David Huff was my grandpa (Passed back in 08 from brain cancer). Just bought some of his planes as Christmas gifts to my dad and uncle since Norma (My step-grandmother) took all the inheritance and they were barely left with anything from their father's legacy. Love the video, keep up the good work!
As a small child in the late 1950s and early 1960s, I lived near the Minneapolis/Saint Paul Airport, and consequently, also near the Minnesota Air National Guard base near Fort Snelling. I am convinced that the constant parade of military and civilian aircraft over our house kicked off my lifelong love of model airplane kits, the first of which I built at age 3 (with some help from Dad.) One of the most unique aircraft I enjoyed watching fly over was the Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter. When I was in my 40s, living in Southern California, I found a 1:144 Minicraft C-97 kit. I promptly bought it. It wasn't until I got it home that I noticed that it came with decals for the Minnesota Air Guard. WOW. I still display this assembled kit, which came out quite nice indeed. This kit sure scratched a lifelong itch. Great video, Max!
Max, besides greatwork divulging kit modelling world peons and master's the music choices are...Excellent. worthy of a emmy award . Thanks Max. Hope you're great and keep safe.👍👍👍👍
Minicraft introduced me to the joys of 1/32 aircraft in the 70's when they imported Hasegawa kits to the US. Still have the Me262, F4B, P12 and P26 unbuilt in the stash. Although simple by today's standards, they were FUN to build!
I have a Minicraft Model Kits kit in my stash; it is the 1931 Model A Ford Pickup in 1/16 scale. I have looked at it, because it was open when I bought it (part of an estate sale my local hobby shop bought when the old fellow who had been a long-time customer passed) and it looks beautiful.
Hi Max! Thanks for this! The Academy Transportation in Minature Set originates from a series of mini kits manufactured by R&L in Melbourne, Australia for Kelloggs as cereal premiums in the 60s. They were also marketed by Aurora in the US as the Snap-a-roos range of models.
When I was a kid in the ‘70’s I bought Hasegawa/Minicraft kits and thought it was confusing that one company had two names. That’s how a kid thinks. More recently I was given two of Minicraft’s 1/144th DC-8 kits. Airline model fans seem tho think they are super, but I found some problems with fit and shape. More generally, their kits are Pretty nice.
Great job as always I met Al Trendle a few times he use to wear a big peace symbol on a chain around his neck. I was a member of IPMS Los Angeles chapter and other IPMS Chapters in the L.A. basin. I knew Lee Scow who built the hasegawa kits for Al Trendle . In 1972 Al Trendle got the idea to produce 1/72 scale armor kits and he asked myself and Bruce MacRae to do some research for Al so we went to the federal building to look at some government publications on military equipment. As I recall we were told we could look at the Manuel's but not make photocopies. So we went elsewhere to do our research yto the government publication repository at UCLA. I remember seeing the test shots of the 1/72 scale jeep it was in orange plastic. My thoughts I had a part in producing that kit and others that followed. I never did ask for a copy of the kit. It was a fun thing to do. I have bui.t many hasegawa and academy minicraft kits, I have never been disappointed in their kits.
Been loving your series on kit manufacturers. I think it would be great to hear the histories of decal makers as well, if you can tack those on the end of your "list". :) MicroScale/SuperScale, ESCI, RepliScale, Aeromaster, etc.
Thanks Max. I said in the preview I had not heard of them but that's not right. I remember making a few Hasegawa kits with Minicraft on the box too, so I did make some.
I love your videos on the history of model makers! I didn't see anything automotive related in the Mini Craft line-up, but I do have a Mini Craft 1/16 scale Ford Model A pickup in my collection. It is molded in yellow and is powered by a flathead Ford V8. The copyright date on the box is 2009. It lists the Elgin, IL address on the box, but is made in China. Thanks for the great video!
My brother built the dune buggy kit or one that looked just like it in the early 70s. I put my rubber Wile E Coyote and Roadrunner toys into it and drove them around.
One of my uncles flew a WB29 in the Pacific during the Korean War. Later a B50 and then a C97. I guess once you can fly a B29, you can fly the variants easily enough.
I have a fabulous Academy/ Minicraft B-17D in 1/72nd scale that strangely enough i was just looking at and thinking of Max Models. The B-17D it's quite well designed and thought out. Another one of my many "someday I'll get around to" models. LOL It's just one of several Minicraft kits I have stored on the shelf.
Good show saving the arachnid. They may be creepy, but good for keeping the insect population down. My dad taught us early to catch and release the non-poisonous ones. Great video, also. I have a Mazda rotary around here in my stash.
