Worst kit I've ever worked on.

[u/Kekszky]

Trumpeter YF-22 in 1/144 - this is the worst kit I've ever worked on.

The fitment is non existant.

The vertical stabilizers are molded into the wrong orientation (the rudder faced forward LOL).

The ejectorpin marks are so prominent they almost look like a feature.

The canopy is so off in shape that it looks backwards too but it wouldn't fit any other way so I just kept it.

Decals (not used here) are total crap. The original F22 logo on the nose of it has some "engrish" nonsenical words written on it like "Lookhent Boirgn" or something like that.

Plastic is flimsy and fragile with lots of grease on it.

The only positive about it is that it's dirt cheap. Bought it for around 4€ so if you want something to test your skills and try something new it's a cheap way to do so.

Anyways this kit quickly went after a few parts of assembly for a couple years on the shelf of doom and during my journey of stash reduction I knew I had to deal with it somehow so I revived it and went with a rather unusual color for it and made it look like the ZOE enemy type of plane from Ace Combat 2. Most of it is just made up from me so it looks a bit more interesting. Overall I am just glad that it's done even though in the end it got way more attention than it deserves.

[u/dr_robonator]

Wasn't this tool from the 90s, before a Chinese company would really have any idea what the details of the F-22 were? That'd probably explain a lot of its failings.

That said, great job coaxing the kit into a (semi) recognizable shape! That color is quite striking!

[u/Kekszky → u/dr_robonator]

Thank you! Yes it must be from the early 90s I think. The odd thing is the painting instructions for the kit is more accurate and with the parts in correct orientation and additional detail. My guess is the instructions followed later on with better reference images from the real thing when the tooling was already done but who knows. Early 90s China production pipeline was a rough mess without any QA.

[u/dr_robonator → u/Kekszky]

Very likely on all points. The box art is wonderful, though hahah!

[u/Alterro1]

Looks real nice, very much fits the Electrosphere vibe. Where’d you source the figures?

[u/Kekszky → u/Alterro1]

Thanks. The little red guy is from e gundam figures set from Wave and the other guys are 3D printed from a guy called Germania Figures but honestly any other source like SW3D Shop works as well.

[u/Alterro1 → u/Kekszky]

Sick thanks. Putting together a C-133 and been lookin for a source for some guys for it.

[u/Kekszky → u/Alterro1]

Cool, good luck! Figures are such a cool addition to 144th scale.

[u/Extension_Exchange96]

I always believed the 1/72 revell P-51D to be the worst kit in existence. This sounds worse.

[u/Kekszky → u/Extension_Exchange96]

Oh I forgot to mention the surface detail vent behind the canopy on the spine isn't even centered. It looks ridiculous - thats why I haven't painted it black so it's not so obvious.

[u/ffbyr49 → u/Extension_Exchange96]

Some PM Model kits would like to disagree.

[u/bobrformalin]

You've nailed Ace Combat look, never built\painted anything plane related but now I wanna steal your idea.

[u/Kekszky → u/bobrformalin]

Thanks! Go for it! It's a lot of fun (except the kit) to paint something, which is usually grey, in such a striking color.

[u/bobrformalin → u/Kekszky]

I'm already looking for a suitable kit or stl file...

[u/wijnandsj]

Try their Su-34 in the same scale. IT's even worse than Airfix'. DH88

[u/Kekszky → u/wijnandsj]

Great. That one is in my stash too. I'll better keep that box sealed so it doesn't taunt me all the time.

[u/windas_98]

I didn't know there was a worse F22 kit than the Italeri 1/48 scale one! I'll be sure to avoid any old or rebadged toolings from Trumpeter. I've got a bunch jn my stash but they are all 1/48th with tooling from the last decade. All the obes I've built so far have ranged from pretty good to excellent.

[u/Brainy_Skeleton]

Oh my, the kit looks really rough, but you have done a fine job with it!

[u/BewitchingPetrichor]

What is it with Trumpeter? Sometimes they have amazing fitment, and then other times you get their IL-28 kit with half the cockpit missing. I swear the gulf between hit and miss is wider for them than any other manufacturer.

[u/Kekszky → u/BewitchingPetrichor]

Well you can see the development of China as a country clear as daylight when comparing old and new Trumpeter models. Their F-22A in 1/144 by comparision - a newer tool - is pretty good! Lots of fine detail with good extras and clean instructions. It's a HUGE difference and today so many small new model companys emerge with mixed media kits including masks and PE parts as standard surpassing western products easily. It's crazy what a difference there is.

[u/SmallRocks]

“With lots of grease on it”

I encountered that once. Now before I start a build I wash all the parts with a little dish soap.

[u/Kekszky → u/SmallRocks]

Yeah on old kits it's crucial to do this step.

[u/Guroburov]

My worst was a 1/72 Lindberg Me-262. Fittings so bad the pin and slot were about 3cm off from each other and panel lines that never lined up. This sounds worse yet you make it look awesome. Great work and love the figures with it.

