Airfix Model World – September 2019

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FEEL THE FORCE

First Order Special Forces TIE

Fighter

By: Revell

Item no: 06745 Price: £39.99

Web: http://www.revell.de/en

Revell’s large-scale styrene TIE

fighter makes a welcome return,

being unchanged from the original

release, with parts presented on

seven styrene runners. The large

locating pins hint at this being a

snap-together product, but apart

from the black radiator/solar panels

and clear glazing, everything is

supplied in grey styrene, meaning

painting is needed to replicate a

machine from The Force Awakens,

which basically has these colours

reversed. That aside, the detail is

first class, with a complete two-place

interior, twin reactor plant housings,

wing-mounted power cell ‘collars’

and the type’s heavy armament (two

forward-firing weapons and turret

mounted heavy cannon and missile

launchers) all replicated faithfully. A

neat four-part stand is supplied, but

the lack of figures is disappointing,

especially given the extensive fore

and aft glazing panels. Note, the

painting guide is incorrect, as just

the frames should be painted dark

grey and not the ‘eyeball’ windows.

USS Enterprise NCC-1701

By: Revell

Item no: 04991 Price: £29.99

Web: http://www.revell.de/en

First released as a new tooling

in 2001, Revell’s original series’

Star Trek Constellation-class USS

Enterprise has recently been

re-released. It comprises four pale

grey styrene runners, separate

upper and lower saucer halves and

a busy transparent frame, which

provides parts for the main and

secondary hull windows, front and

rear nacelle domes and position

lights. Revell has thoughtfully

supplied the nacelle supports as a

robust three-piece v-shaped sub-

assembly. The vessel’s lines and

proportions appear to have been

captured faithfully (in relation to

the original series’ studio model)

as are the colours and markings,

which are overall light grey with

red trim. The superbly printed

decal sheet provides markings

for three schemes (including the

first-in-class vessel):

• NCC-1017, USS Constellation


• NCC-1657, USS Potemkin


• NCC-1701, USS Enterprise

X-Wing Starfighter
By: Bandai Item no: 01200
Price: £29.99 Web: http://www.revell.de/en

Anyone looking for a 1/72 X-Wing
fighter need look no further than
Bandai’s exquisite offering, which
caters for all skill levels as it’s
basically a snap-together kit and
is to the same scale as that firm’s
Y-Wing, A-Wing, B-Wing, TIE Fighter/
Interceptor and TIE Advanced X-1.
Those desiring accuracy and detail
are in for a treat as it’s arguably
the best in the scale, and the studio
model’s various ‘greeblies’ are

readily identifiable. It’s moulded

in several colours of styrene and

this, combined with the choice of

waterslide or self-adhesive markings

(for Luke Skywalker’s ‘Red Five’),

means it can be assembled without

the need for paint. Further choices

include open/closed wings and

raised/lowered undercarriage.

Similar attention is paid to the stand,

which includes two Death Star ‘tiles’;

one is the thermal exhaust port

and, when combined with the model

and transparent ‘proton torpedoes’,

means Star Wars’ climactic battle

scene can be replicated.

“YOU’RE ALL CLEAR KID...”

Apollo 11 Lunar Module Eagle

By: Revell

Item no: 03701 Price: £49.99

Web: http://www.revell.de/en

Dragon’s quarter-scale Lunar

Module (LM) makes a return in

Revell’s Model Set packaging for

the 50th anniversary of the Apollo

Moon landings, with four pots of

acrylic paint, a brush and Contacta

Professional Mini dispenser.

While this is arguably the most

accurate kit of the type to date,

modellers wanting an exact replica

will need to check references as

the communications antenna,

thruster supports and hatch

appear different from published

photos. It comes on eight styrene

runners with a separate descent-

stage lower hull and all parts are

moulded crisply, with excellent

recessed panel lines where

appropriate. Despite the high-

quality exterior, there is no interior

detail, and the four small windows

are supplied in decal form. The

reflective foil covering on the

descent stage hull and landing legs

is replicated via integrally moulded

surface relief, although this is

missing from the ascent stage

hatch, manoeuvring thrusters

(which benefit from hollow

nozzles) and antenna mount.

TRANQUILITY BASE

“TO BOLDLY GO”

1/72 1 /4 8

ON THE SHELF

SCI-FI & REAL SPACE KITS

1/600 1/35