Model building time capsule from 1969 Revell X-3!
I have been searching for one of these in the shrink wrap for a while. I remember buying this kit at a small store above our local market. It was the 88 cent store, which was not like the modern 99 cent store, but more like an "everything they don't sell downstairs in the market" store. I would ride my Schwinn Stingray down there and head straight to the model section, where a boy with a dollar in his pocket could get a decent kit. I remember buying this kit in 1969, and building it in an afternoon and flying it all around the house. So here, the insides, not having seen the light of day for 51 years, is Revell's 1/65 X-3 Stiletto. The box was in great shape except for one end that had the wrap embedded in it, the insides reflect packaging of the day for the less expensive kits. I can't wait to build it!
Nice! Show us the results of the build.
I will, I have an NB-52 to finish (another Revell oldie re-popped by Atlantis) then a Skyraider. BUT the X-3 will be next!
Nice find Rob, and the bonus is there's not a lot of little parts to lose to the carpet monster.
It's like unlocking a time vault , built this same kit around the same time period, thought about acquiring another one.
I remember building this one with a good friend somewhere around 1973 or so...He brought it over. We had a lot of fun building it that day and took turns flying it around all afternoon. It was also the first time I used bottled liquid glue instead of using it from a tube for assembly.
Great find Rob. Thanks for the trip down memory lane. I had a green "Pea Picker" Schwinn bike. It was in sad shape when I got it, and I had to fix a lot of stuff before I could ride it. That's how I started learning mechanical repairs.
The decals look remarkably nice. (I'd shoot them with some decal bonder as insurance though.) I almost pulled the trigger on an Aurora 1/48 F-111B but it was A) expensive and B) although I believe in building kits I don't think I could do such a rare one. I left it for the collectors and got an Academy F-111C to convert instead.
You could always find the Monogram kit, which is the Aurora kit.
Monogram did the F-111A. Not the Navy B Version. Aurora had both versions for a time.
Ah, I just knew that Monogram bought the molds when Aurora folded.
that looks like fun and impressive to boot
Great memories there Rob. I didn’t like Revell kits when I was a kid, but loved that one! I got it at the Neighborhood drug store.
I was more of a Monogram guy, but there were several Revell kits that I did like. This is one of them, and several of their ship kits as well.
Me too. I liked Airfix 1/72 as a kid and then got hooked on 1/48 Monogram kits.
This is simply beautiful, Rob. I love building old kits and I will follow your build with great anticipation.
All the best!
That was one of the first kits I ever built when I started building. There was that, and a 1/72 B-24 covered with rivets that scaled out to fist sized. Ahh the good ole days. The Stiletto did look pretty cool though hanging from my ceiling! Good luck with you build.
I loved that B-24 kit! I must have built a couple of them rivets and all!
I built that same kit as a kid. I even used that coupon for the 10 cent Apollo.