​BY BILL ENGAR

UPDATE -- APRIL, 2022:  Atlantis Models has released their 1/139 707-120, writing a new chapter in the story of the classic Revell KC-135/707 kit.  We have a separate review webpage for this kit that you can see here.

This is the plastic to the 2022 issue of Atlantis Models' 1/139 707-120 kit.  See a more detailed review of the kit here!

Atlantis Models has chosen a classic Boeing demonstrator scheme for their 707 model kit.  Note that they have made an arrangement with Boeing allowing them to use the 707 likeness and name.  That license also allows them to use the Boeing demonstrator livery you see here!

Before we present our history of Revell's KC-135/707 model kit, we're going to jump ahead a bit to provide a preview of the 1/139 Atlantis 707-120 released in 2022!  Licensing an airline livery has now become extremely difficult and/or outrageously expensive for most model kit companies.  Sorry; it is just unlikely that you're going to see vintage Pan Am or American Airlines decals included with your 707 kit. 

​Currently, the small operations of aftermarket decal makers aren't worth the trouble for airline legal departments to harass and for now, anyway, these providers will be your best source for historically popular airliner liveries as they fly underneath the "legal radar" of the airline trademark protection hawks.

As this update was written in mid-November, 2021, traffic on this webpage was up 150%, and was the top-viewed page on our entire website (as of posting, this page was still the top Google search for "Revell 707").  We'd guess is thanks to ongoing interest in the classic Revell kit and "new" Atlantis 707 kit.  Thanks for visiting!

On November 13, 2021, Atlantis Models added this tantalizing preview to a pre-order web page for their 707-120 kit.  It is a scan of a printer's proof for what eventually landed on the side of the box!  Airliner modelers take note:  the decal includes separate window and door detail!!!  That's right; you'll likely want multiples of this decal sheet since those windows and doors will come in handy for your other Boeing airliner projects!

The plastic for Atlantis Models' 707-120 is the vintage Revell version with exhaust noise suppressors last released in the year 2000 by Revell as a 720.  The fuselage and wing was actually incorrect for the 720, but the United decal sheet was very cool.  However, Atlantis Models changes the game with a new decal sheet that airliner modelers will love!  

Plastic from the previous release of this kit.  We're guessing the Atlantis plastic will look like this; perhaps they'll use white plastic.  Note open front windscreen and engraved passenger windows.

The decal sheet presents the builder with options.  The front windows on the kit will likely be open as they were in the previous 720 release.  You have the option with leaving them as-is and filling the openings with a clear window maker (Testors Clear Parts Cement/Window Maker is great), or you can fill them with putty or plastic, sand smooth, and use the windscreen decal.  You also have the option of simply painting the recessed passenger windows black and saving the decals for another airliner project, or you can fill the windows and use the decals.  Essentially, the decal sheet you're going to get will be the equivalent of a swanky aftermarket airliner decal set that often costs over $20.  In essence, it'll be like you're getting the box and plastic kit free!

---

1/144 Scale is also known as "Airliner Scale."  Two companies, Airfix and Revell, can probably be credited with its creation.  Airfix had an extensive line of 1/72 scale aircraft kits dating back to the 1950’s.  When they decided to tool up a Comet airliner in the mid-1950’s, they weren’t sure how popular it would be.  Airplane models bristling with firepower or go-fast bits sold well.  Airfix management simply did not know if kit buyers would be interested in a civilian transport with no weaponry.  Scaling the kit to their usual 1/72 would result in a big model, where a flop would be costly, so they decided to do it half of their bread-and-butter 1/72 scale, which works out to be 1/144. 

Airfix happened to release this Comet 4B around the same time the Revell KC-135 appeared.  Photo from Vintage-Airfix.com.  Is this the genesis of 1/144 scale?

The Comet kit, which appeared in 1957, was enough of a success apparently that a Vickers Vanguard followed, and a Boeing 707 after that in 1963.  Airfix produced around 20 airliner kits total between 1957 and 1984 in 1/144 scale.  There were a few smaller airliners and executive aircraft that they did in 1/72, but that’s a story for another day that my brother, the 1/72 scale addict, may provide at his whim.

During the 1950’s, most of Revell’s aircraft models were engineered to fit standard-size boxes.  Thanks to this strategy, we have old kits with random scales such as 1/77, 1/56, and 1/112.  Around the same time that Airfix released their first Comet kit, Revell decided to do a KC-135.  The 707, derived on that tooling, soon followed.  To fill that standard aircraft-kit box, both models ended up being close to 1/144 scale.  They’ve been cited as being 1/139 scale.  It’s so close to 1/144 scale that the discrepancy is hardly worth squabbling about.

The KC-135 was an “A” model with J57 engines.  The 707 was released initially with the same engines (referred to as JT3C’s in civilian applications) and later with JT3D’s, a turbofan version of the JT3.
 
The Revell KC-135 could be found in a few boxings through the late 1950’s and early 1960’s.  In 1967, it was released as a C-135B.  This cargo-only variant had TF33 engines (military version of the JT3D) and interestingly, deleted the refueling boom.  It had MAC markings.

