CLASSIC REVEL MODELLING 61/62

Time to look at a classic period in plastic model kits - 1961/62. My dad was heavily into aircraft and subscribed to many magazines and bought lots of books on the subject of aviation. Naturally, he also picked up a few freebies along the way, such as kit catalogues - largely I suspect for the illustrations, as he kept a large file of all kinds of drawings he had made of specifications and models.

I was only born at the beginning of 1962, so this catalogue only appeared on my radar decades later - at which time, I assumed that Airfix were the de-facto maker of plastic kits, as they were everywhere and massively popular. Revell and other makes were only available in specialist model shops, to be selected and pored over by middle aged men in tweed jackets, puffing on briars as they perused the models over the counter with the equally stuffy salesman.

So when I eventually saw the early Revell catalogues, I was shocked at the array of different kits and the amazing models that the range held. The Douglas Stilletto and Saab Drakkhen and the Covair Hustler, were all new to me (Airfix did produce a great Drakkhen and Viggen kit some while later) and the military series also had some unusual models in it too.

Rather than using photographs, as in the later kits, all the models were illustrated with paintings of the aircraft or vehicle, shown in dynamic poses on the page.

Revell's range was extensive and varied, with something to interest everyone.

 

Besides aircraft and cars, there was a large range of maritime kits from different periods of history.

Ships however, failed to interest me really, as I was always very much an air and space fan, so I usually fanned through these pages pretty quickly!

The real clincher for me were the last few pages, where the range included Guided Missiles and rockets, with some amazing looking kits of Nike and Bomarc missiles and the Regulus Cruise missile. Airfix had only really ventured as far as a couple of Apollo series models and then later a nice Vostok kit, but aside from a Bloodhound missile, there was nothing nearly as interesting as the Revell range.

Some of the models featured complex launch gantries and pads, too making the kits quite large, even at a small scale. One of the real standout kits for me was the gorgeous Moonship, a kit that would be          re-issued several times over the years in various guises and was always very reminiscent of Project SWORD toys. To add to the excitement, the little kit had a removeable hull section and fully detailed interior cockpit and superstructure, a feature lacking in most Airfix kits. Once more it would be several years before I managed to find one of these models. It had already been built and the upper hull had been secured in place, but it still looks the part and now hangs from the ceiling of the man cave! A          re-issued version was recently made available by Atlantis models, so at some point I may be able to build it myself!

Finally, an unusual addition to the line, were replica firearms and two horse drawn vehicles. Possibly hold overs from earlier model lines in the fifties.