So any of you who read my posts know that I’ve become obsessed with B-17s: building them (I’ve got 20 different a/c on my list now), researching them, etc. Well, I just picked up the Revel/Monogram “Memphis Belle” B-17F kit off eBay.
Kit was in perfect condition, still sealed in it’s shrink-wrap. I’m excited, so my wife and I open it up. Egads!!! Everything is still on the sprues and in perfect condition, don’t get me wrong…but what the heck was Revellogram thinking when they made this kit!!! The interior detail is next to non-existant, the plastic is very soft, the injection marks are atrocious and the painting instructions…there are none…it’s like they expect you to just build it OOB, no paint, no nothin’.
So I started in on it last night, and I’m trying to decide how much detail I want to put into it. You can’t see the interior of these planes anyway when the fuselage is buttoned up, so I’ll probably go minimalist there. And at least I have historical photos for accuracy of paint and decals. But yeesh! I’m glad kits have come a long way since then…my B-17G was a joy to build.
Let’s get one thing straight: that was originally a Revell kit! I agree, it’s crap.
Monogram’s old B-17G, however, is a great kit.
That’s one big problem I have with the merger of Monogram and Revell: Monogram’s good name gets sullied by being associated with Revell’s crappy products!!
And vice versa…Revell gets to ride the glory of Monogram’s excellent classics.
i used to have that kit i got so [censored] mad with it that i just slapped it together and just laid it aside waiting to get rid of it, luckly that didn’t take long, a stack of boxes fell over and landed on my dresser, destroying it yay, but it took out other model, pity, i don’t think the G model is much better either, it is better but not by much. to be honest ive been disapointed by all bombers from revell and monogram. So i stopped buying bombers maid by them, and been buying them from Tamiya or Hasegawa or Academy
I’ve got one in my todo pile, about six down. You have to remember that this kit was designed for “children” to put together. When these kits were designed, there weren’t many adults that did what was considered a childs pasttime. Thats why you usually find models in the toy department in most stores.
dont get me started on revell kits why is it the words terrible and revell seem to go together, looks like bruce will be getting another kit to fly[(-D]
Hey Guys
Here’s the history of the Ole 1/48 scale B-17’s, first in mid 1970’s Monogram produced the B-17G and they had planned to produce the F but Revell countered with theirs (if you look hard you notice that the kit is mimicing the Monograms) so Monogram didn’t want to compete so they doropped the thought of their own B-17F ( and E) versions, then fsat forward to 1990’s and the 2 companies merged to compete with the overseas manufactures and to save each other and now we have a older GREAT kit of it’s time & a older Junk kit of its time, if you take a little time and effort the F version will come out to make a nice kit, just use the interior parts from the G kit ( I have a couple of broken up B-17G’s and I use their interiors on the F’s and they fit perfectily with little mod’s) and re-scribe the panel lines and a few aftermarket PE & Resin kits and you got a master piece
Most of what you see is external, anyway, so that’s where most of my work will be done. The interior, while shoddy, is my least worry. I’ll do what I can with what I’ve got.
Now if Hasegawa would just make a 1/48 B-17 (any variation) I’d be in seventh heaven! [:D]
I agree with Jhulk! Shoot I remember from when I was really little when my brother and I really got into building models for the first time. We were around 10 years old and even THEN we KNEW Revell was junk! We always searched out Monogram at all cost and thats pretty much all we ever got.
Um…before you all go slagging off Revell…I have their 1:72nd scale Dornier Do 335…waiting to be built and wow, what a kit…the detail is superb - it even has an etched instrument panel and the control stick is in two pieces… and two detailed engines as well… even the tyres have the manufacturers name stamped on them (!) It’s clear Revell have put a lot of work into researching this prototype WW2 aircraft. The kit has more than 150 pieces…
On the other hand, 1:72nd Airfix kits are junk…why oh effing why do they pepper them with massive pimply pop rivets??? I give up!
My recommendation with getting a substandard kit is to get superdetailing sets.
This thread goes to prove that you can no longer consistently judge a manufacturer by looking at only one or two kits from their line, as you could do in the past.
As some of ya’ll have pointed out, the 48th Revell B-17 is an old kit and is bound to be a frustrating build for anyone who’s entered this hobby in the last ten or fifteen years and who is, most likely, used to the current quality of kits from Tamiya and Hasegawa.
The 72nd Do 335 mentioned in the last post (as of this writing) sounds like it may be a DML/Dragon kit. Revell of Germany and ProModeler have boxed kits from other manufacturers, including Hasegawa, DML/Dragon and others.
And remember, although Revell of Germany and Revellogram here in the US (Anything with Revell, Monogram, Revell/Monogram or ProModeler on the box) are affiliated, they are still two totally separate entities with differing product lines, license agreements and marketing practices and cannot be evaluated together.
By the way, for those interested in Revell/Monogram history, the two companies merged in the early-mid-ish 80’s, not in the 90’s. It was only at a later date that they stopped marketing their respective lines separately.
Anyhoo, unless you really know your models, you never can tell these days what’s gonna be in that box until you open it…
I am bulding the 1:48 monogram B-17G for the Monogram build and the joints are a horror story. I am on my second day of filling…not sanding just filling. But really I love this kit, when I dont wanna see how good a flyer it’ll make. I know in the end all my hard work will pay off but sheesh, zig zagging seams on the nacells…come on! No matter what I did the main fuselage and wing seams just dont match up, that will be some intersting sanding there I say, what a beast.
i have the same kit. year and a half in the making. im on my third “try” every time i get so frustraited with it it goes back in the closet. most terrible kit i own or have ever seen. its jsut pathetic. either i did it bad or its just plain bad because i used up nearly an entire tube of putty.
but this time im determined to finish it. paint shop tomarrow.
I don’t know guys. I like a model you have to actually build instead of shake the box. We have a guy in our club who builds almost exclusively Airfix kits and consistantly wins with these models.
There is also the cost factor for me. The lovely Hasagawa 1/72 B-25 is over $30. That is a whole lot of money for one kit. I would like to do several of this version but just can’t justify the cost.
Ok, I admit that if I can get a good price on a newer kit I will go for it but it is so much fun to show off your latest project and when everyone asks if that is the new Hasagawa or Tamiya you can say, nah, Airfix and watch the jaws drop.
Yes, the Revell 1/72 Do. 335 is the Dragon kit reboxed. I have built the Dragon kit, and have the Revell Germany kit on the ‘waiting to be built’ stack. The only significant differences are that the sprue with the ladder on is photo-etched stainless steel on the Dragon kit, but polystyrene on the Revell kit, and that the Revell Germany kit has better decals.