I built the Minicraft Hyundai Pony 2 motorized model when I was a kid back in 1985. I saw it at my local hobby shop one day and thought it was pretty cool because it had an electric motor, something I'd never seen in a small plastic model kit before.
Built a couple of them when they were Minicraft Academy. Bought them at the main PX in Bamberg Germany. One was a British Chieftain and the other was a Centurion tank. Surprisingly, they had a whole long aisle of decent kits. Lots of Tamiya, Airfix and Italeri too.. The Academy Minicraft kits built up like the Tamiya kits. Pretty sure they were repops at the time. That was about 1990, a thousand years ago!😉
I built that 1804 Trevathick locomotive for a school project . I bought it at goodwill for 2.50 and had no idea or interest in the machine but it was a model... couple years later my girls little cousin was like "I have to do a project about an invention that changed the world. And, its due tomorrow!" I saved the day as I built the model and he and my girl researched and wrote the paper.. he got an award for the best presentation.. but my fave Minicraft model will always be their offering of Titanic and if they actually release Olympic I'll build her too. Otherwise I'll be eventually converting 13315s into Olympic and Britainic.
I'm glad you're back and hopefully doing well, and you're right Minicraft was the go-to guys for general aviation I'm sure other companies had one or two I think I saw one from monogram but Minicraft, I think had a bigger selection.
Thanks for the information max. I only have 3 Minicraft/Hasegawa kits in my stash (Thor, Loki, Leopold) and a couple of their 1/44 aircraft. Most of the kits I have seen in the last few years are just the 1/144 fighter jets.
Minicraft's vintage airliner kits are a godsend! I mean, who'd ever think a model company would come out with various 1/144 scale versions of long gone propeller airliners such as the Lockheed L-188 Electra, Douglas DC-4 & DC-6, Boeing Stratocruiser and Lockheed Super Constellation not to mention their military counterparts. Hope they do indeed issue that Boeing B-50 Superfortress next!
Used to be able to find a healthy stock of those 1:144 and 1:72 planes in the gift shop of the US Air Force Museum, along with some other offbeat aviation-related kits such as scale models of Spandau and Vickers machine guns. But that shelf has been shrinking over the years for the same reason that hobby shops are fading out ...
Glad you're back Max. Great video. I had some Minicraft airliner and they went together well, great kits. I really liked your videos on Japanese companies. One in particular, Doyusha. Maybe sometime in the future we can see a video on that company. Again welcome back.👍👍
HAHA, love the song, so much truth there. I built the Spruce Goose from Minicraft, I purchased it from the Evergreen Air Museum where the real Spruce Goose is currently on display. The kit had some issues but with persistence, it came out pretty well. Have a great day! -David
Max, welcome back. Bought the Mach 2 Mariner, piece of junk. Stripped for parts and bought Minicraft Mariner. Nice detail in and out. Converted from 5A model to 3D model , got turrets to all move, detailed in and out, added left waist gunner station and full crew. Have a thing for nose art for this era of plane. Minicraft makes a fine model by itself but easily reworkable. love the weird music especially the figher pilot and wingman thing BUT the the 2 hosers and Strange Brew??...bye for now from the GREAT WHITE NORTH.
@@maxsmodels The problem with M2 is overpriced and erratic quality.The one thing going for them WAS models not done by mainline companies in 72nd scale. With a little research and a lit of filing, a very good model could be made with extra parts. The problem with their PBM Mariner was excess flash, making parts brittle; very thick plastic on the body; very poor clear plastic; no moving parts and little to no inside detail. The PBM had all of above, hence a piece of junk. Also bought (and still working on) the PB2Y Coronado but with much less deficientcies of the PBM. With all the extra parts inside and out, turning into a real nice model.. Did the same thing with the P6M Seamaster, full cockpit , rotary bombay(not perfect) and revolving rear gun turret(kit had beaching cradle, surprisingly) . Bottom line is poor quality control. Last look in their site and they appear to have dropped a lot of kits
Max! As you have shown us, even small Model Makers spend beaucoup bucks getting set up. Any success in the business is good...50+ years is amazing! Thanks for the insight, Doc. BTW, I have the Minicraft\Academy Titanic large scale kit. It was a gift from a Spouse who has since passed away. I do not know if I will ever build it now since they will not see it complete.
