Here's a look at Revell's superb value quarterscale Ventura, available for some time in the US, and now released in Europe courtesy of Revell Germany.

Link to Item



If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!

Rowan, you should add in aftermarket section wonderful wheels from Ultracast.

Sergey.

Hi Sergey

Many thanks - I didn't know about them. Ultracast obviously share my opinion of the kit wheels. I'll add a link.

All the best

Rowan

also Mike West at Lone Star Models has a whole host of stuff for the Ventura..

--Props
--Wheels
--open crew door
--turret plug
--closed bomb bay
-- replacement exhausts
-- open cowl flaps
and soon- night fighter conversion!
Lone Star Models

Also Bill Koster of KAE is selling his clear parts from his multimedia kit (worth it if you want to do a glass nosed Ventura, or one of the night fighter conversions). He also has various white metal/resin parts that could be used to detail up that top turret.

im holding out for the night fighter conversion before starting on mine!
Andy

Cheers Andy

What have I started, adding links in Reviews for accessories?!

All the best

Rowan

Hi again

Does anyone have a current contact for Bill Koster? I've tried several e-mail addresses recently, but they've all bounced back.

All the best

Rowan

Rowan,
Bill has announced his new e-mail address over on Hyperscale some time ago: [email protected]

Sergey.

Hi again Sergey

Many thanks. I'm not sure if I've tried that one. I'll check my list.

All the best

Rowan

Hi Rowan

nice Review as always! You should add DMolds bow correction with or without closed bomb bay .. a neat little set.

cheers

Steffen

Cheers Steffen

I'll add those too.

All the best

Rowan

Rowan,

Thank you VERY much for a helpful and informative review - AND - your list of accessories vendors is extremely valuable!
I think your review is an example of HOW reviews should be done, although I miss a comment about the kit´s outline accuracy.
I have noted that reviewers unfortunately constantly excludes this aspect which I regard as vital information to us modelers.
Keep up the good work!
- Harry B.

Hi Harry

Thank you very much for your kind comments - and, of course, welcome to Aeroscale!

I fully take on board your point about assessing outline accuracy. I try to do this when I have access to suitable scale drawings or spot glaring errors in comparison with photographs - but of course some faults still slip through the net as they aren't readily apparent until you start actually building a kit and get a feeling that something just isn't quite right.

All the best

Rowan

I have been given the kit as an exchange for my Special Hobby Barracuda which I no longer wanted, and it is a very impressive kit.

There is a serious issue with the main canopy I describe here:

https://aeroscale.kitmaker.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=SquawkBox&file=index&req=viewtopic

The cowlings are actually not that bad, and the easy to get Vector conversion takes care of any issue I would expect.

The D-mold lower front fuselage is much harder to get, but is probably worthwhile.

The lower rear fuselage corner radiuses seemed too square to me as well, but being low-situated this is not as big a deal.

To me the main canopy is actually a bigger issue: If you look at the small fuselage window behind its main canopy side window, that portion and the small window are roughly in the same ballpark in length on the real aircraft: The kit main canopy side window, on the other hand, is much longer than the small fuselage window...

I think that by trimming a fairly big -near 2 mm- amount from the entire rear edge of the cockpit canopy, this might restore the correct canopy proportions vs its triangular front part, AND the small fuselage window behind it: The problem is that the whole canopy tapers, so its rear cross-section will now be too narrow to match the spine: I think "cheating" by trimming away some plastic between the fuselage halves in the front of the spine will help the fit for that issue.

The nose now risks looking too long however, and also to get a better windscreen fit I think the entire fuselage should be "brought back" to match the shorter canopy, even if the nacelles themselves need a little trimming as well...

The pink lines made below show what I mean about shortening the fuselage, the green lines show why shortening the canopy is worthwhile:




One of the risks here is not the issue of canopy fit, but of the whole canopy starting to look too small overall (that exact thing happened when I tried to trim the height off the -unknowingly to me- too narrow Accurate Miniatures Avenger canopy [10 mm vs 11.6 mm actual at top frame], so as to make it look wider: That of course ended in the bin...: Fortunately the far better Hobby Boss Avenger kit is here now).

Considering the PV-1's modest price, I think the gamble here might be worth it, and also could turn out better...

It is otherwise a very impressive kit overall, and at long last NOT a fighter-sized 1:48th scale subject for once...

Gaston

Edit: Disregard the pink line on the nose between the machine guns: That was from a previous concern that the nose looked a little narrow: Might still be valid but not the pink line I refer to..

G.

Some good news for us UK modelers, discount bookstore The Works are selling these at £19.99. I plan on grabbing one this week.

I must admit that I've been waiting for a 1/48 scale PV-1 Ventura for some time. The Revell kit meets my needs even though it does have certain issues.

As for the canopy, honestly I would narrow the fuselage some for a better fit, but I'd leave the length issue as is. It seems to me that an alternative method would be to remove the rear canopy framing and blend it in as part of the fuselage. Then create a new rear frame with a thin strip of masking tape.
Joel

Considering it's a relatively large 1/48 scale kit, it's a pretty good deal, warts and all. The warts aren't even that sever (IMHO) and there's aftermarket items available if you feel the need to correct them.

I'm looking forward in seeing if they release and early version with nose windows.

Hi there

For anyone in the UK who hasn't got one already (or can't resist another) - The Works are knocking out the remaining stock at just £10. An amazing price for such a fine kit!

All the best

Rowan