to be more accurate and complete than similar ones from Dragon Models.

[@SCSuperheavy114]

Just picked up 2 trumpeter kits. 1/48 MiG 15 bis and a MiG 19. I’ve built a 1/700 Lexington which was ehh...but the Shenzhu spacecraft was a easy and a generally decent kit.

[@Jack2Japan]

Pit Road Models are relatively hard to find in the US, but I think they’ve been around for quite a while. They produce interesting, lesser known subjects in 1:700 scale. Mostly ships but also aircraft. I’d love to know more about them. (Hint, hint).

[@kl0wnkiller912]

I built the Mig-21PF kit in 1/32 scale. It wasn't a bad kit but I made the mistake of covering it with Bare Metal foil. The texture of the plastic surfaces has a pebbly effect that transferred readily to the foil. Aside from that and the ridiculous rubber tires, it wasn't a bad kit. I also built the 1/32 scale Mig-19. The only issue with that one was that you cannot put both engines inside the fuselage... they won't fit so i had to trim them down as they are the intakes and exhaust for the kit. I have several other Trumpeter kits including the 1/200 Bismark with both Pontos add-ons that I really want to build one day when i retire.

[@Reindeer911]

I have seen massive spikes in shipping fees for models coming out of China/Hong Kong in the last couple of months on eBay. Also good luck getting anything purchased out of China (and Russia too) in anything that could be described as reasonable time. Finally had a couple of tools arrive this week after a 4 month wait. Geeesh!

[@mrbeast85]

That's because air-mail services to most international destinations have been largely suspended or delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Air-mail from Hong Kong was only reinstated a few days ago. So I have several items strung out in container ships travelling surface mail instead, should be interesting...!

[@vasili1207]

What a plant, state the obvious... it's because of Winnie the poo flu 😷. I haven't had no issues at all but I am in the uk, sort out our free trade deal 🇬🇧🤝🇺🇸 ... and we can't screw china through the back door 🚪

[@roverboat2503]

Coooool music!