Scale Plastic & Rail

Revell 1/72 Space Shuttle Atlantis

Revell 1/72 Space Shuttle Atlantis #80-4733

I don’t think a review item has come through at such an opportune time, ever. The Atlantis blasted off into space on its retirement mission on the very day that this rather large box arrived here from Revell of Germany. It’s hard to believe that the shuttle fleet, or should I say the remaining three shuttles, will soon be living in museums. I grew up with these machines blasting off into space and returning to the usual full public fanfare. The tragic loss of two of the fleet is still a haunting memory.

The first thing that strikes you about this kit is the size of the box. It’s roughly the same size as the Revell 1/32 Ju 88, and if you bear in mind that this model is moulded in 1/72, it will give you an idea of the sheer size of the Shuttle. That in itself is my first education with this kit. Revell gives the model dimensions as 489mm for length and 360mm for the wingspan.

This model, a retool, is moulded in white plastic as you would expect, and consists of 7 sprues containing a total of 111 parts in white and clear. Overall, detail is pretty sharp, with just a few areas where it is a little soft, such as the internal command module.

Construction starts, as it would with an actual airplane, with the cockpit, and for 1/72, this is pretty good. A full range of decals are supplied for internal consoles, panels and other areas where painting would be a serious challenge. The ‘lid’ on the cockpit area is a separate component, which means it will be pretty easy to leave this removable. Crew figures are supplied also.

The cargo bay is a pretty busy area on this kit also, and up next for construction using some pretty large pieces of plastic. I call it the ‘command module’, but as I’m ignorant of these things, I’m probably wrong. It is a ‘laboratory’? Either way, this is represented quite well, but as I said, some of the detail appears a little soft to me. Also in the cargo bay is the robotic arm and other associated equipment. Detail here seems good and creates a busy looking cargo bay which means the Shuttle deserves to be displayed with this area open. The cargo bay doors are operable, but I would be very careful not to break the lugs attached to the doors, and only open for specific display purposes.

The larger parts of the shuttle, such as the fuselage and wings are superbly moulded and only small traces of flash can be seen overall. The ceramic tiles covering the underside of the shuttle are represented by raised detail. This I’m not too happy about, and to rescribe it would be an immense job and a labour of love. Nevertheless, this area can be made to look very good, as seeing pictures of the earlier release of this kit can testify to.

Thruster detail is crisp and well executed, but nothing in the way of extra pipework is given, as I imagine would exist, so you will need your references handy.

A large decal sheet is supplied, and printed in Italy. It has all the hallmarks of a Cartograf sheet, but nothing tells me so. The decals are printed in precise register and the colours look very true to life with regards to the flags and NASA markings. This is a compressive sheet which includes detail for the canopy lines as well as other areas which would be a nightmare to mask and paint. The instructions call for decal setting solutions. I presume this is not just because of some of the raised detail, but also because of the subtle compound curves present on the Shuttle exterior.

So what do we think?

The first thing that I think I need to mention is the great value for money that this kit represents. This is a LARGE model in a LARGE box, and still Revell manage to put this out for around £35. I’m sure some retailers will sell this with an additional discount also. While construction does seem quite simple, this is really quite a large project in terms of the painting and finishing required. Remember, you will need to weather this model for that proper look! This kit will produce a superb looking Shuttle which is very representative of the real thing. Recommended.

Overall: 7/10

Many thanks to Revell of Germany for the review sample. This models RRP is £34.99, but check your local shop/online retailer for their own pricing.