With the release of Revell mini-easy kit Tie-Fighter at the end of 2012, I took out a Fine Molds for comparison, because it seemed very close in size. The scale of 1/120 on the box is clearly wrong: we can see below that it is bigger than the FM 1/72!

The pilot, rather well done indeed, is too big for such a small scale. I then get out the bigger Revell Tie (from 2011 if I remember correctly) to compare parts. This is almost the same but bigger. The design of the parts of the body (the sphere and 2 arms) is the same on 2 kits. By cons it diverges on the wings. They are in one part of the small and in 3 pars for the big one (on the same principle as FineMolds).

The parts breakdown of the small Revell TIE :

Comparison with an assembled Fine Molds :

The big Revell TIE :

Although the details are sharper on the FM, however, Revell kits are very acceptable on the subject despite some simplifications, and less sharp molded.

One detail is missing in the 2 Revell kits, that would be placed behind the access door, and that look like a Sherman suspension kit part. I immediately pick one in 1/72th scale in my spare box, and a small dry test shows that it fits perfectly on the big.

The suspension compared to its FineMolds counterpart.

For the mini kit, as I have not any sherman in 1/100 or 1/144 to make a test, I will have to scratch it or modify another 1/72th one.

Less visible, but equally important for TIE fans, they also lack the small triangle at the top of the cockpit, just behind the glass.

By relying on official dimensions (6.4 m long), scales of these 2 kits are:

  • Small TIE: 10cm long, 1/64th.
  • And the large one : 15.5 cm, so 1/41th.

Reminding me that I also had a copy of the RetroSF damaged wing kit for FineMolds to reproduce the Tie that collides Vader’s one in the Death Star trench, I started immediately to build these 3 kits.

http://www.retrokitonline.com/index...