Revell 1/200 North Cormorant Off-Shore Oil Rig (08803)

Hello to our Canadian Cousins!

 I have the un built oil rig kit and it's not something you'd put together on a weekend, there's a load of parts for this kit. I planned to replace the cosmetic support "legs" (they're mostly, well, plastic soda straws) with K&S brass tubing, as most of the "soda straws" were split and quite flimsy. There are injection molded support legs that hold up the drilling deck but the non load bearing straw legs need to be replaced. The model is molded in four colors(I think, it's up in the attic and I haven't looked at it in a while) and has considerable detail. The quality of the moldings are pretty good but I planned to replace the cranes with photo etch booms in N scale. I would also add a helicopter to the helo deck, for some reason it doen't come with one. And if you tend to be an ambitious builder, an oil supply ship would be a nice touch if you were to build a diorama. If for no other reason, building the North Cormorant is a nice change of pace from boat building.  

My mind has gotten a little musty, but I remember building this kit years ago. Probably another manufacturer originally?

If so the problems were the handrails, stairs etc.

I went through architecture school with a Norwegian named Torgier, who lived and breathed these things. I saw him scratchbuild more than a few. It's a great subject for that- who would know if its just right, heavy heavy weathering, constant modifications.

And it just HAS to be lit up!

Handrails are a little fiddley.........the plastic pipes were not cut clean and most cracked as pointed out above, they're worthless. I have one in the stash and already replaced the tubes with plastic tubing more substantial that that supplied. I also plan to use real corragated metal and other archetectural products from the model railroad department to replace kit parts.

1/200 is "Z" scale in model railroading, so I have figures and assorted other "stuff" to bring the rig to life.

It was only a Revell kit here in the States, goes back to the early / mid eighties. They also had thjat huge bucketwheel excavator and the shuttle with launch tower.......these were the days when you got some real plastic for your money......I remember these well as I was working at the LHS and bought them when they were released......(loved that employee discount!)

Like the "big-hair" 80's.....this was the era of big kits for Revell.

Hey Firecaptain

Wow, I forgot about the bucketwheel excavator, that was a neat kit. I wish I had purchased the Space Shuttle launcher when it was released, the money they get for them on the auction site is rather steep. As I haven't looked at the oil rig kit in a while, I'll take your advice as to the scale. I thought it was closer to "N" scale, I too was going to place some "roughnecks" and "tool pushers" on the rig. Now I'll have to locate a "Z" helo! 

Cheers!

MJM

I believe the black tubing parts are supposed to be the drilled wells going down to the sea floor. My biggest problems are:

 1. Difficult to understand instructions.

 2. I ran out of stairways and guard rails before I could finish, although maybe I didn't follow instructions properly (see #1).

 3. Lack of detail.

 4. I think kits like this really miss the boat when they don't identify the parts you are assembling. One could learn a lot about the subject just knowing what the parts are supposed to represent.

Otherwise it's great to see kits of subjects that are so rarely represented.

Not to repeat myself, but yes this seems a good subject for LOTS of atmosphere. And absolutely a comprehensive lighting package. There's plenty of room for a fiberoptic driver and effects chips.

Z scale is close enough, and Preiser makes all kinds of figures in that scale.

I have this kit. I think I bought it from Tower for $83 delivered, which was a bargain. Its the newer box from Revell De. My LHS has it for $119, plus tax.

Anyway Its big so I don't know where I would put it when built. I know GMM makes etched rails in 1/200. The rails oob are pretty thick and would best be replaced if possible.

There are quite a few photos of the real rig on the net. Its quite weathered and faded , naturally being  in the ocean.  It would make quite an interesting model if done right.

Hi,

I found this post through a Google search.  I am currently building the North Cormorant and I have the same problems that many of you have; spindly drill tubes and running out of stairs/handrails too soon. I emailed Revell to see if I could get another tree, but I doubt I'll hear back.  Can someone suggest a source for some 1/200 (of "Z" Scale as was suggested) handrails, stair rails and stairs?  Any information is helpful.

 Merry Christmas!

Tony

As well as adding lights, how about a little butane powered gas flare?

Fred

Tony, hit your "full service" model railroad shop for those goodies like people etc, but I believe you are going to have to "match-up" your handrails and railings with PE stuff from the model ship department. You are just going to have to find stuff that looks right, and might be something totally different than what you are actually looking for. Might even look at PE grating / grill type stuff made for armor (you may have to cut it down to the size you need).

Good luck!

I have found that Revell DE is quite good at customer service as they sent me a new (huge ) sheet of decals for a B-36 whose paint job I screwed up. I wrote to Germany (e-mail) heard nothing, then all of a sudden 6 weeks later I recieved a big envelope fom Revell US with the decals, and let me tell you it is a massive sheet of decals.

I would replace the tubes anyway, you can buy evergreen styrene tubes of all sizes for little money, and as posted before GMM has rails in 200th scale.

I do think Revell may send you a sprue. I would like to know how your progress is coming along and any problems to note. 

Bought the kit about 20 years ago, when I also bought the Bucket Wheel Excavator.  Now that I'm retired, the era of buying big kits is over, but building them is easier when I have the time to treat them right.  I'm a little disappointed that except for guard rails, there are very few details I can even add to the kit.  

I debated scratchbuilding the freefall lifeboat ramps, to replace the davit mounts, but all the photos of the real one seem to show davits.  
looks like it will be a fun build, considering each module is pretty much it's own kit, it shouldn't be hard to add extra detail, too.  

sorry for the thread necromancy (restoring a dead thread), but it's not like a lot of people built this kit...

Hi Glenn;

     Nah, It's always nice to see a reference to old kits and how folks see them today. I have quite a few of REVELL's kits like this. For instance exactly this one. I replaced all the rails with rails from Plastruct. Years later with better ones from Tom's Modelworks!

     What I liked about models back in the day was they gave you something for your money. Like the various iterations of the Nuke " Boomer " Sub! And the Cut-Away V-2.

 There's lots more, But I would hate to imagine their prices today! This one especially. I bought one about twenty years ago that was missing the instructions. Even then I paid about Thirty-Five bucks! This one was bought for parts for something else!

sharkbait

http://www.shipmodels.co.uk/561_1_1454003.html

Has anyone ever built this model?

If so comments and photos would be much appreciated.

 

Yes I have.  Finished thread here:

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235040755-another-north-cormorant-oil-platform-finished/&tab=comments#comment-3084473

Build thread here:

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235029159-another-north-cormorant-platform/&tab=comments#comment-2989341

Hope this helps.

Any questions, just ask.

Dave

Sorry, didn't check the date of the OP.