LS-8 Glider Preview

Revell, 1/32 scale

Previewed by Brett Green

Revell's 1/32 scale LS-8 Glider will be available online from Squadron.com
 

So, what do I know about gliders?

Well, for a start, they do not have a propeller out front, making it difficult to perform a go-around after a bad approach.

As a teenager in the RAAF's Air Training Corps during the 1970s, I took a number of lessons in gliders at Camden. I loved it.

My next experience with gliders was three decades later, this Easter in New Zealand. Driving back from Wanaka to Christchurch, in the fading light of that cool afternoon, I saw a sign for glider joyflights and decided on a whim to give it a go. When the instructor handed me a parachute to wear I thought he was joking. Unless the wings fell off I would prefer to try to ride the thing down rather than jump out. But he was not joking.

I was surprised that he put me into the front seat ("you've got some flying experience" he explained optimistically), and also by the flying position, which was almost lying down. Quite comfortable though.

Once airborne, the instructor invited me try to keep the glider lined up behind the tug. "Its a bit sensitive", he said. He was right. I slipped away to port or starboard whenever the unfortunate instructor managed to correct my last overcorrection.

Finally free of the tug, we barely nabbed a single thermal thanks to the dropping temperature and the sun disappearing behind the very attractive horizon. Despite the undoubted beauty of the pink clouds and the soft light on the distant mountains, my attention was firmly fixed on the cows below, grazing on sheer hillsides and getting larger in the windscreen with every passing second.

The instructor deftly evaded disaster by flicking the glider between the cleavage of two steep hills and turning back to the airstrip.

"Okay" he said into the intercom, "maintain heading zero six zero until you reach that river ahead, then turn and descend to 1,000 ft for downwind". Fine. I can manage that. In fact, the approach and circuit felt very familiar although the big airbrake was a bit awkward to operate. The instructor took over on late final for touchdown, which is just as well because I would have flared at about 20 ft above the ground and probably floated the glider all the way over the end fence onto the road. Oh well, chalk it up to experience.

I think that the moral here is to pick a time early on a warm day when the thermals are more favourable for your first glider flight in thirty years.

But I digress. What does this have to do with Revell's forthcoming 1/32 scale LS-8 kit? Well, nothing really - it just reminded me of my most recent encounter with a glider.

Fortunately, Revell's experience with gliders far surpasses mine. Revell released their debut 1/32 scale glider, the Schleicher ASK 21, in the first half of 2005. Jay Laverty built up a test shot of this model in an article on HyperScale, and was impressed with its ease of construction, detail and the unique nature of the subject.

Revell will release their second 1/32 scale glider, the single-seater LS-8, in the coming weeks. It looks every bit as nice as the two-seater ASK 21.

I was fortunate to receive test shots of the sprues (without instructions) and an early copy of the decal sheet.

Click the thumbnails below to view larger images:

The kit of this simple aircraft comes in with a modest count of 26 parts in light grey plastic (including a two-piece display stand), and one part in clear.

The small parts count belies the high level of detail. The cockpit is fully outfitted with handles and levers, a two-piece pilot's seat with a nicely textured cushion and moulded-on harness, plus a well detailed instrument panel.

Options include two styles of winglets to permit either the 15 metre or 18 metre wingspan versions to be built.

Construction should be very straightforward. Even without the instructions I think I could complete the kit with little trouble (although the exact position of some smaller details in the cockpit remain a bit of a mystery).

The single clear part is thin and free of distortion. A ventilation window is moulded onto the side of the canopy (in the closed position.

The decal sheet is nothing short of magnificent. Unfortunately I do not yet have a copy of the marking guide, but there at least ten colourful options covering civil and military gliders from Germany, France, Switzerland, Britain, Sweden and more.

There is a maddening shortage of photos of this glider on the Internet (I could find only a handful of this version), so I cannot advise further on the colours of these interesting gliders - although I suspect that most are white!

The decals were produced in cooperation with Daco of Belgium, and are printed to a very high standard. Unlike most Revell decals, these are presented in a high-gloss finish. There is even a convincing metallic gold colour printed on the sheet. Registration and colour reproduction on my sample appear to be perfect, and carrier film is admirably thin.

In addition to the glider markings, the sheet includes decals for three styles of harness straps, and the instrument dials. Very nice!

Revell continues to add interesting and original material to its large catalogue. Their forthcoming 1/32 scale LS-8 Glider will appeal to civil aircraft modellers, or anyone wanting an attractive display model on their mantelpiece. With a wingspan of over 18", it will certainly be impressive.

The kit is so simple that it will even be appropriate for glider jockeys who might never have squeezed a tube of plastic cement since their youth.

Congratulations, Revell, for once again taking the path less trod.

Highly Recommended.

Thanks to Revell for the sample.

Review and Text Copyright © 2006 by Brett Green
Page Created 28 December, 2006
Last updated 21 February, 2007

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