Revell's original box art for the KC-135 from 1957.

​
THE EARLY KC-135

Tail# 53127 departs Lawson AFB, WA in late June, 1958.  The aircraft had just completed acceptance testing and was on its way to Castle AFB, Atwater, CA.  This aircraft is the tenth KC-135 built, and the first one delivered to SAC (Strategic Air Command).  Box art and decals for the Revell KC-135 portray this aircraft.  Photo:  USAF; Fairchild AFB website

Revell's 1960's version of the KC-135 box art featured a smaller version of the original box art.  It is the plastic from this version that we will feature here.

We always loved the thumbnail pictures of "other exciting models" that Revell put on the sides of their boxes hopeful that we'd want them for our next kit.  Revell's Yak-25 hasn't seen the light of day since 1964.  The B-52 with X-15 has been recently re-released by Atlantis.  The box-scale (1/91) B-58 was last re-released in 1987.

KC-135 plastic.

A closer look at the fuselage.  Note the forward crew access door, cargo door, and refueling station, unique features for the KC-135.

The Revell KC-135 is known for its infamous rivets.  Instructions to the C-135B state that the structure inside the cargo door is a "special transfer plate opposite the door for easy maneuvering of cargo."  It also conveniently hides the fact that the rest of the fuselage interior is an empty cavern.

Note the boom operator's bubble and pattern of rivets that "sort of" suggests the stiffening bands on the real KC-135.

The mold for the 707 and KC-135 had this 1957 copyright on the bottom surface.

An Action Feature!  The refueling boom could be captured between the fuselage halves so it could swivel up and down.

Wings for the 707 and KC-135 kits are identical.  Decal sheet has SAC banners and markings for an early KC-135.

The instruction sheet is a double-sided single 8-1/2-by-11 inch (approximately A4) page.

THE EARLY 707

Boeing 707 box art for the first 707 kit.  Note that the sound suppressors at the engine exhausts appear to have been added as an afterthought in the painting. 

The 707 was based on the KC-135 tooling.  The fuselage had the same dimensions.  An early -120 version is depicted and it has the same wing as the KC-135.  If you want to get really nitpicky, the actual KC-135 has a slightly narrower fuselage than the 707, and the lengths are different.  The 707 has a crease at floor level that runs nearly the width of the fuselage and makes the “double bubble” cross-section that the distinguishes the Boeing narrow-body airliners.  This isn’t too hard to add if you decide to get down and dirty with accuracy while building a 707.

The 707 plastic was very similar to the KC-135.

The Revell 707 kit came with a few decal schemes over the years, with American’s classic lightning bolt livery as an opener.  Interestingly, it never appeared in Pan Am markings.  One early scheme included BOAC, and this model came with Rolls Royce Conway engines, or at least that’s what it said on the box.  Varig, Lufthansa, and Sabena are additional airline liveries that came with Revell’s 707.

Revell captured the rather complex shape of the Boeing 707/KC-135 nose pretty well.  Missing is the crease at floor level.  The fuselage is a slightly retooled version of the KC-135 which is the worst accuracy indiscretion.

This is the original 1957 version of the 707.

Apologies for the original-issue decal sheet that has a "bite" taken out of it.  If any readers have a more complete version you'd like to share, we'd appreciate it if you could email us via our Contacts link.

This is the later "Astrojet" decal art which had to be changed to fit the new JT3D fan engines that were the distinguishing new feature for that release.  Note that wingtip insignias are absent as is the round logo for the Revelving stand.  The "Astrojet" logo was added here, as well.

The sound suppressors were very nicely done on these early engines. 

Landing gear struts for all versions.

Instructions for the 707 packed a lot of information on one side of the letter-sized page.

Most of this side of the instructions was devoted to promoting Revell's other models and their HO-scale train line.

In the late 1950's, you could purchase via mail-order an "Exciting Souvenir Of Your Flight" thanks to this American Airlines promotion.  Long-defunct Skyway Models (not to be confused with Skyway Hobbies in Seattle) would send you an unbuilt Revell Electra or 707 kit for just a dollar including shipping.  For a few dollars more, you could purchase pre-built models!  Even considering that inflation has increased about ten-fold between the time this ad appeared and time-of-posting (2020's), this is not such a bad deal.  Of course model kits were a lot cheaper, even factoring for inflation, in those days...

​FAN ENGINES FOR THE 707

This box art version originally debuted around 1961 as a "postcard" view.  It showed off to advantage the new JT3D turbofan engines that now came with the kit.  A few years later (circa 1964), that box art was downsized to fit a new boxtop format seen here that was used for many Revell kits of the period.  By the way, did we really need a reminder that Revell models are fun?

