by Chris Smithers
1/720 ZRS-5 USS Macon (Revell)
Transforming Revell's 1/720 Hindenburg into the US Navy's 1930s airship ZRS-5 USS Macon
To paraphrase the immortal Superman: "Is it a ship? Is it a plane?" Clearly not the latter. Quite simply, it's here because it's a ship, albeit an airborne rather than waterborne one.
To be perfectly clear, this is not a 100 percent accurate replica of the Macon. However, it does give an accurate impression by capturing the key characteristics, grace and beauty of this remarkable US naval airship.
I started this project willing to compromise. Within my limits of time, skill and patience I knew it would be impossible to build a totally accurate Macon. But so what? All I wanted to do was build a model that looked like it!
I used the Revell 1/720 scale Hindenburg as the starting point and provider of all main assemblies. Simply because there is no other choice. The fantastic thing was, the Hindenburg and Macon were remarkably close in all main dimensions and outline.
