Scale: None given

Parts: 6 Resin, 2 acrylic, 1 wire

Instructions: I page, plus decal tips.

Decals: 3 waterslide badges, ALPS printed

Molding Quality: 8 - some flash, minor pitting and rough edges from mold seams.

Detail: 9 - crisp and well defined

Accuracy: Not rated

MSRP: $50 USD + shipping, available from manufacturer.

Overall Rating: 8 - nice kit, well executed, but pricey.

Inside the sturdy box are 6 solid resin pieces, including a base. Two acrylic pieces provide a stand and the upper turret dome, and one wire piece makes up the gun. A decal sheet provides three "Planet Express" logos - you only need two, but a spare is thoughtfully provided just in case. The parts are nicely cast in a relatively "hard" white resin, with only a few surface defects. It does appear, however, that putty may be necessary on the after part of the hull, where a number of air bubbles appear to lurk just under the surface. Sand the pour stub off and they'll jump out at you.

Building this kit should present few problems. Make sure you clean the parts thoroughly before you start, as it feels as if there is still mold release agent of some type on their surface. You are pretty much limited to an in-flight pose, as the hull is solid, with the gear and ramp doors scribed in. Drilling them out is probably more work than all but the most obsessed modelers will want to do.

Skyhook's painting guide is quite basic. Use the box art for reference (or better yet, watch TV on Sunday nights). I'll be mixing custom colors for the hull and fins, based on Gunze's Jade Green and Teal, respectively. (Any similar colors from other paint lines will work as well; look in the car color lines for something close). Skyhook suggests painting a white circle as a backing for the decals; cutting the appropriately sized circle from white decal film should work just as well. My experience with ALPS-printed decals suggests that they'll stand up to handling and solvents just fine, but I'm going to spray a thin coat of Microscale Liquid Decal Film over them to be safe.

I like it. It's a nice kit, well executed - and perfect for someone looking to build their first resin model. If you have the means and the motive, get one. It should make a nice change of pace from all those ERTL Star Wars/Star Trek kits in your closet ....