When 21st Century Toys began releasing their model kits a few months ago on Walmart’s shelves, many modelers laughed at them. They came packed in plastic bags, not attached to sprues. Panel lines were thick and deep, wings and fuselage halves had large holes in them for screws, and some of the detail was not entirely accurate. In one post on a modeling forum, I where someone called them a waste of money.
Shortly thereafter, Brett Green posted some screenshots of his work on their Bf-109, and many people sat up and took notice. If Hyperscale’s editor found it worth taking a look… then maybe there was something to these toys.
Brett has finished that Bf-109, and in this write-up, he clearly lays out the ins and outs of building this affordable gem of a kit. Is it perfect? Nah…. but what kit is? Still, these types of models may just be the shot in the arm that is needed to bring younger builders into the hobby, tearing them away from the Xbox and iPod for a few minutes.
And speaking of 21st Century Toys, I’m cockpit deep in their F4U-1A Corsair right now. Look for a full write-up in a few weeks as I get that project finished up. If you’d like a peek at my work so far, take a look at these photos.