Hi gents,
As having reviewed quite a few KP kits (and posted them here on our site under the "New and Old Kits" sub board -
https://forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.php?board=10.0), I'll proffer a view on KP. I'll also say that this is my view, not swayed in any way by KP also providing us with kits to review (as do a number of other manufacturers).
Firstly, on their Sopwith Triplane - this was the first of their 'new' range of WW1 1/72 scale kits. We reviewed it here on the forum:
https://forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.php?topic=12578.0Is it a little rough? Yep, a little. How does it compare to the Revell kit? Having built a Revell Triplane (pic below), I can also make a few observations and comparisons:
The Revell kit dates from the early 1960s, and it shows. Overdone textures, no cockpit detail, crude and incorrect representation of the fuselage stringers, bad wheels, poor engine, and an incorrect cowl. Don't get me wrong, it can be built into a nice replica, but boy it requires A LOT of work to get there...
The KP kit, by comparison, was produced in 2020. It has some rough textures also, but nowhere near the Revell kit. This is reminiscent of some of Roden’s 1/72 efforts, and is likely a result of lower pressure injection moulding used at the time.
Is this what I would have liked to have seen for a 2020 kit? Not especially, but those of us that have worked with Roden kits in the past are not daunted by this challenge either. These inconsistencies and textures will disappear under a light sanding so shouldn’t pose a problem.
Lets look at the positives - the KP kit gets lots of things
right, including the forward fuselage, engine cowls, wheels, a better cockpit, a better engine, and so on. Is there still work to do...? You betcha. But having built the Revell kit, in my humble opinion, the KP kit provides a much better base kit for the work that's needed.
So, fast forward to 2023, and we see KP releasing kits like the LVG C.IV:
https://forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.php?topic=13848.0And the AGO C.IV:
https://forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.php?topic=13832.0Folks, check out the textures on these kits in comparison to their earlier triplane:
KP have made quite an effort to improve their moulding technology, and it shows.
I also have both the Clear Prop and KP DH9As. To put it simply, they cater to different audiences; the KP kit is a simpler build, but there is no shortage of nice details and good moulding quality. See the review, here -
https://forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.php?topic=13480.0Lastly - i'll make an observation on decals - modern KP decals are nice, crisp, and work well. They are not the decals that KP produced back in the rough old days 20 years ago. Don't make the mistake of tarring them with the brush of their earlier efforts (pull out an Eduard kit from the mid-1990s and tell me what you think of their moulding technology and decals!).
So, I implore you to objectively look at what KP is producing nowadays, and not write them off. They are a committed manufacturer producing fine quality kits. They are honestly one of the few manufacturers that continues to produce interesting small scale kits of WW1 subjects consistently.
We 1/72 WW1 modellers are a resilient bunch; we should not be put off by having to put in a little elbow grease to produce a fine looking model.
Model on!
Cheers,
BC