What are some good Revell / Monogram kits?

Fred,

Keep an eye out for Revell's 1/32 scale Bell X-1. It's inexpensive, and it's a nicely engineered and detailed kit of an important aircraft.

All the best,

Matt Usher @ FSM

I dont know how far your willing to travel, or where on SI you are, but Avenel Hobbies is a nice little shop, its in Woodbridge Twp NJ, probably 10 minutes or so from the Outerbridge Crossing.

The way that Revell is re issuing kits these days its hard to say. I doubt that they have the original copyright dates on the boxes. But suffice to say that if it has operating features like folding wings, retractable landing gear, or sliding canopy(not optional position) listed, its one of the old ones that needs major additions such as wheel wells, cockpit sidewalls and flooring, etc. Those ones were fun kits to build and play with as a boy (my SBD and SB2C-the old one not the new tooled one- sank the HIJNS Coffetable many times with their dropping bombs while Hellcat and Wildcat flew cover for the TBF dropping its torpedo) but they are the ones I think you are talking about in your original post.

A couple other I will add to  the list of decent older ones- Mosquito, P-51B, P-51D, A-1 Skyraider, Ju-87, Me-262....

A couple of liners are the P-38 and the Kingfisher. Those straddled the line on interior detailing and such.

The list a broad and varied and covered well in the earlier reply.  However, don't feel locked to a Toys R Us or other big box location.  You can order from Squadron or any of the other outstanding mail order places and in the case of Squadron above a certain point it's free shipping (I think it just changed to $150)

Thanks, Stik

Is there anyway to discern their older releases from the newer releases, like markings on the box or something?  I'll probably stroll in to a Michael's and/or Toys R us, some time during the week, to see what they have.  Unfortunately, Staten Island is bereft of hobby shops.

-Fred

Very broad question. Any of their new tooled stuff is on par with anything out of the Far East- PBY, JU-52, F-15E, F/A-18E, F-84E/F-84G, Rafale M, SB2C, PV-1. All those sport state of the moldings, detail, etc. And for the budget conscious like you and I. Many of their older kits: F-100, F-104, F-105, F-101, F-102, F-106, F-5E, F-4C/D, F-4J, AV-8A, AV-8B, AH-64A, UH-1C, TBD, F-80, F-15C, F-14A/B/D, B-26, B-25, B-17, B-24, C-47, P-39, P-47, are great kits that at the time of release were cutting edge and as better detailed than anything coming out of Japan in 1/48 at that time(China and Korea were not players back then). And they have re-issued a few of the old original Revell kits-MiG-21, Mig-25, Bf-109G, Spitfire II, that compare favorably with the Monogram kits of the time. Of course those are all 1/48 But just building that list should give you a couple years with of work. Just have a go at one of the big one for a large dress up project like the B-17 or B-24. Or a twin bomber like the B-25 or B-26.