I've been getting back into model making recently. I built Bandai's excellent 6'' R2-D2 and C-3PO, but I hadn't gotten any ships from The Force Awakens yet. Unfortunately, Bandai's ship models are difficult to get in the U.S. due to a licensing dispute with Disney, so I decided to try Revell's out offerings. The Resistance X-Wing might just be my favorite variation of the X-Wing, so I decided to try it out. The model kit is available here:
http://www.amazon.com/Revell-Resistance-X-Wing-Fighter-Building/dp/B0125KV6AU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1447807192&sr=8-1&keywords=revell+resistance+x-wing
First of all, this is only a model in a very loose sense. The pieces aren't attached to a rack so there's no cutting required. All the pieces snap together very easily. In fact, the entire construction took less than 10 minutes. So I wouldn't really recommend this for anybody looking for an involved build. In terms of difficulty, it's probably suited more to younger kids.
That said, the final product is a really nice version of the X-Wing. The ship is over 8 inches long, and unlike Hasbro’s X-Wing this model uses nice, hard plastic (these laser cannons won’t bend) The ship itself is very detailed. The wings expand so the ship can go into attack formation and the cockpit opens. The interior is quite detailed, but sadly there’s no figure. Best of all - and this was a surprise to me - the ship comes with pretty good sound effects!
The model comes partially prepainted, at least the major features like the blue stripes and the cockpit hatch. However, I admit I was a bit disappointed in the lack of weathering. I understand that Revell probably needed to keep down costs (and the retail price for this model is very reasonable), but it just seems so central to this ship. I decided to add a black wash, which I think brings out the detail and gives it a "used" look. I’m very happy with the way it turned out. I might add some more carbon scoring and streak marks like I’ve seen in the promotional photos, but I haven’t decided yet.
The ship unfortunately isn’t entirely accurate to the film because the tips of the laser cannons are sideways. Although I’m disappointed, I can’t say it takes away too from the model. I wouldn’t even have noticed if another reviewer on Amazon hadn’t pointed it out. Truth be told, I actually prefer the laser cannons sideways. I realize this is reason enough for some people not to get the model, so hopefully Revell fixes this in the near future.
Another (tiny) complaint is that the model doesn't include a stand. It does have landing gear, which works well enough, but a stand would still have been nice to so we could display the ship in mid-flight.
If you're looking for a movie-accurate model/toy of the Resistance X-Wing, this is a good choice. It's certainly great value for your money. I remember getting the Action Fleet version of the Original Trilogy X-Wing during the 1990s. It cost about not much less than this, wasn't as accurate, and didn't have sounds, so the retail price for this kit is a bargain.