Your video reminded me of the fact that I'd been meaning to purchase a Minicraft kit of a B-29 that has decals for one that was in the R.A.A.F. I just jumped on eBay and there was only one available. Serves me right for not getting it earlier. 68AUD because of the stinking GSP. You wouldn't know what the GSP is but it's a scam perpetrated on buyers outside of the US. Where Pitney Bowes charges for Priority Shipping but sends via economy and because eBay gets a commission on shipping it's very expensive and then because the Australian Government made eBay collect GST ( Goods and Services Tax) of ten percent Pitney Bowes charges a fee of one hundred percent of the ten percent GST total to do so. So a kit that was 21.50USD shipped in the US becomes 45USD shipped to Australia. Which then becomes 68AUD. It's really expensive to be a plastic kit modeller in Australia. I have never seen a Minicraft kit for sale in any hobby shop here. We don't even have anyone importing Hasegawa anymore and they're quite a large supplier. The supermarket chain ALDI recently had a model kit and tools sale. AMT car kits for 25AUD which is less than half what they sell for in hobby shops and it was crazy. I wasn't buying any for myself because I don't build many cars but was asked by my girlfriend's sister to get a couple and I had to nearly push over some old people to get to them and they were all gone within minutes
I built that Yamaha 250 enduro kit..but I dont remember Minicraft. I think it was Revell or something else. I also built Roger DeCostas' Suzuki 500 Carlsbad MX bike and cant remember that company either. Maybe Revell?
You should have pointed out that Dad was the one with the PFC stripe on his sleeve. Notice the transition in insignia. The Mastersergeant is wearing the new USAF stripes.
During WWII the mechanics in my dad"s units didn't bother with rank insignia on their work overalls. They turned the dirty ones in for laundering once a week and were issued a clean pair at the same time. That's right, one to a customer. Most had patches on the knees or seat and hadn't always got that clean in the laundry. It was one his pet peeves. They were working on aeroplanes which cost the taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars each but they couldn't afford two decent pair of overalls for the guys and gals (well, one gal anyway) on the ground crews.
although the molds (or moulds to my Canadian relatives) are really showing the effects of age, the Minicraft B-24 Liberator is by far the best B-24 model available in 1/72 at this time for the price.
B-52, C-130, KC-135, MD-80 and DC-8 are fantastic however latter two hard to find :( 707 (and it's military versions), 727, 737 and 777-200 are OK (the biggest issue is the windshield that is slightly off). 757 has some fit issues and engine pylons are positioning engines at wrong angle and need to be corrected. My biggest gripe about Minicraft is that they promised to release Rivet Joint 2 years ago yet it is still not available :(
I was going through my stash of kits last night. Among them I found the following; Minicraft 11102 - 1804 Trevithick ( The worlds First Steam Locomotive. ) Academy 13401 - German fuel truck and Schwimmwagen Academy 2130 - Supermarine Spitfire Mk. XIVc Hasegawa 717 - Starter Truck Toyota GB Hasegawa 02511 - F4U - 1D Corsair Hasegawa 51341 - Supermarine Spitfire Mk. VIII Some have been in my stash for 25 years or more. Should I build or not build?
Tim McCoy here wife's account. I learned a long time ago never say anything like: "Honey, I have a chance to go on a trip on the lady ( square rigger ) Washington, I will learn sail handling, naviga.,,." She said (with a look I call-that 'warpath' look.) " The divorce papers will be there when you get to Grey's Harbour." She's Cherokee on both sides -never - go farther.
Max: You out did yourself with the trailer song. Hope the hip is better and walking is easier. Very good video. Never built any of those kits. The only things I gotten that are molded plastic are N scale trains. They seem to all come from China. Seems tool and dye is some what of a dead industry in the states except where there is a very high profit margin. Damn that Harvard School of business. Till next episode. From the “Come and Take It State”.
I might have a couple of 1/144 scale kits, have to look. I like to do forced perspective dioramas, 1/144. /100. With 1/72 . Well they’re not dioramas more like in flight dogfights. MAXMODELS , thanks for your site. You work hard to make these happen. BUT I’M STILL WAITING FOR MY T-SHIRT. Everybody have a great wkend
My only experience with MINICRAFT is The Grumman XF5F- Skyrocket, 1/48 this is a beautiful kit, and as far as i know they are the only manufacturer of this beautiful Airplane😎
Really sucks that you guys couldn't carry his legacy by completing that 1/48 scale C-37B Gulfstream. I was really looking forward to building that kit.
