German Veteran Aircraft Gift Set

[Paul A H]

German Veteran Aircraft Gift Set

1:72 Revell

When you think of model gift sets, you probably also think in sceptical terms about the quality of the plastic. This is because some fairly ‘classic’ kits are as often as not found lurking within boxes such as these. Happily I can report that this is not the case here. The earliest of these three kits dates back only a far as the mid-1990, a period when Revell were already churning out some very nice models indeed. Their selection of aircraft in this set is a good one too. The Bf 109 and Fw 190 are obvious choices as both would make anyone’s top ten list of German Aircraft of World War Two. The Heinkel He177 is a slightly more left-field choice, but this makes the package more interesting, particularly so as Revell’s Greif is an excellent kit.

Let’s take a look at the Fw 190 first. The Revell kit depicts the A-8, the most numerous of all Fw 190 variants. Over 6,500 of this type were produced between March 1944 and the end of the war. Capable of speeds in excess of 400mph and armed with 2 x 13mm machine guns and 4 x 20mm cannon, it was able to out-perform contemporary RAF fighters such as the Spitfire Mk. V. The kit is nicely moulded, although there are signs of flash here and there. Surface detail is finely engraved and includes fasteners and rivets as well as panel lines.

The cockpit is comprised of a tub with side consoles moulded in place, a seat, control column and instrument panel. Instrument and control details are delicately raised and should look very nice after a little dry brushing. Turning to the rest of the airframe, the undercarriage bays are of scale depth and feature excellent moulded detail, while the undercarriage itself is also very nice. The main gear tyres are not bulged, but one can’t have everything. The engine exhaust apertures behind the cowling are moulded open, which is a really nice touch. An auxiliary fuel tank is provided as an option. The only real weakness in this otherwise first class kit is the transparent parts. Although the canopy is nice and thin, it is not particularly clear. A dip in Johnsons Klear might help, but at least they are moulded in two parts so can be depicted open in which case the poor clarity will be less noticeable.

Decals are provided for just one aircraft, an Fw 190 A-8 works number 170994 “Blue 13” flown by Major W. Dahl of JG300, Germany 1944. In typical Revell fashion the decals are nicely printed and shouldn’t cause any problems provided they are applied to a gloss surface.

The second fighter in this set is the Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-10. The Bf 109 needs little introduction as it was the Luftwaffe’s main single-seat fighter for the first part of the war, including the Battle of Britain. The G series was intended as an interim design until the ultimate K series was ready to enter service. The G -10 featured a powerful Daimler Benz 605DB or DM engine capable of developing 1435hp.

Revell’s Bf 109 is remarkably similar to their Fw 190 in terms of quality. I suppose this should come as no surprise as they are both of the same 1996 vintage. The parts, spread across two sprues of light grey plastic, are well moulded, although again there is a little flash present here and there and there is a pretty heavy sink mark on the supercharger intake. Surface detail is identical to the Fw 190; that is to say very nice indeed. The cockpit is a little less refined but is still ok and the fuselage sidewalls have some nice detail moulded in place.

Unlike the Fw 190 the landing gear bays are without much in the way of detail and overall this has the look and feel of a simpler kit, albeit one with excellent surface detail. Two identical transparent sprues are included, both identical. One is almost unusable owing to a couple of air bubbles, but the other is perfectly fine. The canopy is moulded in once piece and so cannot be posed open. A single option is catered for by the decals, a Bf 109 G-10 works number 610487 “White 3” as flown by Lt. H. Ewald of 6/JG52 in Hungary 1945.

The third aircraft in this particular trio is the impressive-looking Heinkel He 177. The He 177 was a complex and problematic aircraft. The massive 2,950hp Daimler-Benz DB 610 engines were in fact each made up of two DB 605 engines driving a single shaft. Unfortunately there was barely enough room for these engines in the nacelles and the resulting overheating problems earned the type the nickname Luftwaffenfeuerzeug or the Luftwaffe’s lighter. The A-5 variant was designed to carry remote controlled glide bombs such as the Ruhrstahl/Kramer X-1 “Fritz X”. This weapon was used mainly against naval targets, most notably on the Italian battleship RN Roma which was sunk in September 1943 by Dornier Do 217s armed with these weapons.

