The 2026 Ships in Scale Kit Manufacturer Survey is here — and we need your help.
You’ve been there. You open a new kit, spread the parts across the workbench, and unfold the plans. Sometimes what you find is a thing of beauty — crisp laser-cut frames, quality timber, fittings that actually fit, and instructions that walk you through every step. Other times… not so much. Warped planking stock. Plans that raise more questions than they answer. Parts that belong in a different kit entirely.
Every modeler has opinions about the manufacturers behind the kits we build. Strong opinions. We want to hear yours.
What Is This Survey?
Ships in Scale is conducting our first annual reader survey on ship model kit manufacturers. We’re asking modelers to rate the manufacturers they’ve actually built — not based on reputation or hearsay, but on hands-on experience at the workbench.
We want to know:
- Who delivers the best materials? Quality wood, clean castings, well-made fittings — or the opposite.
- Whose plans and instructions actually work? Clear, accurate, and complete — or a puzzle you have to solve before you can start building.
- How’s the fit? Do the parts go together the way they should, or are you reaching for the sanding block before step one?
- Is it worth the money? Does what you get in the box match what you paid for it?
- Would you buy from them again? The ultimate question.
Who Should Take This Survey?
You. Whether you’ve completed fifty kits or you’re halfway through your first one, your experience counts. We’re looking for honest feedback from modelers at every level — beginner to master craftsman, wood to plastic to resin, $40 starter kits to $800 flagships.
If you’ve built a ship model kit, you’re qualified.
What Happens with the Results?
We’ll compile the results and publish them in an upcoming issue of Ships in Scale. You’ll see manufacturer rankings, category-by-category breakdowns, reader quotes, and analysis of what the community values most in a kit. We’ll also look at where modelers are buying, what they’re spending, and what subjects and scales they wish someone would produce.
Your individual responses are confidential. We’ll only publish aggregate data and anonymous quotes.
What’s in It for You?
Beyond making your voice heard, every completed survey enters you in a drawing for one of three $50 gift certificates to the ship modeling retailer of your choice. You pick the shop.
How Long Does It Take?
About 5 minutes. We’ve kept it focused — you won’t be filling out forms all evening. Unless you want to. We won’t judge.
(We will, however, ask how many unbuilt kits are sitting in your stash. No judgment there either.)
Take the Survey
Take the 2026 Kit Manufacturer Survey →
The survey will be open for the next few weeks. The more responses we get, the more useful the results will be for everyone — so if you know a fellow modeler who has opinions about their kits (and who doesn’t?), send them this link.
Whether you’ve built one kit or a hundred, your experience matters. Let’s find out who’s getting it right.
No purchase necessary. Open to U.S. and Canadian residents, 18+. Three winners selected at random after the survey closes. Winners will be notified by email.