Yamaha Ténéré 660cc Paris Dakar 1986

Published: March 3, 2021
Company: Italeri

Introduction

The Yamaha XT 660 was an enduro style bike that featured the most powerful single piston engine of its time back in the 80s. The kit was initially released in the 1980s and was developed by Protar from Italy. Protar had a series of 1/9 bikes as well as a series of Formula One cars in 1/12 and 1/20.

Construction

The kit comes on five sprues and has rubber tires, vinyl hoses, springs and a LOT of screws. The only chrome is the wheels and those need to be painted black anyway. The molds are from the 1980s and it shows a bit with large sprue gates and some tool marks here and there, but it’s surprisingly clean and crisp. The overall level of detail is good and the model looks great in the box.

The Engine construction is unique. Instead of… more

Russian YAK-130

Published: August 3, 2019
Company: Kitty Hawk

Introduction

This kit was released at the end of 2018 and features resin crew figures, photo etch details, and marking options for seven jets, including two from Russia, one from Bangladesh, and four company demo aircraft. There are almost more sprues of weapons then there are of the actual aircraft, included are Kab-500kr, Kab-500Kl, Kab-500se, Kab-1500-Kl, Kab-1500-Kr, Kab-1500-se, KH-29L, KH-29T, KH-31, KH-58, and three versions of the KH-25. It’s almost worth buying the kit just for the weapon sprues! The kit looks impressive in the box.

Construction

Construction starts with the seats and I intended to use the photo etch harness on one and the resin pilot on the other. The PE seatbelts seemed to be a bit too big and ended up looking awkward when I had it done… more

Jaguar XJS-V12

Published: February 3, 2020
Company: Hasegawa

Introduction

This kit was initially issued in 1983. I first bought a copy from the BX at Sheppard AFB, TX in 1988, mine was the TWR Sports edition and is still in my stash!! I was always a bit nervous about the chrome trim on the body and getting it right, but it turns out I didn’t need to worry, Hasegawa did a great job molding this kit and it was not difficult to get a good result. This kit has held up exceptionally well for being 35 years old. The plastic is crisp and flash free and the fit is what you would expect from this company…..excellent!

Construction

The first two stages are for the engine and it is a great representation of the V-12. Be careful lining everything up, I had to make a last minute adjustment on part E-9 when I discovered it sat too… more

Suzuki GT380 B

Published: February 3, 2020
Company: Hasegawa

Introduction

The Suzuki GT380 B went on sale in 1972. It had a 3-cylinder motor and exceptional handling. The kit was initially released in 2017 and is a new mold. It looks like it’s the first of a series of 1970s bike kits and that is great news because these kits are very well detailed and a lot of fun to build.

Construction

The kit comes on five sprues and has rubber tires and vinyl hoses. The chrome is super bright and even though the exhaust is made up of two pieces, the seam will not be an issue because of a raised lip on one half. The overall level of detail is amazing and the model looks great out of the box.

The first two stages are for the engine and it has a lot of great detail. The three carburetors are made up of three parts each and… more

Norton Commando PR 750cc Motorcycle

Published: March 31, 2018
Company: Italeri

Introduction: I was very excited to have the opportunity to review this kit. I love the older motorcycles and this kit did not disappoint. According to www.Scalemates.com, the kit is a new tool. But I believe it is a reboxing of the old Protar kit from the 70s line the Norton Manx kit. The kit is definitely a product of the 70s era. The term "agricultural" came to mind as I was examining the sprues. Not to say it’s a bad kit at all...far from it, but it was tooled back in the day and it is not shake and bake. The kit comes on seven sprues and has two substantial rubber tires that hold their shape well. There are a large number of screws in various sizes as well. An interesting feature of the kit is the hoses. They are pre-formed in soft pliable… more

1992 Mazda Miata

Published: February 3, 2020
Company: Revell, Inc.

Introduction

I remember when the Mazda Miata was introduced. I actually went to the dealership to check them out and I was a big fan of them. The Miata blended the style of a 60's British sports car with the reliability of a modern Japanese import. The kit was first introduced in 1993, molded in red, and this is the first reissue of it, so it had not been available for nearly 25 years!

Construction

The Monogram/Revell kits tooled in the late 80s and early 90s are some of my favorites. The fit is generally amazing and the level of detail was many levels above the kits of the earlier part of the 80s. This kit includes 96 parts with optional bumpers and tops. Construction starts with the engine and it is comprised of only 11 parts but has good detail. The… more

H-19 Rescue Helicopter

Published: February 3, 2020
Company: Revell, Inc.

Introduction

The other night I was watching a movie from 1953 called The Band Wagon starring Fred Astaire. It dawned on me while I was watching the movie that a person who watched it during its theatrical run may have well gone home after the show to work on this exact same model! The Revell kit was first issued in 1953 and is now 64 years old! The initial kit did not include the flotation gear, that was included in a subsequent issue of the kit. The kit stands up pretty well for its age and gives the builder the option of the flotation gear and regular gear. There is also a stand which was a common feature of kits from the era.

Construction

First off, the parts fit was quite good. I was expecting fit issues but there were none. The ejector pin marks and… more