Revell 03987 Tornado IDS 1:48
Two built up examples on the SIG display table.
Review
Revell's 1/48 Tornado IDS seems to be living up to the hype judging by the lack of comments on forums. Detail out-of-the-box is outstanding. The cockpit, engines, intakes and flaps far surpass that of any previous kit. The surface detail is excellent.
The construction of the kit is far more involved than previous offerings, but if any small traces of flash are removed the fit of the parts is excellent. It is possible to build an Italian IDS IT (MLU)* or a German IDS right out of the box. With a little bit of scratch building (the clear part of LRMTS) it is possible to build an RAF and Saudi GR.1 and RAF GR.4. Weapons and stores on this initial release are limited (but appropriate for the special mark scheme). The AIM-9L's are a weak point and the BOZ countermeasure pods require a bit of work.
If the modeller was going to make one correction to the kit, it would be the BOZ pod. The rear of the BOZ pod needs to be rotated and handed so that they point away from the rear of the aircraft It is a fairly easy correction to make with a razor saw. It is also possible to adapt the pod so that it appears empty with the use of some plastic or copper tube.
An area that did cause concern is the nose, and particularly the number of panel lines. Early reports that the nose is too long have proven unfounded. The Radome does not build up in the same was as other kits. There is a seam within the black portion that needs filling. The image of P.15's nose which is nicely weathered shows the seams and panel lines.
To conclude, this kit is a wonderfully detailed rendition on the Tornado. It is not a quick build and it takes no prisoners if the modeller hurries during construction. Any poor fit seems to snow ball and it will require filler. As a general piece of advice, rub down each mating surface to remove the tiny bit of flash that is present and test fit before committing to glue.
*you will need to scratch build a second tiny blade antenna just in front of the canopy.
A five part build with a few hacks to help get a better fit can be found on Flory Models here.
The construction of the kit is far more involved than previous offerings, but if any small traces of flash are removed the fit of the parts is excellent. It is possible to build an Italian IDS IT (MLU)* or a German IDS right out of the box. With a little bit of scratch building (the clear part of LRMTS) it is possible to build an RAF and Saudi GR.1 and RAF GR.4. Weapons and stores on this initial release are limited (but appropriate for the special mark scheme). The AIM-9L's are a weak point and the BOZ countermeasure pods require a bit of work.
If the modeller was going to make one correction to the kit, it would be the BOZ pod. The rear of the BOZ pod needs to be rotated and handed so that they point away from the rear of the aircraft It is a fairly easy correction to make with a razor saw. It is also possible to adapt the pod so that it appears empty with the use of some plastic or copper tube.
An area that did cause concern is the nose, and particularly the number of panel lines. Early reports that the nose is too long have proven unfounded. The Radome does not build up in the same was as other kits. There is a seam within the black portion that needs filling. The image of P.15's nose which is nicely weathered shows the seams and panel lines.
To conclude, this kit is a wonderfully detailed rendition on the Tornado. It is not a quick build and it takes no prisoners if the modeller hurries during construction. Any poor fit seems to snow ball and it will require filler. As a general piece of advice, rub down each mating surface to remove the tiny bit of flash that is present and test fit before committing to glue.
*you will need to scratch build a second tiny blade antenna just in front of the canopy.
A five part build with a few hacks to help get a better fit can be found on Flory Models here.
Sprue Shots
(Archived) First Impressions
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The new Revell kit was on show for the first time at Scale Model World in Telford. The pictures posted on the SIG’s Facebook page certainly caused a storm with over 2000 views over the weekend. From whats on display it appears that an F3 is possible; are Revell teasing us with the Skyflash missiles? It appears that everyones wish-list has been included in this kit.
The cockpit is well appointed with raised detail on the side consoles and instrument panels, seats include raised detail for the seat belts. The airbrake interior and wing gloves are where the Hobbyboss kit has had an edge on previous kits, Revell have matched the Hobbyboss kit in these areas. The deployed flaps and slats are a nice surprise along with what looks like deployable options on the thrust reverse buckets. Intake ducting is something that often gets commented on by visitors to the SIG display at show; this kit includes full ducting! Revell's 1/48 scale Tornado looks like it might just be the definitive kit. Reviews and build tips will follow, for now here are some pictures of the built up test shot as shown on the Revell stand at IPMS SMW 2013 |
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