Revell 1/72 Bell AH-1G Cobra Inbox Review

[Dave Ward]

Revell have history of reboxing other makers' products. The name Revell is often associated with rather simple models, and modellers often ignore the Revell shelves. If you keep an eye out, and frequent Scalemates, you can find the source of a model - Revell have reboxed ICM, Zvezda and others.
This is a reboxing of the Special Hobby product - who produce about 5 different versions. The origin is rather murky, as the sprues have CMK & MPM on them, both known makers.

Their normal flimsy box, that I haven't heard any good words about!
Sprue shots - all clean crisp & flash free
A closely packed decal sheet ( note seatbelt decals )


Instructions - one of the criticisms I have read in several reviews of the Special Hobby models is the small size of the instruction diagrams ( and no seatbelts! ). Revell have solved this with their A4 glossy instruction booklet

As you can see there are a lot of surplus parts for the spares box!

Instructions nice & clear & big enough for my poor eyes!

2 finish options - essentially just decal differences.
As usual Revell only reference the colours to their own range of paints, most annoying - why can't they add the FS numbers?
Part 2 will be posted momentarily.

[adt70hk]

Revell have history of reboxing other makers' products. The name Revell is often associated with rather simple models, and modellers often ignore the Revell shelves. If you keep an eye out, and frequent Scalemates, you can find the source of a model - Revell have reboxed ICM, Zvezda and others.
This is a reboxing of the Special Hobby product - who produce about 5 different versions. The origin is rather murky, as the sprues have CMK & MPM on them, both known makers.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]n1168405[/ATTACH]
Their normal flimsy box, that I haven't heard any good words about!
Sprue shots - all clean crisp & flash free[ATTACH=CONFIG]n1168396[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]n1168398[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]n1168399[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]n1168397[/ATTACH]
A closely packed decal sheet ( note seatbelt decals )
[ATTACH=CONFIG]n1168400[/ATTACH]

Instructions - one of the criticisms I have read in several reviews of the Special Hobby models is the small size of the instruction diagrams ( and no seatbelts! ). Revell have solved this with their A4 glossy instruction booklet
[ATTACH=CONFIG]n1168401[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]n1168403[/ATTACH]
As you can see there are a lot of surplus parts for the spares box!
[ATTACH=CONFIG]n1168404[/ATTACH]
Instructions nice & clear & big enough for my poor eyes!
[ATTACH=CONFIG]n1168402[/ATTACH]
2 finish options - essentially just decal differences.
As usual Revell only reference the colours to their own range of paints, most annoying - why can't they add the FS numbers?
Part 2 will be posted momentarily.

Looks good Dave.

The Revell 1/100 Huey I'm doing has the same style of instructions, which I was very impressed with.

Looking forward to part 2.

Andrew

[Dave Ward]

Here's a few detail shots

The rivetting may be a bit overdone, but with a primer & topcoat should take a wash nicely............

As you can see the detail is exceptionally good, there's no flash, sink marks, ejector pin towers, some of the ingates may look large, but the parts are very dainty - careful removal & new scalpel blade! No PE parts - which I don't think will be needed. The only construction pitfall I can see is the multi-part canopy ( which can be constructed open, or closed ).
Special Hobby used to be short run, but there's absolutely nothing short run about this! The Revell reboxing solves two of the criticisms of the Special Hobby models. The Special Hobby boxings and the Revell models are widely available ( John has both of them in stock ).
Just because it says Revell on the box, doesn't necessarily mean that it's a Revell moulding inside!
- I see that Revell will be reboxing the ICM 1/32 Cobra, and the 1/48 Cessna O-2 in 2022 - worth looking at, to see the price point compared to the original!
Dave

[Guest]

This is a reboxing of the Special Hobby product - who produce about 5 different versions. The origin is rather murky, as the sprues have CMK & MPM on them, both known makers.

MPM was founded in 1988, Special Hobby in 1989, while CMK was set up as a subsidiary of MPM in 1992; in 2014, MPM and Special Hobby merged. So the different names on the sprues probably indicate the kit was already originally an MPM release.

But this looks like a very nice kit, and one I’ll definitely keep in mind if I feel the need to build more AH-1s

[yak face]

Great review dave , very useful if anyones thinking about an AH1, looks a very nicely detailed kit . How much does the Revell one sell for ?

[Dave Ward]

Great review dave , very useful if anyones thinking about an AH1, looks a very nicely detailed kit . How much does the Revell one sell for ?

Tony,
the Revell boxing goes for around £15, the Special Hobby ones about £2 less. I got mine off ebay for less than that delivered, so it pays to poke around!
Dave