Martin B-57B

[Paul A H]

Martin B-57B

1:80 Revell Classics

In 1956 Elvis Presley scored his first chart hit in the US with Heartbreak Hotel, Gamel Abdel Nasser became president of Egypt and nationalised the Suez Canal, the Hungarian Revolution broke out and was promptly crushed by Soviet troops and Revell released a 1:80 scale model of the Martin B-57B Canberra. Fifty five years later and the Revell Canberra is back, re-released as part of Revell’s growing ‘classics’ range.

Opening the colourful top-opening box is like stepping back in modelling time. Inside are 46 parts moulded in glossy black plastic. The age of the kit is immediately apparent from the style of the mouldings. Panel lines are few and far between – the fuselage is completely devoid of detail with the exception of the outline of the ordnance bay. The panel lines elsewhere are a mixture of raised and recessed. Despite the age of the kit the moulds are incredibly well preserved and there is very little flash.

As you would expect for such a basic kit, construction is simplicity itself. The cockpit is a rather groovy one-piece affair, with ejector seats, pilots et al all moulded in place. As there is no other interior detail, construction proceeds to the wings, which are comprised of top and bottom halves and engine intakes and exhausts – no separate ailerons or landing flaps here! In keeping with the rest of the kit the undercarriage is fairly agricultural but should look ok. Auxiliary fuel tanks and air-to-ground rockets are included by way or ordnance.

Two colour schemes are provided:

· Martin B-57B-MA of 449th Bombardment Squadron (Tactical) 345th Bombardment Wing at Langley AFB; Virginia, 1957; and

· Martin B-57B-MA of the 71st Bombardment Squadron (Tactical) 38th Bombardment Wing at Laon AFB, France, June 1957.

Both schemes are for similar black aircraft with red serials. In contrast to the rest of the kit, the decals look bang up to date and are very nicely printed.

Conclusion

Obviously this isn’t the kit for the modeller that wishes to build the ultimate B-57, not least because of the old fashioned ‘box scale’. Nevertheless it is a simple little kit and a fun reminder of modelling as it used to be.

Review sample courtesy of