RMS Titanic
Revell-Germany 1/400

Review by: Bill Michaels

The model is 1/400 scale, which makes it a 26-inch long model, which is about 4 inches shorter than the 1/350 scale Minicraft kit, at 30+ inches.

Moldings: Generally free of flash. The hull is molded in black, with the rest of the kit molded in white. The railings are separate pieces, individually molded, and pre-shaped to fit where they're supposed to go. (As opposed to having to bend lengths of straight railings to fit around corners, as you do with the Minicraft kit.) This will make the railings easier to install, but at the cost of a heavier, somewhat clunky look. I expect serious Titanic modelers will replace the kit's railings with photo-etch. Out-of-the-box builders will like the fact that the railings are easier to fit than the Minicraft kit's, and they do look better than the molded in railings on Revell's smaller scale kits.

The Hull: The hull is molded in two pieces. The sides of the hull include the window frames up to the boat deck. The portholes are recessed, and could be drilled out if you wish. Personally, I wish they would mold it in white-- I don't like trying to put white paint over black plastic.

Decks: The decks have a raised plank detail molded in. Accuracy: I'm not a Titanic expert, but I did a couple of quick spot checks for details that I know should be there. The fourth stack has a different style cap, as it should. There is a hole in the foc'sle deck where the bow anchor well should be, but no anchor to go in it. (The old Minicraft and Entex 1/350 scale kits omitted this detail. The recent re-release of the Minicraft kit included it.)

Instructions: There is a multi-page (10-12 pages, IIRC) instruction booklet. The instructions are the modern picture style, with a minimum of text. (In the typical 4 languages.)

Packaging: The kit comes very well packaged. The box is very sturdy. The hull halves are packed in a separate plastic bag. There are two short and two long sprues of white plastic parts. The short sprues are in a bag together, as are the long ones.

Summary: I have the Revell 1/570 scale kit, and the 1/350 scale Minicraft (old version). This kit compares favorably to both of those. It is much closer to the Minicraft kit in terms of size and presentation than it is to the smaller Revell kit. The railings make this kit look to be an easier build than the slightly larger Minicraft kit, if you're looking to build a model with no after-market parts.