Revell's new kit has nice recessed detail, and the parts breakdown indicates future versions of the Gannet will be forthcoming. The kit is unique - everything from propellers to tail hook is either operable or posable, featuring alternate parts or working hinges. For modelers who remember old kits with "working parts" and the big gaps around them, rest easy - this kit has close tolerances. My sample exhibited a fair amount of flash, plus some packaging problems, with several small parts (mostly landing gear) broken on the sprues.
A terrific interior features detailed cockpits with raised detail or decals for all instrument panels; both are nicely done. The interior, nose wheel well, weapons bay, tail hook, and rudder are meant to be trapped between the fuselage halves. I had to really force my fuselage halves together, which later caused other parts to not fit well. Filler putty was needed around the radome housing and cowling.
Aside from the fuselage fit problems, everything else clicked together. I was able to paint the fuselage, wings, finlets, and tail surfaces separately before final assembly, which made masking a breeze.
The instructions have some errors in them; part numbers are reversed for the turbine exhaust channels (parts 6 and 7), but the illustration is correct. The weapons bay doors' forward male hinges (parts 82A and 82B) should be attached to the first slots in the doors (not the second) so they'll fit into the exterior female hinges without interfering with the catapult hooks. The instructions don't show it, but considerable nose weight is necessary to prevent the model from being a tail-sitter.
The landing-gear parts are well done. The aft nose wheel well doors, normally open only when the gear's in transit, had a big gap around them thanks to my problems with the fuselage fit. Since a couple photos in my references showed these open on the ground, I separated and posed mine likewise.
I found very few photos of Gannet control surfaces not being faired, and none with the Fairey-Youngman flaps extended on the ground, so I posed the flaps up and offset just the rudder and elevator to make the model more dynamic. No stores are given for the weapons bay, but its interior detail is super.
The clear parts are nice, though the two aft canopies are a little too thick to be posed open without forcing them over the fuselage spine and risking stress cracks.
Markings are provided for three Bundesmarine aircraft and one Royal Navy Gannet from 815 Squadron. I chose the latter with its banded spinner and Guinness harp squadron logo on the finlets. The matte-finished decals are great, needing just a little setting solution.
I spent 27 hours building this kit - lots of it filling and sanding things to fit because of my fuselage's problem. The kit's many small parts might give beginning modelers some trouble, but it really builds into a good-looking replica and measures up within two or three scale inches.
Revell Germany's Gannet gets high marks from me.
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