Revell/Monogram Wright Flyer 'First Powered Flight' Airplane Kit

I purchased this because I'm a retired A&P Aviation Machinist. I love aircraft. I also live in NC. One of the reviewers talked about how bad the model was, the directions, etc. This is a great little model. The instructions are a full eight pages, plus four pages of how to make it more realistic. I agree it is not for a young model builder. But how many 8 yrs old are going to build a Wright Flyer from 1903 without guidance from an adult. The instructions also state this is a re-release of a 40 yr old model.One of his big complaints was the flashing and sprues. FOR the record and this will help model makers just starting out understand the sprue and tabs.When you look at any model you'll see the little round pieces of plastic attached to the parts, you will need to trim these carefully. Look at their location. They have an EXTREMELY important task in life. They are contact points for the the ejector pins within the injection machine mold. The ejector pins push against them pushing the "tree" out of the molding cavity. You cannot push against the actual part because the part is (1) still hot and you would scar or mark it with the stainless steel pins, (2) the ejector pin bosses on the sprues are located at stress and weak points that could break. The more intricate and thin the part the more ejector bosses.Don't be miss-led by a non verified reviewer. I've put models together for over 50 years and this one blew me away when I first opened the box. One of the best detailed and instructed I've bought ever. It will take me a while to put together, because I want it right. but for $9.99. OUTSTANDING purchase.

Let me first say that this is the first model I've built since I was in high school (a long time ago). The finished product looked amazing. There was much pain to get to that point. Oh the things you'll do for your kids. The string and the rear wing section were the most difficult part of build. You must have great patience, and then more if needed. There were 2 pieces that were incorrectly marked but it was easy enough to figure out. My child's project was a success and the plane is now on display in a hallway at the school. If you enjoy the story of the Wright brothers, this is a great tribute to that amazing day.

Overall a good kit, but the one that I got had a severely warped lower wing. I was still able to get it together and it is mostly straightened out after assembly and some extra work, but it still looks off. It was a fun and moderately challenging to build, but this will never be a display piece with the wing the way it is. I've had good experiences in the past with Revell and wouldn't hesitate to buy another of their kits, I just chalk this one up to getting what you pay for. I would even buy the same model again, if it came to that.Don't let my issue put you off from buying the kit, but if you see a warped wing when you open the package, you should probably just send it back, as it won't be fixable through assembly.

I ordered this model for my 6th grade daughter who was doing a report on the Wright Brothers. I was able to do a "quick assemble" in about 40 minutes. However, I was really impressed with the detail in the model. For the price, it has way more than expected as far as actual "Wright Bros. detailing". If you would build this to it's full potential, I would take your time, as the detailing (especially the cables made of thread) is wonderful, and plan to place it in a diorama, as the model includes the two brothers, cameras, tools, etc. that are not glued to the airplane itself. The only drawback I can think of is that is is fairly small, so it's a one person working at a time model.

This was the first model airplane that I ever built. It says on the package "moderate" difficulty level and was intended for a child aged 12 years and up. I'm 17 so I thought it would be a piece of cake. Not so. When I opened the kit I was daunted by the hundred or so teeny-tiny pieces, some of which I almost lost because they were less than half the size of my pinkie nail. The instructions themselves give hardly any clues as to what materials you need to buy. However, the "Tips for Building a Diorama" can be helpful about what kind of plastic cement and paints you will need. The total cost of materials (including a hobby knife) was around eighteen dollars--pretty cheap I would say. However, I was not ready for what was in store. The plastic pieces are quite flimsy, and on my last day working on it I broke an important part of the plane. I was nevertheless able to painstakingly cement it back together (sort of), but the model needs more attention than a 12 years old could lend. When I got to the rigging step of the process, things got even more challenging. You need tweezers (and the sharp eyes of an eagle) to be able to gently coax a gray piece of thread through a hole smaller than the eye of a needle! I spent at least five hours on the rigging alone, sometimes getting so frustrated and red in the face that I had to stop or I thought I would throw the model on the floor in exasperation. The lengths of thread that the instructions say you need are wildly incorrect; when they say you need 16", 10" or so would suffice. While this may be a good thing (as it allows you to easily tie knots), it initially made me nervous, thinking that I was assembling it incorrectly. All told, I spent about 9 days building it, working on it at least three hours a day. A more experienced model-builder could probably have done it in an afternoon, but as a novice I put in way more time than I had expected. Nevertheless, building the "Wright Flyer" really made me love assembling model airplanes. Despite all the blood, sweat, and tears--or perhaps because of it--it is a truly satisfying feeling of accomplishment when you step back and look upon the plane that you built with your own two hands.

I purchased this to use as a prop for my little boys' presentation on the Wright Brothers. This was about a year ago and they have played with it ever since and it has never broke! AMAZING! I'm serious y'all. This is an extremely durable model. And loads of fun to put together with your kiddos!

Great little kit. Minimal paint needed and assembly was fun. The rigging on the wings can be a little fiddly but it's a fun challenge. Is a nice diversion from more tradition airplane kits. I found it quite informative about the first ever manned flight and the engineering involved in it's creation at the time.

This is my dream model

This is the Revell 2011 Wright Flyer with the scale of 1:39. This is a nice model kit of the Wright brother flyer that requires minimal paint. They state the skill level as 2, it's a straight forward model kit, with the most difficulty in the threading. You have the option for create the ground diorama.Not a ton of detail as it was a fairly simple "airplane" to begin with.

For my nephew age 11. Doing well putting togethe, himself. Says he will need some help as some parts quite challenging. He is not the sort of kid that gives up easily.

Nice