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Boeing 747-8F Cargolux LX-VCF “Facemask” (03836) 1:144 Revell


Viking

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Boeing 747-8F Cargolux LX-VCF “Facemask” (03836) 

1:144 Revell

 

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A very topical issue from Revell featuring their 747-8F kit in Cargolux’s “facemask” livery, including a real facemask with the Revell Logo. Just what you need for the next trip to your local model shop!  

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The 8F is the freighter version of the 800 series of the 747, with a shorter upper deck bulge than the passenger variant, and no windows in the fuselage sides other than 3 either side in the ‘bulge’.  The 800 series is the largest of the 747's featuring a fuselage extension of 18 ft, with a new wing and more powerful and economical GEnx turbofan engines.
The 8F freighter has outsold the passenger variant by over 2 to 1 (107 vs 48), with only Lufthansa, Air China, and Korean operating the 8I (Intercontinental) passenger model. Cargolux are among 10 freight companies operating fleets of 8F’s with 14 in their fleet, while UPS is the largest operator with 28 delivered or on order. Sales have been disappointing for Boeing, the 8I passenger variant ceased production in 2017, while the 8F is likely to finish production in 2022.

 

The kit.

The top opening box features a lovely photograph of the full size machine looking spotlessly clean on the ramp, and a few detail shots on the box sides. Inside we find Revell's well known 747-8f kit moulded in white plastic, with the sprues packaged in various separate plastic bags, a 28 page instruction booklet, and an A4 sized decal sheet. Detail is lightly engraved, though some of the mouldings are starting to show evidence of flash that will need careful trimming off. 

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The instructions are in Revell's familiar full colour booklet showing a full parts map, separate assembly stages, and four-view decal placement diagrams.

 

Construction begins with the cockpit, yes eve in 1/144 scale many of Revell’s airliner kits feature a cockpit interior, and moves on to 10 stages covering various undercarriage bays and legs. These are all then fitted into the fuselage halves, which can then be closed up with some nose weight added (40 grams noted in the instructions). As with many of Revell’s wide body airliners, a ‘belly’ plate is then fitted to complete the fuselage.

 

The wings and tailplanes are simple upper and lower sections with clear lights to insert in the wing root leading edges. The eight flap track fairing ‘canoes’ are made up from two hales each before fitting to the underside of the wings. 

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Next up are the four well detailed GEnx engines, featuring lovey fan detail. On a previous build the completed fans actually rotated inside the cowls when blown on, such is the finesse of the moulding. 

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The undercarriage can be fitted in the extended position, or left off to model the aircraft ‘in flight’ if desired. There will be eighteen wheels to paint but happily, the hub/tyre interface is nicely defined so it should not be too onerous a task.  A substantial stand is supplied to mount the completed model on, should you like to display your models this way. 

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Assembly is completed with the cockpit glazing and various aerials on the fuselage. 

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Decals.
The A4 sized sheet of decals is very impressive and looks simply gorgeous. Printing is razor sharp and in perfect register, and the colours look spot on. Numerous small details are provided, and as someone who prefers to keep cockpit glazing clear, I am pleased to see a beautifully printed frame decal with windscreen wipers. 

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Revell have come up with a novel solution to the blue ‘mask’ covering the nose. This simply would not work as a decal, the only realistic way to do it is by painting. So Revell have printed some paper templates to cut out and tack onto the model, using printed lines to line up with panel lines moulded on the fuselage. You then apply your own masking tape to the fuselage, using the paper templates as a guide. They are then removed, and blue nose can be painted on. I really like this solution, it mirrors what I tend to do anyway with my other airliner models where I use a photocopy of the decal sheet cheatlines to cut out paint masks from Tamiya tape. The blue ‘mask’ is then detailed with edging and some ‘flashes’ to represent creases in it.  

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Conclusion.
This is a very imaginative issue from Revell, it is nice to see a ‘special’ livery available in a mainstream kit, instead of having to rely on aftermarket producers. Their 747-8F kit is a good one, and coupled with that lovely decal sheet makes for a great combination.
Get one while you can, it is a limited issue and I cannot see that it will ever be issued again in the future. 

Highly Recommended.

 

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Revell model kits are available from all good toy and model retailers. For further information visit

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I am so annoyed that that mask is not gonna stay in place, the way it's fixed to the X on the right side of the airplane. Not at all Revell's fault, but it still bugs me! 

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It is not meant to stay in place other than temporarily, while you use it as a guide to apply your own tape. It is a useful technique I use myself on other airliner kits, by photocopying the decal sheet to make my own paper masking guides.

 

Here on an S&M Viscount with a photocopy of the Classicairlines.com decal sheet to be applied to it.

First blu tack the photocopy on:

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Then lay a strip of tape under it to define the colour separation:

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Remove the paper photocopy, and you have the mask in the right place:

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Finished result after decal application:

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Cheers

 

John

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22 hours ago, Viking said:

It is not meant to stay in place other than temporarily, while you use it as a guide to apply your own tape. It is a useful technique I use myself on other airliner kits, by photocopying the decal sheet to make my own paper masking guides.

I'm sorry, but you misunderstand. I meant the actual facemask on the actual plane. On the left side it hangs over the C for Cargolux, but on the right side it's tucked behind the top right bit of the X. Any tension on that mask would fling it off. It should go all over and then hang behind the two left parts of the X

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On 5/9/2021 at 8:47 PM, Basosz said:

I am so annoyed that that mask is not gonna stay in place, the way it's fixed to the X on the right side of the airplane. Not at all Revell's fault, but it still bugs me! 

 

2 hours ago, Basosz said:

I'm sorry, but you misunderstand. I meant the actual facemask on the actual plane. On the left side it hangs over the C for Cargolux, but on the right side it's tucked behind the top right bit of the X. Any tension on that mask would fling it off. It should go all over and then hang behind the two left parts of the X

 

Now that you've pointed it out, it's bugging me too.  🤣

It's going to blow off when reverse thrust is applied. :shrug:

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3 hours ago, Basosz said:

I'm sorry, but you misunderstand. I meant the actual facemask on the actual plane. 

Aah, I see what you mean now!

 

44 minutes ago, stringbag said:

It's going to blow off when reverse thrust is applied. :shrug:

Happens to us all at some time! 🤣

 

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On 09/05/2021 at 21:34, Viking said:

Next up are the four well detailed GEnx engines, featuring lovey fan detail. On a previous build the completed fans actually rotated inside the cowls when blown on, such is the finesse of the moulding.

This is the section, where I need to disagree. I made lately Revell's 747-8F and fans were  terrible. I had to take fans from Zvezda kit.spacer.png

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On 12/05/2021 at 12:50, Milczacy said:

This is the section, where I need to disagree. I made lately Revell's 747-8F and fans were  terrible. I had to take fans from Zvezda kit.

 

On 09/05/2021 at 20:34, Viking said:

Detail is lightly engraved, though some of the mouldings are starting to show evidence of flash that will need careful trimming off. 

 

I agree that flash on the moulds is disappointing, but it is easy to deal with using basic modelling skills.  it was the work of a few minutes to tidy all eight of them up with a no.11 blade:

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Nothing wrong with those!

 

Cheers

 

John

 

 

 

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