Special Expanded Review - Revell 1/48 scale Stearman biplane

The shape of the Stearman was a function of the stringers and formers, but its rugged strength was due to the robust tubular structure that formed the basic structure of the fuselage.  Revell has captured this look quite well, with modeler-friendly attachment points for the included details.

Rudder pedals complete with adjustment lugs and an instructor’s switch panel round out the interior.

Simple seats are provided with molded seat belts. The joysticks are well molded with handgrips.

The longeron and stringer detail has been molded on the fuselage halves. Revell included a post-war fire extinguisher and a wartime version. The more modern type has a nozzle on the end.  As I understand it, extinguishers used to be natural metal until well after World War II. I finished this one in red because all the decal options are for restored aircraft.

The Stearman is a pretty simple aircraft, really, but Revell hasn’t skimped on giving you the details that are there.

The tube structure and details all fit well on the mounting lugs. Notice that while the structural detail extends all the way to the tail, I cheated and stopped painting after the rear seat. I won’t tell if you don’t.

The instrument panels are uninspiring decals without much color – just like the real thing. They settle nicely into the upper decking of the fuselage.

Very nice wheels are included – separate wheel covers aid in painting, and brake details are present.

Revell has taken the time and effort to provide a very complete engine accessory bay and engine mount.  None of this will be seen unless you leave off a cowl panel, but these opened upward and were not typically removed.

A very nice Continental W670 engine is included. The cylinder details are crisp, and a full exhaust ring is also present. Good thing, too, given that the engine hangs on the nose for all to see. I realized after looking at this photo that I had forgotten to paint the spark plugs white.

Revell tried to help us modelers out and included a wood-grain decal for the wooden prop option in the kit. From this angle, it looks like we’re close …

… but from this angle, it’s obvious the decal designer used the profile view of the blades to size the decals. They aren’t nearly wide enough to cover the entire blade. I’d recommend painting your own wood grain – the metal blade edging detail is already molded into the part.  Or, you can use the metal prop included instead, like I did.

According to photos of actual aircraft, Revell has missed the wires that cross in front of the cockpit. In addition, the model pictures that serve as a rigging diagram don’t provide enough detail about the actual attachment points. In an effort to get more accurate rigging details, I hit the Internet for drawings, which I then copied to scale. Notice it appears that the strut mounting points on the top wing are a bit too far inboard – we’ll wait and see what happens live and in person.  

I planned to use wire to rig my Stearman – how more scale can you get? I'd need to align the attachment holes with the direction of the wires closely to avoid any bends at the attachment points. I started each attachment point as a shallow hole drilled vertically.

Then I drilled a hole at the same angle as the wires shown on the rigging diagram.

When glued in place, the kit’s lower wing is flat, maybe even a bit droopy out by the tips. It’s an easy fix, however.

That’s better – a little bit of dihedral forced into place using tape. I checked the height of each wingtip to make sure I had the same angle on each side, and then applied glue to set everything.

A close-up of the tail shows how great the fit is – you can just barely see the stabilizer join. I haven’t done anything to it other than apply glue. Notice the trim tabs have gaps, similar to all the control surfaces.

The fuselage decking fits like a glove as well, with tiny gaps near the struts that probably won’t show once we get rid of that glaring white plastic. Notice the fire extinguisher access panel and the lock on the baggage door behind the rear seat. Revell has included a lot of surface detail.

Even the underside fits well. A bit of sanding is all they should require.

This shows the engine accessory bay under construction. When I finished test-fitting the engine to the frame the rear accessory unit stayed in the front of the mount, so I just glued it in place.

Here’s the other side of the engine with a cowl panel in place. It’s possible to display all this detail by leaving a panel off, but I decided to close everything up.

Even with the separate panels, it all fits with no fuss. I chose to glue both engine panels in place, but the fit is good enough you could leave them loose and they would likely be removable.

I knew this would happen if I tried hand painting the canopy frames. But never fear, just break out your Paint Eraser. You do have one, don’t you?

It’s called a “toothpick.”  It works great for straightening uneven lines by scraping a tiny bit of paint from the frames.

Much better.  Simple, but effective.

I managed to snap the tail wheel off while mounting the stabilizer. I drilled a hole and added a piece of wire to strengthen the repair. 

Here she is with paint on, partially assembled and decaled. The decals are nice, but the white and yellow are a touch translucent.  Notice the out of place inertial starter lug – it should swap places with the “456” on the nose.

Revell has molded very nice surface details onto its Stearman. Everything from subtle fabric “scalloping” to petite rivets is present. They even include the combination lock on the baggage compartment behind the rear seat.

I found fly-fishing line called “Ultra Wire” by White River Fly Shop. It is a spool of very fine, very shiny metal wire. I thought I’d give it a try for rigging the tail because each wire can run continuously through the stabilizer and rudder. I drilled holes and then ran the wire through the stabilizer and passed it through the rudder, leaving enough loose to connect on the bottom to the fuselage.

Once all the lines were run through the holes, the ends were super glued to the attachment points on the lower fuselage. The copper-wire handles replaced the one that my tweezers launched into oblivion.

The wires are then pulled straight starting on the lower surface, all the way to the rudder. Once tight, a drop of super glue is placed on each hole in the rudder. A bit of help from some hemostats for tensioning weight, and …

… we have the tail wired. Nice and shiny, but a bit on the fragile side.

Boooo! Even with all my careful setup, I didn’t get the angle close enough to keep the stainless steel wire from bending. I’ve learned my lesson: Next time, instead of drilling a slightly larger hole, I will cut slots parallel to the wire. That way the entry angle of the wire won’t matter. What to do for my Stearman, though? Time for Rigging Plan B – stretched sprue!

Except that didn’t work either. Multiple passes with a hot incense stick “popped” the wires taught just as it should, but they would then immediately sag again.  Maybe my sprue was too soft, or the wire length too long. Either way, time to break out Rigging Plan C – which I had to quickly invent.

Okay – Rigging Plan C is E-Z Line, a stretchy elastic fiber. I glued it to the upper attachment points, and will soon stretch it to the lower attachment points. Not metal, and way not shiny – but it will work.