List of Tamiya Product Lines - Static-display Scale Models - Aircraft

Aircraft

Their line of static model aircraft, primarily in 1/48 scale, are widely considered to be state-of-the-art. The 1990s release of the Spitfire, for example, had great ease of construction and attention to detail with the new molds having very fine raised details.

Many of the same aircraft have been repeated in 1/72 scale to a similar standard, with a few subjects only available in this scale. Within Japan the 1/72 scale line includes a large number of re-badged Italeri kits, which are priced significantly lower than Tamiya originals.

Tamiya is also one of the few manufacturers of 1/100 scale aircraft. Originally called the 'Minijet Series, consisting of jet fighters plus a B-52, it was terminated in the 1980s but revived in 2004 and renamed the Combat Jet Series.

Tamiya used to produce a few 1/32 scale kits.

In aircraft models Tamiya offers a few clear skinned kits showing interior parts of aircraft. A few motorized kits are available also which feature spinning props. Some kits even include sound effect modules. Tamiya's aircraft kits often include metal weights that prevent the aircraft from sitting on their tails. Compared to other kits such as Hasegawa, where the builder has to glue in bearings or fishing line weights, Tamiya's kits are convenient. Some kits produced recently can be made with detachable wingtips and landing gears. They also come in a box that can be turned into a raised box that could safely house the finished model after its completion. These gimmicks and often cleverly designed simpler construction help Tamiya stay on top of the miniature aircraft market.

As with many other Japanese model makers dealing with WWII weapons Tamiya also prefers to focus on Japanese weapons first, due to the considerable size of the Japanese domestic market: The 1/48 scale P-47 Thunderbolt, one of the most famous WWII fighters, has been produced only recently, while the Hellcat, an American naval fighter, is yet to be produced. The Japanese Zero fighter was the first to be produced in 1/48 scale and the first prop fighter added to the larger 1/32 scale in 2006 is once again the Japanese Zero.