Polar Lights 1/144 Forbidden Planet C-57D Deluxe Edition Kit Build Review

By Steve Causey

Build Review

I did a build review of this kit back in July 2013. The new deluxe version adds a battery box, a circuit board with LEDs and a motor to spin the 'engine cage'. This kit is a lot of fun to build, you will need to paint the entire ship silver, which can be daunting for some modelers, but with Tamiya Spray Colors, it's much easier than it used to be to get a great silver finish. I used Tamiya Fine white primer followed by Mica silver.

Once all the parts are washed and dried (You really need to made sure parts are completely clean before applying paint) I use purple power then soap and hot water and then air-dry the parts.

Assembly is simple and non-demanding. The lighting kit is a drop in unit that screws into the upper hull. You will need a tiny Phillips head screwdriver (do yourself a favor and either use a magnetized driver or magnetize the one you have it's very simple to do and will save you hunting for the tiny screws when they fall into the carpet). You'll need a 9 volt battery to power the light kit and here is some more advice, use a brand new battery, the light kit is power needy, and if your battery is weak, the lights will be dim and the motor won't run. I've seen some guys online complaining about the light kit being faulty, but in my case it was the battery being weak. I've built two C-57s at the same time, and both acted the same way; they didn't work with a rechargeable or an old battery, but worked fine with new a new one.

Once everything is all assembled, turn on the switch and you will really like the way it looks. The LEDs are a bright red (that way you don't need to tint part #s 20 red). The motor is quiet and spins the engine cage just like in the movie.

Here is the only part of the install that will need slight tweaking: the engine cage #4 is a press fit onto the motor shaft. The clear dome that covers the cage: #19 can cause binding of the motor cage. I solved this by 'chamfering' the lower attachment part of #4 cage (see picture). I just spun a knife blade in the hole until it was a little wider. The clear dome should fit all the way into the recess provided. If all your adjustments are correct, the motor should run without binding with the clear cover all the way on. 

The C-57 will be a great addition to any collection, and the light kit is easy to install and adds tons to the enjoyment of the kit. It makes a wonderful night light! I had lots of fun building the two I just finished, and I highly recommend the kit!

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