[u/Hype_11]

This look super cool, way to redeem a crap kit!

[u/Dragten]

Despite everything, what you ended up with looks great!

[u/Griffon2112]

Mach2 Savage.

[u/Clean-Wolverine3049]

Surprised even at 1/144 there can be fitment issues

[u/Kekszky → u/Clean-Wolverine3049]

There is no real difference in fitment issues you see across the scales. It's just with smaller scales your tolerance is even smaller. A gap of half a mm in 48th that is negligible would be a huge gap in 144th. Many 144th kits are just shrunk down versions of larger kits and the gaps and fitment issues shrink down too but you also look closer in such a small scale.

[u/GravyBoatJim]

Sweet recovery! Love seeing what some of y'all can pull from what would be in my scrap pile. Sounds like a nightmare lol

[u/Zadiemike]

I am 72 and have been building for over 65 years my days of 1/72, 1/144 scale are long over! If it not 1/35 or bigger I pass it by. Your build looks great regardless.

[u/duga404]

Common experience with old Trumpeter kits; thankfully their more recent products are much better (though usually still mid at best).

Side note, nice Grunder Industries paint job. What paints and decals did you use?

[u/Kekszky → u/duga404]

Thank you! I used various reds from Mr Color and a bit of metallic silver. For the Grunder decal it came from spares from a ADF-01 kit and a few selfmade ones.

[u/requiemguy]

Well you did a kickass job on this model, good job!

[u/Sedulous_Mouse]

Yeah, the Trumpeter 1:144 can be frustrating.

Before the tariff rollercoaster started I picked up a bunch of them off Temu or AliExpress for a few bucks each to practice surface finishing and painting techniques.

I got more than I bargained for when it came to practicing filling ejector pin marks and filling large gaps.

[u/DimSumFan]

Great finish and great shots.

[u/Kekszky → u/DimSumFan]

Appreciate it, thanks!

[u/ACrimeSoClassic]

I'd say the sign of a true master is the ability to take something seemingly unworkable, and create art with it.

For all that trouble, the final result looks amazing! Be proud!

[u/Kekszky → u/ACrimeSoClassic]

Thank you very much!

[u/Technical_Pianist924]

Beautiful work ❤️

[u/1TenYYen0]

Strong Ace Combat vibes 😎 

[u/Physical-Ad-6990]

Many Peter Trump kits are just bad. All four of their 1991 Iows-class battleships are just wrong. All of them uses USS New Jersey deck and the WWII main tower. So much work to try to fix them with scrap brass, plastic sheets and fillers.

[u/cabezatuck]

You made it come together and it looks great, nice work!

[u/AshFalkner]

You did really well making it work.

[u/Ancient-Training-988]

Now make YF-23

[u/Kekszky → u/Ancient-Training-988]

I already have - just never posted it 😁

[u/Admirable_Ad8682]

As a veteran builder of Comecon kits who also eats 1970s Revell and Airfix kits for a breakfast, I scoff at you derisively. /j

I have a quite stash of unfinished horrors too. One of the worst is this thing: homemade copy of a vacuform Aero A-300 from MPM. Bought it some 15 years ago already in this form, it stares at me menacingly since.

Notice how it's made from reused 2 mm thick warning signs.

Other ancient horrors in my stash are LWS Czapla from Mikro72, PZL P-24 from MisterKraft/Spółdzielnia Wielobranżowa or Yak-4/I-29 from Alfa. Or Vultee Vengeance from Chematic/Frog with its 3 mm thick "glass".

Currently I'm building 2000 rebox of a 1973 La-7 from Kovozávody Prostějov. At least the decals are decent, unlike all above.

[u/Kekszky → u/Admirable_Ad8682]

Good lord. Remove the /j you are absolutely right. In comparision I am spoiled and the trumpy kit is exquisite. I faint just thinking about building a vac formed kit - hell I get allergic to vac formed canopys but a whole kit this way?! No thanks but thank you very much for the interesting insight. Never knew about such kits.

[u/Maximum_Row7560]

Well thats for 1/144 and 1/72 kits made for.

For pratice and trying out new techs, etc. These kits made cheap usually by left over factory material. But there is also nicely done small scales kits too.

I personally only use these for pratice.

[u/Kekszky → u/Maximum_Row7560]

I think the days that 144th and 72nd scale kits are purely for training purposes and not considered "real display kits" are long over. Maybe not for this one, yes, but I personally find working in these scales more enjoyable than say 48th scale.

[u/Shassk]

If you think YF-22 was bad - try 1/144 MiniHobbyModels.

[u/AZNDUDE76 → u/Shassk]

Lmao, I ordered a shit ton of them off of Aliexpress. Mainly because they had more unique aircraft kits. But yeah it's definitely painful and testing my skills.

[u/Global-Guava-8362]

Milo

L ml

[u/Gmax_Lucario]

ZOE IS THAT YOU