Revell's Easykit Pocket kit is an excellent introduction to the world of modelling. The kit takes a popular and contemporary subject (none of your dusty, boring Spitfires or Messerschmidts here) and uses it to encourage wannabe kit bashers to practise the basic modelling skills: separating parts from the sprues, cleaning up the sprue stubs and paying attention to the (commendably clear and simple) instructions. Executed in the economical scale of 1/72, the kit is designed to be almost impossible to get wrong: the few "handed" components are designed so that they can only be fitted on the correct side of the model and there is no need for paint or glue (although I fixed the parts with superglue to ensure a robust finish). All in all this particular kit took me about 30m to build - it could be finished in rather less if you wanted though.
The quality is surprisingly good for what is essentially a cheap(ish) toy. The parts are moulded with plenty of detail and they fit together snugly with only the merest hint of a seam. The paint job is sparse but nicely done: the pilot figure, for instance, is painted with matt black overalls and gloss black boots and helmet which I thought was rather nice attention to detail, especially as the pilot will be all but invisible in the end! Equally impressive is the pilot's port hole, the framework of which is also painted.
Other reviewers have mentioned that this kit could do with a display stand. I suppose it could, but I'm going to be hanging mine from the study ceiling where it will dogfight with an English Electric Lightning and a Tupolev Tu16 Badger. Who will triumph, I wonder? The forces of darkness, I suspect...
The kit *is* quite fiddly so it's probably best suited for ages of around 10 years and upwards. Younger modellers will need some guidance, however so long as they're not inclined to eat the smaller parts (or insert them into ears, nostrils or other inappropriate orifices), this need only be a matter of gentle encouragement. More experienced modellers shouldn't be put off though as there's ample scope for improvement, especially in terms of the paint job, but if you want a *good* TIE fighter, I suspect that you'll look elsewhere...
I know what you're getting for Christmas Luke. I have felt your presents. Oy! I'm on all night ladies and gentlemen.