What do the Revell skill levels mean?

Choosing a brand new Revell kit to build is an exciting time, all of those shiny pictures on the boxes make you want them all. But some kits are more complex than others, some come with paint and glue whilst others don't. So which one is right for you?

Revell produce models for all levels of expertise. To help you understand how difficult each kit is to build they have allocated a skill level to each one. They range from skill level 1 through to level 5 and are defined as follows:

• Skill level 1 = Easy snap-together kits that do not require any gluing or painting
• Skill level 2 = Simple kits with about 30 parts that will need gluing together and painting
• Skill level 3 = Slightly more demanding kits with up to 100 parts that will need gluing together and painting
• Skill level 4 = These kits are for more experienced modellers, they have up to 150 parts and will need gluing and painting
• Skill level 5 = These kits are defined as difficult, they are aimed at experienced modellers who are up for a challenge and require a high level of skill to build. They have over 150 parts and will need gluing and painting

The skill level will be printed somewhere on the box. On some kits the skill level will be quite a bold statement on the front of the box whereas others you will have to go hunting, a good place to look is on the end of the box next to the model's scale.

If your kit comes complete with glue and paint then generally it will be obvious when looking at the box. In addition to this, the product code for the kit will start with the number 6, for example, 63953 is the product code for a starter set of a Spitfire that includes glue and paints while the kit on its own is 03953. For all other kits that require glue and paint purchasing separately there is a handy guide on the back of the box advising you on the most suitable colours to buy for your model.

Our top tip is that it is more fun building a kit that's a little bit too easy than it is trying to build one that is too complex, so don't be too ambitious until you have tackled a few kits (especially if you are embarking on your project with little ones).