Yesterday I was checking one Altaya SU-35 and was surprised by the poor paint quality.
Was it just this piece or is it standard on all Altaya SU-35s that LERX and engines undersides and area behind the canopy are painted only with paint brush - by hand?
I made some pictures for you since I could not imagine that something like this might pass through any producers´s QC. Or?
Phantom4444 or others who have Altaya SU-35, could you please give notice, if your models are also so badly painted by paint brush on those places as on the pictures? Thanks.
Those pics make me cringe. I'd wet sand the offending areas (as well as seal those horrible underside gaps) and airbrush to restore it. Better yet, just buy a kit for a fraction of the price and fix it up to a much nicer standard overall, it wouldn't be difficult even for a strict novice painter to do better than this. Thanks for the enlightenement about this model.
This kind of thing is very common with mass produced "cheapie" models. Not only is the paint work a problem, regarding application and, in many cases, colors, but the factory workers, in their frenzied haste to get the work done as fast as possible, often wont bother to fully "finish" the parts as they pop out of the molds, by sanding off the excess plastic residue or other flaws, filling in small air holes, etc. Instead, they paint over such flaws, creating rough areas such as shown in the pictures, above. The trade-off is the low retail price of the models when originally released and the fact that many unusual subjects are offered.
Darn, those pics make AF1 look like CW in comparison.....
This is kind of why I stay away from magazine models, there very much hit and miss, poor QC creeps in when factory workers need to reach quotas or they are simply having a bad day in what is probably very ****y working conditions
Well, this is my first post in this forum and, as I'm french, please be lenient with my english...
This is an old thread, but I would like to show Ladia my own copy of Altaya Su-35 model.
Unfortunately, as a newcomer, I have to cope with this forum rule : To be able to post links or images your post count must be 3 or greater.
So... See you soon !
Here are finaly the pictures, and for the price paid, 15 euro, it's not so bad...
I would like also to thank you Ladia for your recent topic about the best diecast Flanker. I have ordered one on Aliexpress website, and I should receive it within 10 days.
I own two of these Altaya Su-35s, and frankly they look as good or better than their Witty and AF-1 equivalents—no paint problems and mercifully few accuracy issues. In fact, they’re actually quite striking.
Magazine models get, and often deserve, bad reps—but there are exceptions, Altaya’s Su-35 among them. Corgi, Hobby Master, and Century Wings (to name but three manus) produce exceptional models, no question; but given a little less bias and a lot more objectivity, many of us would see that Altaya produces a number of decent, if not commendable, products, too.
I recommend this blue-clad ’35 to everyone who loves Flankers. Good luck in finding one, though.
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Don't get your hopes up about that new flanker from aliexpress, I was very disappointed with both the service and the quality
If I remember well you reported some problems with the rear elevators or vertical stabilizers. Where was the problem?
Did you fix it or have you tried to return the model?
I own two of these Altaya Su-35s, and frankly they look as good or better than their Witty and AF-1 equivalents—no paint problems and mercifully few accuracy issues. In fact, they’re actually quite striking.
Magazine models get, and often deserve, bad reps—but there are exceptions, Altaya’s Su-35 among them. Corgi, Hobby Master, and Century Wings (to name but three manus) produce exceptional models, no question; but given a little less bias and a lot more objectivity, many of us would see that Altaya produces a number of decent, if not commendable, products, too.
I recommend this blue-clad ’35 to everyone who loves Flankers. Good luck in finding one, though.
interesting take. but doesn't it bother you that magmods may just slip into the price bracket that hm has since vacated? if true, that's a worrisome proposition for the future of this hobby.
interesting take. but doesn't it bother you that magmods may just slip into the price bracket that hm has since vacated? if true, that's a worrisome proposition for the future of this hobby.
Lots of worrisome developments in our hobby, tomcatter. I could go on all day long about how skyrocketing model prices are demolishing this hobby, vandalizing collectors’ enthusiasm. If I understand your comment correctly and Altaya does hike its prices—that’ll hammer yet another nail in this happy little pastime’s coffin.
So many of my friends have taken the off-ramp collecting wise, I’m left to wonder how long our hobby will survive. I know for a fact that Corgi’s hurting big time, and Hobby Master’s getting jittery. Several of my vendor friends stand on shaky ground, too, and don’t see much of a future beyond two to three years.
Personally, I’ve shaved my collecting waay down and have no plans to purchase much more product. I feel sorry for the guys who’ve just joined our ranks, faced with exorbitant prices and declining quality.
On the bright side, things can change. They have before.
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It may be a good time to catch up on some older releases on the secondary market before those prices start to increase in line with the new stuff! I've even found myself starting to look at the cheaper ranges as the price differential between them and, in particular, HM has been expanding.
Altaya are super low cost , really nice for under $18.00 replicas, I don't get the complaining, if Hobby Master made this is would be $100.00 and still not be perfect. I have all the Altaya, Diagostini, IXO and so on super low cost models and there all amazing for the money paid, real bargains.
As for the Hobby costing more, everything I buy cost more other than fuel now, so isn't that just part of life. Heck my Health Insurance cost 4 times what it did just 3 short years ago and talk about crappy quality, its the worse coverage I have ever had in my entire life and we have zero control over that.
