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Initial review of the Revell 1/48 SR-71 Blackbird


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Priced at about $99.99 plus shipping, which I figure will be close to $20 just because of the physical size of the box and weight of the contents. Aviation Megastore is where I got mine from in Europe for about $124.00 via Paypal after all was said and done.

 

Very cool to have a stateside source though at least.

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Scalehobbyist shipping is a fixed $9.95.  Megahobby is free shipping over $100, but kit price is $121, so it’s cheaper at Scalehobbyist, even with shipping.  Sprue Brothers has half price shipping over $100, and free shipping over $200.  Most of the bigger online US shops have standard rates for shipping inside the US, so the size and weight of the kit doesn’t affect how much you get charged for shipping.

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3 hours ago, Dave Williams said:

Scalehobbyist shipping is a fixed $9.95.  Megahobby is free shipping over $100, but kit price is $121, so it’s cheaper at Scalehobbyist, even with shipping.  Sprue Brothers has half price shipping over $100, and free shipping over $200.  Most of the bigger online US shops have standard rates for shipping inside the US, so the size and weight of the kit doesn’t affect how much you get charged for shipping.

Very interesting. Sales tax which many sites are having to charge now will also add to the costs. Once again though, nice to have options. I do hope the Revell USA release of the kit is a less expensive alternative when it hits, but who knows exactly how long that will take. I know they are promising first quarter 2022, but there is still the possibility for supply chain issues.

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8 hours ago, Jay Chladek said:

Very interesting. Sales tax which many sites are having to charge now will also add to the costs. Once again though, nice to have options. I do hope the Revell USA release of the kit is a less expensive alternative when it hits, but who knows exactly how long that will take. I know they are promising first quarter 2022, but there is still the possibility for supply chain issues.


Scalehobbyist doesn’t charge sales tax.  In fact, they specifically say on their site that they meet the definition of a small business and are not covered by the SC decision on sales tax.  Neither does Sprue Brothers, and I don’t think Megahobby does either.

 

Supposedly the Revell USA release will be cheaper, if only because they are deleting the exposed engines, and the stand IIRC.  I’ve got the RoG version ordered from Scalehobbyist, which I plan to build with the gear up on the stand, and I’ll probably get the US kit for a gear down version.  Hopefully by the time the US boxing comes out, there will be some more detail stuff for the cockpit.

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I saw my first Revell of Germany SR-71 in the wild today at the local Hobbytown in La Vista, NE. Due to the pricing of their supplier they were only able to mark down to $115 and with tax in my state that brings it to about $124 or so. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Okay, I have just posted a new update on my build over in the work in progress forum.

 

While working on it, I made an interesting discovery. It looks like Revell has designed this kit in such a way that an SR-71B variant is planned for the future. In the upper fuselage part, there is a plug where the RSO sits. It is very easy to spot on the inside of the part and the plugged area is just long enough to incorporate the elevated rear cockpit of the B model.

 

The bottoms of the engine nacelles have thick flashed over guide holes that correspond to locator holes for the ventral fins that the B/C and the YF-12 had. And finally, the rear RSO cockpit parts are provided on the sprue tree for the noses while there are also two separate clear parts trees for the front and rear cockpit canopies.

 

If a B model is indeed in the works, the fuselage top would have a new plug installed for the elevated rear cockpit. A new nose would be needed, one that doesn't have the RWR kinks in it since the B was never used for operational missions with a sensor suite (not sure if NASA fitted an experiments package in the nose of the B model). I figure the sprue with the B nose would also have the rear cockpit and instrument panel, a control stick, plus the ventral fins. And of course a new clear sprue would be needed for the rear canopy/windscreen.

 

It is curious Revell designed the tooling this way rather than putting the B option in the core kit. But, offering a straight B means they could offer a dedicated B model decal sheet, perhaps with markings for NASA in addition to the operational USAF schemes. I just hope they sell enough of the SR-71A kits to justify offering the B because even though they apparently have designed tooling for the B, it doesn't necessarily mean they will ever issue it.

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 1/6/2022 at 4:32 AM, Jay Chladek said:

both the high visibility white and low visibility red markings on the jets. Full cockpit instrume

Very nice review, thanks for the break down.

 

Hoping you will post in-progress and cover the actual build up.

