The ultimate descendent of Avro’s famous Lancaster bomber of World War II, the Shackleton performed maritime reconnaissance for the Royal Air Force through the Cold War. In the 1970s, a dozen airframes were converted into airborne early warning platforms; that’s the version represented in Revell’s new kit.
The slightly soft gray plastic shows good surface detail with a combination of recessed lines and rivets and a few raised features. All of the control surfaces are movable. Unfortunately, minor flash and some mold seams mar many of the parts. You’ll need to spend time on cleanup before assembly.
The fuselage consists of four parts, with the front fuselage halves ending just aft of the cockpit. Joining each pair was easy, but the seam between the assembled halves required filler.
Interior details include the cockpit, nose position, and rear observers’ room. Decals provide instrument-panel details and seat belts. The cabin windows attach from inside. I painted the fuselage sides before installing the windows to ease masking. The cockpit and other clear parts fit perfectly.
Take care building the contra-rotating propellers to ensure the pitch is correct.
The individual landing-gear parts appeared flimsy, but once built the legs are sturdy enough to support the large model — the wingspan is nearly 20 inches.
The large decal sheet provides markings for two No. 8 Squadron Shackletons, including myriad stencils. But the clear marking diagrams make placing all of them a snap. They settled over a glossy surface without problems.
I recommend test-fitting everything to be sure the joining surfaces are clean of flash. However, the finished model is impressive.
Note: A version of this review appeared in the July 2018 issue.