That Revell Hayate - (Updated)

In response to yesterday's blog post correspondent and contributor Michael Thurow very kindly shared this image of part of a set of German playing cards featuring Revell box art which he and his school friends played with on their 20 minute train ride to school over 50 years ago. The Hayate, at right above, is similar to the Brian Knight box art (which was repeated on various box styles through to the 1970s) but features a mottled camouflage with 11th Sentai insignia. I can't recall a Revell Hayate kit box with that intriguing box art and Scalemates don't record it, but they do show a Revell/Kikoler 1978 re-release of kit H-637 which features a similarly painted built-up model on the box with brown blotches on green, albeit with the 104 Sentai tail insignia. A two-tone mottle also featured on the box art of Revell's 1969 Fighting Deuces kit H222-100 in which Hayate was paired with a P-51 Mustang, but curiously the instructions suggested only a scheme of solid dark green over silver.

The Final Flight?

Revell's classic Hayate last appeared in 1995 as Kit # 04111-0389 with box art (shown above) by Jaroslav Velc, also featuring a two-tone mottle and 2nd Chutai, 102nd Sentai insignia in red and white (identified in the instructions as 52nd Sentai) with a red spinner. For the curious colour scheme Revell paints were suggested with a solid upper surface of 80% Sea green (RAL 6028) + 20% White but a densely blotched mottle of Anthracite (RAL 7021) which is an almost black dark grey. Did the Fighting Deuces kit box art inspire that scheme? Under surfaces were suggested to be 50% Grey (RAL 7000) + 50% White. 

There is a fine build article for the Revell kit by Chris Mikesh at the Modelling Madness website. Features of the kit fondly remembered were the nicely sculptured pilot figure realistically hunched and wearing oxygen mask, the sliding canopy (changed to a single-piece moulding in later re-releases) and the ill-fitting panel that revealed (revelled?) the 'detailed' engine. But we're a long way from Arma Hobby or even Hasegawa. The most obvious issue, apart from the 1960s surface detail is the too tapered cowling. 

It is a delight to see these cards, provoking so many enjoyable memories, and to know that Michael has preserved them. With special thanks to Michael for sharing both the cards and his memories and to Kevin Bade for kindly providing the image of the Fighting Deuces box and instructions.

Image credit: Cards © 2023 Michael Thurow; Box arts © 1969 and 1995 Revell Inc.