[Serpiko]

box picture as found in the web

PROS:
-Good detail level
-Excellent overall fitting
-Detailed engines and gear bays interior
-Many optional alternative parts
-Easier than it may look

CONS:
-Missing aiming lights
-Fixed control surfaces and flaps
-Fixed tail turret




THE PLANE

Historical records and technical data about the "Dambusters raid" are widely explained in the dedicated Wikipedia page (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dambusters_Raid), so there's no point in repeating that here. ;dd
Let's just say here that the "Dambusters" were modified Lancaster B.IIIs which had their dorsal turret removed to save weight and their bomb bay replaced with a dedicated rack for the so-called "Bouncing Bomb", including a motorized device to give the bomb a back-spin before release (so that it would roll down along the dam wall).




THE KIT

Revell rates this kit as a level 5, the hardest, due to the high number of parts. And many they are indeed: the box contains no less than 10 sprues (all sealed in plastic bags), with about 150 pieces. However, some of them are unnecessary: the sprues appear to come from a multi-version Lancaster mold, with the addition of the mine carrying set. In fact, you could as well build a standard B.III out of this kit, since it also includes all pieces for the dorsal turret and standard bomb bay doors (no conventional bombs though).
Instead of the usual grey, sprues are molded with black plastic. Someone could dislike it, but since most of the model will eventually be black or anthracite, it makes sense. You can save some base coating job! Molding quality appears to be very good, flash-free and well detailed. The plastic is quite solid so most parts can stand some mishandling, but be careful when dealing with smallest pieces, since they could be more fragile than their own supporting pin!
Also, you can immediately notice that all "mobile" control surfaces (ailerons, rudders, elevators, flaps) aren't actually mobile, since they are molded as part of the wings and tail surfaces. I can live with this, but "hardcore" modelers may complain.
Besides the usual gear up/gear down option, this kit gives you the chance to have up to two engines exposed (inner nacelles only) by providing some very nice interiors.
The decals sheet provides a good amount of stenciling and serials for three different planes (AJ-G, AJ-F and AJ-P), all of which feature the same livery: full black lower side and rudders, with camouflaged dark green/dark earth top side. There are also decals for cockpit and cabin panels, but the related pieces are detailed as well.
(NOTE: these planes have no nosearts. A pity, IMO! )




BUILDING

Honestly, this time, a detailed step-by-step description of the building would take ages, both for me to explain and for you to read. So, for a change, I'm just making a summarized "walkthrough", by focusing on the most significant issues I found while doing the job. See also "hint boxes" in the pics!

Before starting, let me tell you a perk of this kit that IMO makes life way easier: instructions don't show that but, thanks to clever design and excellent fitting, you are actually allowed to build the model as three separate "blocks" (the fuselage and the two wings), and then assemble them as the very last step. If you do this way, when adding tiny pieces and details, you will have to handle a smaller piece, rather than a bulky 40cm+ wide model. Eventually, unless you mess something up when glueing the main structure, the wings will easily fit in their place, so firmly that you may as well just snap them on, without any glue at all! Try and see! 8)

COCKPIT AND INTERIOR - This part is quite straightforward. You get a long "floor" and add internal components on it, each of them into its dedicated hole/slot. Oddly, an "empty" space remains next to pilot's seat, in the bomber position. Feel free to add extra details! :wink:
Most important, the "floor" is also the base for the huge bridge-shaped piece that, protruding on both sides, will provide the attachment point and structural support of the wings. Again, accurate pin receivers make misplacing very unlikely.
You are also told to add two semi-circular "caps" under the floor: they are supposed to be the front and rear end of the bomb bay, but the "special" belly will completely close the fuselage, so the front one will only be partially visible through the nose "bubble", while the rear one is useless.




FUSELAGE - While the floor is quite "flat", the two halves of the fuselage feature a nice internal frame and paneling detail. Luckily, most of the many little windows are regrouped in rows as single pieces, that can be placed on the inner side.
Now, unless you've messed something up in cockpit and cabin construction (if so, you can blame only yourself! :oops: ), the two halves should easily join, enclosing the interiors block without serious problems. IMPORTANT: don't forget to enclose between fuselage halves also the stabilizers support piece!
While adding the special bomb bay piece, I encountered what I found to be the only real fitting issue of this kit. The fact is, the rear end of this piece proved to be either a little too large or too tall: whatever the reason, after squeezing it to fit in position, its rear edge didn't match the prosecution of the fuselage, leaving a small but annoying "step". I tried correcting this by slicing and sanding, with partial success only. Make sure you try dry fitting first, so that in case you can trim the piece before applying it.
At this point, nothing prevents you from adding upper and lower "caps" in the place of the missing dorsal turret, the tail wheel, and a few other bits. I just suggest you add transparent parts later, to make painting easier.

WINGS AND TAIL - Guys, this is too easy! Wings and horizontal tailplans are split in upper and lower halves, that match each other with total accuracy. All of them have dedicated supports protruding from the fuselage, too, and here the fitting is perfect once more. Again, i recommend waiting before fixing the wings with glue, so that you can have an easier time when working on engines.
The tail, instead, can be completed without worries: adding the rudders to the tailplans is still a simple job. Some difficulties may only come when adding tiny details, such as small actuating rods.




