Revell Snap-Together T.I.E. Fighter

[whiskeyrat]

Another Revell Snap Together kit with some additions. I think this is 1/48 scale, anyone know if that's true? I have to say the fit of the parts was very precise, I was pleasantly surprised at how little trimming and sanding I had to do to get nice, clean joint lines and essentially NO puttying at all. I'm trying very hard to emulate all the missing detail I could gather from the reference images across the web that I could find. Of course, it's not screen accurate, so any rivet-counters wishing to complain may do so to that brick wall over there. I've got most of the extras on, including aluminum tube engine exhausts, a pile of paper-thin sheet styrene, and a couple of small bits from my spare parts box on the upper-rear of the fuselage. Still working on that bit.

 

[Analyzer]

Another Revell Snap Together kit with some additions. I think this is 1/48 scale, anyone know if that's true?

This is the larger Revell kit?

If so, I know the pilot in there is oversized and depending on what scale you consider the studio scale model to be, it is somewhere in the 1/43 to 1/51 range

Personally I think it looks to be a decent scale match for the MPC X-Wing and Banda/Fine Molds 1/48 X-Wing

If it is the smaller kit, I believe that one is around 1/67 or so

I like the additions you made

 

[whiskeyrat]

This is the larger Revell kit?

If so, I know the pilot in there is oversized and depending on what scale you consider the studio scale model to be, it is somewhere in the 1/43 to 1/51 range

Personally I think it looks to be a decent scale match for the MPC X-Wing and Banda/Fine Molds 1/48 X-Wing

If it is the smaller kit, I believe that one is around 1/67 or so

I like the additions you made

Yes sir, it's the larger kit. I was thinking the same as you, it sizes pretty well next to the MPC X-Wing. On a 1/67 scale kit I wouldn't even have dared to try and add all the bits and pieces that I have on this one. This kit was so well engineered and good-sized that I had to get some more detail on it to do it some degree of justice. The main assemblies go together very quickly with minimal effort, so that afforded me the time to dress it up a bit. Being a Star Trek fan most of my life, I have to say I'm starting to really enjoy the Star Wars kits. Already got the lid lifted on an old MPC Snowspeeder, and looking for ways to scratch up a better looking cockpit and pilots without spending another $100 on aftermarket parts. Yeesh, the kit only cost me $20.

 

[whiskeyrat]

A bit more detail added. I got the tank suspension part (at least I believe that's what the original part was) constructed, which is made of several dang-near microscopic bits of sheet styrene and a couple of small spare parts, cut and sanded to shape. At this scale I think it will be passable after paint. I also modified the laser emitters(?) by replacing the orange painted parts with clear ones, drilled out to simulate the barrel effect, and I created the shrouds that are prominent on the emitters, but totally missing from the kit.

 

[Analyzer]

Looks great!

 

[whiskeyrat]

Thank you Analyzer!

I assume from your name you are a Yamato fan... me too! Have you posted up any Yamato builds?

 

[whiskeyrat]

Alrighty, stick a fork in her, she's done. I had a couple of disasters involving peeling paint when removing masking tape from the black strips around the edges of the side panels, and a foolhardy attempt to cut new clear styrene for the roof windows that ended with simply polishing up the kit supplied plastic and gluing it in. Lessons learned. Overall it turned out a lot better than expected. I think however, that is mainly due to how sharp the detail is and how well engineered the fit of the parts is. My input had little to do with it... But, I am quite happy with my scratchbuilt parts, I just wanted to get in those missing details that if omitted would leave her looking really... well, toy-like. Revell did a fine job on this, and it's just a snap-together kit.

 

[Analyzer]

Looks great!

Love he color. Has the ANH feel color wise. What paints did you use?

 

[whiskeyrat]

Many thanks Analyzer! Yes, the color choice was meant to emulate the images I found online from the first film, with allowance for monitor induced hue and color settings, of course. I like Tamiya bottled acrylics, in this case it was Medium Blue lightened up with a LOT of white; I simply kept lightening the blue until I got something that was close enough for my eye. If that's a crime around here, then I'm guilty as charged!
I also used white primer to try and lighten the top coat more, and it kinda worked. After paint I used a VERY LIGHT wash to try and darken the shadows, and then dry-brushed with my original color for the highlights. I know these are supposed to be CLEAN, well-maintained Imperial Fighter Craft, so I tried very hard not to go overboard on the weathering.
My understanding is that there is a particular gray that is agreed upon as the correct color, but I like the blue better, and it feels more "correct" to me. This and my Snap-Tite U-Wing are the first Star Wars models I've built in almost 25 years, and I'm enjoying them so much that now I've got the old MPC Darth Vader TIE on the workbench, busy correcting all the horrible fitting parts...

