K2Pete Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 I received my kit from my LHS for $89.95 Cdn. I am as happy as a clam! But I'm curious, seeing as there's a huge demand for this kit, does anyone, ( Jay-y-y-y ...?? ) know how many kits Revell has produced for this re-issue? Or even a ballpark figure. I'm curious how many they'd generally pop ... 2,000? 5,000? 50,000? And just North America or worldwide? Thanx lads Pete Quote Link to post Share on other sites
niart17 Posted June 8, 2011 Author Share Posted June 8, 2011 (edited) WooHoo! I got home from work today and sitting there waiting for me (besides my two beautiful daughters and beautiful wife) was my 1/72 scale space shuttle w/boosters kit. I'm a very happy camper. I'll try to post some sprue shots and what-not when I get the chance. I have to say I too am a bit disappointed in the decals. First thing was they were bent with a pretty bad seam. I know that's just a packing issue so it's no reflection on their quality. The good thing is I don't know that I'd use many of them anyway. The blue meatballs are WAAY too dark, almost look black in normal lighting. Even the red on the flag is really really dark. I'm just amazed that Revell didn't use the sheets out of their other 1/72 scale shuttle as a starting point and just add whatever they needed. It also appears there are no decals for the stack. I have a set of decals (hopefully usable) from the 2001 issue of the Revell kit so maybe I can use the main ones from that release for the shuttle and scrounch and make some stuff for the stack. As for the moldings, they seem to be holding up pretty good. There is a little flash here and there but nothing that's not hard to remove. The ET texture looks pretty crisp (although perhaps a bit out of scale) The shuttle halves are slightly warped but seem like they will pull together easily enough. Everything else is just like Jay describes in the pinned topic about space shuttles. I can see I'm going to have a lot of fun with this one despite the minor flaws (and in some cases because of the minor flaws). Pics coming soon and hopefully in progress shots as well. Oh boy, another kit to take my attention from the unfinished. tsk tsk tsk. Bill Edited June 8, 2011 by niart17 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MarkD Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 The decals stink for the new kit, best to get custom made ones from Tango Papa Decals or Real Space models, or whatever site you prefer to buy them from. When I got my model at the hobby store, the cashier told me that he was surprised there wasn't more on the shelves since the shuttle retires this year. This kit would be in a good deal of supply and demand for people. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kenlilly106 Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 When I got my model at the hobby store, the cashier told me that he was surprised there wasn't more on the shelves since the shuttle retires this year. This kit would be in a good deal of supply and demand for people. I'd guess the near $100 MSRP is going to kill sales to the masses more than anything else, the 1/144 kit is a lot more affordable to most, especially as an impulse purchase. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MarkD Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 I remember the first kit, Columbia, that had the entire stack, used to cost $75.00. That one is the oldest shuttle model I have. The old ET/SRB set went to Discovery, but soon I'll use the new kit to replace the ET/SRB set for Discovery and that old set will be turned into Ares V. That would mean the ET gets tossed out and replaced with a slightly larger diameter PVC tube as Ares V's core is the same diamter as the first two stages of Saturn V. I already started a 1/72 scale Ares 1 from resin casting one of the SRBs. I honestly don't know what to do with the new orbiter of the stack kit. I'll probably modify it into the Buran or name it a new orbiter, the never built, but considered OV-106. Any ideas for a name for OV-106? :) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
umtutsut Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 I honestly don't know what to do with the new orbiter of the stack kit. Why not build it as Enterprise during the Approach and Landing Test program? You'll just need to make a nose boom and sand down or fill the main engine bells. Les (Friendly Airplane Asylum & ex-NASA flack) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
maly149 Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 some paper models are better than the revell kit, and for free! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jay Chladek Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 Hi Guys. Sorry I haven't replied earlier but for some bizarre reason which I believe is due to my ISP, I have a really hard time logging onto this board from my home system. I can do it from my laptop okay. It isn't due to any problem on ARC's end. Anyway, the kit decals are pretty much useless IMHO. The blue shade used for the Meatball decals is too dark and the white text on it is slightly blue in color, not white as it should be. The flags are in good registration but the red color looks more brick red than bright red (likely too dark). The yellow used for some of the rescue striping also looks more like zinc chromate yellow as opposed a bright yellow like it should be. Only some of the black markings might be useable and the gray NASA wurm logos, but aftermarket markings will give you better results. So, we can thank RM for continuing to provide support to aftermarket suppliers. ;) As for how many kits RM has done, I likely won't have that answer until Nationals when I get a chance to ask the RM reps at the show. But all indications are this is a normal production run, not a limited number SSP production. They should be available for awhile, but I wouldn't wait to acquire one if you really want one as we all know how supply and demand works. I've purchased one thus far and have a second one on hold at the LHS to add to my stash. That plus the remainder I already have should keep me happy for a few years (and if I plan to build more than six shuttle stacks in 1/72, of which I am at thus far two built and counting, I am probably am going to need a rubber room to check into). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
maly149 Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 see here for reference Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MarkD Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 The ET of the kit for my new model will be just like the other kit I did, as I mentioned how to turn it into the current SLWET. Kudos to Alumilite casting kits. :) http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2011/022/a/9/et_patch_painted_by_onigojirakaiju-d37rk73.jpg http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2011/022/d/6/et_patch_closeup_by_onigojirakaiju-d37rk8j.jpg Cut out the rectagular piece on that area of the tank and replace with a resin mold. The result is in the pic above. The rectangular piece is a thin styrene piece made to replace the one that was removed. ( Up to the modeler if they wish to build the SLWET as it used to look prior to STS-128 or the current look with no foam filled locations on the intertank ) Another area to fix is the cable tray. Again the kit has it wrong. I used plastic U channels to replace that. http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2010/286/4/a/atlantis_model_detail_by_onigojirakaiju-d30oz9w.jpg This is for any version of the shuttle ET you decide to make. It is a must fix for this kit. I'll post photos of the new kit when I can. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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