1/72 Revell Gato - Would I buy if built?

[anonymous]

Diane,

somthing tells me you missed

Diane,

somthing tells me you missed my post to you. Look at this. http://www.subcommittee.com/cgi-bin....7;st=50

You can make the fleet boat RC so easy.

Steve

[ghav2]

No problem Diane, one bedroom

No problem Diane, one bedroom for you, one bedroom for the sub!

[dpreul]

I already have two on

I already have two on pre-order. Who knows how many I'll end up with.

[chipper]

This has been and will

[color=#000000]This has been and will always be my dream kit! The options and variants would be a boon to the cottage industry folks. Yeah, 1/72 scale is kinda big, but I've already chosen a spot on our bedroom wall currently occupied by my wife's Alexander doll collection. I would prefer an Electric Boat Gato since, with a few changes, like a new sail, can easily morph into a later Balao. Keep up the pressure on Revell! ]

[tom dougherty]

Yeah, 1/72 scale is kinda

Yeah, 1/72 scale is kinda big, but I've already chosen a spot on our bedroom wall currently occupied by my wife's Alexander doll collection.

You didn't mention where your wife's doll collection is going.... This could get....tactical.

I would prefer an Electric Boat Gato since, with a few changes, like a new sail, can easily morph into a later Balao.

I'm a bit mystified by that statement, as Balao's were built to both EB & Government plans. In fact the USS Balao was a Portsmouth-built boat, and did not use the EB limber hole or anchor patterns. As an example, if you wanted to build Becuna, then it's an EB Balao design, but Tang on the other hand would be a Gov't design out of Mare Island, with the distinct limber hole & anchor placement. Having an EB Gato doesn't necessarily help you in building the later Balao class; it depends on the specific boat you model.

Word is that Revell may use USS Cobia in a mid-war Gato configuration as the template, so that would be an EB design.



Edited By Tom Dougherty on 1138833085

[bigdave]

I was just up on

I was just up on the Revell Germany site. The kit has 10-06 for release date. The Nuremberg toy fair starts tomorrow and they have a live web-cam. I saw in one view a large box with a Gato on the cover. Cool! BD.



Edited By Bigdave on 1138836108

[mkeatingss]

Cod (SS-224)? Last I heard,

Cod (SS-224)? Last I heard, they were basing her on USS Cobia (SS-245). That makes her an EB Boat, built at EB. If you're planning an EB Gato or Balao, this model's the one.

Mike K.

[chipper]

Tom. I'm sorry. I should

Tom. I'm sorry. I should have added "Balao Class" instead of just "Balao." I'm kinda partial to the EB boat's looks and their limber pattern. I also hate drilling holes and have nightmares of a blownup version of the Lionfish. Infact, looking at the cover art posted today, I've got a creepy feeling we're looking at a "USS Generic Fleetboat". Can anyone read those numbers on the sail?

[big jim]

I already have two on

I already have two on pre-order. Who knows how many I'll end up with.

Where did you pre-order this kit from?

[big jim]

How long after release of

How long after release of this kit do you expect "photo-etched" detail parts?

[shadowpeo]

megahobby.com are taking pre-orders

and all

megahobby.com are taking pre-orders

and all I can say is now that I have settled on 1/72 scale as my main scale for all my model building they have started to bring everything out in 1/72 which means that I am constantly short of cash

[tom dougherty]

In fact, looking at the

In fact, looking at the cover art posted today, I've got a creepy feeling we're looking at a "USS Generic Fleetboat". Can anyone read those numbers on the sail?

I've seen this very cover art from Revell in the past; it was used when the Lionfish & the Revell Missouri were packaged together as a "two for one" kit box (never mind that there were vast difference in scales). If you look closely, you can make out the battleship in the background. We've been assured that Revell is not scaling up Lionfish, but is using a mid-war Gato museum boat as a template (the EB built USS Cobia [not Cod; thanks, Mike!]) & the FD planbook for an entirely new molding. So, be optimistic!

How long after release of this kit do you expect "photo-etched" detail parts?

I'm sure there will be plenty of aftermarket parts, ala the Type VII-C. Look at the pressure hull tank tops, crew figures, interior sets, photoetched or wood decks that quickly emerged for the Revell Type VII-C kit.

Are you speaking about a photoetched deck?? Radar antennas?? Gun sights & training wheels?? I don't think you would want to do the railings in photoetch; much too flat at this scale. The challenge at 1/72 scale is that the model is so big (52 inches long), you really do have to superdetail it to make it look decent.

There will also be two Trumpeter Gato submarine kits (early & mid-war) released this year, in 1/144 scale (which makes them half the size of the 1/72 kit; or about 26 inches long).