Free time hobbies ( Pacifif Front ) has the Revell of Germany Wasa on a clearance sale od $19.95! I just picked one up.Thought you sailing ship guys would want to know.
Dick Wood
Terrific deal! Especially for a newer kit…I just paid $50 for it 6 months ago…and I have to say, I really found it to be a great build! Good quality, crisply-molded parts, plenty of detail. Recommended!
Same as Airfix Vasa?
I just purchased it from Pacific Front for $17 plus shipping. They have five (5) more in stock.
Felix,
The Revell of Germany kit is more up-to date in the basic research. Also, the RoG kit does not use dummy guns in square cut-outs in the hull. The two kits are of slightly different scales. I have both; the RoG kit is better.
Bill
Bill,
I too have both and I agree with you that the RoG has much more detail. I plan on building both; however, I hate that the RoG Wasa as well as the Batavia have heavily molded gammoning. The Batavia’s gammoning won’t be too difficult to remove but the Wasa will be another story. If someone has any great ideas I would love to hear it! On the other hand, at least they did not put molded line (rope) on the decks!
Steve
Steve,
Amen to that! I hated those old molded-on coiled ropes. I heven’t noticed the heavy gammoning on either of my kits of Wasa or Batavia, but, to be honest, I wasn’t looking. Thanks for pointing that problem out!
Bill
I have both kits and generally the Revell kit is more accurate than the Airfix one. With regard to the moulded on gammoning, why bother doing it like this? Anyone with the most basic skills should be able to do this with scale rope, and it would look much better. On the Airfix kit it has to be done the proper way. Most things have been done better on the Revell kit except for the ornate carvings all around the ship. Airfix has done a better job with their carving details being much better defined, despite their kit originating from back in the 1970’s. This next criticism of both kits applies to a lot of other historical ship kits as well. Why do kit manufacturers always seem mould the parrals in the upper position. They seem to think that all sailing ship modellers would wish to set all the sails billowing! It would be good if the parrals were moulded as separate items so that the yards could be modelled lowered if required. Very difficult for the modeller to correct this fault.
Both kits can be worked into really good models of the Vasa, but the Airfix one will require a lot more extra work done than the Revell kit.
There is a superb set of 1/100th scale drawings by Eva Marie Stolt that are available by mail order from the Vasa Museum.
Relax all, despite Revell or Airfix is better - Revell Vasa is made with cooperation between Revell Deutschland and Vasamuseet, Sweden (from museum side mostly Fred Hocker) :-).
That means, Revell has issued most authentic model to the original ship, that was task for Vasamuseet.
And Revells task was to give newest technologies for plastic model…
And both - Vasamuseet and Revell Deutschland have made they work excellent.