Revell’s He 177 is a slightly newer mould than the other two kits, having first seen the light of day in 2000. The quality of moulding is every bit as good as the other two kits, if not better. There is still a little flash here and there, however, although it won’t take more than a few seconds to clean up. Surface detail is exceptionally crisp and the clarity of detail on parts such as the main landing gear wheels positively pops off the sprue. The cockpit is highly detailed and absolutely crammed with parts. This just as well because quite a lot of the cockpit will be visible beneath the glazing. The other crew stations such as the turrets are similarly well detailed.

The bomb bay is also very nicely detailed, although I’m sure the enthusiastic scratchbuilder could add more flesh to Revell’s bones. The complex and ungainly undercarriage is also excellent, although again weighted wheels would have been nice. A decent set of bombs is also included, although curiously as this is the A-5 version, no guild bombs are provided. As with the other models in this set, just the one set of marking options is provided for He 177 A-5, 6N + HP, 6./KG 100 “Wiking”, based at Chateuadun in 1944.

Conclusion

Overall I think this is a cracking little set and all three kits are very good quality. Whilst many gift sets such as these contain a high percentage of rather elderly kits, this is not one of them. If you want to cross all of these kits off your ‘wants’ list in one fell swoop, this is your opportunity. In all my excitement I almost forgot to mention that this set also includes acrylic paints, a paint brush and a tube of Revell’s excellent Contacta adhesive. What more could you want?

Review sample courtesy of

Edited August 28, 2011 by Paul A H

[FalkeEins]

an RRP would have been helpful...

nice review though, thanks....the Dahl option for the 190 is interesting - is the 'B-17 in the gunsight' decal included ?.. Although the canopy is in two parts you can only display it open with a fair bit of surgery as the rear decking is part of the fuselage parts...

[rowmk9]

Having just built the Revell He 177 I heartily recommend it. Looks like the nose transparencies are a bit clearer in this boxing too, so maybe they've done something to fix what spoilt my build a bit.

Nice review.

p.s. Also to point out, the glide bombs are on the sprues you've shown! The final sprue shot with the rudder parts....It also includes the parts for the three glide bombs and their external hardpoints. Maybe the instruction sheet doesn't indicate they should go on the aircraft?

Thinking about it, that may be because the paintscheme of the aircraft looks like an Operation Steinbok aircraft, that I doubt would have used the glide bombs.

Edited August 28, 2011 by rowmk9

[Paul A H]

nice review though, thanks....the Dahl option for the 190 is interesting - is the 'B-17 in the gunsight' decal included ?

Silly me, I forgot to post a picture of the decal sheet! Duly corrected and yes, that decal is included.

p.s. Also to point out, the glide bombs are on the sprues you've shown! The final sprue shot with the rudder parts....It also includes the parts for the three glide bombs and their external hardpoints. Maybe the instruction sheet doesn't indicate they should go on the aircraft?

Thinking about it, that may be because the paintscheme of the aircraft looks like an Operation Steinbok aircraft, that I doubt would have used the glide bombs.

I seem to be having a bad day, don't I? I blame the new rug rat for stop-start production of reviews I'll re-check the instructions, but I'm fairly sure the glide bombs are not used or referred to. I think they are used in the A-6 boxing instead.

[AnonymousAA74]

an RRP would have been helpful...

I saw this in my local Hobbycraft yesterday for £26.99

I hasten to add that Hobbycraft aren't known for their competitive pricing!

[FalkeEins]

thanks Paul for a sight of the decal sheet - given that Dahl is only available on expensive AM sheets in this scale I'm tempted.. and thanks, James, for the additional info. I was in my local(ish) Hobby Craft last week, noted the prices too... as they appeared to have more staff than customers - two bods loading the shelves with new kits, one kit at a time, long chat between kits - its easy to see why...perhaps that might change one day...

[Moofles]

i must say i am sorely tempted by this one, really does look very very nice.

[jimbuna]

A nice starter kit for those interested in WWII aircraft....is the price of £26.99 quoted above competitive?

[Moofles]

Thats the price Hannants is currently stocking it at.