BY BILL ENGAR
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UPDATE 06 APRIL 2023:  ACADEMY MODELS HAS HAD THE BIGGEST COLLECTION OF DIFFERENT TITANIC MODELS AVAILABLE.  THIS KIT LINE IS ANTICIPATED TO EXPAND WITH ACADEMY'S ACQUISITION OF MINICRAFT'S TOOLING, INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, AND THE MINICRAFT BRAND.  SEE BELOW FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.  ACADEMY/MINICRAFT IS BACK!!!

The Titanic needs little introduction.  The story of the disaster was very much in our collective consciousness even before the wreck of the famous ship was discovered in 1985. 

In 1997, filmmaker James Cameron released Titanic, the movie he always wanted to make.  During that period, the Titanic Disaster became even more prominent in popular culture.  The movie is kind of a historical fulcrum for Titanic model kits.

Is it the most famous ship ever?  Surprisingly, Titanic didn't show up as a plastic model kit for quite a few years after plastic model kits came into their own.

Titanic models didn’t show up right away in the history of plastic model kits.  The 1950s saw the transition from wood model kits to plastic, and all the basic favorites for modelers showed up in plastic form during this decade including the P-51, Spitfire, and Iowa Class battleship.  During the 1960’s, the hobby came into its own with a wide range of popular subjects being established and manufacturers dabbled in some experimental areas we’ve also covered on the website such as the Universal movie monster kits and Weird Ohs.  Another experimental range that matured during the 1960’s was civilian aircraft and ships.

Airfix had a growing range of popular ships in 1/600 scale, but it was Revell who beat them by a couple years in the realm of ocean liner models with the debut of their spectacular 1/570 Queen Mary kit in 1962 (Brother Dick build this kit later in the decade).  Airfix responded with two queens of the sea in the form of their Queen Elizabeth and Mauritania kits, both of which debuted in 1964.   A Queen Elizabeth 2 followed in 1968.

RMS Queen Mary was still crossing the Atlantic Ocean regularly with passengers when Revell released this 1/570-scale model of the ship in 1962.  This kit was a great improvement on a previous Revell passenger ship, the SS United States, which debuted in 1955.  BoxArtDen image.

By the 1970’s, plastic model builders were a maturing bunch and modeling companies tried to keep up.  During this period, the great ocean liners had succumbed to jet travel as the preferred way to cross the Atlantic Ocean but Revell opted to produce a kit of the Titanic in the same 1/570 scale as their Queen Mary and half-dozen or so battleships.  Of note is that the Queen Mary and Titanic were separated in history by about twenty years.  Displaying them together might not be accurate historically, but it is interesting to compare these two flagships of different eras side-by-side in the same scale.

The RMS Queen Elizabeth was an improvement on her older sibling, Queen Mary, being the world's largest passenger ship for 56 years.  Designed to be faster than the Queen Mary, which held the Atlantic crossing speed record for fifteen years, she was purposefully never allowed to challenge the record, and it was ironically the SS United States which smashed the record by over 3.5 knots in 1952.  This kit debuted in 1964 (BoxArtDen image).

Around the same time, a new company on the scene, Entex, decided that maturing modelers might appreciate a much bigger Titanic model, choosing 1/350 scale instead of 1/570.  As I recall, there really wasn’t much of a 1/350 scale at that point—Tamiya hadn’t released its iconic 1/350 scale Bismarck, which was probably what really got the ball rolling on 1/350 being accepted as a standard ship modeling scale.  Entex followed up Titanic with another ill-fated ocean liner kit; in this case the Lusitania, and of course Tamiya added other 1/350 battleship kits (such as the USS Missouri).   1/350-scale was off and running for “the” large ship model scale of choice—at least until Trumpeter Models of China decided to launch a line of 1/200 scale ship models.

I remember the Entex kit caused a stir in the modeling community when it debuted in 1975-6.  It was celebrated for its size and level of detail.  I didn’t consider buying one at the time since my meager paperboy earnings at that time put it way out of my budget.

While the early 1/350 Titanic kit is most remembered in this Entex box, it was actually a Japanese company named G Mark that engineered this kit.  

The Revell 1/570 and Entex 1/350 Titanic kits satisfied modelers for a couple decades.  The Revell kit was known for being fairly inexpensive, and the Entex kit was the spectacular contest-winner.

In late 1985, Robert Ballard discovered the wreck of the Titanic nearly 2-1/2 miles deep in the Atlantic Ocean.  James Cameron’s career as a filmmaker had come to prominence, and within ten years, he began production of his three-hour epic Titanic movie.  Cameron recollects that he was passionate about the Titanic story and aspired to do a no-holds-barred movie treatment once he had the resources and technology to accomplish the task.  With the experience and success of his Terminator series under his belt and the fortuitous new availability of digital special effects largely pioneered during Terminator II, Cameron worked in earnest on the project.

Don't get us wrong - we love this original Revell box art - but it looks like Titanic is about to run aground in Antarctica with all that ice.

Interestingly, the film critics savaged and ridiculed Titanic early on, beginning quite a while before it was even released.  More on this later!  The moviegoing public disagreed strongly with critics and the film went on to break box office records and even further repudiated those early critics by winning eleven Academy Awards--including Best Picture!
 
During 1998, Titanic the movie, Titanic The Disaster, and Titanic the ship were all front-and-center in popular culture.
 
Ocean liner model enthusiasts were also big winners during Titanic-Mania.  A number of new model kits of the Titanic began to appear as the popcorn dust settled.

In this heavily schmoozed image from Titanic (1997), the sun sets on the ship for the last time as she sails to her destiny.

THE LIST

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We thought we’d provide a rundown of the major plastic injection-molded Titanic kits by scale.  Thanks to the popularity of the movie and the fairly recent 2012 centenary of the Titanic Disaster, there’s now a Titanic model for just about everybody.  As late as 2022, all-new versions of Titanic model kits are being produced!  Since we originally published this list, we've discovered a few boxings and versions that we missed.  We've added those and won't claim that the list is complete by any stretch!

