Review by Geoff Coughlin (May 2012)
Our thanks to Revell for supplying our review sample. Revell model kits are available from all good toy and model retailers. For further information visit www.revell.eu or email ukbranch@revell.de
A little bit of inspiration and reference here…
Further reference can be found here…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sukhoi_PAK_FA
The Revell Kit…
This is another nice package from Revell – they’re making a bit of a habit of this these days – go0d days indeed! I’m pretty certain that this is a re-boxing of the Zvezda kit as you’ll remember we reviewed and built that kit not long ago and what a good job Es George made of it. So, it may be worth taking a look at those reviews when you get a minute to see what you like the look of.
Nice new decals are included (that differ from those in the Zvezda offering). The 5 grey sprues (including the clear one) feature recessed panel lines – looking restrained in this scale plus a look and feel of good quality moulding with parts crisp and sharp.
Box and contents…
The Revell box artwork is usually impressive enough and that’s the case here – an image of a Russian T-50 climbing away looks suitably futuristic like so many of these latest-generation stealth fighter jets.
Let’s go inside…
The grey sprues are packaged well and no damage is apparent. Taking the main components first, they are well tooled, recessed panel line detail and having a quality feel, and not too heavy for the scale as I’ve said. No distortion was apparent and a dry fit of the upper/lower laterally-split fuselage promises a decent fit; the initial impression is one of a lot of detail parts that will go to make up an impressively large model in 1:72 scale.
Cockpit and interior…
Decals are available on the decal sheet to add to the instrument panels in the cockpit, and, to be honest, I think this is perfectly acceptable in this scale. The seat is quite well detailed and will add a fair bit to the eventual look, as will the access ladder – the latter being very delicate and realistic.
Engine cans…
These will look good under some Alclad2 metallic paint and a good opportunity to add some of their ‘Hot Metal’ colours in the process.
Undercarriage units…
Impressively detailed units are supplied that will be highly visible on your finished model – as is typical of the type.
Stores…
No stores are included, although these weapons would be carried internally on the real aircraft.
Nose weight…
Not sure if you need this, but check out Es’s build for the full low-down on this.
Clear parts…
The clear parts look clear and the canopy / windscreen is provided as a two-piece moulding. The rear section looks like it will need the underside blanking off or some additional detail added (if you can get the reference).
Instructions and decals…
The Revell instructions follow their usual exploded stages format. Location of parts is clear but colour paint coding is for Revell paints only. You’ll have to match your own choice of paints if you go elsewhere for your choice of colour. The build sequence is pretty standard and logical but many modellers will part company with the stated order to suit their experience.
The decals look to be good quality:
- Sukhoi T-50 1 PAK at Dsjomgi Airport, Komsomolsk / Amur Russian Federation,
August 2012
Stencil detail is also provided and is almost always well worth adding, even in 1:72 scale to add additional interest to your completed model, but I suspect you’ll have your own views on this. All the colours are in register and colour density looks impressive and carrier film limited, so I wouldn’t expect any problems with application.
Conclusion…
This is a good subject and will provide all modern military fans with an opportunity to expand their collection to include an important Russian Federation type. The inclusion of quite different colour schemes on Revell’s decal sheet is attractive and the model itself looks to be well engineered at first glance and from the dry/test-fit. Moulding is good and the panel detail perfectly reasonable for current 1:72 scale kits.
Recommended for all scale modellers.
Geoff C.
Quick Summary Rating out of 5
| FEATURE | STAR RATING (out of five) |
|---|---|
| Quality of moulding | **** |
| Accuracy | **** |
| Instructions | *** |
| Decals | **** |
| Subject choice | **** |
| Overall | **** |