Oct 28, 2017
#7,659
Ok, here goes nothing
Revell 1:32 Colonial Viper Mk.II (New BSG)
Here we go again, one of Daz’s potted reviews…. Or possible potty reviews, this time for Revell’s version of the BSG 1:32 Colonial Viper Mk.II.
To start off, this kit is not one of Revell’s, it’s a reworking and re-boxing of the original from Moebius Models, less the resin pilot who has been replaced by a plastic version (from what I’ve read, it’s the same pilot figure that can be found in the Viper Mk VII).
This leads to some issues for anyone who is more familiar with building kits from mainstream manufactures such as Airfix, Tamiya, Eduard’s etc , as there’s more of a short/limited run feel to the kit. Which comes across quite clearly in the amount of flash present, along with some odd placements of the mold release pins which leave some awkward ejector marks scattered across the kit, these leave both holes to be filled, along with others where a fair amount of extra plastic need to be removed to ensure a decent fit.
Here's an example of the flash etc, this is the pilot spur:
The kit its self is rated as a Level 3 on Revell’s scale, Level 3 is the highest difficulty rating they give according to their wiki page * and that’s a fair assessment given the way the kit breaks down and the lack of positive location pins & holes, especially around the rear section.
*It should be noted that Revell Germany uses a difficulty scale that ranges from 1 to 5
The kit is molded in a rather translucent white plastic, personally I don’t like the plastic used, I’d rather a darker and slightly harder plastic, thus negating the need to paint the inside of the model – and when I say paint the inside, I mean all of it, including the wing, fuselage, engines, you name it, it got sprayed dark gray to avoid any patchiness to the final paint job.
On the plus side, the details are generally good, items such as the engines come out surprisingly well once painted, the cockpit is workable, is not stunning – however, there are aftermarket details set available to tart things up if you wish to do so.
Instruction sheet is typically Revell, the suggested stages are in a logical manner and on the whole work well – it should be noted that come stage 20, it does tell you to test fit the engine pod and sides… you really, really do need to test fit the parts as it is a bit of a bugger to get things lined up correctly, I’d recommend that come stage 19 you don’t glue the wings on, dry fit them, test and fit the engine pod & nacelles in stage 20, then use thin cement and an old paint brush to glue the parts together from the inside, Tamiya extra thin did the job for me. At various stages during the construction, the instructions do clearly call out the need to trim the various ejector marks and other items, notable part of the undercarriage in stage 2 to ensure a good fit.
The decals…. are, well,a mixed bag - some work fine, yet others on the same sheet are rather thick. You will find that you will need something like decalsoft, or some other decal setting solution when applying them to get them to conform, especially the main red stripes – some of you might prefer to mask and paint them instead, Revell have supplied the necessary Galactica icons and warning markings on the decal sheet if you go down that route.
Fit of the parts is generally good after they have been cleaned up, but care does need to be taken when lining parts up, because as noted, there is a lack of positive location points – however, with some care and patience combined with a lot of tape and clamping, a good finish can be archived without the need for shedloads of filler.
The end result does look like Colonial Viper Mk.II, not that there is any other alterative if you wish to build one, as I’ve already noted that the Revell and the Moebius kits are one the same, so your options are somewhat limited.
My example was purchased from Creative Models Ltd for £12.99 when it was on special offer, currently, kits of the 1:32 Scale Colonial Viper MK. II from either Revell, or Moebius seem to be selling for around £30-35.
Is it work the asking price? Well, at the £13 – £17 mark, I’d say yes, it’s something different from my normal interest, for £30+ I’d pass, not because of any issues with the kit itself, but rather the subject does not interest me enough to open my wallet that far, for what is a diversion.
#7,659
Ok, here goes nothing
Revell 1:32 Colonial Viper Mk.II (New BSG)
Here we go again, one of Daz’s potted reviews…. Or possible potty reviews, this time for Revell’s version of the BSG 1:32 Colonial Viper Mk.II.
To start off, this kit is not one of Revell’s, it’s a reworking and re-boxing of the original from Moebius Models, less the resin pilot who has been replaced by a plastic version (from what I’ve read, it’s the same pilot figure that can be found in the Viper Mk VII).
This leads to some issues for anyone who is more familiar with building kits from mainstream manufactures such as Airfix, Tamiya, Eduard’s etc , as there’s more of a short/limited run feel to the kit. Which comes across quite clearly in the amount of flash present, along with some odd placements of the mold release pins which leave some awkward ejector marks scattered across the kit, these leave both holes to be filled, along with others where a fair amount of extra plastic need to be removed to ensure a decent fit.
Here's an example of the flash etc, this is the pilot spur:
The kit its self is rated as a Level 3 on Revell’s scale, Level 3 is the highest difficulty rating they give according to their wiki page * and that’s a fair assessment given the way the kit breaks down and the lack of positive location pins & holes, especially around the rear section.
*It should be noted that Revell Germany uses a difficulty scale that ranges from 1 to 5
The kit is molded in a rather translucent white plastic, personally I don’t like the plastic used, I’d rather a darker and slightly harder plastic, thus negating the need to paint the inside of the model – and when I say paint the inside, I mean all of it, including the wing, fuselage, engines, you name it, it got sprayed dark gray to avoid any patchiness to the final paint job.
On the plus side, the details are generally good, items such as the engines come out surprisingly well once painted, the cockpit is workable, is not stunning – however, there are aftermarket details set available to tart things up if you wish to do so.
Instruction sheet is typically Revell, the suggested stages are in a logical manner and on the whole work well – it should be noted that come stage 20, it does tell you to test fit the engine pod and sides… you really, really do need to test fit the parts as it is a bit of a bugger to get things lined up correctly, I’d recommend that come stage 19 you don’t glue the wings on, dry fit them, test and fit the engine pod & nacelles in stage 20, then use thin cement and an old paint brush to glue the parts together from the inside, Tamiya extra thin did the job for me. At various stages during the construction, the instructions do clearly call out the need to trim the various ejector marks and other items, notable part of the undercarriage in stage 2 to ensure a good fit.
The decals…. are, well,a mixed bag - some work fine, yet others on the same sheet are rather thick. You will find that you will need something like decalsoft, or some other decal setting solution when applying them to get them to conform, especially the main red stripes – some of you might prefer to mask and paint them instead, Revell have supplied the necessary Galactica icons and warning markings on the decal sheet if you go down that route.
Fit of the parts is generally good after they have been cleaned up, but care does need to be taken when lining parts up, because as noted, there is a lack of positive location points – however, with some care and patience combined with a lot of tape and clamping, a good finish can be archived without the need for shedloads of filler.
The end result does look like Colonial Viper Mk.II, not that there is any other alterative if you wish to build one, as I’ve already noted that the Revell and the Moebius kits are one the same, so your options are somewhat limited.
My example was purchased from Creative Models Ltd for £12.99 when it was on special offer, currently, kits of the 1:32 Scale Colonial Viper MK. II from either Revell, or Moebius seem to be selling for around £30-35.
Is it work the asking price? Well, at the £13 – £17 mark, I’d say yes, it’s something different from my normal interest, for £30+ I’d pass, not because of any issues with the kit itself, but rather the subject does not interest me enough to open my wallet that far, for what is a diversion.
