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Reviewer: Robin Hine  (rec.models.scale)
Kit Review submitted:  12 June 2008

I have just re-started modelling 1/72 kits after a very long break.  In fact, apart from about ten I made in 2003/4, I have done no modeling since my early teens back in the late 70’s and I was the world’s worst modeller then!  This is my second effort since starting again a month ago and the first with my new air brush.

The Kit

NB: This picture was borrowed from a German site on the web as I had already chucked the box out and used the decals before realizing I should have photographed them, though in fairness I hardly expected to be penning a review at that moment in time.

This is a Revell release of the old Matchbox kit reviewed by the gaffer here….. 

http://www.fortunecity.com/meltingpot/portland/971/Reviews/luftwaffe/he-70f-2.htm

These musings are just a small addition to that information. 

Instead of three colours of plastic it now comes in just light grey.  No flash to speak of but a few parts were attached by rather thick bits of sprue.

Instructions

These are printed in the standard Revell A4 offering, with notes in thirty odd languages (slight exaggeration) and the usual health & safety advice on not losing digits to modeling knives and the dangers of sniffing glue.  There is a diagram of the parts on the sprues with numbers, a 32 stage construction layout and a full three page painting guide for the three versions that can be made.

Painting guide

Typical Revell only list their paint numbers which 99% of the time requires some mixing.  The paint scheme seems to differ from the original Matchbox kit as seen in the previous review as the Spanish Civil war version paint scheme is now only three colours and the Hungarian air force version is now only a two colour camouflage and splinter as opposed to four colours and random.

 I opted for the Spanish version, and used the some of the colours suggested by the webmaster.  However, I didn’t have the Humbrol Brown 186, a trip to Model Zone was in vain as that particular colour was the only one out of stock (Grrrrrr………), so in the end just mixed up something dark brownish!  This is my first attempt at air brushing, and I made a few gaffs, but on the whole, from a distance, it doesn’t look too bad IMHO.

Construction

It was as I was building this kit that I discovered this site and the previous review was of a great help.  There was a slightly large gap at the lower wing roots that needed filling, and some filling and sanding where the cupola meets the upper fuselage was required.  

  I had a slight problem with the undercarriage which proved a touch fiddly, but I put this down to my inexperience and general cack handedness!

  Looking at the painting guide, the gunner’s cockpit was shorter than the actual canopy provided, so I cut this down to match.  I also pinched a machine gun from the spares box (in this case, from the Italeri JU 86 civil airliner, that has the military version parts on the sprues but not used) as the one provided in the kit is crap and pretty undetailed.  As it was used as a light bomber, I tried to find out as to whether the bomb load was carried internally or externally, but failed.  In the end, I liberated a pair of bombs and some racks from a Revell Hurricane (Although I hasten to add, this was AFTER having painted the blessed thing!) and mounted them centrally under the fuselage.  This may of course be completely wrong, but I call it artistic licence!

Decals

From what I read in the previous review, I think Revell have redone the decal sheet.  It now comes with loads of stenciling for all three versions, so much in fact I lost one tiny little decal!  I used a little Microset on the model before applying the decals into position.  They seem quite thin and applied very nicely indeed.  In fact the problems mentioned in the original review didn’t happen, and the white bits of the decals aren’t showing the underlying colours at all.

Overall

I enjoyed building this kit.  As already mentioned, I haven’t built a kit in anger for years and this didn’t provide me with any great headaches.  I may have to get another one and do the civil version. 

© Robin Hine 2008

                My finished kit, minus the varnish and aerial wire.

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