Revell (Matchbox) 1/72 Supermarine Walrus Mk.I

REVELL (MATCHBOX) 1:72 SUPERMARINE WALRUS MK.I
'INBOX Review'

Reviewer: Jesús Alcocer (rec.models.scale)

Kit Details:

Revell Kit No.: 04391
Parts: 58 in three light grey plastic sprues including 1 clear part.
Decals: One sheet with two marking options (Royal Navy and French Navy).

A Short Aircraft History:

Initially built as a private venture and known as Seagull V, the Supermarine Walrus was a catapult-launched biplane amphibian with pusher propeller. It was designed by Reginald J. Mitchell, later popular for the world-famous Spitfire. The prototype fitted with a 635hp Pegasus IIM2 engine flew for the first time on 21 June 1933. The Australian government was the first customer of the production model, followed by the Royal Navy with orders placed by July 1936 totalling 216 Walrus Mk Is. At the outbreak of WWII there were some 162 Walruses flying with the Royal Navy and other Commonwealth forces. Although its biplane design and rather rectangular fuselage shape were clearly outdated by the end of the war, it remained in service throughout the conflict and was the standard reconnaissance and search-and-rescue aircraft for some time, serving on board the main English and Australian cruisers and battleships in all fronts.

The Walrus also operated from the decks of aircraft carriers, being the first amphibian biplane in the world to be fitted with retractable undercarriage. From 1941 production was transferred to Saunders Roe since Supermarine was fully concentrated on the production of Spitfire fighters. Saunders built the following Mk II version (nicknamed Shagbat by its crews) with wooden hull (due to the growing demand of metal), different tail wheel and a more powerful Pegasus engine until the end of production in early 1944. In 1942 a number of them were also delivered to the Soviet Union under the lend-lease agreement. After the war it was gradually retired from service or exported in small numbers to France, Argentina and other countries.

The Kit

Revell has finally decided to release this Walrus at last. The kit comes from the old Matchbox tooling, which, they say, was one of the best of the British brand back in the 1970's. Judging from the content of the customary small box I think this is unquestionable because Revell has not bothered to delete the old ‘Made in Britain’ from the mould.

The kit comprises 58 parts in three light grey plastic sprues. There is only one clear part and this comes loose inside the plastic bag. All the parts are correctly moulded, even the smallest or thinnest ones, with no flash or ejector pins. The panel lines of control surfaces are engraved whereas the fuselage and fin have raised panels as in the real referent. Each wing is moulded in one part. The fabric on them looks great but they are heavy for the model and seem a bit too thick. The Bristol Pegasus engine is nicely detailed to be made of plastic, and the same is true of the two-bladed propellers which were fitted one on top of the other as in older aircraft. The floats come in two parts as usual with model seaplanes.

This is obviously a kit for those who dislike detailing interiors. There are only two gunner figures (with their armament), a pilot and their seats, that's it. The gunners’ hatches can be left open or closed. Although detailers have extra work with this kit, they are lucky to have enough interior space to include anything they want to add. On the other hand, it is advisable to study the position of each wire before rigging the model and to open the holes before fitting the wings. At first sight this seems a very simple kit to build.

Instructions and Colour Schemes

The instructions come in an A4 8-page leaflet showing a very detailed step-by-step building and painting process for both versions. The British scheme is a combination of greyish blue and grey green over grey blue, and the French one is overall aluminium.

Decals

The decal sheet is really top of the line and includes markings for a Walrus from the British Pacific Fleet in 1945 and others for the French Flotille 53S Aeronavale, this latter version with more beautiful decals but duller decoration.

Accuracy

Unless you really check the actual dimensions of the kit with a plan to scale, this is a thorny matter to deal with. I can only say that judging from images of the preserved Walruses in the RAAF Museum (Point Cook, Victoria) that shows a Walrus Mk II, and the Mk I from the RAF Museum in Hendon (London), this kit is quite a good replica of the real aircraft.

Overall Recommendation

This is a highly recommended kit although the tooling is not really new. Modellers who are used to biplanes, and even those who aren’t, won't find it difficult to build, but rigging it perhaps requires some previous experience with easier models.

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