Revell
1/25 Kenworth W900
Kit Number: 85-1507
Reviewed by  Dick Montgomery, IPMS# 14003

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MSRP: $24.95
Review kit courtesy of Revell, Inc.
Website: www.revell.com

Out of the Box:

As soon as you open the box you'll get a sense of the size of this model. The frame is a single piece and is a foot long. The Kenworth W900 is a big, impressive model when completed, as well. The finished model measures about 12 inches in length, 4 inches wide, and 6 inches in height. The novice modeler can handle this project which presents some interesting challenges while the more experienced modeler will find this kit a good "starting point" with a great deal of potential for super detailing. The wheels are engineered to rotate on the axles and the engine hood is designed to hinge open, revealing a nicely molded Caterpillar motor.

Upon opening the box one will find 115 parts contained in 7 baggies. The instruction booklet consists of 12 pages with excellent drawings which guide the builder through the construction process. The instructions are error-free and include a listing of suggested colors. The back cover of the booklet features a 3 view drawing illustrating the placement of the markings for the two "versions" of the model. Version A is labeled, "Lightning Express" and, as the name implies, the decals include a number of lightning bolts with which to decorate the cab. Version B is a generic truck with white accent stripes. The decal sheet also includes license plates, American flags, Kenworth stencils, serial numbers for the cab, and labeling for fire extinguisher locations and "Diesel Fuel Only" placards for the fuel tanks.

Assembly:

This model can almost qualify as a Snap-Tite kit. In almost all cases the fit between parts is so well engineered that all that is required is a little pressure to snap the parts together. All parts have either a combination of locating pin and receiving hole, or a locating biscuit and a receiving slot. It is highly recommended that the receiving holes get reamed out with a few twists of a # 11 X-Acto blade and that the locating biscuits be reduced in width with a few swipes of a sanding stick. Making these slight adjustments will result in smaller seams and increased ease of assembly. Before assembly it is recommended that the chrome parts have the chrome coating removed, at least for most of the parts. This will be necessary to eliminate the seams on the fuel tanks and the exhaust stacks. Exceptions are the chrome wheels, front fender, grille, rear-view mirrors, skid plate, air cleaner caps, and the pair of grab handles located on the rear of the cab. All other parts need to be de-chromed and repainted with a metalizer. I found that Alclad Chrome produced a shade of metal very close to the kit chrome plating. Total assembly time for this model was 13 ½ hours.

Assembling the Wheels, Rims and Tires:

The tires represent one of those challenges that a novice builder will have to overcome. The tires are too soft to hold their shape properly. It will be necessary, after assembly of the wheels, rim, and tires, to adjust the shape and position of the tires by slight pressure with one's fingers. Plastic tires would have been better, even though there would be a seam. As it is, one still has to remove the flash along the mold line on most of the rubber tires. The fit is tight, which is typical of this model, so it is strongly suggested that the locating holes in the inner rims should be enlarged in order to receive the 3 locating pins on the outside rim. The chrome rims need to have some of the weight reduction holes reamed out. About half of those holes were closed by a very thin layer of chrome plating. It required no more than a round file inserted and twisted to remove the excess plating and this problem is not significant. It is recommended that the rims be left with the original chrome plating intact. The plating can be worn off with very little handling so caution must be used in order to prevent any damage to the plating.

Assembling the cab:

The cab consists of three basic parts and one subassembly. The windows for the sleeper area are a separate part, as is the driver's windshield. The windshield also includes the two small "vent windows" that are located in the passenger and driver-side doors. The seats, instrument panel, steering wheel and gear shift lever make up the "interior" sub assembly. The fourth and final part is the shell of the cab, itself. The clear parts fit nicely into their respective locations and are of good quality. There are no clear pieces for the main windows in either the passenger door or driver-side door. This just didn't seem right to me so I cut some clear plastic stock to size and glued the pieces into place.

The interior subassembly, part #2, has one slot that must fit into corresponding opening in the rear surface of cab, part # 1. There are two locating biscuits on the frame, part # 29, that also fit into locating slots on the cab. Those slots are located just beneath the two air cleaners located on both doors of the vehicle. It is a tight fit. Any misalignment of the windshield or instrument panel will result in these forward biscuits and slots not matching up. As it is, you will need to very gently lever the side biscuits into their receiving slots. While it sounds a bit complicated the whole process of attaching the cab to the frame took about a minute.

