1/48 scale SR-71 Blackbird

I have one in my stash... and I’ve seen one built... modeling skills required....

But yes, It would look good next to a B-58...

It’s an old kit with raised panel lines, but it is undeniably impressive on the shelf when built.

Revell Germany announced a new tool 1/48 kit for 2021, and Hypersonic Models I believe were also working on one.  They already released a very nice SR-71 engine start cart in IM plastic.  Caracal Decals did two sheets which sold out, but they indicated a reprint would happen when the Revell kit hit the market next year.  It’s a good time to be building a sled.

Ouch, I looked on ebay and the kits are very expensive. About $100.

Yeah last time I checked, the US list price was $80.  A far cry from the $18 it cost me in 1983.

JohnnyK

Ouch, I looked on ebay and the kits are very expensive. About $100.

 

I built a series of them a while back for an article, I think the 1/72 Hasegawa kit was the one I prefered.

GMorrison

 

 

JohnnyK

Ouch, I looked on ebay and the kits are very expensive. About $100.

 

 

 

 

It's a better concept than a kit. I'd sell you one of mine for that.

 

I built a series of them a while back for an article, I think the 1/72 Hasegawa kit was the one I prefered.

 

JohnnyK

Ouch, I looked on ebay and the kits are very expensive. About $100.

 

That’s the funny thing about eBay. The market gets cornered on a kit and they go UP in price. If you’re in no rush, wait until the new Revell kit is released, then folks will be dumping the Testors kit for a lot less than it goes for now. Or pick up the new Revell kit.

I'll wait for the Revell kit. I don't want to have to deal with the raised panel lines on the Testors' kit. Raised panel lines look okay on a B-17, but not on a supersonic plane.  Sanding down the raised panel lines on the Testors' kit and then rescribing recessed panel lines is a nonstarter.

   Stik is right, modelling skills required for the Testors kit. I managed to build one back in the early 90s....not enough skills then. Tried another in the mid 2000s, realized I still didn't have stuff.

     I agree with you JohnnyK I will wait for reviews of the ROG pop.

Me too. I would absolutely love one but definitely going to hold out for the new tool.

I Just hope Revell puts out something that improves on the Italeri kit, with no silly errors like the backwards inspection hatches on their 1/32 He-219, or major ones like the wing incidence on the same kit.

Off the top of my head, other than the panel lines, the nose chine shape, cockpit details, wheel wells, and afterburner tunnels are the major issues of the Italeri kit.  I wonder if Revell will do little things like the intakes with the canoe bumps on the inner walls?  And there were several interchangeable noses, but their differences elude my knowlege.

If they engineer it to make other variants like the YF-12A, that would be a bonus!  I had read a discussion many years ago about if the YF-12A had a “belly bump”.  Much debate went on and the authoritative voices declared that it didn’t.  But I got to spend some time under the USAF museum’s specimen, and it definitely had a bump.  I hope Revell’s research team are thorough.

I would think no two of those airframes were quite the same.

I've got a number of books about her including one or two written by their pilots. I can try to answer questions.

Bill

I built the old SR-71  1/48th scale kit and ended up giving it to neighbor kids to play with. I look forward to the new Revell kit. The SR -71 is a great airplane and there are some great stories to go with it. Try a search for "LA speed Check". It is a good SR-71 story. There are a lot of great SR-71 stories we will never ever hear about!