26 years ago i buildet the Titanic from Mini Craft(1:350) and it was awesome.(I'm a ship nerd,and i buildet the Titanic many times,like the Airfix Titanic in 1:400,3 Month ago) However i'm waiting for the release of the RMS Olympic it is also from Minicraft,but somehow,it is not on the market at the moment.Soon it comes out i will buy it. Also i think it would be a good idea if minicraft would getting out the RMS Mauretania and the Queen Mary which is in Long Beach now. ANYWAY😀,mean while i have to build some Battle' Ships. Interesting video...And there is the Trumpeter Titanic...🤔mmh..Too many Modells driving a Man crazy, expecialy the Modells which have Guns and Funnels,but somehow they not that expensive like the ones with High Heels😁 But No Romance without finance😉😎✌
There's nothing remotely appetizing on a decal sheet for a spider nor do they have the equipment to lick off paint and glue. He tricked you. If you set up a glue trap with some of the decal sheet as bait I'm sure you'll catch the real culprit. Best wishes.
@@DrCrapologist He was convicted and released on recognizance and the public is happy with the verdict. So it shall be said, so it shall be. Pharaoh has spoken.
Thanks for the story, but there is a lot missing. You completely missed or ignored that Minicraft put up an revived the Airliner modelling scene with wonderful jets in 1/144. Their best kit in that series is without doubt the MCDonnel Douglas DC-8 which set standards in the airliner segment. Al Trendle and later David Huff own the merit to have saved the 1/144 Airliner segment at a time when all the others were withdrawing from it. (Not every modelbuilder is into military. There are many IPMS SIG groups just around airliners.)
David Huff was my grandpa (Passed back in 08 from brain cancer). Just bought some of his planes as Christmas gifts to my dad and uncle since Norma (My step-grandmother) took all the inheritance and they were barely left with anything from their father's legacy. Love the video, keep up the good work!
As a small child in the late 1950s and early 1960s, I lived near the Minneapolis/Saint Paul Airport, and consequently, also near the Minnesota Air National Guard base near Fort Snelling. I am convinced that the constant parade of military and civilian aircraft over our house kicked off my lifelong love of model airplane kits, the first of which I built at age 3 (with some help from Dad.) One of the most unique aircraft I enjoyed watching fly over was the Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter. When I was in my 40s, living in Southern California, I found a 1:144 Minicraft C-97 kit. I promptly bought it. It wasn't until I got it home that I noticed that it came with decals for the Minnesota Air Guard. WOW. I still display this assembled kit, which came out quite nice indeed. This kit sure scratched a lifelong itch. Great video, Max!
Have built many many minicraft models. Some of my favorite kits. You sound great glad your back have a great rest of the day.
thanks, glad to be back
I have built SO many of their waterline kits. Armor. Planes. All great stuff!
And the song? Immediately posted it to Facebook. SOLID advice.
😜😉
Thanks so much for posting!! I still have some Mincraft/Hasegawa kits somewhere in my stash, carrying them around since the 80s.
Max, besides greatwork divulging kit modelling world peons and master's the music choices are...Excellent. worthy of a emmy award . Thanks Max. Hope you're great and keep safe.👍👍👍👍
Minicraft introduced me to the joys of 1/32 aircraft in the 70's when they imported Hasegawa kits to the US. Still have the Me262, F4B, P12 and P26 unbuilt in the stash. Although simple by today's standards, they were FUN to build!
I have a Minicraft Model Kits kit in my stash; it is the 1931 Model A Ford Pickup in 1/16 scale. I have looked at it, because it was open when I bought it (part of an estate sale my local hobby shop bought when the old fellow who had been a long-time customer passed) and it looks beautiful.
Hi Max! Thanks for this! The Academy Transportation in Minature Set originates from a series of mini kits manufactured by R&L in Melbourne, Australia for Kelloggs as cereal premiums in the 60s. They were also marketed by Aurora in the US as the Snap-a-roos range of models.
When I was a kid in the ‘70’s I bought Hasegawa/Minicraft kits and thought it was confusing that one company had two names. That’s how a kid thinks. More recently I was given two of Minicraft’s 1/144th DC-8 kits. Airline model fans seem tho think they are super, but I found some problems with fit and shape. More generally, their kits are Pretty nice.
Great job as always I met Al Trendle a few times he use to wear a big peace symbol on a chain around his neck. I was a member of IPMS Los Angeles chapter and other IPMS Chapters in the L.A. basin. I knew Lee Scow who built the hasegawa kits for Al Trendle . In 1972 Al Trendle got the idea to produce 1/72 scale armor kits and he asked myself and Bruce MacRae to do some research for Al so we went to the federal building to look at some government publications on military equipment. As I recall we were told we could look at the Manuel's but not make photocopies. So we went elsewhere to do our research yto the government publication repository at UCLA. I remember seeing the test shots of the 1/72 scale jeep it was in orange plastic. My thoughts I had a part in producing that kit and others that followed. I never did ask for a copy of the kit. It was a fun thing to do.