The end result will be a cab that fits nicely onto the frame. Note, however, the fact that locating biscuits and slots are used means that you will now have three biscuits, showing through the slots that must be painted to match the cab color.

Decals:

[review image] The decals do not represent any particular vehicle but rather provide the modeler with one of two choices for a "typical" vehicle. I chose to use "Version B" which features a set of white accent stripes. Version A is labeled, "Lightning Express" and the decals are white "lightning bolts" trimmed with a small lining of silver. The decals are robust and can take a significant amount of handling and repositioning without damage. I found that soaking the decals for several minutes rather than the usual ½ minute or so resulted in the decal snuggling down over the surface detail with greater ease. Solvaset was used to help the decals fit into the grooves and over the raised detail and the decals responded well to the Solvaset. There are several instances in which I'd "do it differently", that is, if there were a "next time". There are four "Kenworth" decals which represent the chromed name plates that are bolted onto the cab. I recommend that the raised "Kenworth" lettering be sanded away before the cab is painted. The decals are silver and look very much like the name plates that one sees on the real vehicle. Removing the raised letters would enhance the ease with which these decals can be applied. In some cases, especially when dealing with the white accent strips, it is recommended that the clear areas of the decal be removed before application. There is surface detail that is covered by the clear area of the decal carrier film and it is easier to cut away the clear carrier film than it is to try and eliminate wrinkles and air pockets caused by the raised detail after the decal has been applied.

There are no decals or separate parts representing the windshield wipers. The wiper blades are, however, molded into the clear part that makes up the windshield. I used some black decal stripes from the spares box to make my own windshield wipers.

Conclusion:

Cons:
  • The tires are too soft to hold their shape properly.
  • While the fit of most parts can be characterized as tight, some sanding may be necessary to allow for more ease of fit to allow the parts to snap together.
  • Application of the decals can be made easier by removing the clear areas of carrier film, especially if using the white accent stripes as seen for Version B.
  • No "door window" parts are included for the cab doors.
  • Using biscuits and slots to mate the cab to the frame results in those three biscuits "peeking" out through the corresponding slots and it will be necessary to touch up the paint on the edges of the biscuits that are visible after the cab has been put into place.
Pros:
  • The fit of the vast majority of parts is tight. In fact, without exaggeration, much of the frame and engine can be snapped together without the use of glue.
  • The decals can be handled and repositioned without much danger of tearing or fracturing.
  • There are very few mold release marks on the model.
  • There is virtually no flash that needs to be removed, the exception being some of the exhaust pipes or air-flow piping.
  • It is easy to achieve excellent alignment due to the quality of the engineering in the molding of the kit.
  • The price is right for a big, bad, and beautiful model.
What's Out There:

AfterMarket Parts Decals

Bandit Resins supplies a set of pinstripe decals that can be used to decorate any vehicle. Visit the website and click on the "Resin Parts" link. www.banditresins.com/index.html.

Trailers

AMT, ERTL, and AMT/ERTL have released a number of trailers in 1/25th scale. Any of these trailers can be paired with this kit.

Products used:

Faller Expert Glue (for all assembly except clear parts).
Gator Grip Glue (for clear parts).
Solvaset Decal setting solution.
Tamiya Primer.
Tamiya X-22 Clear Coat.
Tamiya X-1 Black (touch up).
Tamiya X-7 Red (touch up).
Testors 1837M OneCoat Lacquer - Metallic Red.
Tamiya TS-14 Gloss Black (undercoat for Alclad).
Alclad ACL 107 Chrome.


Conclusion:

This kit produces a large model which has great eye appeal. It is sufficiently detailed for beginners and acts as a good starting point for those who wish to add after market detail parts. The parts fit together well, the decals are colorful and robust, and there is very little clean-up required on the parts prior to assembly and painting. It is recommended that the wheels, rims, and tires be glued in place rather than press-fit on the axles. With the exception of the assembly of the wheels and tires being somewhat awkward, this model has few flaws. This model is highly recommended for all age groups. While the younger builders will need some adult supervision, those that are more experienced will find this a very enjoyable kit.

Thanks to Revell for a great kit!


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