Heinkel He 111 P-1

Revell, 1/32 scale
 

Reviewed by Brett Green

Revell's 1/32 scale Heinkel He 111 may be pre-ordered online from Squadron.com

Revell USA established a tradition in the 1960s and 1970s with their iconic 1/32 scale fighter kits. Surely any modeller who was a child of this era prized their 1/32 scale Revell Spitfires, P-40s and Bf 109s above the regular 1/72 scale run-of-the-mill. I know that they were spectacular to my young eye at the time.

Revell of Germany has resurrected this large-scale tradition over the last decade with some remarkable new large-scale releases. The difference is that these new models benefit from 21st century research, much higher levels of detail, and fewer gimmicks. One thing that has not changed, however, is Revell’s affordable price tag.

In my opinion, the most impressive of these recent offerings has been the 1/32 scale Junkers Ju 88 A-1. Now Revell has released its Kampfflieger stablemate, the Heinkel He 111 P-1.

Revell’s new 1/32 scale Heinkel He 111 comprises 390 parts in pale grey plastic and a further 43 parts in clear. The plastic is typical of Revell – well moulded and slightly soft.

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Thumbnail panels:

Surface detail includes recessed panel lines and selected rows of rivets, especially on the metal control surfaces.

The fabric-covered ailerons are subtly depicted.

The interior is packed with lots of tasty plastic detail. There are, however, a number of prominent ejector pin circles on the fuselage interior (in tricky places between raised ribs and stringers unfortunately) and on other parts including the bomb bay. Time will tell if these will be visible when the model is finished, but I will probably at least fill the marks in the forward cockpit area.

In addition to the seats, consoles, boxes and so forth in the forward cockpit, Revell has also supplied interior detail for the central fuselage with benches, radios, guns and spare ammunition for the machine guns.

Two full bomb bays complete with eight 250 kg bombs are also included. The bomb bay doors may be posed open or closed.

Engineering is conventional. The kit includes good-sized locating tabs and deep pins ensuring positive joins all-round.

The wing is broken down into a three-piece centre section that incorporates the engines, plus outer panels for the port and starboard sides. Flaps and ailerons are separate parts and should be movable after assembly. The rudder and elevators are hinged as well.

The undercarriage is suitably busy but assembly looks pretty straightforward, with a number of strong joins ensuring the correct angles for the main legs. The wheels and tyres are plastic – no vinyl nightmares here!

The kit includes no fewer than 43 clear parts, many of which are large and very prominent.

All the joins for these large parts are on panels and frames, which will make life a little easier. The transparencies are all very clear and as thin as practical considering their size. They should look great when installed and painted.

Revell clearly has other He 111 variants in its sights. Indications include the separate insert in the upper fuselage for the covered machine gun position suggesting a future turret, and the breakdown of the engine assemblies.

Instructions are typical Revell fare, with small drawings in 113 construction steps across 16 A4 pages. Colour callouts are for Revell paints only.

Three marking options are offered, all in the standard Luftwaffe day bomber scheme of RLM 70 Black Green and RLM 71 Dark Green upper surfaces over RLM 65 Light Blue.

Decals are in register, colours look good and they are flat in finish.

Revell’s 1/32 scale Heinkel He 111 P-1 is well detailed, thoughtfully engineered and keenly priced. By all reports the model fits together well and is straightforward to build. Considering its impressive size, it will most certainly be the centre of attention when on display or in competition too.

It is great to see this big Heinkel join Revell’s Junkers Ju 88 in 1/32 scale. Now the only missing link for Battle of Britain bombers is the Dornier Do 17 Z.

Can we even dare to hope?

Revell model kits are available from all good toy and model retailers. For
further information visit www.revell.eu

Text and Images Copyright © 2011 by Brett Green
This Page Created on 28 September, 2011
Last updated 28 September, 2011

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