By Mike Wehner
Revell is one of the most well-known and respected hobbyist brands on the planet. The company has been in business for three-quarters of a century and its model kits are incredibly popular. With all that in mind, it’s pretty strange that I have to write this, but: Revell is now apologizing and pulling one of its products from store shelves after manufacturing a model based on a Nazi UFO that never actually existed.
The model, based on a spacecraft beloved by Nazi conspiracy theorists who believe Hitler & company managed to build incredibly advanced technology and then … never actually used it, comes in a 69-piece kit, complete with box art of the fictional flying saucer waging war against Allied forces.
The issue here isn’t so much the existence of the model itself, or the fact that it’s fictional and Nazi-themed. Revell makes models of fictional vehicles from a number of properties, from “Star Wars” to Halo, as well as historical aircraft from all sides of World War II. However, the documentation and packaging of the model have drawn serious ire for not making it clear that the flying saucer never actually existed.
Revell described the model as though it were an actual historical craft, noting that it could travel “up to speeds of 6,000km/hr (3,700mi/hr)” and that it was “the first object in the world capable of flying in space.” None of the over-the-top description comes with the disclaimer that it’s all false, and that’s not a great look for a company that sells toys.
After receiving harsh criticism, Revell has decided to yank the product entirely. The company said it totally understands the outcry and that the heat it is getting is “absolutely justified” and apologized that it failed to “adequately express” that fact.
If you feel like snatching up one of the soon-to-be-scarce models, they’re still available at a number of hobby websites. If you already have one, maybe keep it sealed up tight because it might be a collector’s item soon.
