# 1/32 Revell Atomic Cannon Renwal



## MEGA1 (Jul 18, 2000)

This classic kit is now in stock I don't know when it was last issued maybe never. It's a huge box loaded with over 300 pieces and a crew of 7. This is a fully functioning model (does not fire . Has the retro box art. Please click to the http://www.megahobby.com/search.aspx?find=arrivals as so many items come in on a weekly basis. Please note, on Monday Revell prices will be going up roughly about 7% across the board. Straight from Revell.:freak:


----------



## iriseye (Sep 21, 2010)

Originally posted by *MEGA1*:



> This is a fully functioning model


What does one do with the atomic shells then?

BTW, the link does not work.


----------



## SpaceCrawler (Mar 22, 2010)

So this is a reproduction of an old kit? Is the box art repro too?

Sean


----------



## JGG1701 (Nov 9, 2004)

iriseye said:


> Originally posted by *MEGA1*:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


http://www.megahobby.com/132usarmyatomiccannonssp.aspx
-Jim


----------



## MEGA1 (Jul 18, 2000)

thanks Jim I also fixed the link on my post. I beleive renwal was from mineola long island. I dont know much about them. They did make all the visible models. http://cs.finescale.com/FSMCS/forums/t/93277.aspx


----------



## chasd25 (Feb 14, 2002)

SpaceCrawler said:


> So this is a reproduction of an old kit? Is the box art repro too?
> 
> Sean


No, this is from the original molds. Revell bought out renwall a long time ago.

The last time this kit was issued was in the early 80s as part of the History Makers series.

Charlie


----------



## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

The kit is a reissue of the old Renwal kit, last issued about 1983. It's a fun model (just got mine today) but its also OLD and not the most accurate or detailed. There is a good reference book available on the "Atomic Annie" from Tankograd

http://www.tankograd.com/cms/website.php?id=/en/index/atomic_annie.htm

And http://www.mil-mod.nl has the most complete build up of the Renwal kit I have seen. It borders on scratchbuilding!

The box art that Revell has used this time is based on the Renwal artwork but has been changed in various ways. The writing on the box is not the same, and for some reason the mushroom cloud is just new. The old one was white and a different shape than the new grey one. Some of the changes were probably done for a variety of reasons... kits today say more stuff on the box about what is in the kit, etc. The shape of the new box probably is different from the old box so the artwork had to be modified to fit (much like the Aurora box arts were cropped and expanded when they went from long boxes to square). Also the new art would prevent someone from passing off the new kit for the old one.


----------



## buzzconroy (Jun 28, 2002)

djnick66 said:


> The kit is a reissue of the old Renwal kit, last issued about 1983. It's a fun model (just got mine today) but its also OLD and not the most accurate or detailed. There is a good reference book available on the "Atomic Annie" from Tankograd
> 
> http://www.tankograd.com/cms/website.php?id=/en/index/atomic_annie.htm
> 
> ...


 What color is the plastic?
Randy


----------



## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Plastic is Grey. The decal sheet is not the original either (a bit better). I dont think its the same as the History Maker sheet either. 

But, like the HM issue the instructions have a major error... They suggest the two large V shaped brackets that support the gun for travel are shown as being part of the gun carriage. In actuality they are permanently fixed to the transport trucks. The kit incorrectly shows them being removable from the trucks and just hanging off of the cannon's carriage. The box art is correct but the kit instructions are not.


----------



## steve123 (Feb 9, 2009)

Is this kit as "rough" as the Hawk missile kit?. I loved having the chance to build it for non- collector prices, but the molds were showing their age. And yes, I'll get one even if it's "rough" What a cool thing to be able to build this! My Dad was stationed at Ft. Sill when it was there. ( I was born there too...)

Steve


----------



## paulhelfrich (May 11, 2009)

Looks cool - I don't build a lot of armor/artillery but this is the kind of weird thing I like to build. :hat:


----------



## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Its not super rough but its not Tamiya either. 

Here is the original box art










Looking at the two art variations I think my guess is correct... the new box is more square shape so Revell cropped the ends of the painting and reworked the back ground with a new cloud to make a taller picture.

Oddly too the new box art really stresses the "no show" gluing assembly but the kit instructions make no mention of it. Originally the kit had parts of the instruction sheet shaded blue to indicate where to apply cement to hidden gluing areas so that most of the glue seams would be invisible. Kinda neat for its time. Odd they hype it in bigger lettering on the new box but make no mention of it in the kit itself.

Another odd detail that has always been a part of the kit... you get machine gun rings for the truck cab roofs, but there are no holes in the roof under the ring mounts, making them useless.


----------



## steve123 (Feb 9, 2009)

I have a few old Renwall kits, the " no show" glue instructions were nice. I think my favorites were the Big Ferrari and the North Carolina. 
The box was huge.. I'm 4 or 5 back then and remember seeing the big billboard like box in a Chicago Hobby Shop
These kits are like digging out the Christmas decorations...they bring back lots of memories.

Now, if we could get Raytheon to re-release 'Lectron.

Steve


----------



## paulhelfrich (May 11, 2009)

This would be cool to build in a box-art diorama style, with the mushroom cloud picture as a backdrop...may have to try it that way, if I ever build this...


----------



## ChrisW (Jan 1, 1970)

You can still see one of the surviving Atomic Cannons at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland. While the museum is in a state of transition, the 
atomic Cannon is still on the grounds. 
BTW, it is no longer the Ordnance Museum, which has moved to Ft. Lee, VA along with the Ordnance School. Eventually the museum here will highlight the research, development and testing conducted at APG.)


----------



## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Operation Grable






The Atomic Cannon only fired its nuclear shell once during this test. Noticed too the mushroom cloud is brown! Whilte still looks better on a painting though.

Note: if you are squeamish there are some brief shots of live test animals being exposed to the effects of the nuclear blast


----------



## chief1615 (Oct 9, 2007)

Not to derail this post, but 11 nuclear detonations were conducted at Yucca Flats, NV in 1953. I wonder if the Atomic Cannon was one of them. They filmed "The Conqueror" movie there in 1955 with cast members including John Wayne and Susan Hayward. During the filming they took Geiger readings but no one seemed to care about the high radiation levels. Twice as many people from the cast died of cancer than would be considered the normal percentage.


----------



## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

The Atomic Cannon fired only one nuclear round once during the Grable testing (see above link). The gun was capable of firing non nuclear ammo and all prior and subsequent tests used normal rounds.

Another comment on the kit itself:

Renwal provides two .50 cal ring mounted machineguns for the transport truck roofs. The roofs themselves are solid with no opening under the ring mounts. Examination of photos shows that the trucks had solid roofs and no ring mounts at all. I did find one photo of the truck/gun combo with .50 cal guns fitted, so I am not sure how this was done. I had asked about this on another modelling site and it was said that perhaps the prototype vehicles were set up to carry the guns but production trucks lacked this. This seems very plausible as every single in-service photo of the trucks shows solid roofs and no .50 cal guns.


----------

