Revell (Revell of Germany and Monogram)

[NARSES2]

Don't know about any money involved, but I recall reading a post on a German forum by one of the guys who builds the models on the box sides (he was talking about some aircraft kits) that Revell specifically want it kinda "plain". No fancy weathering, no extra detail, just built according to what the instructions say. Truth in advertising? That's a new one, huh? 

If you're going to have pictures of built up models on your boxes then I suppose it's a reasonable approach, but I've never liked that style of box, I think when Airfix used it their boxes were terrible, much prefer some decent, possibly frameable action artwork  .

[PR19_Kit]

It reminds me that Airfix were in such a rush for some of their box pics that Don only painted one side of the model!

The U-2 was one of them like that, and I saw the actual model he built and he left it half painted for ever. 

[zenrat]

Someone who built  car models for box art once posted on a forum that some were built without the "glass" in them because if it was there the photographs had a distorted image of the area behind them and the company didn't like that*.  They used image editing techniques to give an impression of there being glazing in place.


*It must have been MPC or AMT - They could, of course have reduced the thickness of the clear parts instead of providing something that appears to be bulletproof.

[PR19_Kit]

......... of providing something that appears to be bulletproof.

It is, isn't it? 

Every time I've tried to saw down AMT windows they shattered after hours of sawing, and had to be replaced with clear sheet.

[AeroplaneDriver]

Don't know about any money involved, but I recall reading a post on a German forum by one of the guys who builds the models on the box sides (he was talking about some aircraft kits) that Revell specifically want it kinda "plain". No fancy weathering, no extra detail, just built according to what the instructions say. Truth in advertising? That's a new one, huh? 

If you're going to have pictures of built up models on your boxes then I suppose it's a reasonable approach, but I've never liked that style of box, I think when Airfix used it their boxes were terrible, much prefer some decent, possibly frameable action artwork  .

I always loved the Testers yellow boxes with big photos of beautifully built models on them.  However I was always disappointed when my effort looked virtually nothing like the gorgeous box top model.  The flips side was when I felt quite proud of my Airfix Hunter that looked quite similar to the box top model.  Still nothing gets me as nostalgic for childhood modeling than Airfix's 70s box art.  I spent many hours poring over their catalogs admiring the box art.  I remember especially loving the Jaguar down on the deck with very recently released bombs exploding behind it. 

[jcf]

*It must have been MPC or AMT - They could, of course have reduced the thickness of the clear parts instead of providing something that appears to be bulletproof.

At the time most of those kits were designed and originally produced moulding thin clear
parts was difficult due to a combination of moulding technology and the material itself.
Aircraft model canopies also used to be thick, which is why squash or vac moulding your
own replacements was considered a typical skill of "serious" modellers and why the vac
replacement industry got started.
Some of the earlier vehicle models of the 1950s don't have any clear parts at all, no
windscreen, rear or side windows, no headlamps etc.*

Polystyrene is clear in its native state, hard and brittle. The HIPS (High Impact Polystyrene)
that is used for the rest of the parts has been modified by the addition of ABS and other
tougher and more flexible polymers along with colouring agents, I have a couple of
original mid-'50s Aurora kits that are pre-HIPS, they're just coloured polystyrene and the
parts are very shiny, hard and brittle, and the latter is not due to age.
At the time too thin a moulding of a clear part would crack when pushed out of the mould
as the plain polystyrene couldn't take the stress. As the moulding tech improved clear parts
got thinner until they're what they are today.

*Atlantis is adding newly moulded clear parts to some of their re-releases from the old Revell
moulds they purchased when the 'new' Revell was formed and took what they wanted from
the holdings of the 'old' Revell-Monogram, selling the bulk of the remainder to Atlantis.

[zenrat]

Thanks for the history Jon.
I have some of the recently re-popped "period" AMT kits in the stash.  I'll have to go and look if they have retooled the clear parts.

[NARSES2]

As the moulding tech improved clear parts got thinner until they're what they are today.

Someone should tell Akkurra or whoever currently has the PZL 50 tools 

Still nothing gets me as nostalgic for childhood modeling than Airfix's 70s box art.  I spent many hours poring over their catalogs admiring the box art.  I remember especially loving the Jaguar down on the deck with very recently released bombs exploding behind it. 

As youngsters we would look forward to the new catalogue coming out almost as much as new tooling's. Sit there as a group poring over it and making plans, plus figuring out how we were ever going to afford some of the new large tooling's (the B-29 for instance) on our then pocket money or paper round pay ? 

[chrisonord]

Just seen on hobbylink Japan  that they will be getting  the 1/72nd scale sea vixen  FAW 2 in May. I dare say the frog repop, unless someone knows otherwise,  but its  a sea vixen  still.
Chris

[Dizzyfugu]

It is supposed to be a re-boxing of the Cyber Hobby kit, not the FROG model. Mot certain if that's a blessing, since the Cyber Hobby Sea Vixen seems to come with some major inaccuracies and flaws. 

[chrisonord]

It is supposed to be a re-boxing of the Cyber Hobby kit, not the FROG model. Mot certain if that's a blessing, since the Cyber Hobby Sea Vixen seems to come with some major inaccuracies and flaws. 

That is a shame, I  will stick with  my frog  repop then. Cheers  Thomas  for the heads up.
Chris

[kitnut617]

It is supposed to be a re-boxing of the Cyber Hobby kit, not the FROG model. Mot certain if that's a blessing, since the Cyber Hobby Sea Vixen seems to come with some major inaccuracies and flaws. 

That is a shame, I  will stick with  my frog  repop then. Cheers  Thomas  for the heads up.
Chris

There's always the XtraKit and High Planes kits ---

[chrisonord]

It is supposed to be a re-boxing of the Cyber Hobby kit, not the FROG model. Mot certain if that's a blessing, since the Cyber Hobby Sea Vixen seems to come with some major inaccuracies and flaws. 

That is a shame, I  will stick with  my frog  repop then. Cheers  Thomas  for the heads up.
Chris

There's always the XtraKit and High Planes kits ---
I will stick with this one Robert as it was cheap enough and was an easy find. Cheers
Chris

[McColm]

I see that Revell has released the Italian version of the 1/72  Breguet Br.1150 with new decals and at a reasonable price.  They've probably used the old Atlantic ATL1 kit and added some new parts. I hope that they have revised the way the wings are attached to the main fuselage and the engine construction.
I haven't seen any reviews about this release yet.

[Dizzyfugu]

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235095257-br%C3%A9guet-1150-atlantic%C2%A0italian-eagle-172%C2%A0revell-03845/