I have bui.t many hasegawa and academy minicraft kits, I have never been disappointed in their kits.
that is so cool
Wonderful video, great story, as always Max, thanks for your hard work and passion! Keep 'em coming!
Been loving your series on kit manufacturers. I think it would be great to hear the histories of decal makers as well, if you can tack those on the end of your "list". :)
MicroScale/SuperScale, ESCI, RepliScale, Aeromaster, etc.
those guys are pretty secretive but I will see what I can do
Well done on finding the eight legged, four eyed, tiny, camo, decal eater.
Thanks Max. I said in the preview I had not heard of them but that's not right. I remember making a few Hasegawa kits with Minicraft on the box too, so I did make some.
I love your videos on the history of model makers! I didn't see anything automotive related in the Mini Craft line-up, but I do have a Mini Craft 1/16 scale Ford Model A pickup in my collection. It is molded in yellow and is powered by a flathead Ford V8. The copyright date on the box is 2009. It lists the Elgin, IL address on the box, but is made in China. Thanks for the great video!
My brother built the dune buggy kit or one that looked just like it in the early 70s. I put my rubber Wile E Coyote and Roadrunner toys into it and drove them around.
One of my uncles flew a WB29 in the Pacific during the Korean War. Later a B50 and then a C97. I guess once you can fly a B29, you can fly the variants easily enough.
Great story, thanks for sharing Max.
Yep! Got a few of dem in da stash! Not the tip of the spear for kits but make a respectable platform to build upon. Good show Max!!
“Whatever happened to Fay Wray....” Nice intro Max! And great video as well! Good to have you back!
But I never wanted to be dressed just the same.
I have a fabulous Academy/ Minicraft B-17D in 1/72nd scale that strangely enough i was just looking at and thinking of Max Models. The B-17D it's quite well designed and thought out. Another one of my many "someday I'll get around to" models. LOL It's just one of several Minicraft kits I have stored on the shelf.
Thanks Max! I made several Minicraft 1/144 scale bombers including the B-29. Great to learn the story!
How ya doing over there these days?
@@maxsmodels Thanks Max, I'm fine. Still building my dacha. Hope to join the community soon and finish the Ogonyok material!
Great
Good show saving the arachnid. They may be creepy, but good for keeping the insect population down. My dad taught us early to catch and release the non-poisonous ones.
Great video, also. I have a Mazda rotary around here in my stash.
Great video, awesome song. Great story about an Illinois company.
The early 90s academy/minicraft 1:144 boxings were prolific in my local toy shop growing up, not sure if I ever built one though.
Thanks for your input Max. Very enlightened. 🤗
Hi Max! I built B-29, B-24, Betty, Jake, P-38 and Ki-61, all in 1/144. Bombers are pretty good!
I built the Minicraft Hyundai Pony 2 motorized model when I was a kid back in 1985. I saw it at my local hobby shop one day and thought it was pretty cool because it had an electric motor, something I'd never seen in a small plastic model kit before.
Built a couple of them when they were Minicraft Academy. Bought them at the main PX in Bamberg Germany. One was a British Chieftain and the other was a Centurion tank. Surprisingly, they had a whole long aisle of decent kits. Lots of Tamiya, Airfix and Italeri too.. The Academy Minicraft kits built up like the Tamiya kits. Pretty sure they were repops at the time. That was about 1990, a thousand years ago!😉
I built that 1804 Trevathick locomotive for a school project . I bought it at goodwill for 2.50 and had no idea or interest in the machine but it was a model... couple years later my girls little cousin was like "I have to do a project about an invention that changed the world. And, its due tomorrow!" I saved the day as I built the model and he and my girl researched and wrote the paper.. he got an award for the best presentation.. but my fave Minicraft model will always be their offering of Titanic and if they actually release Olympic I'll build her too. Otherwise I'll be eventually converting 13315s into Olympic and Britainic.
I'm glad you're back and hopefully doing well, and you're right Minicraft was the go-to guys for general aviation I'm sure other companies had one or two I think I saw one from monogram but Minicraft, I think had a bigger selection.
I agree the private aviation segment has always been underrepresented in the model industry.
Thanks for the information max. I only have 3 Minicraft/Hasegawa kits in my stash (Thor, Loki, Leopold) and a couple of their 1/44 aircraft. Most of the kits I have seen in the last few years are just the 1/144 fighter jets.
That's a cool story. Thanks for sharing Max.
Great video as usual. Nice touch with the Tim Hawkins song too.
