Revell 1/32

[verner]

Does anyone know for sure that the molds on Revell's 1/32 Tony and Jack are FUBAR at the bottom of some ocean? I've never heard a definitive answer on this rumor. TIA

[Steve Nelson]

I've heard numerous stories of lost molds over the years (supposedly a bunch of Aurora molds were destroyed in a train wreck) but I've never heard anything definative. I've heard that the Revell 1/27 Ki-21 Sally molds were also lost in a shipwreck, which is why it's never been re-released. A shame, since it's a really nice kit..and for some strange reason the one WWII Japanese bomber that Hasegawa missed when they did the whole series back in the '90s.

Of course now Hasegawa has a 1/32 Tony that blows the old Revell kit out of the water. They also have a Ki-48 Frank in 1/32, and are releasing a Ki-44 Tojo later this year, so I certainly wouldn't be suprised to see a Jack eventually. The Revell Tony used to command high prices from collectors, but since the Hasegawa kit came out, it can be found pretty cheap.

SN

[Jesse C.]

Well, hopefully I can shed some light on the missing mold stories.

Back in the 70's , Monogram models bought Aurora out and started the transfer of all its molds to Morton Grove, IL. Some of the first shippments contained the items that Monogram could still produce and make some money on, the rest of the molds, i.e. the train load, where items that Monogram felt where not worth really producing, such as the Knight figure series and the JFK model, yeah, they made a JFK model!

When the train crashed, the heavy molds broke loose and fell out of the carts and when they where retrieved, they just hired tow truck drivers who just wrapped chains around them and hauled the out of the dirt! Well, once Monogram got a hold of the molds, they just decided to scrap them and move on. Well, some of the scrappers realized that the metal was bringing in a good amount since they where made of Birrylium.

So, most of the wrecked items got scrapped and that was that. Now, enter Revell.

When Revell was bought out by Monogram, they started shipping the molds first and again, Monogram started going through them to determine what was worth using and what was not. Again, the guys on the docks started selling them molds for scrap and made a hefty profit on them that they just started selling whatever they could get their hands on before they where told to do it or not!!

By the time the egineers found out, quite a few molds where gone and to add salt to the wound, the dock guys started cuttin in the Engieers on the profits and the engineers started handing over more "Useless Molds"

Some molds did get sent overseas for production by other model makers and when all the merging took place, they where just left overseas.

All this was relayed to me via a former employee of Aurora, Revell and MPC. Hope is sheds some light on the mold stories!

Jesse

[verner]

Thanks Guys. I used to have Revell Tony but can't remember if it's the same sub-type as new Hasegawa.