HABU! Revell 1/48 SR-71 Blackbird

[DaveJL]

Brilliant work mate, you're tearing through it. I'll be using this as a guide for my build. Glad to see the kit isn't doom and gloom as some of the keyboard warriors would have had to believe from looking at a few pictures!

 

@Serkan Sen, I'd be interested in all your 3D bits and pieces when I come to build mine

[k5054nz]

It's incredible, it seems like only yesterday the modelling world was abuzz with anticipation after the kit's announcement, and here yours is...looking almost done! I'm really enjoying the full play-by-play log.

[Sierra Mike Sierra]

Stunning! Alan builds the SR-71 at Mach 3.5.

[LorenSharp]

My kit jus came in the post a little bit ago. That is One. Big. Box. The last time I had a Revell/ Monogram kit that big was a 1/24 UH-1D Phantom Huey in 1968. I'm still trying to figure out where to store it until it's time to build.

[Anthony in NZ]

On 12/18/2021 at 5:44 AM, Alan P said:

 

Well that things huge!  Looking at your 32nd Phantom you just built I cant believe the size of it even in 48

 

Great work as always mate

Anthony

[Alan P]

8 minutes ago, Anthony in NZ said:

Well that things huge!  Looking at your 32nd Phantom you just built I cant believe the size of it even in 48

 

Great work as always mate

Anthony

Thanks mate 👍👍👍 it looks about 10cm longer than the Phantom. I need to move some of this year's builds along to make space 🤯 especially if I'm going to get the B-1 done this year as well!

[Sierra Mike Sierra]

2 hours ago, Alan P said:

I'm going to get the B-1 done this year as well!

This will be the event I was hoping for quite some time 😁

 

Somewhere in the catacombs of mine Revell's B-1 and B-58 await their Ressurection Day - watching your B-1 materialize may give me a glimpse of their future.

[Alan P]

3 minutes ago, Sierra Mike Sierra said:

Somewhere in the catacombs of mine Revell's B-1 and B-58 await their Ressurection Day

I have done those before, but the Bone got damaged in the mail to San Diego 😭 time I had another go!

[Alan P]

Today was putty and sanding day! It doesn't need loads but I wanted it to be very smooth so I filled in all the cracks!

Unfortunately (and inevitably) I managed to snap off one of the gear legs, so the other one was removed as well. Definitely the weak link in this kit, I'd recommend NOT fitting the gear at all until the end. Forget the retractable fitting, just cut off the mounting pegs and just CA glue them into position after building and painting the rest of the airframe I will certainly be doing this for both builds.

 

The advantage of no gear means a cleaner and easier paintjob:

 

The actuator jacks tuck neatly inside the gear wells, and the doors fit so snugly they just snapfit into position:

The kit provides two sets of doors, one for closed and the other with interior detail for open.

These fit so well I'll have to be very careful removing them!

 

Once all the sanding and buffing is complete, it looks super sleek!

This really is a much better kit than its predecessor, landing gear notwithstanding!

Canopies fitted - again, they fit perfectly.

We're gonna need a bigger shelf! This is one big kit. Everything else on display is 1/32.

 

Oh yeah - and now we're ready for paint!

[dnl42]

15 minutes ago, Alan P said:

Once all the sanding and buffing is complete, it looks super sleek!

 

THAT is awesome looking! 

[Alan P]

All washed down and ready for primer!

This is massive. I knew it was big in this scale but just forgot how big. It's also pretty heavy built up. The plastic parts are quite thick, especially compared to the I/T kit. This is one sturdy model, if only the landing gear had the same strength

[Johnson]

2 hours ago, Alan P said:

if only the landing gear had the same strength

No heavy landings then!  Looks great, good luck with the painting.

[Retired Bob]

2 hours ago, Alan P said:

This is massive. I knew it was big in this scale but just forgot how big. It's also pretty heavy built up.

After watching your build, and thanks again for the corrections to the plans.  I'm now tempted to go for a quick build, and put it on the stand but with the undercarriage up.  It seems strange that Revell have the kit "flying" on it's stand with the canopies open and the cockpit unoccupied on the assembly booklet.  With the thought that they have applied in supplying a stand, alternate open and closed u/c doors and separate engines with the extra bits also provided to build the kit, then not supply any crew figures.  I know visibility through the canopies will be limited but I feel a pilotless Blackbird will be noticeable.  

[Back in the Saddle]

4 hours ago, Alan P said:

This is massive.

It certainly is - unless you have small windows! 😁

 

Great job so far, I've enjoyed following this build.👍

[Tomjw]

Excellent. Bring on the paint 😀

[DaveJL]

Great work mate!

[Lewis95]

I've been silently stalking so think it's about time to say, fantastic job!

[LOX]

I just ordered mine

Great build, tons of useful info.

[Deano353]

I really want this kit, in regards to the landing gear, did you mention it's retractable? Seems the fit is good from what you've said. I guess Revell pulled it out of the bag for this kit.

[Alan P]

7 hours ago, Deano353 said:

In regards to the landing gear, did you mention it's retractable?

I think it was designed with that possibility in mind (all the gear attachments are pivoting) but it's not really. It looks designed to use the stand only.

 

It could be posed in flight with gear down, but then you'd have to extend the oleos by a few mm as well. And any inflight pose would need aircrew, and there aren't any in the kit.

[mark.au]

21 hours ago, Alan P said:

All washed down and ready for primer!

Showtime!  

[npb748r]

22 hours ago, Alan P said:

All washed down and ready for primer!

this is the bit I'm really looking forward to seeing (not really the primer but what comes after!).  I recently finished a F-117 and wasn't happy with the end result in terms of weathering so looking to learn from your build.

[Serkan Sen]

Almost finished Alan. What will be your next project? A second Blackbird?

Serkan

[Alan P]

5 hours ago, Serkan Sen said:

Almost finished Alan. What will be your next project? A second Blackbird?

Serkan

I am still working on the F-35I but will start the Revell F/A-18F Super Hornet for the group build in January 👍 the next SR-71 will be waiting for the aftermarket to kick in 😀 (that's if Hypersonic/Gaspatch doesn't land before!)

[Alan P]

Primer operation was a success!

There are some gaps around the canopies - worth noting if you plan to have them closed:

But otherwise pretty seamless  

This is a good kit! Looking at it there's very little that leaps out and says Revell got any of the shapes wrong. The nose in particular is a quantum leap forward from I/T's forty-year-old effort.

Some might want to fill in the larger gaps at the elevon hinge line, but I think it highlights the feature.

So, I polished it all back to 12000 grit micromesh and it got another wash:

Deja vu? I'll leave it in the airing cupboard for a couple of days and paint it on Thursday, last day of work before Christmas tomorrow

 

Cheers again for all the excellent support, I can't really go wrong from this point (famous last words!) Probably won't be finished by Xmas Day but should just squeak in as my 13th build of 2021.

 

All the best,

Alan