THREE REVELL MASTER SERIES STAR WARS kits are being released in synch with publicity for the upcoming new Star Wars movie Rogue One.
SMN report: In Revell-speak, these three Star Wars models are Level 5 kits, the company’s top build standard. The TIE Fighter and X-Wing are arriving now, the Millennium Falcon will be available shortly. The great thing is that all three are moulded to standard model aircraft scales, so they can be readily displayed next to existing flight hardware.
Here’s what Revell has to say about the subjects, all targeted at the advanced modeller.
TIE Fighter 1:48 scale
“…Darth Vader used this prototype as the basis for the terrifyingly effective TIE interceptor in the Battle of Yavin. Unlike all other TIE fighters, this prototype has a deflector shield generator and a simple hyperdrive. Vader's TIE Advanced is armed with heavy twin blaster cannon on fixed mounts but has no life support systems.
“…characterised by a hull made of duralloy steel, an extended after-deck and unique solar cell wings. The Tie Advanced quickly became one of Darth Vader's favourite ships. Like all the TIE ships the prototype has a drive system consisting of twin ion engines. Its solar ionization reactor is reputed to be much more powerful than that of the standard TIE fighters.
“…the pilot’s chances of survival are considerably enhanced by the incorporation of a hyperdrive system, which enables the ship to escape from hopeless battle situations.”
X-Wing Fighter 1:48 scale
As the blurb tells it: “…This is the most important rebel alliance fighter and one of the most powerful single-seat spaceships ever produced. The T-65 X-wing Fighter owes its name to the double wings, one above the other that form an X in combat in order to increase the firing range of the pilot.
“…In addition to four high-energy laser cannon the X-wing Fighter has proton torpedoes, deflector shields, hyperdrive and a navigation droid. Luke Skywalker prefers this type of fighter. It was used by the young Jedi to destroy the first Death Star in the Battle of Yavin. The X-wing Fighter quickly proved to be one of the most effective military aircraft in the galaxy.
Interestingly, the X-Wing’s lasers are discussed. “…On the wingtips are high-energy laser cannon that can be fired singly, simultaneously, in pairs or in other combinations.”
Millennium Falcon 1:72 scale
“…The Millennium Falcon may look old and broken down, but continual modifications have made it into something special.
“…The Corellian transport type YT-1300 played an important role in the destruction of both battle stars and is probably the most famous ship in the galaxy. Inside the ship there is a hyperdrive that gives it almost double the speed of any Imperial star cruiser.
“…The heavily armoured Millennium Falcon has an illegal bank of sensors that can track distant Imperial ships before they are aware of its presence.
“…the most up-to-date imperial deflector system, two quad laser cannon and two disruptors.”
And here's the official trailer for Rogue One, so now you know what all the fuss is about. It looks pretty good to the SMN movie-droids, and well worth a bag of oily popcorn when the time comes.
Rogue One is a stand-alone story, set in the Star Wars universe. As Hollywood puts it, "Following the foundation of the Galactic Empire, a wayward band of Rebel fighters comes together to carry out a desperate mission: to steal the plans for the Death Star before it can be used to enforce the Emperor's rule."
Rogue One stars Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Riz Ahmed, Ben Mendelsohn, Donnie Yen, Jiang Wen, and Forest Whitaker.
The release date is timed neatly for Christmas: December 16, 2016.
Scale stats
Revell Level 5: Millennium Falcon
Scale 1:72
Parts: 904
Assembled length: 456 mm (17.9 in)
Assembled width: 311 mm (12.2 in)
Revell Level 5: TIE Fighter
Scale 1:48
Parts: 43
Assembled length: 133 mm (5.2 in)
Assembled width: 130 mm (5.1 in)
Revell Level 5: X-Wing Fighter
Scale 1:48
Parts: 141
Assembled length: 271 mm (10.7 in)
Assembled width: 222 mm (8.7 in)
SMN note: These are not Revell snap-together Easy Kits. They require full model skills, and with the Millennium Falcon in particular, lots of time available to assemble all those 904 components.