I love the planes, wish I was rich and could get most of them and display them too. Best hobby and pastime ever. I have friends that will go out and blow 100's of dollars on a Friday night to eat and drink themselves sick and don't even lose any sleep over it. For the cost of there couple hours of stupid fun I can get years of hobby fun :-)
Lots of worrisome developments in our hobby, tomcatter. I could go on all day long about how skyrocketing model prices are demolishing this hobby, vandalizing collectors’ enthusiasm. If I understand your comment correctly and Altaya does hike its prices—that’ll hammer yet another nail in this happy little pastime’s coffin.
So many of my friends have taken the off-ramp collecting wise, I’m left to wonder how long our hobby will survive. I know for a fact that Corgi’s hurting big time, and Hobby Master’s getting jittery. Several of my vendor friends stand on shaky ground, too, and don’t see much of a future beyond two to three years.
Personally, I’ve shaved my collecting waay down and have no plans to purchase much more product. I feel sorry for the guys who’ve just joined our ranks, faced with exorbitant prices and declining quality.
On the bright side, things can change. They have before.
you're right. monsieur ukrainian falcons predicted a 1-2 years' survival, at best. hm has gone down some slippery path in the past so they may have brought about their own downfall. the blue fiasco with the eagles, selection of the vigi over other more promising airframes (flankers?), pandering to just a certain populace (rocaf?) ... and recently, the screw up with the vikings. current prices aren't exactly newbie friendly... unless you have deep pockets like monsieur kangaroo. but that's exactly it, isn't it? altaya moving along to $80 a pop and hm no less than $100
yes, i've witnessed many of my fellow collectors giving up the hobby by reason of cost alone... moving to the relatively cheaper armour instead. tbh i've pretty much got all that i need and it's pretty much more detailed dupes that are being churned out, and the detailing doesn't exactly justify the steep price increase. but i guess to each his own so we'll see two years forth.
I'm inclined to not worry too much. Don't forget newcomer Calibre Wings entering the market with an expensive "high end" model. If the hobby was in a "bad" way don't think they would risk doing a new tooling of the F-14 or even to consider doing more.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Richtofen888
Lots of worrisome developments in our hobby, tomcatter. I could go on all day long about how skyrocketing model prices are demolishing this hobby, vandalizing collectors’ enthusiasm. If I understand your comment correctly and Altaya does hike its prices—that’ll hammer yet another nail in this happy little pastime’s coffin.
So many of my friends have taken the off-ramp collecting wise, I’m left to wonder how long our hobby will survive. I know for a fact that Corgi’s hurting big time, and Hobby Master’s getting jittery. Several of my vendor friends stand on shaky ground, too, and don’t see much of a future beyond two to three years.
Personally, I’ve shaved my collecting waay down and have no plans to purchase much more product. I feel sorry for the guys who’ve just joined our ranks, faced with exorbitant prices and declining quality.
On the bright side, things can change. They have before.
Well, this is my first post in this forum and, as I'm french, please be lenient with my english...
This is an old thread, but I would like to show Ladia my own copy of Altaya Su-35 model.
Unfortunately, as a newcomer, I have to cope with this forum rule : To be able to post links or images your post count must be 3 or greater.
So... See you soon !
Welcome to the forum, look forward to more pics of your collection.
You're welcome, John, nice to read such kind words!
And welcome also to the forum.
Wish your arriving Flanker will be free of manufacturing defects just as mine. Let us know!
Thank you Ladia and also all the other experienced collectors for your welcoming words.
I hope also to receive a defect-free Flanker, but I'm aware that ordering on Aliexpress website is a little bit risky. I will keep you informed about the perceived quality of my future Su-35.
I add that I will create later on a topic to show my little collection (Hey, I'm only a junior collector!) which comprises mainly of 1/72 carrier-borne jet aircraft (CW, HM, Witty, and, as I'm french, Dassault ).
Is it just me or did this forum take a depressing turn. These models aren't perfect and no they are never ever going to be. Despite only posted about 5 times, i have been collecting diecast airplanes for over 15 years. Such little misshapen metal objects with lots of pictures and plastic things stuck on give me great joy and I feel like a little kid at christmas when one turns up at my door even now after 300 of them taking up every nook and cranny in my house. To me they are all perfect even the ones that make me go, "Hmmmm okay...?"
This hobby is great and will remain great despite what some pessimists may say. When you no longer look forward to your next model it's time to bail out and leave it for everyone else to continue to enjoy.
And returning to the original thread, if i have to choose a perfect model, all my HM Lockheed EC-121D Warning Star's and all the other military Constellations take the prize despite their relative uncomplicatedness for their size if that is even a word! Makes me want to own and fly a real one!
And I have just posted to the wrong thread! MY BAD! Serves me right for reading multiple threads at once! Top half relevant to this thread, bottom half to Technically Best Hobby Master 1:72 Aircraft thread despite my pick being 200 scale! I'm going away now and having a nice lie down! And this is why i don't post!
I have a lot of these cheap models (Altaya, Italeri, DeAgostini, Amercom, Atlas Editions, ...). Some are very nice, some can pass, some are a disaster. You need some luck when buying these models but these companies make some models no one else will ever make ...
Excellent review. That's a must buy for me based on your review
Joking aside if the price is right (lower) I might get one for my Russian collection. I also plan to build the Mig 31 from kit this year.
No production Su-35 has canards though, only the off-brand demo which never went anywhere. So basically the IRL Altaya version too
see??? that's exactly it. always make yourself clear the first time. you're adding "production" into the equation like how you meant "this model never had shark mouth at the time" in the other thread
Altaya 1/72 SU-35 paint quality
that looks BAD
Thanks for the enlightenement about this model.
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