The new Wessex

(Courtesy Italeri)

It's been a long time since Revell issued the 1/48 Wessex, and the market has been waiting for a replacement.  And here it is.  A new tooling that includes a small set of photo-etched parts and markings for four aircraft - and all for £25.  The parts are engraved and riveted, albeit a bit on the shallow side.

The cockpit is quite nice, and has an etched panel and seat belts, although I chose to fit a set of Eduard colour belts.  Don't we all?

As I am building, I can't help but think of how similar it is to Italeri's 1/72 scale Wessex.  Yes, it's the same aircraft, I know, but the build is identical.  To merely upscale the tooling probably helps to keep the price down.

Here are some photos.  I'm pleased with how it's going.  More later.

Seriously?

Just walking past the sci-fi section in my favourite model shop last week - yes, there is still the odd one! - I noticed this.

I was instantly struck by the unusual design.  Not your predictable over-exposed Star Wars  or tired Star Trek movie-related kit, but a strange looking ship I had never seen the likes of before. A quick rifle through the box revealed large, well-detailed parts, four paint schemes, a very nice sheet of decals and a big big engine!

There was also a dvd, which promised a virtual tour and a bit more info.  From what I can gather (I do not speak Japanese too often) it seems to belong to the anime genre, and is an anti-gravity raider in 1/20 scale.

The big attraction for me is that you can interpret it any way you want.  No-one can criticise the RLM shade you have used, or correct your allocation of rivets.   I can please myself!  It's a genuinely exhilarating thought.

If you have built this model, or know more about its origins, do comment here, I'd like to know more.

Coming back down to earth, here is Italeri's new tool Wessex UH-5 in 1/48 scale.  It's a nice kit, four colour schemes to choose from and not a bad price.  No anti-grav capabilities but it looks good.  So many kits, so little time.