The Revell cure...

[BarryW]

OK I have been spoilt. I have worked on a steady diet of Tammy, Hassy and Trumpy kits and though each has its own issues overall the engineering and fit has been great. I remember the Revell kits of the 70's and how bad they were. Based on reviews I bought the 'cheap as chips' AR196 and it was a great kit, OK the instructions were poor and the canopy was crap but overall it was a great kit. Revell have turned a corner I thought and expected great things from my JU88.

I was wrong.

The instructions are the worse I have seen. Not just poor, but misleading. The engineering provides challenges at every turn. Vague locations for parts and a poor fit plague this kit. Last night I spent the whole evening struggling with the undercarraige, wondering why the parts just did not fit. Wrong parts, swap them around and still did not fit. Checked back to the instructions and, as far as I could tell I was getting it the right way around. Checked elsewhere on the instruction sheet and it clearly illustrates the parts in place the other way around. So I did a dry fit in the opposite direction to the instructions and, while typically Revell it was not perfect, it did fit. Having worked it out I then have to struggle with vague location tabs and vague placement, no hope of succeeding how the instructions say of course.

Well I will persist and will finish the JU88, naturally. Fighting it all the way.

The result though is that I am reminded why I am happy to pay 3 or 4 times as much for the superior engineering of Tammy, Hassy, Trump and ZM.

I am cured. I no longer look at the new 32 scale Uhu and think about buying it. If I fancy a Uhu I will happily pay out for the ZM kit at 3 times the price. You get what you pay for.

I might have to wander into the realm of Revell once more though. I have a specific project in mind for which I will need a 32 scale mk1 Spitfire and as Revell are bringing out new tool a MkII soon I might have to buy that one to convert. Unless Trump, Hassy or another decent kit manufacturer says they are bringing out a Mk1 or II that is.

So ROG - you let yourselves down. Not very Germanic of you this poor engineering.

[Guest]

I have also recently discovered that my Revell AR-234 is going to be a bit more of a challenge than I was expecting. I am almost wishing I could have found this in a Tamiya...

[Dave W]

I have also recently discovered that my Revell AR-234 is going to be a bit more of a challenge than I was expecting. I am almost wishing I could have found this in a Tamiya...

This is actually a Hasegawa kit.Its boxed by Revell as the experimental night fighter version.at considerably less than the Hasegawa price.

[Dave W]

Barry.I find with Revell kits it really pays to read reviews before buying.Some are superb and some,like the 1/32 fighters I loved building when I was a kid,are awful.With a family to support,I can't justify paying ZM prices.Dont think I could do there kits justice anyway.So if I modelled exclusively in 1/32 I'd not hesitate to buy the Revell HE219.Saw it at Telford and it looked superb,as did the ZM one.What pissed me off though was some bloke slagging the Revell product off to a member of staff on the ZM stand!.The Japanese man just smiled at me as I shook my head.Im not having a dig,but to those of us who don't have lots to spend on our hobby,Revell are a god send.They produce kits other manufacturers won't touch and at low prices.Pile em high,sell em cheap I suppose.On a brief foray into 1/32,I built their JU88.Yes I had fit problems,and the cockpit was tricky and a bit vague in the instructions.But I built it and am pleased with it.One thing I will criticise is the lack of bombs and bomb racks.Although I think these are included now.And I found the main gear axles aren't strong enough to support the model.They sag after a couple of weeks on the shelf.A drill and a couple of cut down pins nicked from the wife's sowing box sorted that out though.

[BarryW]

Thanks for the tip regarding the axles Dave.

My point is that you get what you pay for.

I am fortunate in that money is not an issue for me but even if it was, I think that I would rather buy fewer kits and spend more time on them than buying cheap. Overall modelling is a cheap hobby when you compare the cost to time spent in the cinema or the pub. Some people I hear spend a fortune to watch a 90 minute football game (I will never work out why...)!!!!! If I spend £100 on a kit and, say, materials another £50, the kit will take me well over a month to build at an hour a night most nights. I will spend a lot more than that in the pub over that period. It is easy for me to talk though!

[Dave W]

I agree you get what you pay for.As for spending a fortune on football,it only costs me £19 to go and watch my team,Southend United.Mind you,we are in the 2nd division and a bit crap!.And the pies are awful (if Revell made pies...).

By the way,Steve Stona had the same problem with his JU88 axles.And if you want a 1/32 mk1 Spitfire,don't get the old Revell kit.Even I won't defend that one!.

[Guest]

I built the 1/32 ju88 A1 (its posted somewhere on here) and it was my first proper go at a big aircraft really.