 

That said, it's way too big.  It's too expensive to hang from a ceiling like a kid's model and even if you have a case, it's going to take up a whole shelf.  The business model behind this is...strange.

 

Wish people would learn that there is an entire 'missing scale' called 1/100 which is under populated and a much better match to 1/48 than 1/72 because it generally results in display size/detail ranges on larger airframes of about 14-17", similar to those of say the F-15/16/18/A-10.  And thus able to still find a space in a case.

 

A 1/100 KC-46 with two 1/100 F-22A would be awesome.

 

But not nearly as cool as a 1/100 KC-135R with a Habu hanging off the boom.

 

May eat my words if they give us a YF-12.  Looking for a shot at doing one of those as a production F-12B and the 'The Thing' by Italeri is entirely appropriately named as, to me, it looks nothing like the greatest Blackbird.

 

Is Kiwi even still in business?

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Honestly, I wish it was 1/72 instead of 1/48.  I had built the Italeri kit a long time ago and forgot how big it was in 1/48.  The RoG boxing does include a stand, which helps, but it still takes up a lot of room.  A new tool and accurate 1/72 kit is still needed.

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1 hour ago, Dave Williams said:

Honestly, I wish it was 1/72 instead of 1/48.  I had built the Italeri kit a long time ago and forgot how big it was in 1/48.  The RoG boxing does include a stand, which helps, but it still takes up a lot of room.  A new tool and accurate 1/72 kit is still needed.

Is the Academy kit no good?

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On 1/27/2022 at 7:57 AM, Dave Williams said:


Scalehobbyist doesn’t charge sales tax.  In fact, they specifically say on their site that they meet the definition of a small business and are not covered by the SC decision on sales tax.  Neither does Sprue Brothers, and I don’t think Megahobby does either.

 

Supposedly the Revell USA release will be cheaper, if only because they are deleting the exposed engines, and the stand IIRC.  I’ve got the RoG version ordered from Scalehobbyist, which I plan to build with the gear up on the stand, and I’ll probably get the US kit for a gear down version.  Hopefully by the time the US boxing comes out, there will be some more detail stuff for the cockpit.

Dave Williams, Your comment that Sprue Brothers doesn't charge sales tax is NOT QUITE correct. Sprue Brothers in fact DOES charge sales tax IF you live in Missouri! Every time I've ordered from them online, there's a Missouri sale tax added to the final amount to pay. As for out-state sale...I have no idea if they do, or not. 

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On 3/5/2022 at 12:39 PM, ElectroSoldier said:

Is the Academy kit no good?

The Academy kit is... Okay. But it is a recessed panel line copy of the Hasegawa kit and as such, has some shape issues. Frankly though, what 1/72 doesn't have shape issues.

 

Model Collect is doing a 1/72 A-12 as they announced it quite a while ago and I have seen the box artwork. But I have no idea when we will see it.

 

I'll be adding another build update to my WIP thread soon. My gear bays are done and I have been concentrating on the cockpit this weekend. If all goes well, I hope to have the center fuselage together by tomorrow and on to assembly of the body pieces this week.

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2 hours ago, plasticutter said:

Dave Williams, Your comment that Sprue Brothers doesn't charge sales tax is NOT QUITE correct. Sprue Brothers in fact DOES charge sales tax IF you live in Missouri! Every time I've ordered from them online, there's a Missouri sale tax added to the final amount to pay. As for out-state sale...I have no idea if they do, or not. 


They do not for out of state.

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1 hour ago, Dave Williams said:


They do not for out of state.

They sure do for Kansas and Virginia! I think they collect sales tax for most states that require them to do so. Only a dozen or so don't require it such as Florida where you live. Scalehobbyist currently does not, at least not to Kansas.

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 3/6/2022 at 3:55 PM, plasticutter said:

Dave Williams, Your comment that Sprue Brothers doesn't charge sales tax is NOT QUITE correct. Sprue Brothers in fact DOES charge sales tax IF you live in Missouri! Every time I've ordered from them online, there's a Missouri sale tax added to the final amount to pay. As for out-state sale...I have no idea if they do, or not. 

Indiana as well

gary

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Hobby Lobby no longer has their 40% off coupons, and their kit selection continues to become more limited. I never saw the first release there and don’t expect to see this one either. 
 

I ordered the initial release from scalehobbyist but they don’t currently show this second release on their website. 

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