Revell vs Pit-Road - 1/144 Eurofighter Typhoon

[spejic]

The slow boat from Japan just came, so here is a description of the similarities and differences between the two new 1/144 Eurofighter kits from Revell-Germany and Pit-Road.

The two kits are almost identical in size and shape. If you want an accurate Eurofighter, you can't go wrong with either kit. The Pit-Road kit has friction fit pins ("Snap-tight"), so I didn't close it up all the way for these pictures. The Pit-Road kit has slightly finer features where the Revell kit has more details and more parts (not including stores). You are not going to see a two-seat Eurofighter from Pit-Road given the nature of the parts. The Revell kit has details behind the cockpit and a split canopy so it is possible to pose it with the canopy open. This isn't the case with the Pit-Road one, which, as you will see later, is a real shame. The Pit-Road kit has a deployable airbrake.

Shape is close to identical. Once the models are done, only someone who has built both can tell one from another...

until you turn it upside down. Because the Pit-Road kit is friction fit, you will see the connection points for the landing gear. Again, more detail for the Revell kit, but finer detail for the Pit-Road.

The Pit-Road seat is far superior to the Revell one. But the tire details are maybe a bit too in-scale, and will be hard to paint by hand.

The Pit-Road cockpit has magnificent detail instead of being flat like the Revell (but the flatness makes it easier to create decals for it - it will take magic to paint the Pit-Road instrument panel freehand to the level it deserves). The Revell cockpit has a more accurate joystick and place where the joystick connects to the instrument panel, but otherwise the Pit-Road cockpit is the class of this scale. And it's a shame it has to be hidden under the canopy.

One of two canopies, that is. You get a standard one with flat sides and a slide mold one with the correct bulge at the sides. This was an incredible surprise to me - no other write-up of the kit mentioned it. I think this is unique in all of 1/144 scale. You will need to polish out the mold line at the top.

Unlike the Revell nose, the Pit-Road nose has the strakes molded on. The exhaust is not as sharp as the Revell one, but it has a much more accurate depth. On the other hand, the Revell intake is deeper and looks better inside.

Here is the Pit-Road weapon suite. The Sidewinders are very similar to the Revell ones but thinner. The AMRAAMs are almost identical. The Meteor missiles are far superior to the Revell ones, which only give you 2 of the 4 fins for some reason. The GBU-12 (500lb LGB) are very close to the ones from many Dragon kits. The GBU-24 (2000lb LGB) are slide molded, incredible, but only useful on a few British aircraft. Pit-Road includes 2 ASRAAM missiles (the only kit that does so that I know of) - the Revell kit gives you 2 IRIS-T missiles instead. The Pit-Road LITENING pod is even better than the one that comes with the Revell AV-8B+ Harrier, which was the best of its kind before. Pit-Road includes 3 tanks, and unlike the Revell fuel tanks, the Pit-Road ones come with the top fin (but really, that was a simple fix). Pit-Road also includes the correct pylons for ground-attack weapons and a pair of Storm Shadow missiles so you can arm your Rafale or Tornado or even pose it in flight by itself with wings deployed if you like that sort of thing.

Pit-Road also includes two TER racks (why? I don't know. They are going on my A-4F's.). They are slide-molded and are even better than the ones Dragon include in their A-10 kit (and far superior to the ARII ones).

Pit-Road gives you decals for 11 different RAF Typhoons from 5 different squadrons (sorry, no 6 Squadron) and hypothetical Japanese JASDF markings with a couple options for the tail flash (prototype Eurofighter symbol and 2 operational squadrons). But unlike the Revell ones, it gives you almost none of the warnings and incidental markings. Both are sharp and highest quality.

CONCLUSION

Both are excellent kits and both will create excellent Eurofighters. If you want a continental Europe Eurofighter (Germany, Spain, Italy) the Revell kit is the one to chose (if you can get the decals). The Pit-Road kit is better for British aircraft and/or if you want to put air-to-ground weapons on it.

[Darth]

Excellent write up Spejic. Mine's still on the slow boat :)

Now if only someone do a conversion into a twin seater...

[Bobski]

One problem with the Pit-Road kit is none of the air-to-surface weapons are correct for a Typhoon from any nation. No Paveway IIIs have been cleared, nor has GBU-12. You could use them for Paveway IVs for a UK jet, but that's about it. I'll probably get one to arm up a Revell kit.

[ChernayaAkula]

Excellent write-up, speijc!

<....> Now if only someone do a conversion into a twin seater...

Revell is almost guaranteed to do a twin-seater at some point. When, well, that's a different question. :D We're still waiting for that Rafale twin-seater....

<....> I'll probably get one to arm up a Revell kit.

Me too. 'specially for ASRAAM and the Litening pod.

You could also get two of the British 1000lb LGBs from Revell's recent Tornado GR.1 (CLICKY!).

Edited December 19, 2010 by ChernayaAkula

[spejic]

Me too. 'specially for ASRAAM and the Litening pod.

ASRAAMs are actually easy to scratchbuild. Just start with some crappy, thick Sidewinders from a bad kit and cut down the fins. I'd rather have a second pair of IRIS-T's because German Eurofighters sometimes carry 4 and that looks cool.

You could also get two of the British 1000lb LGBs from Revell's recent Tornado GR.1 (CLICKY!).

I've got 6 and I don't see how I will ever use them all. If you want a pair you can have them. They are just too pretty to sit in a parts box forever.

--

The fit of the Pit-Road kit is unimaginably good. When you join the main features, the joins look exactly like the panel lines and you forget that it was made of separate parts in the first place. It's otherworldly. The bad thing is that it doesn't include the decals for the Typhoon that raced the Veyron on Top Gear (I think that was ZJ920 of 29 Squadron).

[Bobski]

ASRAAMs are actually easy to scratchbuild. Just start with some crappy, thick Sidewinders from a bad kit and cut down the fins. I'd rather have a second pair of IRIS-T's because German Eurofighters sometimes carry 4 and that looks cool.

You need not even worry about that - just take the IRIS-Ts and remove the long fins along the length of the missile body.

I might have to pick up a couple of Tornados to get the Paveways...

[Aggressor Supporter]

Great review of these two little Eurofighter guys!

[snickers]

Building this kit. I just read this review. Ever since I've been planning to build a Spanish jet with LGBs and Litening pod. We know interdiction will be done by their hornets though.

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Spain---Air/Eurofighter-EF-2000-Typhoon/2215400/L/&sid=8f3659cee22675252306432f287ee8cd

But I doubt if they will let their Typhoons carry bombs in the future.