Vipers - Unboxing

Time to start a new project (double build of the Colonial Viper mark II and VII), which of course always starts with opening the boxes and having a look. The Vipers of choice are Moebius's 1/32 mark VII and Revell's 1/32 mark II. Both companies sell the same model, so there's really no need to prefer one over the other, except based on what's readily available in your area.

The mark II has 55 parts, the mark VII has 51. Each has a 1-piece clear canopy and a 2-piece clear display base (which I won't be using).

The back of the mark VII's box has a nice shot of the hangar bay. It's intended to help display your Viper, although I think it's a bit too small for really practical purposes. It does give a nice detailed shot if you wish to scratch-build it as part of a diorama.

The decals for the Mark II consist mostly of the red stripe. I considered not using these, as I did on the Chinook, but adding the emblems afterwards on a painted red stripe would be a major hassle, so I'm going to use them anyway. The number of decals for the Mark VII is a little disappointing, especially in the cockpit.

Moebius instructions are in color, but could do with a bit more detail. Revell instructions are very recognizable as such and easy to follow. It's interesting to compare both companies' building instructions in cases where something isn't 100% clear.
Also interesting is the difference in colour callouts. Revell suggests their own colour range of course, where Moebius favours Testors. 2 different suggestions might make it easier to find a match in your own preferred brand (mine being Vallejo).