ENGINE NACELLES AND MAIN GEAR - Depending on your choices, this part can either be quite simple, or require the most time-work-care of the whole job.
First of all, a VERY important thing: the "bodies" of all the four engine nacelles come split in two halves but, while left and right inner nacelles are identical, outer ones are NOT, due to wings having a light positive dihedral from main gear legs outwards. Therefore, there is a LEFT outer nacelle and a RIGHT one, and you'd better NOT to confuse their halves, or you'll regret that! :twisted:
This said, the outer nacelles are no challenge, since you only need to enclose between the two halves the radiator opening panel and the spinning support for the propeller, then add the radiator, two little intakes and either "free" or "hidden" exhausts. The completed nacelle can then be fixed under the wing by "hooking" it on the leading edge and matching the correct position of a rear pin.
The tough job comes with inner nacelles... Well, if you're happy with having your model in "in-flight" configuration (gear up, closed engine cowling), the job is just the same as with outer ones, plus the addiction of the closed gear door.
If you want the gear to be extended, instead, prepare for MUCH more work. In fact, you will have to buils gear bays first, by adding parts for the internal wing frame, rear and front walls. Then, after placing the nacelle, you'll face gear legs and mechanism: a serie of pieces that need to be placed and linked to each other with great accuracy. The kit does his best here, keeping up its great fitting, but nevertheless you need to go slow and careful, because the way you fix gear components will affect the height of each leg, and even a minimum difference will be boosted by the broad wingspan. You don't want your Lancaster to sadly stand banked on one side like a crippled Quasimodo, do you?
At least, you can feel safer by knowing that, if you do things right enough, the apparently thin gear structure can easily hold the weight of the model. You can even snap in the wheels without glue, leaving them free to rotate.
As for engines, you must make your choice before joining the halves of the nacelles, for obvious reasons. If you're leaving engine bays closed, just skip this step; otherwise you can have a complete engine inside either left nacelle, right one, or both. Also, each bay can either be opened on one or both sides as you wish.
Note that engine cowlings are NOT standalone parts, they must be cut out of nacelle halves. Therefore, my advice is to try and build the engine block(s) BEFORE doing that: this way, if something goes wrong and you "lose" the engine(s), you won't have cut away pieces in vain.

TURRETS, CANOPY & C. - The kit contains a serie of alternative pieces for the nose "bubble" and canopy parts but, in this case, the instructions clearly state which ones you are supposed to use.
The nose turret doesn't need glue to keep in position, so it can rotate left or right, although the MGs are fixed horizontally.
The tail turret, instead, left me disappointed: you are allowed to choose MGs pitch and turret position, but then you must glue all, so it will stay stuck as you build it, unless you find a "custom" way to move it.




BOMB AND RACK - Build the bomb, build the rack, put the bomb on the rack. That's it! :mrgreen: The only warning here is that, in order to correctly place the two V-shaped supports, the wings must be in position.

So much for the building. Did you notice anything that's missing? Actually, I did...

Once the job was almost done, I realized I had forgotten the two aiming lights, which in fact are one of the unique features of the "Dambusters". But, after a quick check, I knew that Revell had forgotten them, too! :-? Although they are reported in the historical summary (and portrayed in the boxart), they're not provided as pieces, nor either as decals, and they're not mentioned in building instructions! Only the paintscheme profile shows two unidentified "spots", one of which, btw, is in the wrong position. Really an odd mistake!




PAINTING AND DECALS

As stated above, the paintscheme is just one, and it is relatively easy, since the belly is full black, while the camouflage shouldn't cause any particular trouble.
Decals are good enough both in finesse and ease of application. I have to point out that, also due to "construction delays" after I had applied them (water only, without any specific product), transparencies tended to turn opaque with time. This became particularly evident over black areas (see WIP picture). Luckily, where their huge size made the flaw more visible, it also made easy to cut off the unwanted parts.



CONCLUSIONS

Revell scores! Even If you've never built a 4-engined bomber before (I hadn't :roll: ), the task here is as smooth as possible. The look of details is very good, the exposed internals and mechanics add both extra value and extra challenge, but the winning point is in the absolute quality of molding and fitting. With over 100 pieces, every single one fits perfectly, from large fuselage parts to the smallest bits!
The only possible exception in this sense is the issue with the bomb bay mentioned above (probably due to the special "Dambusters" pieces being developed later and retro-fitted to a standard B.III mold). This and the absence of the aiming lights, along with a few arguable features (the fixed controls and tail turret) are the only dark spots, that anyway are little thing compared to the way greater perks.
So, recommended!

NOTE FOR BEGINNERS: of course, it is highly recommended to have at least some experience before attempting such a big project. Also, keep in mind the "logistic" aspect: making this kit requires a large "yard", that is likely to remain mounted for a long time, and the finished model will take up a lot of space, too. Think about it! :wink: