Revell Invincibles

[Weaver]

A question folks:

Revell produced 1/700th scale kits of the RN Harrier-carriers Invincible, Illustrious and Ark Royal. Are they just the Skywave/Pit Road/Dragon ones re-boxed, or are they different?

[Thorvic]

Dragon kits as they were issued first in each version, the Invincible & lusty have been reissued with PE. Lust has updates to flight deck and extra harrier gr9 and merlins.

Still nice kits whichever boxing, although the flight deck markings are raised and rather heavy, spoiling the look if left unmodified.

WEM do a nice update set to the original invincible along with decent sea kings and nice deck vehicle set

G

[Captain Canada]

I've got the Dragon Invincible, the Falkland version. There are a lot of parts not used in that version, and I'd like to do a more modern one and use all the parts. Anybody have the instructions or know where they are ? The only ones I can find are Ark Royal from the same era and not much help.

[Captain Canada]

Anyone ?

[sandiego89]

I can't directly help with a later fit Invincible/Lusty/Royal, all I have is the Falklands fit Invincible, 1/700 Dragon, kit number 7028.  Likely the same as yours.

Looking at the blue shaded "parts not for use" on the instructions I am thinking there are many things on this "b" sprue that never went on any Invincible/Lusty/Royal, even with later refits, and were perhaps part of a generic modern Royal navy equipment sprue, and could be used on frigates, destroyers, Invincible class etc. This would save on tooling costs.  Tooling the mold is expensive, injecting the plastic is not- so perhaps Dragon would just throw a "b" sprue in  every modern Royal Navy kit.  Some parts get used, some not.  Great for the spares bin!  

Examples: the "b" sprue has:

Gun mounts, parts 47-52- likely for a frigate/destroyer, Invincible class never fitted with a big gun.  
Gun barrels, parts 32-38- likely for a frigate/destroyer, " " "
CIWS/Phalanx, part 21 lower right. Used for later fit carriers, but also on other ships.
Missile mounts/arms.  Parts 12-18 may be frigate/destroyer types.  Some single armed, some twin.  Invincible class went through some missile changes through the years, and at least one had the forward missile system removed entirely for more Harrier parking. 
Lynx, part 5-7.  A visitor to the Invincible class, but normally on smaller ships.  

Anyhow, lots of other stuff on the sprue that perhaps other eagle eyed folks can pick out.

Maybe this helps, maybe not....

-Dave  









     

[Captain Canada]

Thanks Dave ! That's a huge help. I'll just build her as is and maybe donkey a few bits here and there to busy it up. Che :cheers:ers ~

[Weaver]

That 'B' sprue is indeed generic to Skywave/Pit Road/ Dragon kits and has lots of useful stuff on it that doesn't apply to any real-world Invincible, indeed some of the parts are not relevent to ANY Royal Navy ship.

Part 55 is a SIGNAAL Goalkeeper CIWS mounting as used on Illustrious from new and Invincible post-refit.

Parts 12-18 are USN missile launchers. The Invincibles only ever had Sea Dart, which was removed in later refits to make space for more aircraft.

I THINK that parts 24 are twin BMARC 30mm cannon mounts which were fitted to various RN ships, but not the carriers, post-Falklands. They might therefore be useful for a Whif.

Part 54 is a Limbo ASW mortar.

I THINK that the two unumbered parts next to Parts 76 are MM38 Exocet box launchers. The Invincibles were originally supposed to carry four of these next to the Sea Dart launcher, but they were deleted before construction began. Possible Whif there?

[Thorvic]

The Ark Royal had the new 12 degree ski jump in place of the 6 degree on Invincible and the extra Phalanx. the updated Illustrious had the updated ski-jump, new main mast and Goal Keeper. Dragon actually issued Illustrious as per 1982 with the Phalanx on deck, then modernised and finally in the final fit with the flight deck extended over the Sea Dart and to the bows.

[Captain Canada]

Cool. That's some really great info guys ! Cheers !

[proditor]

Small warning on the Exocet launchers, they are wildly out of scale. I didn't realize how badly out of scale until i bought some proper ones in resin from Admiralty Modelworks.

