1/48 Revell Starfighter

[Lord Riot]

Does anyone know what this kit is like? Specifically, does it have raised panel lines, or engraved?

 

Is it any good or an awful shape/fit, etc?

[Jure Miljevic]

Which one do you mean? If you are talking about more recent kits, I think F-104 G in Bavarian blue & white diamond tail anniversary scheme is actually a re-packed Hasegawa. Cheers

Jure

[Giorgio N]

Revell issued several F-104s in this scale so the quality would depend on which box you've found. 

The most recent issues offered the Monogram kit that was good for its times. Shape is good, detail not bad. Raised panel lines and a fit that is definitely not tamigawa..

Best would be finding the box mentioned by Jure with the Hasegawa kit but I don't know how easy it is to find. In any case yhe Hasegawa kit has recently been reboxed by Italeri 

[Giorgio N]

Ok, just noticed now the Tiger Meet tag.. this is the Monogram kit

[Jure Miljevic]

I built Monogram Tiger meet kit some 25 years ago, although I went for The right stuff movie star F-104 G in NM. I did not bother to check dimensions or general outline. IIRC the raised panel lines were rather on a thin side. On the wings and the horizontal tail I removed them altogether and as an experiment I drew them again with a technical pencil. Unexpectedly, they turned out pretty convincing. I do not remember any significant problems with fit, although, as Giorgio N said, the kit is definitely no tamigawa. Interior was what one would expect from a kit that old, that is rather sparse. Landing gear could definitly use some AM replacement parts. Still, it was a pleasant build. Unfortunately, I cannot provide a photo, as I gave the model to a friend of mine shortly after I finished it. Cheers

Jure

[Lord Riot]

Thanks gents. It's this kit, but I won't buy it if it has raised panel lines.

 

[Red Dot]

that has raised lines as it is the Monogram kit

 

Andy

 

[exdraken]

scalemates give the history of many kits:

here for Starfighters in 48th:

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/revell-04668-f-104g-starfighter-tiger-meet--102295

 

kits dates back to the 1978 Monogram kit

 

if you are in only for recessed panel line, go for Hasegawa or Kinetic. The Monogram kit will be way cheaper though, and is also quite nice!

[RobertF]

And of course, there are the Kinetic kits now.

[Giorgio N]

Yes, today it's Kinetic or Hasegawa if you want recessed panel lines. Actually personally I'd go for one of these two regardless of the panel lines matter, they are both much superior to the old Monogram kit or the equally old Esci offering.

Being mainly a 1/72 modeller I have not compared the two kits and I've yet to see a Kinetic Starfighter in the flesh, I understand that these are more modern and better in terms of detail than the Japanese kit. Hasegawa's Starfighters have also been criticised for the heavy riveting on the rear fuselage.

[71chally]

There's not a great deal wrong with raised panel lines, as long as they are relatively restrained and crisply done.

They are straightforward to remove if you don't like them, unlike recessed panel lines that have been incorrectly done, or over done (Airfix Canberra!).

 

 

[RobertF]

11 hours ago, Giorgio N said:

Hasegawa's Starfighters have also been criticised for the heavy riveting on the rear fuselage.

Not to mention the absolutely ludricous riveting on the wings. Starfighter's wings' rivets were as smooth as they could get them, with all rivets being puttied over and sanded smooth for an optimal airflow over these very thin wings. If you want to go with a Hasegawa 104, get yourself a DACO Products improvement set as well, saving you a lot of work on the wings. Otherwise, take the Kinetic kit. I built one and it's a nice easy build an well detailed too