John Posted December 3, 2017 Share Posted December 3, 2017 (edited) I've changed the subject of this thread since we now have Tony's excellent Norseman completed, and it adds another Matchbox mould to the total score: This is the Revell boxing of the 1988 Matchbox kit, still bagged in its box: The decals look excellent, although they're a wee bit damp having spent a few years in deep storage in the garage so they've been left in the kitchen to warm up: Markings options mirror the Matchbox initial release in terms of subject matter but with different registrations or serial numbers: The Zero's pretty much complete so I can get tore in to this one quickly. John Edited January 3, 2018 by John Change of thread topic 3-1-18 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arniec Posted December 3, 2017 Share Posted December 3, 2017 Good choice John. I will be watching. Cheers, 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevej60 Posted December 3, 2017 Share Posted December 3, 2017 Nice one John,I remember building this kit when released,couldn't stop whistling Glen Miller tunes for some reason! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyot Posted December 4, 2017 Share Posted December 4, 2017 Good to see one of these,......one of Matchbox`s best kits in my view and good luck when you start it. Quite fancy digging one out myself, Cheers Tony 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbit Leader Posted December 4, 2017 Share Posted December 4, 2017 Nice choice John. Yet another Matchbox kit that I've just recently added to my collection so will watch on with keen interest. Looking forward to the progress. Cheers.. Dave 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Posted January 3, 2018 Author Share Posted January 3, 2018 Instructions from the Revell website: http://manuals.hobbico.com/rvl/80-4229.pdf Note that the He-70 currently in the Revell range is a rebox of the ICM kit. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevej60 Posted January 4, 2018 Share Posted January 4, 2018 Nice one John,I bought the ICM re-box in the summer and can't find the damn thing anywhere in the house! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Posted January 5, 2018 Author Share Posted January 5, 2018 Here we go then, 3 sprues in light grey and one in clear: Optional BMW inline or Rhone radial, civil or military fittings. I know I bought the Matchbox kit when it came out but I didn't build it and I think I eventually gave it away so I was quite pleased to find this boxing at a local swap meet a few years ago. I think I'll go for the Condor Legion version, in homage to the original Matchbox boxart. I haven't got the beginnings of an idea what the colours are meant to be though! John 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arniec Posted January 6, 2018 Share Posted January 6, 2018 They are the pre war colours of RLM 61,62,63 and 65 for the underside. Cheers, 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Posted January 6, 2018 Author Share Posted January 6, 2018 That would make sense, thanks. J 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Posted January 7, 2018 Author Share Posted January 7, 2018 OK then, 3 episodes of Dirk Gently later and we have some progress. The interior parts have been put together and given a couple of coats of Humbrol 240 RLM 02: The wings have also been put together with the retracted undercarriage doors in place. Like the Zero this one will be mounted on a stand: Surface detail is beautifully petite raised lines - very un-Matchbox like! I seem to recall that there was some comment about the quality of the Revell produced Matchbox kits in their early days and this one does display more flash and ejector marks than I would expect from a Matchbox produced kit. I've sanded down the pin marks in the backs of the seats but the flash is still quite apparent: I'm also surprised by some of the features of the original kit. No crew, as was common with almost all other Matchbox kits, and also a distinct lack of traditional locating pin and socket joints: The kit has some pins that simply lap over the opposite parts. There are no locating pins at all on the wings, you line up the roots and do the rest by eye. Curious engineering for a Matchbox kit. John 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Posted January 7, 2018 Author Share Posted January 7, 2018 Heavens to Murgatroyd this is like building a limited run kit. Nothing just registers, everything needs to be fettled: The upper fuselage deck in particular has taken a lot of work and I'm not happy with it yet. I do wonder if the Revell plastic is a bit softer than the grade Matchbox used, making the joins more springy. Even allowing for that the kit is engineered without any sort of positive location assistance for the decking. Check out the unconventional wing root attachment as well: Basically a butt join with a couple of very stubby partial spars. We'll have to see how that goes. John 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Posted January 8, 2018 Author Share Posted January 8, 2018 Given the unconventional wing attachments, they were Gorilla-glued into position. The join isn't too bad on top but it's awful underneath - very un-Matchbox: Going to need some super glue and talc I think. I've also invested yet more time on the cockpit decking: It looks better but some primer over the join is needed to get a better idea. John 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Posted January 13, 2018 Author Share Posted January 13, 2018 This is the most filler I can remember using on a Matchbox or Matchbox-derived kit. Every join more or less needed treatment: I don't think it's just down to me either! John 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Posted January 14, 2018 Author Share Posted January 14, 2018 The Heinkel gets an engine: Again little in the way of positive location so it's more fettling and a touch of filler, but at least the classic shape of the He70 is finally beginning to emerge: The He111's wee brother. Next step is to get some paint on it and see what needs to be made good. John 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Posted January 16, 2018 Author Share Posted January 16, 2018 It's been a major operation to fill and make good the joins on this model, particularly the cockpit decking, and while it isn't perfect I think it's now as good as I'm likely to get it. The model has had an overall coat of Humbrol 31 Slate Grey to act both as a primer to show up any further remedial work and also as a base for the RLM 63: John 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Posted January 21, 2018 Author Share Posted January 21, 2018 Not only did I pick the matchbox moulding with the worst fit ever, I picked the one with the most awkward camouflage scheme. This is the basic scheme blocked in and awaiting some touching up: The RLM 63 is Humbrol 31 lightened with Humbrol 4 to give a shade a bit lighter than RAL 7033, which looks quite effective. The RLM 61 is Humbrol 10 and the 62 is Humbrol 3. It's had an overpainting of Matt Cote to level things out. Underside is from an old tin of Humbrol HG5. John 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Posted February 11, 2018 Author Share Posted February 11, 2018 Nearly finished but not feeling the lurve at all with this kit - if it hadn't been for this GB it would have been deep-sixed by now: Final grief was the decals not coming off their backing paper cleanly and ripping. I'm not blaming the kit decals for this as the box has been in the garage for a few years but it didn't help... Then I made a mess of putting the wing markings on. John 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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