Minicraft's vintage airliner kits are a godsend! I mean, who'd ever think a model company would come out with various 1/144 scale versions of long gone propeller airliners such as the Lockheed L-188 Electra, Douglas DC-4 & DC-6, Boeing Stratocruiser and Lockheed Super Constellation not to mention their military counterparts. Hope they do indeed issue that Boeing B-50 Superfortress next!
Hey Max, my dad worked on TB-29 during WWII (MOS 747 Airplane Mechanic). Before that B-18, B-17, and TB-24.
Nice one, liked the song at the end...Serious words for every married modeller....
Used to be able to find a healthy stock of those 1:144 and 1:72 planes in the gift shop of the US Air Force Museum, along with some other offbeat aviation-related kits such as scale models of Spandau and Vickers machine guns. But that shelf has been shrinking over the years for the same reason that hobby shops are fading out ...
Glad your back
Minicraft made a large serie of 1/144 airliners and military transportplanes
Glad you're back Max. Great video. I had some Minicraft airliner and they went together well, great kits. I really liked your videos on Japanese companies. One in particular, Doyusha. Maybe sometime in the future we can see a video on that company. Again welcome back.👍👍
I am looking at them
@@maxsmodels thank you very much, Max.
1/72 WWII bomber verity is what keep me going back and buying their kits. Love the music have a great day everyone.
First kit I’ve ever got from them was a TWA 707
HAHA, love the song, so much truth there. I built the Spruce Goose from Minicraft, I purchased it from the Evergreen Air Museum where the real Spruce Goose is currently on display. The kit had some issues but with persistence, it came out pretty well. Have a great day! -David
Max, welcome back. Bought the Mach 2 Mariner, piece of junk. Stripped for parts and bought Minicraft Mariner. Nice detail in and out. Converted from 5A model to 3D model , got turrets to all move, detailed in and out, added left waist gunner station and full crew. Have a thing for nose art for this era of plane. Minicraft makes a fine model by itself but easily reworkable.
love the weird music especially the figher pilot and wingman thing BUT the the 2 hosers and Strange Brew??...bye for now from the GREAT WHITE NORTH.
I have not heard good things about MACH 2
@@maxsmodels The problem with M2 is overpriced and erratic quality.The one thing going for them WAS models not done by mainline companies in 72nd scale. With a little research and a lit of filing, a very good model could be made with extra parts. The problem with their PBM Mariner was excess flash, making parts brittle; very thick plastic on the body; very poor clear plastic; no moving parts and little to no inside detail. The PBM had all of above, hence a piece of junk. Also bought (and still working on) the PB2Y Coronado but with much less deficientcies of the PBM. With all the extra parts inside and out, turning into a real nice model.. Did the same thing with the P6M Seamaster, full cockpit , rotary bombay(not perfect) and revolving rear gun turret(kit had beaching cradle, surprisingly) . Bottom line is poor quality control. Last look in their site and they appear to have dropped a lot of kits
Oh yeah, Max. my wife LOVED the song!!!
You played it for her? Dude, you live on the ragged edge.
@@maxsmodels Absolutely! Who do you think fiances my 1:1 and scale racing!!
Max! As you have shown us, even small Model Makers spend beaucoup bucks getting set up. Any success in the business is good...50+ years is amazing! Thanks for the insight, Doc. BTW, I have the Minicraft\Academy Titanic large scale kit. It was a gift from a Spouse who has since passed away. I do not know if I will ever build it now since they will not see it complete.
tough call
Hope you are doing well after your surgery.
doing OK thanks
Thoughts and prayers brother thanks for the amazing videos
@@mattberg6816 thx
Thanks max .but I've never heard. Of mini craft models it's very interesting for what you find.good to know.
I always thought that Minicraft was European. Thanks for correcting this.
I love their cap Cessna kit
Hmm didn’t know the history but I’ve got Minicraft DC8. 707 and 757 in the stash to make . I know both the 707 and 757 have cockpit shape issues
Good work, that song at the end got my girlfriend to come out of the bedroom, sit next to me and nod sagely throughout it.
share the wisdom :)
Your video reminded me of the fact that I'd been meaning to purchase a Minicraft kit of a B-29 that has decals for one that was in the R.A.A.F.
I just jumped on eBay and there was only one available.
Serves me right for not getting it earlier.
68AUD because of the stinking GSP.
You wouldn't know what the GSP is but it's a scam perpetrated on buyers outside of the US.
Where Pitney Bowes charges for Priority Shipping but sends via economy and because eBay gets a commission on shipping it's very expensive and then because the Australian Government made eBay collect GST ( Goods and Services Tax) of ten percent Pitney Bowes charges a fee of one hundred percent of the ten percent GST total to do so.