 

[Mijob]

You did a fine job on the fighter I like the add on greeblings.

 

[whiskeyrat]

You did a fine job on the fighter I like the add on greeblings.

Thank you Mijob!

 

[rbeach84]

WhiskeyRat, can you provide the kit box number please? The one I have is "85-1875", labeled as a "SnapTite Build & Play" issue.
That would clarify which kit you used for this fine effort... Thank you!
Regards, Robert

 

[whiskeyrat]

WhiskeyRat, can you provide the kit box number please? The one I have is "85-1875", labeled as a "SnapTite Build & Play" issue.
That would clarify which kit you used for this fine effort... Thank you!
Regards, Robert

rbeach84 yes you have the correct kit number. I had to look it up (I threw the box out already like an idiot) and I came up with "Revell-Monogram Item # RMX851875" as the identifying kit number, which unfortunately is discontinued, so you've got a rarity. It is indeed meant as a "build and play" kit so I assume this is why it lacks the finer detail that I added to it. Thanks for your kind words!

 

[rbeach84]

Cool! RE: scale, I use a standard 'on scale' pilot figure from a 1/48 scale Monogram A-4 Skyhawk kit (known for its fidelity for a 5'-10" pilot) to 'gauge' the scale of these non-scaled objects. In the case of the AMT TIE kit (both the original double kit and the new reissue) the cockpit ball is a good fit, allowing the pilot to be placed with an eyeline throught the centerline of the 'ball'.

This Revell kit, which is 14% larger, obviously fits the pilot figure, just quite a bit roomier. The 'ball' of the Revell kit also matches the First Order TIE kit almost exactly, so they can be considered the same for any practical purpose.

I like this kit (compared to the AMT kit) for its better detail fidelity and for the more accurate representation of the "wing" panels. The scale however is less desireable for my 'constant scale' 1/48 collection. I assigned the First Order model a 1/48 scale because I assessed it had to be larger than a standard TIE to accommodate 2 crewman (logically...) however that doesn't apply to the standard TIE kit. Still, it is nicely done and when enhanced so nicely as you did, it can really "shine". See earlier posts for the evidence! ;^)

Regards, Robert

 

[whiskeyrat]

Cool! RE: scale, I use a standard 'on scale' pilot figure from a 1/48 scale Monogram A-4 Skyhawk kit (known for its fidelity for a 5'20" pilot) to 'gauge' the scale of these non-scaled objects. In the case of the AMT TIE kit (both the original double kit and the new reissue) the cockpit ball is a good fit, allowing the pilot to be placed with an eyeline throught the centerline of the 'ball'.
This Revell kit, which is 14% larger, obviously fits the pilot figure, just quite a bit roomier. The 'ball' of the Revell kit also matches the First Order TIE kit almost exactly, so they can be considered the same for any practical purpose.

I like this kit (compared to the AMT kit) for its better detail fidelity and for the more accurate representation of the "wing" panels. The scale however is less desireable for my 'constant scale' 1/48 collection. I assigned the First Order model a 1/48 scale because I assessed it had to be larger than a standard TIE to accommodate 2 crewman (logically...) however that doesn't apply to the standard TIE kit. Still, it is nicely done and when enhanced so nicely as you did, it can really "shine". See earlier posts for the evidence! ;^)

Regards, Robert

Agree with you on the quality of this kit versus the AMT issue, which I have not built, but from the images I've seen, the AMT kit is somewhat lacking against the Revell issue. The pilot is a drawback to the Revell kit, he seems too big, as is the cockpit detail, which appears to be nothing more than a re-run of the old MPC kits from the '70's. I have not found any commercially produced TIE fighter kits that faithfully replicate the interior, only garage kits seem to do it any justice. Kudos to you for trying to keep a constant scale to your models, it makes your collection of builds much neater and tidier. I think the old term used for kits like this was "box scale," which I take as a euphemism for "we have no idea what scale it is all we know is it had to fit in this particular sized box for marketing purposes." I personally put this one somewhere around 1/32, after comparing some 1/32 figures to it. Even as such, it is a nice size, and someone at Revell truly tried their best to get as much good exterior detail on it as they could before the bean counters came down on them. Again, surprising for it being a simple snap-together model. Looking forward to seeing your build of this rare bird!

 

[rbeach84]

So, interesting point about 'box scale'. The term comes from sizing a kit to fit a box, such as back in the day when the size of the both also set the pricing for the kit. The usual result was a model where the scale was where ever it 'fell', so you'd models of 1/113 scale or 1/56 scale, etc. This was a practice that was primarily in support of the retailers who liked to have tidy stacks of kits! Since the scale wasn't seen as a 'selling point', it often (usually!) was not stated on the box at all.