Apart from the gondola (?) underneath it all seemed to go together pretty well considering my lack of aircraft build experience and knowledge, some areas of the build were challenging but i put this down to me not being an aircraft builder so suffering without the tips and tricks you more experienced builders have.

I took it as a "step by step" and followed the destructions, never noticed anything amiss with the undercarraige, no-one commented on it being upside-down and inside-out on my thread so after what you say above i'm wondering if i got it right by chance

[Dave W]

I built the 1/32 ju88 A1 (its posted somewhere on here) and it was my first proper go at a big aircraft really.Apart from the gondola (?) underneath it all seemed to go together pretty well considering my lack of aircraft build experience and knowledge, some areas of the build were challenging but i put this down to me not being an aircraft builder so suffering without the tips and tricks you more experienced builders have.

I took it as a "step by step" and followed the destructions, never noticed anything amiss with the undercarraige, no-one commented on it being upside-down and inside-out on my thread so after what you say above i'm wondering if i got it right by chance

I remember your JU88 .Nice build.i suppose it depends what you want to get out of your modelling.Sometimes I like doing kits that fit perfectly with no problems.Other times i get a lot of satisfaction out of building something half decent out an old kit.Solving problems along the way is all part of the 'fun' for me.My Anson build is a case in point.A difficult kit to build well,although most of the problems were of my own making.i must like a challenge as Ive several excellent Tamiya kits in my stash which I haven't touched yet.Just done a Revell (Reboxed Hasegawa) Spitfire.Got an Airfix Spitfire nearly at the painting stage.

[Guest]

I know what your saying about enjoying the challenge Dave.

When i made up the ju88 i knew nothing (and still dont) about aircraft modeling, i just though all the little "glitches" i came across were me and my inexperience.

It's actually quite nice to find out that more experienced, tallented aircraft builders like yourself and Barry have the same issues .. the difference being you actually know they are issues

[Dave W]

You flatter me Colin.I don't consider my self talented.i know they will be embarased by me saying this.But I think Trey and Cooperman are two of the most talented modellers Ive seen on this forum.Their work is outstanding.Ive built so many ill fitting kits that Ive worked out how to fix most things.Painting and especially weathering are areas where Ive got a lot to learn still,and resin and PE and.....

[Guest]

I have a mental list of members here that often impress me, different members for different subjects/topics etc.

As far as me saying i like your work mate, credit where credits due .. thats all there is to it

[Dave W]

I won't argue with you Colin. In case you send one of your Arachnid chums down to sort me out!.

[Guest]

I understand Barry's point completely. As a novice builder, I am drawn towards cheaper kits on the basis that it's all just practice and not too much money is involved.

On the other hand, I want a model that I can be satisfied with and I am easily disheartened if the kit is a struggle and beyond my skills to fix. I tried a couple of Revell 1/72 WWI kits because they were £2.50 each. They were horrible, and I gave up.

I just wonder if other beginners start with the cheap, poorly made stuff and get put off the hobby completely.

[BarryW]

I think you may have a point Tony. Newcomers struggling with low grade poor kits may well be put off but, on the other hand, you don't want to spend a fortune on a kit just to practise and see if you like it.

I suppose though it depends on what you regard as cheap - we all have our own idea of that and the great thing about this forum is the way we discuss these issues, compare notes and see how 'the other half live'.... newcomers who join here will at least have their eyes opened to what is available.

[Dave W]

As a modeller today we have this wonderful tool the Internet.I can remember buying kits many years ago and on opening the box being a bit disappointed.Now we can read reviews and articles on kits before deciding to buy.And of course,ask questions on here.I can say being a member of this forum has been a real benefit to me.As for being put off by cheap/bad kits,a newcomer could spend a lot of money on a ZM kit,make a mess of it and be put off that way.They may be superbly engineered,but I bet they are not easy builds.The most I have spent on a single kit is £70.That was for the Tamiya Lancaster (its still in the stash!).Mind you,1/48 is my scale so I rarely have to pay over £40.if you want low prices and good engineering have a look at Academy kits.Ive got a P47N in the stash.I Built a Tamiya Razor back last year and compared the two before assembly.The Tamiya of course was superb.But the Academy was very close,and half the price.As you say Barry,you get what you pay for.Except the Academy P47 is similarly priced to the Revell P47D offering (ex Monogram).But much better engineered.So it pays to do your homework. A great site for reviews is modellingmadness.com as the kits are built by people like us who just tell it like it is.I like modelling magazines,but it annoys me when they build the latest kit and use loads of after market bits.Id like to see it built out of box and make my own mind up if it needs extras