At 882'-9" (269.1 m) in length  and 92'-6" (28.2 m) in width, the Titanic was the largest ship afloat in her day.  We'll include kit measurements in our listing so you'll know just how big the models are.

One of the themes you'll notice here is that these Titanic model kits are produced by companies from all over the world.  The story of the Titanic and the models of the ship truly generate global interest.

We've also included Amazon sponsor links for the kits available at time of posting.  Note that availability and pricing may change.

​Peter Davies-Gardiner has written a guide to modeling Titanic.  In his book he shares extensive research that will be helpful regarding painting and detailing any Titanic model whether  built out-of-the-box or with added customized work.

REVELL OF GERMANY 1/1200 R.M.S. TITANIC
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One of the early Titanic kits to appear after the movie was the smallest injection-molded styrene model kit of Titanic available, Revell Germany's 1/1200 Titanic model.

The smallest commonly available Titanic model kit is from Revell of Germany in 1/1200 scale.  It was one of the early post-movie Titanic kits to appear (1999).  At about 8-3/4” (22.3 cm) long and less than an inch (2.4 cm) in width, it’s a small and generally inexpensive model.  It was designed to snap together.  It’s molded with a one-piece black hull and white superstructure parts.  Paint will help make the model look more realistic.  Red and White for the hull and fittings, Tan for the decks, and Black and White Star Line-Buff will be needed for the stacks.

This Revell image shows their 1/1200 Titanic model as built with extra painting.  Note paint colors needed:  Hull Red, Deck Tan, Gray, and White Star Buff.  Note that Flat Black was used for the stack tops and the skylight was accented with Light Blue.  It also appears that a different shade of Light Brown was used for the masts.  The gold stripe accent at deck level comes from the decal sheet; this is a nice detail that the otherwise spartan kit provides.  Note that Gold paint was also used for the stand.

​(SPONSOR LINKS)

Engineering for the parts to this kit isn’t totally top-notch.  There will be some gaps and fit issues that might frustrate newer or younger modelers.  Perhaps the most egregious is the fit of the front bridge face. 
 
There are a handful of other 1/1200 scale ship kits out there including a few modern-era ocean liners, also by Revell of Germany.  Collectors of this scale would probably be interested in adding the Titanic kit to their stash.

One word of warning; the boxes for the 1/1200-scale Titanic and 1/700 Titanic from Revell-Germany are very similar!  Take note when you order so that you don't get the incorrect size model by mistake!

Overall, this might be an enjoyable build for someone who wants a really small or very cheap Titanic model.  It will require a fair bit of painting to even resemble the next Titanic kit on our list sans paint.
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ACADEMY 1/1000 R.M.S. TITANIC

Perhaps a better choice for someone who wants a small, easy-to-build Titanic model is Academy’s 1/1000 MCP Titanic.  MCP is Academy’s brand for easy-to-build, as in Multi-Colored Parts.  This model will be about 10.5” (26.9 cm) in length with a width of 1-1/8” (2.8 cm).  Academy is a South Korean company known for producing excellent aircraft, armor, and naval scale model kits.

Academy's 1/1000 MCP Titanic is one of the most recently engineered, having debuted in 2015.  The hull is split at the waterline with a reddish-brown plastic below and black above.  Aside from eliminating the need to mask and paint for a full-hull ship, this makes it a simple matter to make a waterline  model.
 
If the kit has a downside, it’s that it is a scale-orphan.  1/1000 is a nice even number, but it’s not a common ship model kit scale.  For someone who simply wants to build an inexpensive Titanic with a minimum of painting, this is the ticket.  Parts snap together easily and fit together well thanks to state-of-the-art engineering.   The kit is a good one for non-modelers.

A computer-generated breakdown of parts for the Academy MCP 1/1000 Titanic kit.  The anchors are a chrome-y brass color.  So cool.  Yet so inaccurate.  Titanic's anchors were black.

Incidentally, for the sake of any non-modelers who may be visiting here because they are interested in the Titanic, 1/1000 scale simply means that if you put 1000 of these finished models end-to-end, the length of this line would be the same as the real Titanic.  As the number decreases, the size of the model increases.  You could probably guess that a 1/350-scale titanic model is a lot bigger (3-1/2 times longer) than that 1/1000 Academy model.
 
The Academy 1/1000 kit has many small parts and some non-model builders may be challenged.  Any child or adult who has mastered complex Lego kits with small parts shouldn’t be too frustrated by Academy’s smallest Titanic, but the model’s parts will be more fragile than the Legos.

​(SPONSOR LINK)

Of course the modeler can enhance the kit.  A bottle of white paint and a fine brush can be used to paint deck details that should be white but were molded into the tan deck.  Shooting a flat clearcoat over the finished model should help knock down that “plasticky” look.
 
The other suggestion with these pre-colored Titanic kits is to repaint those neon-orange funnels!  The correct color has been described as “buff.”  I will concede that the bright orange color gives the model some visual “punch” but if you’re more interested in historical accuracy, a different shade of paint is in order.  More on this later.

​LEE 1/800 TITANIC

A 1/800 scale Titanic kit is available from Lee Models. Lee is known for producing knockoffs (inferior copies) of existing kits.  There are a handful of 1/800 aircraft carrier kits out there, but not a whole lot else as far as ship models.  Chances are that Lee used a pantograph to cut a mold from somebody else’s Titanic kit in a different scale.  Based on Lee kits I’ve seen, the modeler ought to be aware of this one unless it’s very cheap, or perhaps a collector is trying to collect as many Titanic kits as possible in different scales and wanted to fill that 1/800 slot.  In 1/800 scale, the Lee kit should measure in at 12-1/8" (33.6 cm) in length and about 1-1/4" (3.5 cm) in width.

