This branch exists for people who want to choose a kit by what it depicts, not by how big it is. Instead of a long list of scales there are four plain groups: aircraft and helicopters, military vehicles, ships and submarines, and finally cars, figures and everything else.
Both kinds of kit appear here – conventional ones with parts on sprues that are cemented and painted, and models moulded in colour whose parts lock together without glue. The guide below covers what is in the box, what is not, and how to pick a first kit that actually gets finished.
A kit holds parts, on sprues or loose, an instruction sheet and usually a decal sheet with markings. What it does not hold is paint, glue and tools; those are bought separately, and on a first build their cost can come as a surprise. The exception is the kits moulded in colour with locking joints, which go together straight away and suit anyone who does not want to set up a bench at all.
Ground armour and naval subjects have their own groups in the tree here as well. If you are set on one of those, the deepest choice of both is in the main branches: military vehicle model kits and ship model kits, each sorted by scale and supported by detail sets.
Box art looks equally good on every kit. The difference is part count and the fineness of the detail: a model of a few dozen parts is a weekend, a model of several hundred with a full interior is months. A finished simple kit beats an abandoned hard one, every time.
A conventional kit assumes you will brush or spray it. If painting holds no appeal yet, look for the kits with pre-coloured parts and locking joints, where the result stands up without a spray gun anywhere in the process.
A larger scale means larger parts, easier handling and more room for detail – and more shelf. A smaller scale is kinder to a shelf and lets you build a group of machines from one period. For a first build the middle ground usually works, where parts are still easy to pick up.
Kits whose parts join without glue have their own section in snap-fit kits. If you would rather search by scale and type of machine, with detail sets alongside, go to plastic model kits.
