The Wayback Machine: “Old School” Revell Yak-25
Over a decade before the Eagle had landed, Revell was selling plastic kits that came with a stand, so the model could be mounted. You all remember these stands; they came with a representation of the Earth, molded on the inside of the clear stand. I'll bet some even tried to paint the Earth, I know I did. Well, I happened to pick up one of these old Revell kits (a Yak-25 "Flashlight"), and decided to build it, just for laughs and nostalgia.
The old Revell kit is an original boxing, bearing the date 1958. I thought it was 1/48th scale, but club members tell me that it's closer to 1/50th scale...I did not measure it, but it does look a bit small, so I'll go with 1/50th.
What can I say about the kit? Probably nothing, other than its old, but the plastic does have recessed panel lines...who knew? Unfortunately, the plastic also has the stars and bort numbers embossed into the plastic, so if you want to build this kit, you probably will have to fill the lines where the stars/numbers are, otherwise you have to use the kit decals that are sized to fit the embossed areas, with the problem being that the decals are toast after so many years.
I decided to build this kit gear-up and use the stand. As can be seen, I painted a faded red star on the stand, just as a reminder of faded glory for the Yak-25. The Yak-25 Flashlight was a Soviet, frontline interceptor in the decade preceding Armstrong's landing on the moon, and represents, perhaps, the state of Cold War tension back here on Earth, as the US made preparations to go to the Moon. Thos old kit was fun to build, and took me back to an earlier time in my life.
A blast from the past, it's great to see this built! Nice.
Thank you, Robert. I really appreciate it.
For some [unknown] reason, I always admired the "lines" of this airplane - and yes, I do indeed remember that most (if not all) model airplane kits came with a stand...those were the days, huh? Nice job on this, by the way. And that painted canopy gives it the look of a 'desktop' model. I like it. 🙂
Craig: I think we are showing our age when we remamber the stands that used to in included with kits. Now, we have to pay extra for stands. Thanks again for the kind words.
Marvin...simple, clean and pretty cool looking. Nice job!
Thank you, Gary. I appreciate your kind words.
great job
Thank you, Bob
Nicely done Marvin looks great and it appears you had fun doing it. That's what's this hobby is all about. Smiled when I noticed it was a Revell Authentic Kit, such fun.
Yes, this one was done simply for fun. Sometimes we take our hobby too seriously; this build was just a fun build. These old kits are just that, old kits, that have little detail, and only approximate the shape of the real thing. So, no need to spend time trying to correct things. Just build.
Thanks again.
Very nicely done! I also picked up one of those kits on EvilBay recently as a nostalgia build and was impressed with the detail. Way back when I built it as a youngster there was glue everywhere. A tip of the hat your way sir!
Thanks, Clark. Yes, things in the modeling world have significantly improved since this kit was molded, especially in the areas of aftermarket, resin, adhesives, and especially reference material. About all we had in 1958 was tube glue, some paint and brushes, so things were a bit primative. We modelers really have it good these days, for sure.
Nice rendition of a rare plane in the modeling world.
The old kits are usually a fun build.
Thanks Dan, I appreciate it. Yes, the old Yak-25 sure could use a new-tool kit, especially in 1/48th. Maybe Bobcat, or one of the other manufacturers will see the need?
Thanks again.
Love the old kits, you did a great job. I'm finishing up the Tamiya F-14A, but my next builds are all planned from old kits. Monogram Dauntless, (or FW-190, or Stuka, not sure which of the three yet) T'Rantula show car, and then the B-29, original 1977 issue. Keep building those oldies, they look so great when done as well as you have done this one!
Thank you, Rob. I may join you in building some more of the old classics. I have most of the latest and greatest in my stash, but, somehow, the old Monogram and Revell kits keep calling my name. I've even bought a couple of the old Aurora kits that have been re-released by Atlantis Models. The kits are pretty crude, but they are sure fun to build. Thanks again.
Very nice! A simple kit that built up into a nice replica. Well done.
Greg, thank you for the kind words...I appreciate them.
Nicely done. The red star on the base is a really nice touch. I really like building these old school kits, especially the ones with the stands, many of which are being released again with the stand. I like the stand because the base allows them to fit in a crowded display case with a small footprint, while the model hovers above all the other kits.
Thanks, George. These old kits are fun. I built a lot of these old Revell stand kits when I was a kid, so I could have targets for my B-B gun (and firecrackers if I had any). Those were good days, in a much simpler time.
I fell in love with this kit way back in 1960 or so...and I'm just finishing up one now. Same box, same molded in "1958" . Neat piece, a regular Time Machine.