Original issues of this kit had the price, $USD4.95, in large print on the boxtop.  It has become scarce and prices are somewhat highter than this nowadays--if you can find it!

​ACADEMY 1/720 R.M.S. TITANIC

At 1/720 scale, your Academy or Zhengdefu knockoff Titanic should measure about 14-3/4 inches (37.4 cm) in length and 1/5” (3.9 cm) in width.  The 1/720 Academy kit is actually becoming harder to find at time of posting (2021).

​From 1/800, we graduate to 1/720 scale.  Revell released a number of ship models in this scale starting in the 1960's, which factors by 10 to popular 1/72 aircraft scale.  Revell called it “International Scale” and had a series of ships including a version of their USS Arizona, which was scaled down from their own 1/426 kit.  Their 1/720 USS Enterprise (CV 65) aircraft carrier was a popular kit when it debuted in 1968 and Italeri followed suit with a nice series of modern aircraft carriers in the same scale, most notably the Nimitz and her sister ships with a few variations in the plastic.  Other Italeri ships such as the HMS Hood and Admiral Graf Spee helped fill out this niche-scale.  Academy released their 1/720 Titanic in 2004.  Since their 1/700 kit was released a few years later, the 1/720 version has become harder to find.  Most likely, the only modelers really interested in this kit will be those who collect specifically the 1/720-scale subjects.  1/700 is close to 1/720, but 1/700 is the "default" small-scale for ship models and the number of kits available in 1/700 dwarfs kits found in 1/720.
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ZHENGDEFU 1/720 R.M.S. TITANIC 

Zhengdefu's 1/720 kit appears to be a knockoff of the 1/720 Academy kit.  And the plastic in the kit does not match the picture on the box.  Caveat emptor.

A knockoff (clone-copy; probably pantographed from the Academy kit) by Zhengdefu can be found in 1/720 scale.  It's motorized.  Both these 1/720 kits may interest fans of aforementioned 1/720 scale, or perhaps those uber-Titanic collectors who desire a full collection of the Titanic kits out there.  As a general rule, a pantographed knockoff uses parts from a competitor's kit as masters.  A pantograph machine "copies" the parts, cutting metal from the kit part master to make a new mold.  Normally, masters used to make the original kit are double the size of the final parts.  As a general rule, the finished parts to the copy will be inferior to the parts of the knockoff since a 1/1 pantograph will always be inferior to the original master.
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THE TITANIC IN 1/700 SCALE

​1/700 is by far the most popular small scale for ship models and there are now quite a few options for modelers to find the right Titanic kit in 1/700 scale.  I recall 1/700 being ubiquitous in the 1970’s thanks to a big series of waterline models mostly of WWII Japanese subjects release by the likes of Fujimi and Tamiya.  At the time, these models were engineered with finely detailed parts that fit well and they helped establish the reputation that Japanese model kit manufacturers have today for attention to details and precision.
 
Here, a Titanic kit will measure in at about 15-1/8” (38.4 cm) long and just over 1.5” (4 cm) in width.  Note that there really isn’t a huge difference in the dimensions between a 1/720 and 1/700 model!  It’s like 3%, almost not enough to notice.  That’s just one centimeter, or less than a half-inch difference in length between Titanic models in both of those scales.

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MENG 1/700 R.M.S. TITANIC

​Meng is a newer company, dating back to 2011.  Their claim to fame seems to be releasing all-new kits that challenge the established modeler's favorites.  To do this, a kit needs to boast improved details and accuracy and have superior parts fit and engineering.  Over the past few years, Meng has accomplished this with a number of armor subjects and their product line has grown quickly.  In 2022, they applied this formula to their all-new 1/700 Titanic.  This kit appears to have no connection to any of the other 1/700 Titanic kits out there, including the Academy version.  Meng previously released a "Q Edition" version of Titanic that was cartoonishly distorted.  If you intend to buy the newer, accurately-scaled version, don't order the much cheaper Q-Edition by mistake.

Meng's box art depicts Titanic nearing its last sunset with all the lights on.

The most similar kit to Meng's new Titanic is the Academy MCP version (stay tuned) with in its version that includes extra lighting.  The key difference here is that Meng designed their kit around the lighting in the first place, unlike the Academy kit which had the lighting and separately colored sprues engineered after the original version was tooled.

And this photo from their website depicts the model built right out of the box with no painting.  The funnels are more of a subdued peach color than the Academy MCP kit.

The other feature where Meng took efforts to improve upon the Academy kit was the base.  Meng's base includes a simulated wood-grain finish and a metal nameplate.  The intent is that a novice modeler can produce a nice display model without a high level of skill.  The Meng kit retails at a higher price than the Academy kit and time will tell how well it is accepted by modelers of all skill levels.

​ACADEMY 1/700 R.M.S. TITANIC (14402)

​Academy's original 1/700 Titanic was released in 2007 as #14402.  The kit was later retooled slightly to produce the MCP version.

Academy's 1/700 Titanic was released after their 1/400 and 1/600 versions.  There were virtually no civilian ships in 1/700 scale at the time and it was unknown how popular a Titanic would be in a scale that was exclusively the domain of the military ship.  Apparently this model did well enough that the 1/720 and 1/600 versions have virtually disappeared and they even saw a market to re-engineer the kit for easier assembly without painting.

ACADEMY 1/700 R.M.S. TITANIC (14214)

We bought this kit (14214, the non-lighted version) at Hobby Lobby (a craft-hobby chain in the USA) during the summer of 2020.  It was stickered under the shrinkwrap with an MSRP-type sticker listing $USD39.99.  One of Hobby Lobby's 40%-off coupons brought that price down a bit.  At time of posting, Hobby Lobby has discontinued the 40%-off coupon program (Noooooooo!) but they run 40%-off sales on their models more frequently than in the past.

