Right On! Replicas

RoR Review 20100903 – Corporal Missile with Transporter Revell 85-7852

 See the Step-by-Step Review by Dan Tomaszewski

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The U.S. Army surface to surface Corporal Missile was capable of launching a conventional or Atomic missile at ranges over 75 miles with great accuracy enabling a distant attack.  The missile is carried by a large specially designed transporter, which travels to the launching site and erects the missile on to a launching platform.

This review looks at the Revell 85-7852 Corporal Missile with Transporter and Launcher in 1:40 scale.  This kit is from a 1983 mold and was built out-of-the-box (OOB) without any modifications. 

RoR Review 20100820 – Revell Star Wars™ Republic Gunship™ 85-1865

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      This kit is one of the Revell series of licensed Star Wars™ kits.  This is a fully decorated Snap-Tite model kit so it requires no glue or paint and they look great when you’re finished. Suitable for ages eight and up this kit is also makes a great parent-child project that can be completed in an evening. This kit went together easily and the parts fit together as they should.

      The instruction sheets have eight simple-to-follow phases. Although the instructions are pretty straight forward there were a couple things that are better understood with the photos of the actual pieces (see the review) as they are going together and there was one error that will be identified. Assembly time can be done in around an hour and even if you’ve never built a model before you should be able to get this kit on the display stand in an evening. This realistic looking replica conveys the action and excitement of the Star Wars theme and makes a great project and collectible for both the novice and experienced modeler.

RoR Project PC1931 – 1931 Cadillac 370™ Indy 500 Pace Car

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1931 Indy 500 Pace Car   

     This grand example of what Detroit used to do best was quite a challenge to build. The Jo-Han CG-431 base kit took extensive modifications to convert into this 370 Roadster but it was worth it. I’ve never seen another model like it in 1:25 scale. If you happen to see one let me know so I can compare research notes.

     I would love to have been behind the wheel of this Cadillac when it came out of turn number 4 at the Brickyard in ’31. What a grand feeling it must have been leading the pack and laying on the power of that smooth-as-silk V-12 Caddy.

     This project has plenty for the modeler. Heavy and minor modifications, error corrections to the original instructions, chrome stripping and refinishing, scratch building and aftermarket decals to name a few are demonstrated.

 RoR Review 20100728 – USS Buckley Revell 85-3013

See the Step-by-Step Review by Brian Francis

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     Smaller than destroyers, the destroyer escorts (DE) were a World War Two ship type whose primary tasks were convoy, escort and anti-submarine warfare.  The United States built a number of DE classes including the Buckley class.  As the war progressed, armaments were increased or customized to meet local needs.  Reference information is easily found on the various classes of DE (Squadron and The Floating Drydock both have good ‘In Action’ type books on DEs).  Revell’s Buckley class destroyer escort model #85-3013 is good for both an out of the box build or as a detailed conversion.

     Revell’s USS Buckley kit holds up very well across the fifty plus years since it was first released.  It fits the bill for a simple ship kit build and can easily be detailed by an advanced modeler.

RoR Review 20100715 – Revell MiG 25 Foxbat 1:48 scale #85-5860

 
See the Step-by-Step review by Brian Francis

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I wasn’t looking to build a 1/48 jet, but here I am.  I did research the kit–looking at reviews of previous releases and other info on the MiG-25.

My review is less critical than some others.  Even though this kit is 30+ years old with raised panel lines (the horror!) and at least one article said the wing dimensions were incorrect–I didn’t worry about it.  The kit or assembled parts very much look like a MiG 25.  I enjoyed building the kit. This re-release of the MiG 25 builds into a very acceptable replica. With TLC and skill, the plane can be built into a show stopper.

RoR Review 20100614 – Revell/Monogram B-26 Marauder™

See the Step-by-Step Review by Stephen Wilder

 
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              As part of the classic Monogram line of 1/48 scale American World War II bomber kits, Revell’s latest re-release of the Martin B-26 Marauder™ once again comes packaged in a box  carrying the red, white, and blue Monogram label.

             This release of the B-26 Marauder™ is essentially unchanged from the original 1978 version.  New box art, instructions, decals, and a “Fully Licensed by Lockheed Martin” label are the only differences between the new kit and one from 32 years ago. 

            One of the advantages of this kit is that it has been well documented over the years and there are many resources available online to provide construction tips. This review will address some of the tricks used to embellish the finish and stance of this impressive model.

The Black Knight of Nurnberg  Kit # 85-6523 

See the review by Jim Church

  
Buy this Kit # 85-6523 

This interesting kit is 1 of 2 from a current reissue series of Medieval Armor from Revell in 1:8 scale and is great example of accurate armor replica. As the Revell summary states below this particular suit was the property of a highly regarded warrior.

Description

The Black Knight armor represented a person of great strength and position and was developed during the late 16th Century. This piece of armor was designed to withstand a great deal of abuse while still protecting its wearer. This special suit weighed about 100 lbs while the normal suits were 70-85 lbs. The maneuverability of the suit was obtained by fastening together 100 pieces of steel so that the person could move in any direction. With this style of suit the knight was ready for both mounted and ground battle with the enemy. Detailed head and helmet with opening face guard and highly decorated armor pieces. Display base with historical date and weapons, a lance and battle club.

            The fun is in the construction and finish of this kit which offers an unusual subject with great detail.

RoR Project PC2010 – Orange Spice

I’ve spent the past couple weeks working on my latest Indy 500 Pace Car creation and the results were very rewarding. I watched the race today which was very exciting at the end and I found that most of the real action in that race comes from the pit stops.

All together this was a fun kit to convert to the modern race day classic and I will continue to add Pace Car models as they are completed.

Review 20100424 – Revell Monogram® Tijuana Taxi

See the Step-by-step Review by Stephen Wilder

Revell Tijuana Taxi Kit 85-4261

 A Tom Daniel classic, the Tijuana Taxi, has been reissued by Revell under the Monogram label.  This 1/24 scale freelance hot rod made its first appearance on hobby shop shelves in 1969.  Revell brought back the original box art which graces the standard-size Revell box, as shown below.

Box Art

 This is a fun kit to build but there are a few quirks that are exposed in the review. It will make a great addition to any hobbyist’s shelf.

RoR Project PC1966 – Slice “N” Dice

See the Step-by-Step Project Review

1966 Mercury Comet GT Indy 500 Pace Car

            This turned out to be one of those real intense ‘kit bash’ projects due to the availability of parts. The main components were the donor body and kit from the AMT 1967 Mercury Comet (kit #31761), Comet GT wheels from Missing Link Resin Casters  and resin castings from the original AMT Dealer Promo 1966 Mercury Comet GT. There is also a little bit of scratch building and some fabrication involved but the end results were worth the effort. You’ll also have to top this off with a set of Fred Cady decals.

You’re probably asking; why go to all the trouble of resin casting and hacking two bodies together when you can just modify an old AMT Promo model, right? That’s a great question. The answer is: cost, detail and the challenge! It’s hard to find an original Mercury Comet GT promo car in good shape for less than $75. On the other hand you can get the decals, donor kit and wheels for under about $25 delivered, by doing some careful eBay shopping. Once you’ve got the resin casting molds made you can make more of these for your friends.

Start Your Engines!

You can almost see yourself sitting there in front of the pack in that big block Mercury on that sunny day in May of 1966, with the sound of racing engines revving up behind you for the big race!