# Anyone built Revell's 1st Lunar Landing?



## PF Flyer (Jun 24, 2008)

Because I'm old enough to remember it and because I saw Monster Model Review's short feature on it, I'm getting ready to start on Revell's First Lunar Landing....Just wondering if anyone out there has worked on it and whether you primed the lander before putting on the gold foil? Also, how did you work the flat black in? Thanks.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

The current Revell kit is a reissue of the older Monogram kit. its not "bad" but it does not represent the first Lunar Landing per se. Each LEM was different to some degree from each other, and IIRC the kit depicts a later spaceship. Its still a good kit overall for its age.

Revell had their own LEM. It had folding legs and a smaller base. It was less accurate than the Monogram kit, but also predated it by some years. Most of the vintage Space kits came out years before the real thing actually was built and used. Like Revell's Gemini capsule, which had landing gear and provisions for a parasail wing...

I would paint the foiled areas the color of the foil in case you miss any spots.


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## rkoenn (Dec 18, 2007)

I have one I started a few months back which I have set aside for the time being. There are some nice enhancement sets available which I purchased. Newware makes a resin/photo etch set for the LM and also a set for the lunar experiment equipment. There is also a book put out by Michael Mackowski, http://www.spaceinminiature.com/, that details the various versions and has great pics and things for doing an in depth detail job on the model. There are also some great pics on the web of very detailed builds of the model. Let us know how things go when you do it. When I do mine I am planning on making it look much better than the out of the box kit but know it will require a lot of work. I am attaching a picture of a model I got somewhere off the web.


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## iamweasel (Aug 14, 2000)

The gold foil on the kit drove me absolutely nuts. I bought the accurate decals for it and they make a big difference. I still have the one I built as a kid somewhere in my spare workshop.


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## PF Flyer (Jun 24, 2008)

How did you finally deal with the foil? Instructions say to crinkle it so that you get the wrinkles and then stick it on.


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## jgoldader (Mar 26, 2008)

There are good references out there for detailing the LM. There was a nice article in the late 80's or early 90's in FSM, perhaps you can purchase it on their website. 

The kit can really shine with a little detailing. I covered the ascent stage of mine with Bare Metal aluminum foil, used gold candy foil for the descent stage, and partly rebuilt the legs to make them more accurate. I also redid all the antennae and scratchbuilt a new ladder.


New Ware has very nice detailing sets for the kit as well, though I built mine about 15 years ago now. 

Jeff


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## iamweasel (Aug 14, 2000)

I had to Krazy glue the stuff on, my old one from 30 years ago still sticks on its own but the newer stuff really stinks. Thats what I did for the 2 I have built over the last couple years.


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## PF Flyer (Jun 24, 2008)

Thanks for the advice. Finishing up the Spock kit now. Lunar Landing will likely be next.


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## Model Man (Oct 1, 2007)

I've been waiting to see someone tackle this to get an idea of what I'm in for. I think I'll be doing it stock, but perhaps some proper gold foil, accurate decals and a bit of brass are warranted.


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## PF Flyer (Jun 24, 2008)

There's a Monster Model Review of it at monstermodelreview.com, but it's short. Rob said basically he had no trouble with the foil on flat surfaces, glued it elsewhere. But like you, I've been waiting for someone else to wade in. However, with Spock nearing completion, I may yet be the guinea pig.


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## Professor Gizmo (Apr 23, 2009)

The "Revellogram" LM is a good start but, has several shortcomings. As mentioned earlier New Ware of the Czech Republic offers a couple of detail sets for this model. Rick Sternbach's Space Model Systems LM decal set is highly recommended!

There are several Halloween candies that are wrapped in several different shades of gold foils.You might put off the project until the fall when these candies are available. I also like Rolo's as it is wrapped in a nice gold foil that is easy to conform to the angles of the LM. I applied the foils with a spray contact cement. Below are a few photos of my 1/48 LM.


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## Les Walker (Feb 9, 2010)

I've got that kit, but have yet to build it. I will keep up here to learn what I need to, as the whole foil thing scares the willys out of me! Still, hope to get to it sometime later this year.


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## PF Flyer (Jun 24, 2008)

Kept inside by the blizzard, I put the foil on the descent module last night. Seemed to go on fairly easily. My only worry is that I didn't get enough wrinkles in it. You really have to crumple it up. For this go round, I think I'll just build it OOB. If it goes okay, I might try another one with some of the mods.


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## Moonman27 (Aug 26, 2008)

Hey djnick,I don't remember the Revell Gemini capsule coming with the landing gear/parasail parts. Are you sure about this? I have an older version of this kit,but don't recall seeing those parts.


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## NeilUnreal (Feb 17, 2001)

The version of the 1/48 Mercury/Gemini combo available c.1969 had the parasail and landing gear. I built two copies of that kit as a kid, but I don't think I used the parasail in either copy. I even built one copy in a hotel room when we were moving to a new city, lol.

Two later instances I've bought lacked the parasail and landing gear. I guess since it didn't make it into the real Gemini, Revell decided to save styrene by leaving it out of the kit.

(BTW: that is probably my all-time favorite kit!)

-Neil


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## bert model maker (Feb 19, 2002)

I built mine years ago and the foil needs to be wrinkled up however, anytime you handle it, you sometimes mash down those wrinkles so, I did this. I applied small amounts of silicone to the plastic and made raised lines, once dry, I applied the foil on top and got a pattern of natural looking wrinkles that no matter how much you handle it, the wrinkles will not mash down.


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## bert model maker (Feb 19, 2002)

The pictures didn't come out to well, i had better ones but they seem to big to post.


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## docplastic (May 10, 2003)

*Artist Helped Design Kit*

Dick Locher, the artist who painted the first box art for the original Monogram kit, had a hand in one aspect of designing the model. Locher noticed that shadows on the airless moon are very dark and sharp edged. So he painted them that way on the box art. Then he suggested to the model designers that they mold the outlines of shadows into the plastic of the lunar landscape base part, which Monogram did. The first issues even had the shadows prepainted.


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## PF Flyer (Jun 24, 2008)

This is all really helpful. I've futzed with mine over the last couple of days. Completed the descent body stage, put together and sprayed the ascent module. As a first time "real space" builder, I didn't know what to do about the seams (if they were there on the real lander or not) so I just sort of took them out on the sides. I wouldn't call it an "easy" kit, but it's lots of fun for this figure/sci-fi builder. I'll try to post some pics when I can.


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## PF Flyer (Jun 24, 2008)

Oh, any hits on painting those shadows, just straight flat black, dark grey?


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## bert model maker (Feb 19, 2002)

Flat black looks best imho


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## Blufusion (Jan 30, 2010)

Try Gold mylar. That is what was used on the actual craft.


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## PF Flyer (Jun 24, 2008)

A couple of pics of mine, almost complete. Great fun to build, if you're not a stickler for accuracy. Sorry for the picture confusion. Not quite sure how to post. Someone could pm me that would help.


http://photos.hobbytalk.com/showphoto.php/photo/39810][/url]


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## PF Flyer (Jun 24, 2008)

Posting the pics again with help from Hank and my apologies for the computer glitches. Model still needs some touch-up and decals. I do appreciate the help from everyone who posted.


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## bert model maker (Feb 19, 2002)

It looks very nice, i like the base you detailed with the darker areas, it brings it to life.


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