Academy shines in 1/700 scale.  Check out our review of the kit here.  Or, just try Googling "1/700 Titanic" and see what comes up!  We have a comprehensive comparison between the original Academy 1/700 Titanic (14402) and the MCP version.  And thanks for making us so popular with Google!

Their 1/700 kit is the same MCP standard with pre-colored parts except with more detail than the smaller 1/1000 kit.  They have a version available with LED lighting as well (14220) as we'll see in a bit.

Lest you think this is just a beginner’s snap kit, a builder wishing to put a much higher level of workmanship into a 1/700 Titanic can start with the same MCP kit.  Both currently-available Academy 1/700 Titanic models have optional photoetch detailing sets and wood decks available, so you can turn these otherwise easygoing kits into real masterpieces with skills and effort.

To engineer this kit, Academy made a number of tooling changes including splitting the hull at the waterline with two colors of plastic and separately molding other components in their appropriate colors of plastic.  Check a detailed review and a short history of the kit here.
 

ACADEMY 1/700 R.M.S. TITANIC (14220)

This is the same plastic as #14214, but it includes LED lighting!  Note that the hull portholes are open.  The original Academy 1/700 Titanic (14402) has engraved, but closed portholes with a one-piece hull, not split at the waterline like kits 14214 and 14220.  Anybody wishing to do an RC-conversion of an Academy 1/700 kit will probably want the early version of the kit (14202).  Confused yet?  See our comprehensive review for complete information.  We break down in detail the differences between the first issue of the Academy 1/700 kit and the later MCP version.

AIRFIX 1/700 R.M.S. TITANIC

Airfix offers a 1/700 Titanic as a gift set with paint and glue.

Airfix is an iconic British model kit company known for a range of 1/600 ocean liners and warships.  Their 1/700 Titanic model is the same plastic as the Academy MCP kit.  With the minor bits in that kit that can benefit from a little paint, Airfix includes a set of acrylic paints.  With a little care, you can have a nice-looking Titanic model without having to buy anything else other than a hobby knife and a little sandpaper to clean up the sprue attachment points and that sort of thing.

One interesting quirk of this offering is that the model is 1/700 scale, when Airfix's ships historically utilized 1/600 scale.  Personally, I think it would have made more sense for Airfix/Hornby to utilize plastic from either Revell of Germany or the Academy 1/600 kit, which we'll cover here in a bit.  This way, their Titanic would have matched their other 1/600 ocean liner kits precisely in scale.

By the way, Airfix also offers Academy plastic in 1/1000 and 1/400 gift sets with paint and glue.  It "plusses" the Academy offering adding the extra paint needed to produce a more accurate replica without buying paint separately.
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 ZVEZDA 1/700 R.M.S. TITANIC

Russian model kit company Zvezda used state-of-the-art technology to tool another easy-to-build Titanic model in 1/700 scale.

Zvezda's 1/700 Titanic model is from 2016.  Like other newer kits, multiple colors of plastic will reduce the need for paint.  We like the honesty-in-advertising photo on the back that shows the model built sans paint.  Which do you like better?  Neon-orange, or white for your unpainted funnels?

​REVELL-GERMANY 1/700 R.M.S. TITANIC

When you're shopping online, be careful to double-check the scale before you hit the "buy" button.  This box and the box for the 1/1200 scale mini-Titanic are very similar!

Revell of Germany also created a 1/700 Titanic kit.  Theirs debuted at the centenary of the Titanic Disaster (2012).  This model has a hull split in left and right halves, engineered like the old Revell 1/570 kit.  So there will be some masking and painting involved, notably the superstructure details above the hull, which will need to be painted white.

Some of the parts in Revell's kit are thinner with finer details than the 1/700 Academy or Zvezda versions.  The Academy kit was designed to be easiest to build, so beginners will probably prefer it.  Revell's kit is molded in white plastic and will require quite a bit more masking and painting.

Another thing that should be mentioned is getting the right aftermarket set for the 1/700 Academy and Revell kits.  The models were engineered independently by both companies and there are some subtle differences.  You might find that a 1/700 wood deck set recommended for the Academy kit will not fit the Revell kit and vice versa!  The same goes for photoetch sets, so be sure you're getting the right set for the model you wish to detail.  Detail sets for Titanic kits come in many different scales as well, so you want to double-check that you're ordering your detail set for the correct scale as well! 
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REVELL-GERMANY 1/700 R.M.S. OLYMPIC (1911)

Indulge us as we take a brief detour to take a look at a non-Titanic model.  Actually, technically, it is.  Revell of Germany modified some parts to their 1/700 Titanic to create Titanic's sister ship, the Olympic!  This model debuted in 2013.  It's getting hard to find.  We'd love to see a re-release!  Minicraft Models has announced an Olympic in 1/350 scale.  We're REALLY looking forward to this kit!

Visual cues to identify the Olympic:  Note the promenade deck openings (they're not really windows/no glass!) are the same size the full length of the deck.  Olympic had more lifeboats above these openings.

The openings around the promenade deck on Titanic are smaller on most of the front half of the ship.  The boat deck just above had fewer lifeboats.  Crazy Trivia:  Titanic actually had more lifeboats than regulations at the time required!
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ACADEMY 1/600 R.M.S. TITANIC

Academy's 1/600 Titanic is one of the early post-Titanic movie kits the ship that came out; it this case, it was the year 2000 when this model first debuted.

The next larger Titanic you can find is Academy’s 1/600 Titanic kit.  That one will be over 17.5 inches, or nearly 45 cm.
 
Academy’s 1/600 kit was engineered to require less painting for those wishing a faster build.  The kit has molded railings.  They’re a little heavier than photoetch versions, but they look a lot better than the solid walls that Revell put on their vintage ship kits.

A significant reason for interest in this kit is that 1/600 scale has a number of ocean liner subjects thanks to famed British model company Airfix.  The Mauritania was sailing during Titanic’s construction and Airfix has a very nice kit of this ship in 1/600 scale.  Other Airfix ocean liners in this scale that are relatively easy to find include the original Queen Elizabeth and QE2.
 
