Reviewing the 1/48 Scale Cylon Raiders Resin Kits

Alright, you have seen those awesome 1/24 scale Cylon Raider kits. Now let's touch on the 1/48 scale version. As far as I know, there are only 2 available source for these, and one of them unfortunately is already out of production (unless a decision is made later on to reissue her).

Yup, I'm referring to Bad Azz's version of the Advance Raider, and Fantastic Plastic's version (which was sculpted by Alfred Wong). One of the reason why 1/48 scale kits are more popular with most modelers is because of price - they are indeed more affordable. But you have to take note that the problem with a smaller scale version is that the level of details you often find on larger models are sacrificed. This is why I was very impressed with Bad Azz's kit. It was literally an exact duplicate with its 1/24 scale cousin.

Lets take a look at what these two has to offer:


Fantastic Plastic Advance Cylon Raider (Left) compared against Bad Azz's Advanced Raider (Right)

The retired kit here refers to Fantastic Plastic's version. The wings are casted in one piece requiring very simply assembly of the main fuselage. There are quite a few resin stubs to trim off on the kit, and the panel details are nicely embedded unto the kit. 11 resin parts are included.

Bad Azz version on the other hand is an exact miniature of its 1/24 scale variant. The curves are more pronounced and minute details are visible even though they are very small. Casting is very well done using high quality resin and the kit comes with 22 resin parts. Some minor sanding is required just to clean of some resin flashes and I didn't see any stubs on the kit



Closer look at the 1/48 scale Bad Azz Raider - check out the detailed panel lines on this kit

 

Fantastic Plastic's kit on the other hand offers an easier assembly mode and retained some of the details. You can see the resin stubs clearly which require some careful trimmings

 

Side profile of the Bad Azz kit revealing more of the details casted on the kit

 

Side profile look on Fantastic Plastic's kit


And for those who are wondering how big the 1/24 and 1/48 scale kits are, here's literally an apple to apple comparison - Bad Azz's versions for both kits since they are exactly similar except in size. You can see how much a mere half difference make when the 1/24 scale kit literally dwarfs the 1/48 kit. You can even use the images below to see how every single details are captured from the bigger version to the smaller kit.

Another thing I wish to note. When I handled Fantastic Plastic's kit, there was a smooth oily feel to her texture. I'm guessing that's the mold release agent used to prevent the resin from bonding with the mold. Bad Azz's kits had no such sensation. Nevertheless you will need to wash ALL resin kits thoroughly before starting work on them. These release agents will prevent anything, primer, paint and glue, from sticking to the resin surface. A hastily washed kit may result in disaster, so be warned.