Plastic Model Kits for Beginners: Where to Start

For a first plastic model kit, pick a starter set or a kit rated at the lowest skill level. Airfix rates its kits from 1 to 4 and recommends its starter sets, which come with paint and brushes. To skip glue and paint, a snap-together kit such as Gunpla or Revell’s easy-click range is the gentlest start.

Plastic model kits are usually injection-molded polystyrene parts joined with plastic cement, according to Wikipedia. Gunpla is the exception most beginners meet first: Bandai designs its kits so every part snaps together without glue and comes in color.

Skill levels: how makers rate their kits

Airfix’s skill levels give a clear picture of what each step up means:

Airfix calls these guidelines rather than hard rules. Revell uses its own level system, from child-friendly and easy-click kits that plug together, through kits that need glue and paint, to complex kits for experienced builders.

Which glue for a plastic kit

Glued kits use plastic cement, not general-purpose glue. Airfix explains that polystyrene cement melts the plastic slightly so the parts fuse, which is different from super glue. Wikipedia’s article on scale models describes two forms: a thick cement you apply carefully to one surface, and a thin liquid you run into a joint with a brush, where it spreads by capillary action. It adds that super glue or fast-setting epoxy is used to join polystyrene to other materials, such as metal or resin parts.

For a first glued kit, a thin liquid cement with a brush in the cap is the tidier choice: you hold the parts together and touch the brush to the seam. Use clothes pegs or clamps, as Airfix suggests, to hold larger parts while the joint sets.

Gunpla or a glued kit first?

Both are good first builds; they teach different things.

Start with Gunpla if you want a satisfying result on day one. Start with a starter set if you want to learn painting and gluing from the beginning.

Common scales by subject

Wikipedia lists the usual scales for each kind of kit:

• Aircraft: 1/72 and 1/48 are the most popular, with 1/144, 1/32 and 1/24 also common.
• Cars: 1/24 and 1/25 are typical, with 1/43 for small kits and 1/12 or 1/8 for very large ones.
• Military vehicles: 1/35 and 1/72 are common.

It also notes that nominal scales are not always exact: some 1/25 car kits are larger than some 1/24 ones.

Aircraft model kits to start with

Shop aircraft model kits (1/72 and 1/48)→

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• Airfix starter setsBrowse →
• 1/72 aircraft kitsBrowse →
• 1/48 aircraft kitsBrowse →

Displaying the finished model

Airfix describes three ways to show a finished model. A stand is the most common and suits photos. A wall bracket saves shelf space for a big collection. A diorama, a scene built to scale around the model, is the hardest and, in Airfix’s view, makes the best pictures. Gunpla builders have their own options too: see Gundam stands and Action Bases.

Buying a kit: new or secondhand?

For a first build, a new, sealed kit is the safe choice: every part, the decal sheet and the instructions are in the box. Older and out-of-production kits are often sold secondhand. Before buying one, check the listing says the parts are still on their runners and that the decals and instructions are included, since a missing part can stop a build.

The tools you need

Airfix’s list of essential tools for plastic modeling: sprue cutters (not scissors, which stress the plastic), a hobby knife, tweezers, sanding sticks, clothes pegs or clamps to hold parts while glue dries, plastic cement made for polystyrene, acrylic or enamel paints, and a few brushes. A cutting mat, a pin vise, masking tape and filler come later; an airbrush is an advanced tool.

Most of these overlap with a Gunpla toolkit, so the Gunpla tools guide applies here too.

Guides in this section

Choose a first subject: car model kits or model airplane kits. When brush painting is not enough, read airbrush kits for models. If you would rather start with a kit that needs no glue, see the best Gunpla for beginners.