Harder to find are the Airfix SS France, SS Southern Cross, and the SS Canberra.  The molds to the France are lost, but the Canberra just hasn’t been released in a couple decades.  This modeler would like to see the Southern Cross and Canberra come back soon.  C’mon, Airfix/Hornby!
 

Academy's 1/600 Titanic kit had a full set of plastic railings included as part of the kit with each engineered to fit in a specific location.  Note the orange stacks; this kit was an early effort to include pre-colored parts with the intention of easygoing construction.  Perhaps this is where the somewhat spurious "neon-orange" standard for pre-colored funnel colors began.

Revell’s SS United States is about 1/600 scale as well.  So there’s another ocean liner that would make a nice comparison to Academy’s 1/600 Titanic.  Revell’s SS United States has a flat-bottom hull unlike the Airfix and Academy kits.  When Revell tooled it, the lower hull of the speedy United States was still secret and Revell’s other ships had flat, inaccurate bottoms to the frustration of serious modelers.
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REVELL OF GERMANY 1/600 R.M.S. TITANIC "EASY CLICK"

Being a 1/600-scale model, this Revell Germany Titanic model has no relation to the 1/700 Revell Germany kit.  It's one of the newer Titanic model kits, having debuted in 2018.

If you can't find Academy's 1/600 Titanic model to go with your Airfix ocean liners, Revell of Germany has pulled through with a 1/600 model kit in recent years.  And it's going to be easy to build!  Here's the currently-available option to have a Titanic in the same scale as your other Airfix ships!  As a side note, Revell of Germany makes a 1/600 scale model of the USS Enterprise from the original Star Trek TV series.  Your Titanic can be in-scale with your Starship Enterprise if you can get around the fact that the two models make an odd pairing.  The 1/600 Enterprise kit isn't regularly sold in the USA, but you can probably find both 1/600 models at your local Karstadt department store (if you live in Germany).
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 MINI HOBBY MODELS 1:600 TITANIC 

According to Scalemates, Mini Hobby Models' 1/600 Titanic showed up some time in the 2000's.  The copyright date on our kit says 2018.

Mini Hobby Models of China has released a Titanic in 1/600 scale.  Construction-wise, it appears to have some similarities to the Revell 1/570 kit except the hull is one-piece molded in black plastic.  Details are different/better on the Mini Hobby kit compared to the Revell/Hobby Boss kits.  For example, the promenade deck is much more accurate on the Mini Hobby kit.  Hull detailing is somewhat similar to what you see on Minicraft's 1/350 kit (stay tuned).  A motor and a pair of small incandescent lights are included in the Mini Hobby kit.  The center prop-opening ahead of the rudder is enlarged to fit the operating prop; we discovered this same bugaboo on the Hobby Boss kit.  Decks and upperworks are all molded in white plastic, so you'll need to bring some painting skills to your workbench to build this kit.  This model might be a good one for an RC conversion by the advanced modeler.
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If the colorful box art on the Mini hobby Titanic looks familiar, compare it to the classic Revell 1/570 version.

KANGNAM 1/600 R.M.S. TITANIC

Kangnam is another company known for producing knockoffs of other kits.  To be fair, we can't tell if this is the same plastic as the Academy 1/600 kit; parts look the same.  Or it's perhaps from a copy of the Academy 1/600 tooling.

​REVELL 1/570 RMS TITANIC

The original box art for Revell's classic 1/570 Titanic (near the start of this article) was used for over 20 years.  This box art includes a new painting that was done around the time the kit had a resurgence of popularity thanks to late-90's Titanic-Mania.

Revell USA's 1/570 Titanic showed up around 1976 and was an economical alternative to the more expensive 1/350 Entex kit released just before.  It has been perennially popular in the Revell catalog, particularly after the movie, Titanic came out in 1997.  It’s over 18.5” (47 cm) in length.

The kit was always considered to be a reasonable model of the Titanic although later kits by other manufacturers are more accurate thanks to details recorded from the actual wreck since it was discovered in 1985.  Fit and ease-of-construction aren’t up to the standards of the more modern kits.

The Revell 1/570 Titanic you buy nowadays will look like this.

The decks stack down inside the hull, which includes the sides of the white superstructure as part of the hull halves.  Getting all these layers to fit correctly can task even an experienced modeler.  New modelers will most likely be frustrated by this.  Brudder Dick has helped at least one frustrated acquaintance whose youngster could not get the decks to fit together correctly.
 
The Revell 1/570 Titanic is most suited for the nostalgic among us who maybe built it or wanted to back in the day.  It’s inexpensive and easy to find which are also good reasons. Many consider the size not too big and not too small.  Deck construction on the various Academy kits is just easier.
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TRUMPETER/HOBBY BOSS 1/550 TITANIC

Trumpeter, Hobby Boss, and Mini Hobby are the same company which has frustrated some distributors.  This kit has seen all three names on the box.  Note that the logotype with rivets.  It's the same on the 1/800 Lee kit and 1/600 Mini Hobby kit.

Chinese model kit company Trumpeter released a Titanic model in 1/550 scale.  You’ll have a model about 19.25” (nearly 49 cm, or half a meter) in length in that scale.  Breakdown of parts seems to be derivative of Revell’s 1/570 Titanic with the superstructure sides molded into the hull halves.  Similarities in kit engineering mean a copy of the construction sequence and duplication of the painting experience as well, although the hull for this kit is derived of the one-piece variety and molded in dark-gray.

Of note is that wood deck accessory kits ​are available for this model.  One of these will eliminate tedious painting of the deck around railings and fittings!

LEE 1/550 R.M.S. TITANIC

Lee is known for producing knock-offs of existing kits.  We're assuming this is based on the Hobby Boss kit.  We couldn't tell you for sure if it's a copy of a knock-off or maybe just a rebox of the Hobby Boss plastic.  If the price is lower than the Hobby Boss kit and you're feeling adventurous--go for it!

