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Revell Cruiser Prinz Eugen Model Kit
by jj1977
The German heavy battle cruiser Prinz Eugen was unique in that it was one of the few German battleships to see the end of the war. Perhaps most famous as the escort of the Bismarck and therefore notorious for her part in the sinking of the HMS Hood, flagship of the Royal Navy and pride of the British Fleet, she saw action throughout the ... war surviving many engagements and suffering heavy damage. Her days would end after surrendering to the Allies, she was used as a target when the Americans were testing the atomic bomb at Bikini Atoll.
With such a distinguished career behind her, it is not surprising she has been the subject of so many model comapnies attempts at scale recreation. Revell's effort in 1:720 scale lacks the detail that Tamiya kits have become famous for. On the plus side you can construct with full hull or waterline whereas the Tamiya kit limits you to just a waterline option. (Waterline kits are those which only show what is above the water).
Construction and painting are in most kits done seperately, with the assembly first followed by paint and then decals. On this kit you may find it easier, and meet with better results if you paint stage by stage. i.e hull assembly, then superstructure. There are some really fiddly details on the superstructure which will be near impossible once construction is complete with a brush.
While the detail level is good for a kit of this size you may want to add more such as the bridge detail. Equally the barrels of the main turrets are acceptable but if you can find them i'd advise upgrading with after market parts.
The completed kit measures 295mm in length so it won't take too much space. It has a skill level of 3 so most builders will be able to follow the instruction booklet to assemble the 72 parts, paint and place the decals making a faithful recreation of the scourge of the Royal Navy. And at £6.99 or less it won't break your wallet, however you will need to invest in paint, glue and brushes which are not included.
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Revell HMS Victory Model Kit with Poster 1:146
by jj1977
Perhaps the Royal Navy's most famous ship, Revell have produced this gift set to commemorate the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. Originally launched in 1778 under the command of Captain John Lindsay, she still is a 104 gun first rate ship of the line and today is still listed as active while birthed at Portsmouth. It was however, under the ... command of Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar for which she is most weel known. The battle which saw the Royal Navy defeat the combined forces of the French and Spanish Navies and solidify it's role as ruler of the waves for the next 100 years. During the course of the battle, Nelson was killed.
Revell of Germany have chosen to model the Victory on her Trafalgar configuration in 1:146 scale. The kit comes in with a model level of 5 which means that this is for expert builders only. There is a lot of trimming and drilling and moving of parts, which will test your patience to the fullest. Once completed she measures 400mm and contains over 250 pieces. The kit itself is a gift set coming with paints, glue and brush as well as a poster measuring 40cm by 60cm and the box itself which contains information about the ship and her history.
Personally I believe that plastic injection kits are amongst the most challenging of all subjects and equally the most rewarding. You can of course stick to exactly what the box contains and produce a magnificent replica of the Victory, but with sailing ships comes the opportunity to really splash out on after market parts and custome made pieces. The sails you recieve in the box are an extremely thin styrene, but I replaced mine with a fine silk material from a textile warehouse allowing me to produce a more accurate replica. If you look around you may be able to find accurate brass cannons as well for a truly detailed touch.
The kit comes with an instruction book 12 pages long that enables you to complete construction in 24 steps. The biggest challenge in the kit is undoubtedly the rigging which will require a lot of patience, small fingers and a wary eye. The detail on the vessel is excellent for an injection kit and once completed will form a wonderful centerpiece. Perhaps not upto the standard of some of the wooden kits which replicate Victory, but then again you are not paying those prices. It's a kit well worth getting and a wonderful reminder of what made this country great.
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Revell Titanic Gift Set
by jj1977
As we rapidly approach the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the R.M.S. Titanic, there will be a slew of commemorative items released to coincide with this date. The tragic tale of the disaster which befell the ship proclaimed as being so unsinkable that not even god could sink her, is well known. Revell have a long history of ... producing models of the ship, but here they have released a peculiar gift set in which you get two versions of the same ship.
In the box you get al the necessary bits and pieces. The first kit will enable you to build a 1:570 scale replica, the second is smaller at 1:1200. Also included are the required paints, glue and a paint brush. The box indicates a skill level of 3 is required which indicates it is for ages 12 and up and will require a high level of skill. Assembled the two models measure 96mm x 470mm and 40mm x 223mm.
The box is illustrated well and on the flipside of the lid contains a short passage on the ship and the events of that fateful night. The detail on the smaller ship is average, but at the size in question it should come as no surprise. The larger model is a drastic improvement and of good quality. However, the liklihood is that you will require a much higher level of detail, so investment in after market parts such as brass will be required to get it to the higher standard.
The kits fit well with not too much need to filler or alteration to parts. For glueing the hull of the larger model, you may wish to have a workbench with clamps handy to hold it in position.
Overall it's a decent set, but I still cannot get my head around the two versions of one ship in a set. It seems a little pointless. Perhaps Revell might have included a version of the Carpathia, the first ship to rescue some of the Titanic's passengers instead of the 1:1200 version. Although you may instead want to change the smaller version to the Olympic, Titanic's sister to create a nich little set.
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