X-34 Landspeeder Star Wars (The Clone Wars) Revell 1:14

Kit Ref: 06685
Price around: £24.99, €28.43, $30.13US, $40.31AUS (check out the web retailers, you can get this kit much cheaper than this price)
In-box review by Geoff Coughlin (January 2017)

Our thanks to Revell for supplying our review sample. Revell model kits are available from all good toy and model stores. For details visit www.revell.de/en

Background

Luke Skywalker owned one of these nondescript but speedy landspeeders, racing the sand-pocked and sun-faded craft across the desert between the Lars homestead and outposts such as Tosche Station and Anchorhead. The X-34’s powerful repulsorlift engine that allows it to float about a meter above the ground, augmented by a trio of air-cooled thrust turbines.

Luke’s speeder was old and battered, and missing the port turbine’s cowling, but tinkering and careful maintenance – essential in the harsh environment of Tatooine – kept it in good working order. After the death of his aunt and uncle, Luke sold his speeder in Mos Eisley to help pay for passage to Alderaan.

A note from Geoff

Here are the basic stats for this release:
Length: 251mm
Figures: 2 – Luke Skywalker and C-3PO
Parts: 40
A stand painted flat black is included.

This kit was released in 2010 and I have to admit we have had it a while waiting for the launch of the Sci-Fi/Space Area in SMN that you can see is now live :) Let the builds begin!!

Closer look at this kit

The model offers a simple breakdown of parts that are quite well moulded and painted in light grey base with pink panels giving the model a heavy, weighty feel but that doesn’t detract from the detail that is cleanly moulded and generally well-defined. The model actually comes with some paint applied as I say and this isn’t usually well done and here is ok on this model. Personally, I would want to get the model together and then clean up any joins etc before applying my own paint finish and that’ll be the subject of the build we’ll run in SMN – taking an entry-level ‘Easy Kit’ and making more of it and certainly trying to get the best out of the box contents. As you may have read, we’ll do this with a number of these Revell ‘Easy Kits’.

The surfaces should look good under paint, washes and general weathering. The model is designed, indeed aimed at junior modellers but that shouldn’t put anyone off, there’s potential here for creating a good model of a X-34 Landspeeder from The Clone Wars.

A gentle dry-fit of parts shows that everything should go together well – remember, these are push-fit kits and designed not to come apart again – different to normal kits in this respect.

Figures

The C-3PO and Luke figures are recognisable but do look a bit too toy-like for me and I’ve seen other builds on the net where people have customised their build adding different colour paint and replacing the figures, say, maybe with a standing figure or whatever you like.

I’ll let the photos do the talking now…

Clear parts

The separate canopy is clear and blemish-free.

Markings

No decals are included.

Instructions

You get the basic exploded view layout. The box art is pretty good for use as a painting guide and assembly is very straightforward. In terms of painting, just add the colours you like from your preferred range as no painting references are included on the simple instruction sheet and this isn’t surprising as the model is supplied pre-painted.

Report summary

I have given this model quite a good rating on the scale. There’s no doubt in my mind though that it will come to life if you add personalised painting and maybe some simple LEDs and lighting and these of course, are not included.

Geoff C.

SMN Assessment Summary Star rating out of 5