Revell Viking Longship (circa 900 a.d.) 1:50 – build review

Feature Article with Tim Haynes

Kit ref: 05403

Here’s a look at how it all turned out…

Background

This was a recent impulse purchase, and is a 2022 re-issue of a kit that Revell originally released back in 1977. Having just finished a rather complex and involved build of the BAC Bloodhound SAGM by KFS I was looking for something simpler and more relaxing, and this fitted the bill nicely.

Additionally, since obtaining this kit we had discovered the TV series “Last Kingdom” (following a holiday in Northumberland), which is loosely based around Saxon and Viking power struggles in the 9th Century. This added a little more current interest with regular appearances of similar vessels throughout the series.

This kit is apparently modelled on the Gokstad ship which is in the Viking Ship Museum in Oslo, Norway.

The Plan

There was no real plan for this, other than I was going to mount it on the supplied stands (almost like a museum artifact), and that I was not overly taken with the vacuum formed sail.

What’s in the box?

There are 130 (approx.) injected parts, of which 64 are shields, 32 are oars, 3 are for the stand and the balance of 31 make up the vessel (with only 5 required for the main hull construction). There is the previously mentioned vacuum formed sail, a decal sheet (mainly for the shields) and a role of twine for the rigging and a further short length of string for the anchor rope.

The main plastic mouldings have a rather nice wood grain effect, and they are produced in a reddish / brown plastic that looks as though it should provide a good base for the wood effects. There is very little in the way of flash, which is confined mainly to the oars, and some seam lines on the round items such as the Yardarm.

References / Extras

The only research for this build was via the good old internet, using online pictures to supplement the box art for inspiration with the colours. The only item not from the kit was a piece of scrap cloth, used to create the folded sail that I preferred the look of.

Read on…