A Lament for Unavailable Revell Kits
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- 1. Revell EXCELLENT 1/48 Cat. Please bring it back!
Very sad that so many Revell kits are no longer available in larger scales. Found this lovely 1/48 Catalina on ebay. It's an excellent kit and I don't think I used any after market parts. Similarly this 1/32 NON TECHNIK Ju 88. Very hard to find. Again, got it on E Bay to join my 1/32 Malta collection. Searched high and low for the 1/48 Marauder. Needed one to go with the Mitchell as my old man escorted both out of Corsica. Log book matchings show he escorted this particular aircraft. (Miss Des Moines). This was a very old kit and not very clever. I bought Eduard parts for the cockpit.
Similar hunts for Revell's Bf110 G-4 in 1/48 (Eduards is not available either!).
While I'm on, currently kit bashing the insanely good value Revell 1/32 Mossie as a fighter bomber. Refuse to pay £200 for the Tamiya (which hasn't been available in any case). BUT I cannot find a correct cockpit canopy. Tried bashing the Revell canopy. Disaster! It'll just have to do without until I can find one.
Maybe I should buy the Tamiya kit for the canopy? 🙂
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- 1. Revell 1/32 88
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- 1. Marauder
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- 1. Revell Cockpit as FB.
Agreed. I've got 1:48 B-24D, B-24J, B-29 and an AC-130 that in all likelihood will never get built. Unfortunately postal cost are more than the kit. If anyone wants them and knows a cheap method of shipping, their yours
Totally agree with you, Ross!
Revell has a lot of jewels that can be reissued.
Funny thing about the MAGNIFICENT Catalina kits is that all the modeling world "back then" were screaming that they wanted a nice, cheap quarter scale Catalina. The amazing Revell kit exceeded all their expectations...only to become a shelf sitter afterwards...
Funny world...
I think that might have been because some people underestimate how big a Catalina really is. One sees two engines and may be expecting around the size of a medium bomber but it's really the size of a B-17! I do have one half built. Going to make an effort to get her done for '21. I just need to find decals for a tri-color bird.
These twins are always a dilemma. Yes I have it beside my HK Models B17 (1/48) and they are pretty well matched. A 1/32 Mosquito is smaller (or similar) as is a 1/32 Ju88!
The Revell 1/48 Lockheed Ventura twin engine bomber is another one that didn’t seem to be seen on the shelves very long. I guess it wasn’t well known enough to attract much attention.
I have more than a lifetime's worth of unbuilt Revell/Monogram kits: several B-25s & B-26s, a PBY-5a Catalina, 2 P-39s, all the P-47 versions, 2 or 3 redone P-51Bs, a P-61, 2 A-26s, an OS2U Kingfisher, a SB2C, and the Korean War jets. Unfortunately, the WWII Navy fighters and other WWII fighters are not so good, but I have a Bf109E-3 built a few decades ago that looks better that you'd expect. I'd have the bigger kits (B-17, B-24, B-29, C-47) if I had room and could justify the cost. All these were top of the line when they first came out, and many have not been replaced by better kits. Revell Germany has updated some of the earlier kits with recessed panel lines, the SB2C looks especially good and the re-done P-51B compares well with the Tamiya version, and reissued most, even the original molds.
Thanks for posting on your PBY Catalina, Ross! Good memories.
1 attached image. Click to enlarge.
Thanks Christopher.
I wish I had a stash of these; fortunately, I’ve got to build the B-29, B-24J (twice) and B-17G. Among my all time favorites. Very nice build, by the way!
I am currently working on the Monogram B-17G, have built four or five of them prior to this. I have built the Catalina an awesome kit, maybe I should post pictures. I have built three 1/48th B-29s, and have two more in my stash, I have built three of their B-25's and have three more in my stash. I could keep going but to simplify I really enjoy those old Monogram kits. I think with a little patience and work they give you some great models. Next on deck for me is my second Revell and third Bf 110. It is a shame that Monogram and then Revell have become so difficult to find. Lucky for me I have all that I want or can build for the foreseeable and distant future.
I mostly build aircraft in 1/48 but sometimes build a tank for some light relief so a couple of weeks ago I decided to build the Tamiya Grant tank as a project for the holidays , one of my "must build" kits but it's been discontinued...
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Monogram P-47s are getting hard to find now too.
I recently went to the squadron website, and I was surprised to see very little in the way of 1/48 "Revell" (they will always be Monogram to me!) aircraft. I also checked out revell.com and Revell of Germany, again on revell.com little offered. I did see however that more aircraft were listed on the ROG website, but the prices were extremely high.
Boo...
I agree, Kipling @jaquadis, recent Revells are (sadly) offered at not that attractive prices as in the past. Also, their range is not that extended?
15 or so years ago, together with their amazing new releases, they would rerelease everything, Matchbox molds included!
All at surprisingly low prices.
Lovely times.