Revell 1/48 Stearman PT-17 Kit First Look
By Ed Fuquay
Images by Michael Benolkin
| Date of Review | April 2014 | Manufacturer | Revell |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subject | Stearman PT-17 | Scale | 1/48 |
| Kit Number | 5264 | Primary Media | Styrene |
| Pros | Nice kit | Cons | Nothing noted |
| Skill Level | Basic | MSRP (USD) | $16.95 |
First Look
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The Kaydet still flies today even it was designed and built during the 1930's. It was designed and built by Stearman Aviation as a primary trainer for the military. More than 8,000 planes were built during the 30's and 40's. This little airplane trained thousands upon thousands of pilots that flew combat during World War Two. The PT-17 also served with the armed forces of many countries around the world.
To my surprise Revell announced the release of their rendition of the Stearman PT-17 Kaydet in 1/48th scale, but I have not seen a review yet. My sample arrived at my favorite hobbyshop and I picked it up and I was in for a very pleasant surprise.
The Stearman PT-17 was ignored by mainstream model manufacturers until now. The only available Kaydet in 1/48th scale is the venerable kit by Lindberg Models, not a bad kit, but very outdated.
The kit consists of 60 pieces, it is molded in white and clear styrene. There are ten sprues of white plastic free of any flash and a clear plastic sprue that contains the windshields for the crew. Curiously, a sprue contains a single part that depicts a wooden propeller. The decal sheet is very nicely printed and includes decals with wood patterns and metal prop edges. These look really good. The kit has:
- A very nice detailed cockpit
- An excellent multipart engine with mount, accessories, oil tank, and collector ring
- Full structural detail of the fuselage.
- Optional propellers
- The fabric texture is restrained and looks good for the scale
- Well executed thread pattern for the landing gear wheels
- Very well printed decals
The instructions are very well done, but in my humble opinion they lack color information for some of the details. The instrument panels are a bit soft in detail, but decals are provided, but they will look very well.
In my view, this little kit is a gem! I had been waiting for a long time for a kit of this historic aircraft for decades. I am very grateful that Revell/Monogram put such an outstanding effort in making this kit. The level of detail is truly outstanding.