​ACADEMY 1/400 TITANIC

Academy's 1/400 Titanic comes in basic and special versions with extra detailing parts.

Academy Models engineered a 1/400 Titanic just after the movie came out in the late 1990’s.  This one was uncompromising in its attention to details and accuracy and one can build a very nice (if pricey) replica from this kit with the addition of an aftermarket wood deck and photoetched detail set.  It will be a nearly 26.5-inch (67 cm) model with a width of 2-3/4" (7.1 cm).  As I recall, this kit was also released by Revell during “Titanic-Mania” in the late 1990’s.  A special edition with included photoetch details, wood deck overlay, and lighting sold at a premium price and is currentlhy becoming rare.

One of the previous boxings of Academy's 1/400 Titanic in a Revell box.
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REVELL 1/400 R.M.S. TITANIC

Revell has provided a re-box of the Academy kit on more than one occasion.  This is the latest version still available as of posting.

It's not at all uncommon for model kit companies to make arrangements to share kit tooling.  Revell arranged with Academy to make a run of their 1/400 kit plastic that was packaged in a Revell box.  This gives Revell customers a choice of the economical, classic 1/570 Titanic model, or in this case, a premium quality, large-scale model which also includes a set of paints, glue, and replicas of vintage Titanic documents as a bonus.

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​AIRFIX 1/400 RMS TITANIC

Airfix re-boxes Academy's kit and adds an acrylic paint set, brushes, and glue.

Airfix covers the R.M.S. Titanic across the range of price, size, and level of detail with the addition of a Titanic kit in 1/400 scale.  Like others in the line, it adds to the Academy plastic by including construction supplies and paint.

​LEE 1/360 R.M.S. TITANIC

We haven't seen the plastic to this kit, but we're guessing it's a knockoff of Minicraft's 1/350 Titanic.

On our way to 1/350 scale, we have a small diversion to 1/360, again from Lee Models.  One can bet it’s a copy of the Entex/Minicraft kit.  I’d recommend sticking with the original.  Dimensions shouldn't be far off Minicraft's kit at about 29-3/8" in length (74.8 cm) and 3-1/16" (7.8 cm).
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MINICRAFT 1/350 R.M.S. TITANIC

Some have proclaimed this the most beloved ship model kit ever made.  It's been around a while, but it was updated with the latest available information about Titanic since the wreck's discovery.  Minicraft actually dropped the price after the re-tooling and the kit is perhaps the best value you can find in a large 1/350-scale ship kit.

ANNOUNCEMENT 06 APRIL 2023:  ACADEMY/MINICRAFT IS BACK IN A HISTORIC REUNION!  ALL TOOLING AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OF MINICRAFT MODELS HAS BEEN PURCHASED BY ACADEMY.  THIS MEANS THAT POSSIBLE FUTURE RELEASES OF WHAT WAS FORMERLY THE 1/350 MINICRAFT TITANIC WILL LIKELY BE UNDER THE ACADEMY/MINICRAFT NAME!  ACADEMY CURRENTLY HAS THE BIGGEST SELECTION OF TITANIC MODEL KITS.  WE HOPE TO SEE THE FORMER MINICRAFT 1/350 KIT RE-RELEASED AS AN ACADEMY/MINICRAFT KIT IN THE FUTURE!

SEE OUR COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF MINICRAFT'S 1/350 RMS TITANIC HERE!

In 1976, model kit manufacturer Entex introduced, “The Late Great Titanic” in 1/350 scale.  The release of this kit was an event.  Entex was known for producing some nice kits ahead of their contemporaries in engineering (their 1/200 Spruce Goose comes to mind).  Boxes with photos of nicely built models on a white background were an Entex trademark.  Some modelers would prefer a dramatic, well-executed painting as box art.  I do recall that the photograph of the fully-rigged Titanic was spectacular and it made me want the model in spite of my tight finances at the time.

Note:  Minicraft's 11320 (Shown here) contains a set of photoetch railings.  11318 (the "Centennial Edition") does not contain the photoetch set and has a lower price.

The kit was nicely engineered for the period and stills seems to be “The” standard from which all other Titanic kits were (and are) measured.  At just over 30" (67 cm) in length and 3" (7 cm) wide, this is certainly a big model with many intricate details included among its 400 parts!
 
Entex went broke and became Anmark for a while, but that didn’t last and Minicraft Models bought many of their assets at liquidation.  It's been a Minicraft kit for the majority of its history.

Academy and Minicraft were affiliated together in a distribution agreement for a brief period in the 1980's and 90's and many modelers confused the two companies thanks to this arrangement.  In an interesting twist of model kit history, Academy announced the purchase all of Minicraft's assets in 2023.  At time of posting, we're not sure if former Minicraft kits will be branded again as Academy/Minicraft, but this is certainly a possibility!  Regardless, both brands have an excellent reputation among modelers and we're confident that this new reunion will be a great fit.  We are hopeful that the former Minicraft/Entex 1/350 Titanic will be available again as an Academy kit.  Some have said that it is the most beloved model ship kit in 1/350 scale

G-Mark actually engineered what is now the Minicraft 1/350 Titanic kit and it was sold this way outside the USA early in its history.

The 1/350 "G-Mark" Titanic was also seen in a Gunze box.

As more modern Titanic kits appeared after the movie "Titanic" was a massive hit, Minicraft made many changes to their 1/350 kit.  While the original kit was extensively researched using the best information available at the time including input from the Titanic Historical Society, additional data regarding the actual configuration of the ship was made available after the wreck was discovered in 1985. Several missions to map the Titanic wreck site and 21st Century image processing techniques brought to light a number of details that were inaccurate on the original version of the 1/350 Minicraft kit.  A new version with over 50 changes appeared and is sold currently by Minicraft as the Centennial Edition.  Expect more from us on our website regarding this kit!

