Revell-Monogram Model Kits

Revell-Monogram model kits seem like they’ve been around forever and truth be told they are amongst the oldest of kit manufacturers. Both companies were started by men born in 1917, one in California, the other in Chicago.  Revell began producing plastic model kits way back in 1945 while Monogram was producing wooden kits up until the 1960s.

I remember Monogram fondly from my childhood (early 60’s -70’s). The kits were a little gimmicky and toy like but they were marketed as toys at that stage. They were large scale with operating undercarriage and sliding canopies and the like. Detail was okay but over-scale in some respects due to having to make the wheels work or the canopy slide. As a general rule the kits were well detailed, however it was mostly raised panel line and rivet detail, but the models generally fitted together well.

Over the years the molds have become worn so now fit has become an issue with the older kits and flash (mold leakage) has also increased.

The companies Revell and Monogram were merged in 1986 by the new owner Odyssey Partners of New York and from 1987 to to 2005 they were branded as Revell-Monogram. Since then Revell has become the primary brand name. In 2006 the European arm Revell Germany (founded in 1956) formally separated from Revell North America and became independent.

Revell-Monogram is  one of the few manufacturers that grade the skill level of their model kits. This is a nice feature for parents with budding modelers.

• Level 1: Lowest difficulty, requiring no paint or glue. Kits are modeled in color and snap together. The kits contain lower part counts and Decals, if included, are adhesive based instead of the waterslide type.
• Level 2: Intermediate difficulty that require paints and glue to assemble with traditional waterslide decals. Level 2 kits are the most popular in the skill range.
• Level 3: Highest difficulty. Also require paints and glue to assemble a more complex model. Level 3 kits frequently include additional parts for building different versions or have different color schemes and decals.

For articles about Revell Kits I have built go to the Revell-Monogram category

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Revell-Monogram Model Kits For Sale

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