(So much about kit scale is weird history like that... just consider the whole "1/35 vs 1/32" scale controversy.)

To clarify, I generally like the AMT TIE kit, not least for it's abundance! Of course, once I was exposed to RPF and the Studio Scale community, I learned more about its detail discrepancies compared to the filming miniatures, but I have no problem having creative back stories to cover the differences... all part of the fun. This carries over to the scale issue. Since the TIE lacks any features that can be connected to a full size element the way the X & Y-Wings can connect to the diameter of an Astromech driod (aka 'R2D2'), there is no way to establish an actual 'scale' value to TIE models. It is all left to conjecture and interpretation. In effect, if you want to put a pilot figure of X scale in a TIE, and it doesn't look patently stupid, you're as right as anyone else!

For me, I just follow the 'reasonable engineering' rule. That is why I can place two 1/48 scale crew figures into a First Order TIE within a reasonable cockpit envelope - accounting even for the the equipage visible in the movie scenes - I can conclude the larger sized kit actually represents an enlarged vehicle in 1/48 scale while the AMT kit represents a standard (and physically smaller) TIE in the same scale.

Perhaps some one will in the future perform a volumetric analysis based on the cockpit scenes from the movie and come up with a value for a 'real' TIE we could all agree upon. In the meantime, we will just have to keep having fun 'playing around' with the idea!

I've included a couple of comparison shots of the two Revell kits and the AMT kit, including the new, improved wing part from the latest reissue (which addresses the main accuracy issue with the original kit... now if they could have retooled the Interceptor wings as well!) Although the FO TIE (in black) seems a third size, the front portal panel opening is almost an exact match the the standard TIE Revell kit you built. Note the Monogram 1/48 scale pilot figure.
Cheers! Robert

 

[whiskeyrat]

rbeach84 those are VERY interesting photos, thank you for posting them. The FO TIE and the Revell TIE cockpit spheres look to be almost identically sized, yet the FO TIE wing spars are so much smaller, and the panels slightly smaller. Is this accurate? Genuinely asking, I have little to no knowledge of things Star wars... I see what you mean about the AMT issue being 1/48, the pilot is a perfect match. The whole "box scale" issue has been a conundrum for many, many years, so I agree with your conclusion that it can be whatever the builder chooses it to be. Your "reasonable engineering" rule seems sound to me, I'll go with it! Here's a stupid question: The FO TIE has 2 crew? If so then 1/48 would make good sense to have room for two on board. I'm displaying my disgusting lack of knowledge concerning Star Wars vessels here, forgive me if I offend with my stupidity...

 

[rbeach84]

No worries! Yes, the kit is of the two seater 'TIE/sf' variant, aka 'special forces', that Finn and Poe escape (if you'd seen the movie which one I forget exactly, Ep.7 I think...?) in a scene where the TIE is hangared on an angled vertcal 'rack' that resembles a set of bleachers... when they launch, some kind of umbilical is still connected so it goes a'swinging about like a balloon in breeze... not exactly an stealthy escape!
The movie set shows the crew seated back to back, one a pilot and the aft facing one some form of 'gunner', of all things. Like a TBM Avenger, what? A aft facing (actually, swings 360 deg) weapon hangs below the cockpit, something for the 'gunner' to do!

R/ Robert

 

[rbeach84]

Another tidbit is the Revell X-1 "Vader" TIE kit (85-1857) is the same size (scale) as the Revell Standard TIE as it shares the same cockpit parts. Just has a Vader pilot figure instead, of course. I am using it to build a TIE Bomber model since, being 93% the size of the MPC kit used in the original SS filming miniature, the fuselage tubes are a perfect match for Schedule 40 PVC pipe which makes my life easier!

 

[whiskeyrat]

Another tidbit is the Revell X-1 "Vader" TIE kit (85-1857) is the same size (scale) as the Revell Standard TIE as it shares the same cockpit parts. Just has a Vader pilot figure instead, of course. I am using it to build a TIE Bomber model since, being 93% the size of the MPC kit used in the original SS filming miniature, the fuselage tubes are a perfect match for Schedule 40 PVC pipe which makes my life easier!

Very cool you'll have to post up some images of your build, I always enjoy scratch builds and kit bashes. I've gotten my old MPC Darth Vader's TIE kit about halfway along, made a LOT of additions and corrections, still not close to 100% accurate, of course, and it's been a real challenge and a lot of enjoyable hours happily cutting and gluing plastic. They too, share cockpit parts, and it appears to be the same scale as the TIE in this thread, so they'll make nice companion pieces.