Revell
Battlestar Galactica
30th Anniversary Cylon Raider
Kit Number: 85-6441
Reviewed by  Bob Pauly, IPMS #43887

[kit boxart image]

MSRP: $26.50
Website: www.revell.com
Available from Various hobby stores/Squadron.com

In recognition of the 30th anniversary of the debut of "Battlestar Galactica" (and possibly driven by the popularity of the re-imagined series currently produced by the Sci Fi Channel), Revell-Monogram has re-released three of the four "Galactica" related kits originally produced in the late 1970s: the Colonial Viper fighter, the Cylon Base Star, and the Cylon fighter craft known as the Raider. The forth, the Galactica, was such an abomination that RM has, wisely, in my opinion, kept that kit in mothballs.

The original releases of these kits were slightly more than toys. The Viper and Raider featured rubber band powered missile launchers that shot blunt-tipped plastic rids with all the force of a spitwad. Back in the days of cap guns and suction-cup tipped bow-and-arrow sets, such features were common in "action vehicles." These days, not so much…

The re-release has done away with the rubber-band missiles, and added a fret of detail parts. Besides the new fret, other changes are a re-engineered base, a revamped decal sheet, and the use of clear styrene for the engine exhaust, rather than the original opaque gray.

Despite the changes, which build up into some type of exhaust vanes and some surface detail near the craft's weapons, the overall impression is still rather toy like – an impression reinforced by the fact that the "dart barrel" openings from the original release still glare at you like a pair of doe-eyes from the two under-hull trunks – a feature not present in the effects miniature – and that the holes left from the omission of the dart-gun trigger mechanisms remain on the ship's underside. It seems to me that covers for these openings could have easily been engineered on the new fret. Instead, it's up to the modeler to camouflage these faults. Fortunately, 1/72 scale tank parts from my spares box did the trick nicely. The modeler's creativity in painting and weathering the kit will help minimize the toy-like impression as well. Fit and finish are the same as the original release, which is to say not great, but far from horrible. Expect to fill some seams.

If you're a fan of the show or science fiction subject matter in general, or simply have a nostalgic side and this kit appeals to your inner child, this is a nice kit to add to your collection. It's perfect for "wooshing" around the workshop. (Come on, you know you do it once in a while…)

Thanks go to Revell for the review sample, and IPMS for the chance to review the kit.

[kit image] [kit image] [kit image]