Minicraft's kit once could be had in a Revell box!

Here's a previous Minicraft boxing of their 1/350 Titanic.

Here's a rare boxing of Minicraft's Titanic.  Fellow IPMS member Robert Beach shared this with us; he reported buying the kit at the the Norfolk Naval Operations Base hobby shop during the 2000's.  It's an early version of the retooled kit and came with the rails-and-ratlines photoetch set.

Out-of-the-box, a stunning replica of the Titanic can be built from the Minicraft kit.  A complete set of plastic railings is included!  The big caveat here is that the generic railing pieces have to be bent and formed to fit their specific locations.  The instructions recommend heating the rails or soaking them with a bit of liquid cement just before bending, or cutting them and gluing these cut segments at the correct angles required.  The bottom line here is that using a photoetch set to do the railings will probably be easier.  Recall that photoetched railings were not available when the Minicraft Titanic was originally released.

The Grand Staircase of the Titanic

The Grand Staircase as depicted in the Minicraft kit.

The Olympic's Grand Staircase, similar to that on Titanic.

The dome depicted in the Minicraft kit

The Grand Staircase set from the 1997 movie, Titanic.

The Grand Staircase was an important setpiece in Titanic (1997).  It was depicted in the Minicraft kit 20 years prior to the movie.  

Minicraft has addressed this very issue by releasing their ultimate 1/350 Titanic, complete with a photoetch railings set included!  Photoetch railings are thinner and more realistic than the plastic versions.
 
Building either of Minicraft’s Titanic kits will require advanced modeling skills!  Shortcuts could be made by less experienced modelers who might choose to skip railings and rigging although this detailing is what helps make a nicely finished Minicraft Titanic so spectacular.

I’d not recommend that anyone pay a lot for an older (pre-tooling modification) 1/350 scale Titanic kit; certainly never more than the new, corrected kits cost at or near retail.  My kit was purchased at a model show vendor table from a fellow modeler who wished to pare down his collection and the price was very low.  The box had some water damage which definitely helped justify the low price and gave the kit some ironic authenticity.
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06 April 2023:  While no announcements have been made regarding the immediate future of the Entex/Minicraft 1/350 Titanic kit, we assume it will be re-released again!  We'll provide updates as we can.

TRUMPETER 1/200 TITANIC

The box is over five feet long (140 cm)!  If it were waterproof, you could probably use it as your own boat.

The Entex/Minicraft 1/350 Titanic was the gold standard for Titanic model kits for nearly half-a-century.  In 2020 Trumpeter Models challenged that supremacy.
 
In 2010, Trumpeter Models released its 1/200 scale USS Arizona.  Prior to that time, there really wasn’t a great large-scale Arizona kit.  A company called Banner Models debuted with a 1/350 scale Arizona, but it was largely based on Revell’s old 1/426 kit with the decks split horizontally through the windows.  This was problematic in 1/426 scale and didn’t work well in 1/350 scale either.  Banner Models quickly vanished.  Trumpeter stepped in to fill the void for a good, large-scale kit of the Arizona.  But instead of 1/350 scale, they got everybody’s attention rendering it in 1/200 scale, previously noted for model airliners.  1/192 scale was the traditional standard for the next threshold of “large scale” by ship modelers where 1/16 of an inch was one foot.  A number of limited-production kit makers favored this scale, and perhaps the standard was a resin model with intricate details that required advanced building skills.  These kits were usually expensive, but details could be rendered in resin, white metal, and photoetch that couldn’t be done in styrene plastic.  These kits also came at a premium price.  Trumpeter went “metric” with 1/200 scale, which bucked the 1/192 standard previously set, but again, the difference between the two is only four percent so the models in both scales will look right when displayed together.

Trumpter's 1/200 Titanic comes with photoetch parts.

Also included is a full LED lighting set!

Trumpeter’s new USS Arizona was successful enough that other ionic battleships were rendered in that large scale.  Like 1/350 scale, the release of an Iowa-Class battleship and of course a modeler’s favorite the Bismarck got large scale ship builders very excited, and most recently, Trumpeter decided to tool up a Titanic in 1/200 scale.

One reason for the enduring popularity of the 1/350 scale Titanic was the notable effort that Entex put into researching the subject prior to cutting metal for the tooling.  Titanic scholars and the Titanic Historical Society were consulted to be sure the model was as accurate as it could be.  Purchasers of the model knew they wouldn’t have to do a lot of modifications to get an accurate model.
 
Reportedly, Trumpeter went the same route.  We at 2Modeler.com haven’t seen this kit.  If Trumpeter offers us one, we’ll take a look and provide a fair assessment.  Nearly 4.5 feet (1.34 meters) of super-detailed plastic comes at a price ($549.00USD!!!)  You can buy your own used 1/1 scale boat for that price!  With extra aftermarket detailing sets, you could probably drop $1000.00 on a model of the Titanic.  If you want the most Titanic you can get; if size matters and money doesn’t, then this is probably the Titanic kit for you.
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BACK TO THAT MOVIE
 
James Cameron’s Titanic film had a lot of media attention prior to its release.  A full-sized set of the ship built in Mexico created quite a bit of buzz.  It was said that the final cost to make the movie (US$200M) in 1997 dollars matched Titanic’s building cost in 1912 dollars.  Critics said there was no way the movie could recoup that production cost even if the movie was a huge hit.  It was compared to mega-budget Waterworld, which was still struggling to recover its costs during the period.  Critics portended financial doom for Titanic citing delays and budget overruns.

In addition to extensive digital effects, a full-sized Titanic ship set on a gimbal was built in Mexico!

Another issue cited as to why it was impossible for Titanic to make money was its runtime in excess of three hours.  It was opined that movie theaters simply couldn’t fit in enough showings during a day for the film to make money. 

