RoR Review 20100309 – Star Warsâ„¢ V-19 Torrent Starfighter

RoR Review 20100309 – Star Warsâ„¢ V-19 Torrent Starfighter

Revell Snap Tite Star Warsâ„¢ V-19 Torrent Starfighterâ„¢ Kit #85-1867

Another addition to Revell’s Star Wars™ line of Snap Tite kits is the V-19 Torrent Starfighter™.  As with the other recent releases in this line, the V-19 comes fully decorated and weathered straight from the box.

As shown in Figure 1, the box features bold graphics and Star Wars™ logos on a glossy white box.  Inside that box are separately bagged sprues with 32 total pieces. 

Figure 1

 After building a few other Star Wars™ kits, I knew something was wrong when I opened this box and found the familiar gray figure and oversized canopy that belong to the Magnaguard Starfighter kit.  Indeed, the correct parts 5 and 11 (Clone figure and canopy) were missing from my V-19 kit.  I went to Revell’s website, followed the instructions for missing parts, filled out the online forms, and a couple of weeks later received the correct parts to finish my kit. The incorrect parts that were shipped with the kit are shown in the foreground of Figure 7.

Figure 7

 Assembly went smoothly and required nothing more than trimming the parts from the sprues and snapping them together.  Pay attention to the orientation of parts 23 and 28 (the wings) and make sure that they are fully snapped together before trying to fold the wings.

Figure 4

This kit features a dual-purpose stand, allowing the modeler to display the Starfighter in flight in two different modes – one with the wings folded up (as shown in Figure 6) and one with the wings spread (Figure 4).  Along with the stand, the kit itself features folding wings and a tail fin (part 12) that rotates 180° to accommodate multiple flight modes.  These clever bits of engineering add a nice touch to the kit.

Figure 6

 The V-19’s bold red paint and black-and-white markings are nicely done.  The engines, interior, and other areas of the Starfighter are also detail painted in a variety of colors including green, blue, and gray tones.  I discovered one issue with the weathering on my kit.  As shown in Figure 2, a couple of gray paint drips were present on the lower fuselage, part 20. 

Figure 2

 The weathering appears to be hand-applied (similar to a dry brushing method).  While this method appears to be the same as what was used on the Anakin’s Starfighter (Kit #85-1864), the brush strokes are much more noticeable on this kit’s surfaces, as shown in Figure 3.

Figure 3

 Overall, this kit is a nice addition to the Star Wars™ line.  It has some nice moveable features, as well as a versatile display stand.  While the weathering was a bit rough on my kit, the painted/weathered finish of the kit saves the modeler a lot of time.  Also, I was pleased with the response from Revell’s customer service, providing me with the correct windscreen and figure.

Figure 5

Build Time:
This Snap Tite kit took about 45 minutes to complete.
Finished Dimensions:
Length:  5”
Wingspan:  10”
Height:  9”
Scale:  Approximately 1:50

Pros:
Fully decorated body with markings and weathering; good parts fit; moveable wings and tail fin; versatile display stand

Cons:
Paint drip on fuselage; incorrect canopy and figure included in box (later corrected by evell)