So a kit that was 21.50USD shipped in the US becomes 45USD shipped to Australia.
Which then becomes 68AUD.
It's really expensive to be a plastic kit modeller in Australia.
I have never seen a Minicraft kit for sale in any hobby shop here.
We don't even have anyone importing Hasegawa anymore and they're quite a large supplier.
The supermarket chain ALDI recently had a model kit and tools sale.
AMT car kits for 25AUD which is less than half what they sell for in hobby shops and it was crazy.
I wasn't buying any for myself because I don't build many cars but was asked by my girlfriend's sister to get a couple and I had to nearly push over some old people to get to them and they were all gone within minutes
interesting
In the musical segment, pearls of wisdom You will find...
I find the smaller scale harder to work with now but their kit detail was excellent.
I built that Yamaha 250 enduro kit..but I dont remember Minicraft. I think it was Revell or something else. I also built Roger DeCostas' Suzuki 500 Carlsbad MX bike and cant remember that company either. Maybe Revell?
That looks like a jumping spider, Max. They don’t eat decals, but they do suck the juices out of bugs that do eat decals.
I got about 30 kits that are Minicraft, about 80 that were imported by them from Hasegawa or Academy according to my Scalemates stash database!
sounds about right
I recently finished a Minicraft B-1A kit, repop of the GMark/Entex kit. It built up pretty nice for its age.
Thank you, Max.
My story.
Revell truck trailers: Car hauler.
Fantastic kit. Fits well with AMT snowplow/ ford truck tractor (Louisville).
I like them. I wish they would build more DC-8 kits. A kit in very high demand.
You should have pointed out that Dad was the one with the PFC stripe on his sleeve. Notice the transition in insignia. The Mastersergeant is wearing the new USAF stripes.
Back row, third from left. He was in during the transition.
During WWII the mechanics in my dad"s units didn't bother with rank insignia on their work overalls. They turned the dirty ones in for laundering once a week and were issued a clean pair at the same time. That's right, one to a customer. Most had patches on the knees or seat and hadn't always got that clean in the laundry. It was one his pet peeves. They were working on aeroplanes which cost the taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars each but they couldn't afford two decent pair of overalls for the guys and gals (well, one gal anyway) on the ground crews.
@@dalecomer5951 No one judges in the MX hangar
although the molds (or moulds to my Canadian relatives) are really showing the effects of age, the Minicraft B-24 Liberator is by far the best B-24 model available in 1/72 at this time for the price.
I'd like to get hold of one of those Yamaha trail bike kits.
I still remember my Minicraft Hasegawa F-100D, among others.
B-52, C-130, KC-135, MD-80 and DC-8 are fantastic however latter two hard to find :( 707 (and it's military versions), 727, 737 and 777-200 are OK (the biggest issue is the windshield that is slightly off). 757 has some fit issues and engine pylons are positioning engines at wrong angle and need to be corrected. My biggest gripe about Minicraft is that they promised to release Rivet Joint 2 years ago yet it is still not available :(
a spider eating decals, well i didn't see that coming...
At 1:22, in what scale are these car kits, please?
I recently built that V-35 Bonanza. I have the Cessna 150 in my stash...
I don't know if it's an interesting subject but might be worth a shot since I love their kits so much but what about Masterbox?
that is a new one on me, I did Matchbox
@@maxsmodels They are out of the Ukraine. Tamiya has used some of their figure kits in their special edition releases.
First Minicraft kit i put together was the Mooney MK 21 "Weekend wings series" think its a pretty rare kit , wish it had survived Katrina in 2005
Oh well, at least you did
Another great video. Your intro music sounded suspiciously like the intro to a musical number in the rocky horror picture show....hmmm.
I can neither confirm nor deny the use of such music....but good ear!
love the song- big green day fan
I was going through my stash of kits last night. Among them I found the following;
Minicraft 11102 - 1804 Trevithick ( The worlds First Steam Locomotive. )
Academy 13401 - German fuel truck and Schwimmwagen
Academy 2130 - Supermarine Spitfire Mk. XIVc
Hasegawa 717 - Starter Truck Toyota GB
Hasegawa 02511 - F4U - 1D Corsair
Hasegawa 51341 - Supermarine Spitfire Mk. VIII
Some have been in my stash for 25 years or more. Should I build or not build?
nice
Tim McCoy here wife's account. I learned a long time ago never say anything like: "Honey, I have a chance to go on a trip on the lady ( square rigger ) Washington, I will learn sail handling, naviga.,,."