Here's the full list of what's on the B sprue according to Model Warships.


These are the scales and contents of the modern RN/NATO sprue B in Skywave/Dragon 1/700 kits. Many of these weapons are larger than 1/700.

1/700   #1   RN   Radar Type 1022   (qty 1)
1/636   #2   RN   Radar Type 965 AKE-2   (qty 1)
1/700   #3   Boat davits   (qty 4)
1/700   #4   Life raft capsules   (qty 2)
1/600   #5-#9   RN/France   Lynx helicopter   (qty 1)
1/700   #10   USN   SPG-55 Terrier radar   (qty 2)
1/700   #11   RN   Radar Type 909 Sea Dart (see #57)   (qty 2)
Scale?   #12-#18   USN   Mk 10/Mk 26 launchers & missiles   (qty 2)
>1/600   #19-#22   RN   Sea Dart launcher (missiles too large)   (qty 1)
1/700   #23   RN   HF radio antenna (qty 2)
1/700   #24   Twin Oerliken 30mm guns   (qty 2)
1/700   #25   RN   Radar Type 1006   (qty 1)
1/700   #26   RN   SCOT UHF SatCom   (qty 2)
1/700   #27   RN   anchors   (qty 2)
1/700   #28-#29   RN   Radar Type 992Q   (qty 2)
Scale?   #30   Single Bofors 40mm gun   (qty 2)
Scale?   #31   Single Oerliken 20mm gun   (qty 4)
1/700   #32   RN   Twin 4.5-inch guns for #47   (qty 2)
>1/600   #33   Italy   Twin 40mm/L70 guns for#48   (qty 2)
1/700   #34   RN   4.5-inch gun for #49   (qty 1)
1/700   #35   Italy   5-inch gun for #51   (qty 1)
1/700   #36   France   100mm gun for #50   (qty 1)
1/700   #37   Spain   12 20mm guns for #52 Meroka   (qty 1)
1/700   #38   Spain   On-mount radar for #52 Meroka   (qty 1)
1/700   #39   RN   Type DLA chaff (Corvus)   (qty 2)
Scale?   #40   USN/RN   Mk 36 SRBOC   (qty 2)
1/700   #41   RN   Type 670 jammer   (qty 2)
1/700   #42   RN   Type DLB chaff (Shield)   (qty 4)
1/400   #43-#44   USN/RN   Triple Mk 32 torpedo tubes — oversize   (qty 2)
Scale?   #45-#46   Accommodation ladders   (qty 2)
1/700   #47   RN   4.5-inch Mk 6 turrets for #32   (qty 2)
>1/600   #48   Italy   Breda 40mm gun turrets for #33   (qty 2)
1/700   #49   RN   4.5-inch Mk 8 turret for #34   (qty 1)
1/700   #50   France   100mm gun turret for #36   (qty 1)
1/700   #51   Italy   OTO Melara 5-inch gun turret for #35   (qty 1)
1/700   #52   Spain   Meroka CIWS gun turret for #37 & #38   (qty 1)
1/600   #53-#54   RN   Mark 10 ASW mortar (Limbo)   (qty 1)
1/700   #55   Goalkeeper CIWS   (qty 1)
Scale?   #56   RN   Gemini (Zodiac) boats (see #58, 63)   (qty 2)
1/700   #57   RN   Radar Type 909 Sea Dart (see #11)   (qty 2)
Scale?   #58, #63   RN   Racks of petrol for Gemini (Zodiac) rigid inflatable boats (RIBs)   (qty 4)
Scale?   #59-#62   Boats   (qty 4)
#63   (see #58)   
1/600   #64-#65   RN   Seacat launcher — radome is too short   (qty 2)
1/400   #66-#67   RN   Seawolf   (qty 1)
1/400   #68-#70   France   Exocet MM38 – shape is incorrect   (qty 2)
Scale?   #71   USN   Mk 15 CIWS Phalanx   (qty 2)

[Captain Canada]

More great info-cheers ! I thought the Lynx looked large-Might mod it up and slide it on there anyway