Two reviews: Revell "Star Wars" ARC-170 Starfighter and Luke Skywalker's X-wing SnapTite kits

Kit: ARC-170 Starfighter, No. 85-1855
Manufacturer: Revell-Monogram, 847-897-5820, www.revell.com
Price: $18.50
Comments: Injection-molded, 36 parts, prefinished
Pros: Snap-together, easy construction, posable S-foils
Cons: Simplified details, no stand

Kit: Luke Skywalker's X-wing, No. 85-1856
Manufacturer: Revell-Monogram, 847-897-5820, www.revell.com
Price: $18.50
Comments: Injection-molded, 38 parts, prefinished
Pros: Snap-together, easy construction, posable S-foils, landing gear
Cons: Simplified details, no stand
Issue Published: October 2008

Star Wars model kits have been a standard item in hobby stores since the first movie hit theaters 30 years ago. The MPC (later, AMT/Ertl) kits have been the mainstays until recently.

Now, Revell hits the market with a quickly expanding range, including kits from the most recent movie, "Revenge of the Sith," as well as the initial trilogy; most are prepainted, SnapTite kits (originally issued by Revell Germany under its Easykit label).

The thick, squarish boxes, looking like Revell's car kits, contain individually sealed bags of sprues.

ARC-170 Starfighter

I'm a longtime Star Wars fan (read "geek") fascinated with modeling the ships of George Lucas' universe since building the original MPC X-wing in 1978. I've wanted a model of the ARC-170 since seeing the opening moments of "Revenge," when clone-piloted ARCs take part in the Battle of Coruscant. They just look tough.
Revell's kit features engraved panel lines and raised details, with the exposed engines especially well done. The craft's S-foils are posable.

The printed prefinish is pretty good, and consistent but for a couple exceptions: The green circle around the upper rear gun doesn't meet, and the edges are a little soft in places. The prepainted canopy is very clear.

The cockpit, a long tub with three seats, is devoid of detail - no instrument panels, no equipment, just seats for three soft-vinyl crew members. The instructions don't mention it, but the clones will have to be glued in place. I applied Mig Productions neutral wash to the tub, seats, and figures before closing the fuselage around the cockpit and canopy. The fit was snug but left small gaps.

Next is that ventral bulgy thing; I couldn't get it to attach cleanly, so I added a couple drops of liquid cement to hold the parts together and attach the tub to the belly of the spacecraft.

Wings and engines were next, with the S-foils being sandwiched in but remaining operational. I like that Revell made the intakes and exhaust one-piece items so there's no seam to worry about. The wings fit tightly into slots on the fuselage, but they are a little heavy and have a natural tendency to sag.

With weapons, the model looks like an ARC-170, albeit a very clean one. It took one hour to assemble.

Luke Skywalker's X-wing

Unlike the ARC-170, there have been several X-wing kits over the years. Revell's is pretty good, especially considering its snap-together construction.

There is a prepainted pilot as well as an R2-D2 for crew. Engraved panel lines detail the surface.

Like the ARC, the prepainted finish is neatly done, and although it's not peeled and worn, it does include some of the touches of the film miniature, including the different color around the canopy as well as asymmetrical panels and barber-pole stripes on two of the four cannons.

After washing the cockpit tub and "Luke" with Mig's neutral wash, I stuck him in place. (He doesn't need glue!) The canopy gets trapped by the rear section, leaving it movable.

The engines are simple but looked good when attached to the wings. All major components fit cleanly; I used no glue. Sandwiching the wings into the fuselage leaves them movable, too. The only loose items on the finished model were the laser cannons.

Landing gear is optional; I left it off, as X-wings look better in flight with S-foils in attack position.
After an hour's work, my model looked like an X-wing. But, like the ARC, it's too clean.

Weathering

Most Star Wars ships look used and abused. So, both the ARC and X-wing needed work. I pinwashed panel lines and other surface detail with Mig Productions neutral wash, then applied Mig's dark wash to the engines and mechanical areas.

After a coat of clear flat, I went to town on the weathering with black, gray, and brown pastels. Finally, both ships looked as they should - except Revell didn't supply display stands.

I spent about three hours on each model. Snap-together and prefinished, they're great for kids, beginners, and Star Wars fans - but serious modelers shouldn't overlook the possibilities, either. And if you want an ARC-170, Revell is the only choice. I look forward to taking mine apart, stripping the paint, and building it like a traditional model.