As we know, the critics were proven wrong.  Spectacularly wrong, in fact.  Titanic was not just a huge hit, it was an unexpected mega-hit which shattered box office records.  It recouped its huge investment by a factor of ten times. 
 
If the critics had jaundiced opinions prior to the film opening, the general public had other ideas.  Attendance patterns for Titanic had similarities to another unexpected hit, Star Wars.  Youngsters, mostly boys, returned to see Star Wars multiple times just after it was released.  I remember it was cool to brag how many times you’d seen Star Wars during that summer of 1977.

In 1997, it was largely teenage girls who made multiple trips to the theater to see the three-hour blockbuster.  The love story about the “poor little rich girl” and her happy-go-lucky suitor and his tragic end (sorry, spoiler, but I know you’ve all seen it) resonated strongly but it alone did not carry three hours of runtime.

A spectacular showcase with full-size sets and then-state-of-the-art special effects recreated the ship to such a degree that moviegoers could experience it to a level never before encountered.  Just as you felt settled in, a disaster spectacle unfolded that hadn’t been seen in a theater since the 1970’s.  The girls loved the interaction between Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio and the guys loved watching the ship sink (I have to admit my rewind moment is Titanic Propeller Guy—Google it!).  It was the perfect Date Movie.  A completely separate (and lengthy!) modern-day subplot had amazing actual underwater footage of the Titanic wreck.  It was almost like a documentary dropped into the movie and you knew what you were seeing there was not a special effect.  The scenes shot from real deep-dive ROV's in lavish high-resolution color no doubt added considerably to the price of the completed film.  You felt like you got your money’s worth with your ticket admission and a second viewing to absorb layers of detail didn't seem unreasonable in spite of the movie's lengthy runtime.  Moviegoers experienced by far the most realistic depiction of the ship ever presented in a dramatic film.  Many who had an indifferent knowledge of the Titanic story prior to the film's release became immersed enough (sorry) in Titanic's legend that it changed their lives.

The studio certainly forgot the critics' carping about budget overruns and delays once positive word-of-mouth among early theatergoers began to infiltrate the general population.  Theaters had to add screens and extend bookings to keep up with demand and long ticket lines.  Ironically, it was the Lost in Space reboot which debuted in April of 1998 that finally bumped Titanic from the #1 spot in theaters (Lost in Space was nicknamed "The Iceberg" when it removed Titanic from the #1-selling movie spot).  Even after this, Titanic still had a number of days with over a million dollars (USD) in ticket sales and the movie remained in theaters until late in the year.

James Cameron instructing Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet as they film an iconic scene.  In an earlier scene at the same location, "Jack" uttered his famous line, "I'm king of the world!"  Cameron would repeat this same line during his Academy Awards Best Director acceptance speech as his movie received a shelf-full of Oscar awards.

Cameron directing his actors to sell the idea that (spoiler!) both of their characters can't share one piece of perfectly seaworthy flotsam.

Remember, you probably have James Cameron to thank for all those styrene plastic Titanic model kits; certainly the later ones.  Prior to Titanic (1997), there were only two.

I was on assignment when Titanic debuted and saw the movie by myself just before Christmas in a packed theater in Idaho.  The next day, I headed home and had to stop by my local hobby shop on the way, which had Revell’s Titanic (one left).  I bought it on the spot and took my wife to see the movie later that weekend (she gave me a browbeating for seeing it first without her).  I believe we even returned to see it together again since one viewing was not enough to take in many of the subtle details that overfilled those Three-Hours-Plus!    

​If the visuals weren’t enough to wow audiences, A melancholy James Horner soundtrack helped your three hours breeze by and left moviegoers wanting more—the soundtrack also became a huge seller and we all remember the Celine Dion credits song.  These two elements generated a pair of Academy Awards in additional to two more for sound and sound editing!

Much of 1998 was dominated by all things Titanic.  I remember Revell’s Titanic kit being sold out and I knew I was lucky to get mine when I did.  Of course tooling up a new Titanic model kit took some time but a “flood” (sorry) of Titanic kits soon hit the market in subsequent years as mentioned.  At time of posting, it has been quite a few years now since the Titanic disaster hit the century mark, yet a number of Titanic kits are still for sale indicating that worldwide interest in the star-crossed ship shows no sign of slowing down.  Even a quarter-century after the movie hit theaters, all-new Titanic models are still being released!
 
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1/1 SCALE TITANICS

James Cameron's Titanic (1997) became a worldwide phenomenon and decades after the movie, there is still interest in the ship worldwide.  While the movie was popular, cruise ship lines got many requests for a replica of the ship so that modern-day passengers could experience first hand "The Ship of Dreams."  Several plans for a full-sized ship emerged.

The full-sized Romandisea Resort Titanic replica is currently under construction in Sichuan Province, China.  While landlocked, the ship will have overnight lodgings for those interested in experiencing the Titanic along with many replica-spaces inside the ship including the Grand Staircase.  At date-of-posting, the project is listed as being 25% complete.

Australian billionaire Clive Palmer announced construction of the Titanic II, a fully functional cruise ship, in 2012.  While it wouldn't be an exact replica of the original Titanic, it would be a fully seaworthy cruise-liner.  Several start dates have been announced but metal has yet to be cut for this project.

TITANIC MUSEUMS

​There are a handful of Titanic museums worldwide.  Two largest are owned by producer John Joslin.  Joslin sponsored a 1987 expedition to explore and document the Titanic wreck site.  He later founded two museums, one in Pigeon Forge, TN and another in Branson, MO.  Both museums feature buildings with a half-size, partial replica of Titanic.  Exhibits feature hundreds of Titanic items collected prior to the wreck discovery such as lifeboats and lifejackets. 

The Titanic Museum in Branson, MO opened in 2006.

The Titanic Museum in Pigeon Forge, TN opened in 2010.

The ship’s memory lives on here at 2Modeler.com and we have other Titanic projects in the pipeline.  Thanks for visiting! 
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