My Boeing 747 Project

[Graeme H]

Damn that's nice Leigh

[RayS]

...
Now on to the Zvezda 747-8I which, after a quick peer into the box, looks to be inferior to the Revell kit in many ways. Still, it's the only -8I in town so there's not much that can be done about it.
...

Lovely finish Leigh.

You comment puzzles me regarding the only 747-8i, Revell have a kit in Lufthansa colours and it preceded the 747-8f by about 12 months.



and soon to be released in these colours

[F-27pax]

Well, well!! You learn something new every day or so. I hadn't noticed that Revell had released a 747-8I, I thought they only did the -8F. So that's why I said that there was only the -8I from Zvezda which was released a few months before the Revell -8F.



Anyhow, I don't feel inclined to spend money on a nice Revell kit so I'm stuck with the Russian one. Here's pictures of what you get in the Revell and Zvezda kits. As you can see, there is less in the Russian kit and the moulding is not as crisp. The decal sheet is for a prototype, which doesn't suit me and whereas the Revell kit gives you a virtual tome for the instruction sheet Zvezda gives you an A3 size sheet printed on both sides. Still, I hope it ends up looking a bit like the real thing.

Here's the Revell -8F kit



And here's the Zvezda -*I kit



I'll keep you posted on how it goes.

[RayS]

So what colours will the Revell kit wear Leigh?

I have been building the Zvezda kit ( as you know) and have another in the stash to build OOB with Revell Lufthansa Decals. Also have the Revell 8f and some nice 26 BA Cargo decals to go on it.

I just noticed in your picture of the Zvezda sprues that there is a stand included, I got my 2 Zvezda kits second hand and there were no sign of the stands. Looks like the previous owner decided he would keep them!

[F-27pax]

The Zvesda 747-8I is now ready to enter the paint and decalling shop.



Contrary to my expectations on initial inspection of the kit parts, this kit turns out to be pretty good. In comparing it with the Revell kit of the -8F I'd say that both companies probably got the same plans but made a few different decisions on how to turn them into a kit. The Revell kit has more detail and its mouldings are crisper than the Zvesda ones but both kits turn into almost identical models. The Revell undercarriage and engines are more detailed, but not that you'd notice unless you looked closely. The Revell kit gives you the landing lights and wing tip lights that are not in the Zvesda kit. On the other hand, the Zvesda arrangement of the wings is much better and does away with the need for the bracing parts in the Revell kit to stop the lower fuselage from bowing inwards. On the other hand again, the upper wing halves were badly warped in the Zvesda kit and needed the 'boiling hot water' treatment to get them into useable shape. Finally, the Revell decal sheet is very detailed and could keep you occupied for a couple of evenings while the Zvesda decals are very perfunctory.

Summary; the Revell kit is marginally the better of the two but I expect them to both look the same with some aftermarket decals.

[Graeme H]

Looking nice, we wait to see what scheme

Small timeline, the Zvezda kit came first, then the Revell, both 8I's, then the Revell 8F
Originally, when Revell announced their kit most thought it would be the Zvezda kit, as they have used their kits before eg the B787, but they did their own

[kfutter]

What a fantastic collection of 747s! I'd love to build a similar collection myself, but I currently only have 3 kits. Thanks for the inspiration!

Kev

[F-27pax]

If the modelling gods are with me I should finish off my 747-9I today and I'll post a picture of it here. I would have finished it off yesterday but, what with it being Christmas, I ate too much and felt only inclined to lay back and get over my excesses. Still, during this moment of contemplation I remembered that I'd made another 747 model, back in 2005, that I should include here. It is a standard Revell 747-400 with Hawkeye Qantas decals. Rather than the lacquers I use these days, this 747 was painted in enamels and so has yellowed a bit (but that is not evident in this photo). I also retained the kit's windows and filled them with glue to simulate windows, something I don't do today either. It doesn't look too bad.

[tor lives]

That's a great-looking QF 747-400 Leigh!!!, (she doesn't look to have yellowed at all). I know I am bias but the ol 74 really looks good in QF colours.
I hope one day to see A 747-8 in QF colours.
TOR
PS: here is a QF 747-238 I did several years ago, (she is also starting to yellow with age)

[RayS]

Very nice 74s chaps!