She said (with a look I call-that 'warpath' look.) " The divorce papers will be there
when you get to Grey's Harbour." She's Cherokee on
both sides -never - go farther.
Well done sir!
Tim Hawkins has some really funny comedy routines...great song!
I have the Titanic kit, unbuilt of course. Thank you!
Does it come with a big gash in the hull or do you have to cut it yourself? What? Too soon? 😜
@@maxsmodels I heard it was also packed with a big chunk of ice, which never survives the trip from Korea/China.
Max: You out did yourself with the trailer song. Hope the hip is better and walking is easier. Very good video. Never built any of those kits. The only things I gotten that are molded plastic are N scale trains. They seem to all come from China. Seems tool and dye is some what of a dead industry in the states except where there is a very high profit margin. Damn that Harvard School of business. Till next episode. From the “Come and Take It State”.
Thank Tim Hawkins...but don't tell him I appropriated it :)
I've built my share of Minicraft models over the years. I only discovered the 1/144 scale in recent times. I prefer their 1/48 and 1/72 aircraft.
MRC!
done ua-cam.com/video/KQfoQHaXMwo/v-deo.html
@@maxsmodels Oh I know, that was just a placeholder while I gathered my thoughts. lol
Did not know spiders ate decals. weird.
Rodents, roaches, silverfish and most insects. The adhesive is often made or cornstarch.
@@maxsmodels I ate a spider once...tasted like old decals..
@@gijoeimmortal1868 you are supposed to fry it first. Then it tastes like bacon flavored decals 😜
@@maxsmodels 🤪
Cool bit of schoolingbon the model an manufactures
I might have a couple of 1/144 scale kits, have to look. I like to do forced perspective dioramas, 1/144. /100. With 1/72 . Well they’re not dioramas more like in flight dogfights. MAXMODELS , thanks for your site. You work hard to make these happen. BUT I’M STILL WAITING FOR MY T-SHIRT. Everybody have a great wkend
Thank you!
My only experience with MINICRAFT is The
Grumman XF5F- Skyrocket, 1/48 this is a beautiful kit, and as far as i know they are the only manufacturer of this beautiful
Airplane😎
Really sucks that you guys couldn't carry his legacy by completing that 1/48 scale C-37B Gulfstream. I was really looking forward to building that kit.
So a jumping spider ate the decals.
How did it even know that decals are edible?
glue is cornstarch
26 years ago i buildet the Titanic from Mini Craft(1:350) and it was awesome.(I'm a ship nerd,and i buildet the Titanic many times,like the Airfix Titanic in 1:400,3 Month ago)
However i'm waiting for the release of the RMS Olympic it is also from Minicraft,but somehow,it is not on the market at the moment.Soon it comes out i will buy it.
Also i think it would be a good idea if minicraft would getting out the RMS Mauretania and the Queen Mary which is in Long Beach now.
ANYWAY😀,mean while i have to build some Battle' Ships. Interesting video...And there is the Trumpeter Titanic...🤔mmh..Too many Modells driving a Man crazy, expecialy the Modells which have Guns and Funnels,but somehow they not that expensive like the ones with High Heels😁
But No Romance without finance😉😎✌
It was REALLY a decal-eating-spider? How did you figure this out? Are you pullin' mah laig?
I caught him red legged!
I was wondering that too
@@maxsmodels . Well there you go.
Truth is stranger than fiction
There's nothing remotely appetizing on a decal sheet for a spider nor do they have the equipment to lick off paint and glue. He tricked you. If you set up a glue trap with some of the decal sheet as bait I'm sure you'll catch the real culprit. Best wishes.
@@DrCrapologist He was convicted and released on recognizance and the public is happy with the verdict. So it shall be said, so it shall be. Pharaoh has spoken.
Thanks for the story, but there is a lot missing. You completely missed or ignored that Minicraft put up an revived the Airliner modelling scene with wonderful jets in 1/144. Their best kit in that series is without doubt the MCDonnel Douglas DC-8 which set standards in the airliner segment. Al Trendle and later David Huff own the merit to have saved the 1/144 Airliner segment at a time when all the others were withdrawing from it. (Not every modelbuilder is into military. There are many IPMS SIG groups just around airliners.)
Awesome video
do trumpater history
on the short list
Love the song.
I've never married because I've said some of those things
It's better to be single than to wish you were.
@@davidho2977 . I'm not single, just won't ever marry
Never built a Minicraft. But I think I ate a decal once.
You think, surely such a tasty morsel would be memorable
@@tinmansscalemodels Taste like chicken.
touche
Had a mini craft B-24, found the quality subpar, poor fit and lacked detail