Advancements in aviation continued at a fever-pace as the 1960's dawned.  The jet engine, with a fraction of the moving parts of reciprocating engines, improved in power and reliability.   Airline interest in jet transports such as the 707 and DC-8 assured that the piston engine's days were numbered in passenger transport.  The next  major innovation was bypass technology.  Adding a large fan to the front of a turbojet engine shaft along with a shroud to bypass much of the air pulled into the engine around the "hot section" increased thrust.  Adding this shroud and fan to the front end of the JT3C engine created the JT3D, and of course changed dramatically the look of the engine.  These new turbofan engines were quieter and more fuel-efficient than their predecessors.  Revell updated its 707 kit with these new engines.

A rather intersting quirk of these engines is that they are featureless--no rivets!  Revell also included the front fan, which is easy to see inside the intakes.  Other changes to the kit included a taller tail, extension seen here, and a ventral fin, which is on the bottom of the rear fuselage.

Box side for the American Airlines 707 Astrojet release.  For their Thanksgiving 2020 new-kit announcement, Atlantis Models revealed plans to re-release the "707 Astrojet."  We hope to see it in classic American Airlines lightning bolt livery.  Atlantis also announced the return of the Convair 990 "Coronado."  The Revell 990 has not been available in many decades.

Like the previous versions, instructions for the 707 Astrojet fill a single, 8-1/2X11-inch sheet.

MAC C-135B (1967)

By 1967, Revell decided to standardize its airliner model kits in 1/144 scale.  The original KC-135/707, while measuring out at 1/139 scale, was close enough to 1/144 that Revell proclaimed it on the box.  It would then make a good companion to the 727 kit, a shortbody -100 version, released in 1964.  Perhaps it was a happy coincidence that Revell's DC-8 came out in 1/143 scale, which is just a hair off the magic number where one inch on the model equals twelve feet on the real aircraft.

The biggest change in this edition of the KC-135 kit (other than deletion of the refueling boom) was the addition of JT3D turbofan engines.

This 1967-vintage plastic has more parts on the sprues than our earlier kits and provides a better look at how molds were arranged during the period.  Another aspect of the kit was that the plastic had a very shiny, silvery finish.

Revell had a number of promotions and contests in the 1960's and this box doesn't show thumbnails of other kits available.

the brief "gift stamps" promotion allowed you to trade in part of your kit box for something cool like a camera or a vinyl record album of Ed White's Gemini 4 spacewalk.  All you'd need to do was buy a bunch more kits and cut up the boxes!  This promotion was not nearly so memorable as the "Win Your Own Full-Size Gemini Capsule" contest.

Decals for the C-135B included a Military Airlift Command scheme.  MAC provided airlift services and was a new designation when the C-135B kit was released.  The MAC mission became known as AMC (Air Mobility Command) in 1992.

Note the insides of the cargo door and crew hatch from the C/KC-135 kit.  These are two items not to be found on the 707 or Revell's 707 model kit!

Revell's instruction sheets increased in size during this period.  The extra space was later useful for multilingual text, which improved marketing of the kits in an international marketplace where modelers worldwide could enjoy these models with instruction text in their own language.  Prior to this, however, Revell used the space to elaborate on the kit subject's history .  Mentioned in the C-135 B instructions is the "special transfer plate," assumed to be the ribbed item portrayed inside the cargo door (see pictures above).  My consultant for this article who has hands-on KC-135 experience and a web search come up empty with an explanation as to precisely what this structure is and if it is something still used.  It would make little sense for such a large structure that no doubt is heavy, to be permanently installed inside the aircraft when elevator platforms and forklifts would have been so common at Air Force logistical centers.

The instruction sheet got a serious upgrade with this issue--it was doubled in size.  Now a big ledger-sized (11X17") sheet, it was folded in half and then thirds to fit in the box.

1982:  THE KC-135 RETURNS

In about 1982, Revell had a 1/144-scale renaissance with release of its Squadron 144 series (24 kits from the 1970’s Crown molds, now most are owned by Minicraft).  Old civilian airliner kits were modified into military versions, and we had the likes of the KC-10 and E-4B, which came from DC-10 and 747 tooling respectively.  707 tooling saw dubious duty as the E-3A AWACS.  Recessed windows were deleted and a new radome was added, but the 707 was the earlier -120 version when it should have been the Intercontinental -300 version.  At the time, you could make a more accurate E-3A by using the radome, engines and decals from the Revell kit on an Airfix 707.  Minicraft Models finally came to the rescue with an accurate E-3A AWACS in 2009.

Revell's "Blue Band" boxes of the 1980's featured photos of the models on the boxes.  You could see pretty much what you were getting--with exceptions (keep reading!).  Note that this still-shrinkwrapped model sold at the erstwhile Kaybee Toys at an MSRP of USD$4.99.  I got it on clearance at $2.99.

Days of the price code on the end of the box were long-gone in the 1980's.  The Blue Band boxes had additional photography, in this case, a cropped version of the boxtop photo.  The Revell stock number/catalog number is in the lower right corner.

This side of the box had additional detail-shots of the model.  The other side had no photos, a number of multilingual descriptions, and the non-photogenic UPC code.

One interesting modification to the KC-135/707 plastic in the 1980’s was the addition of a clear windshield part.  Gone were the open, individual window frames and you’d have to paint the window frames on the clear plastic.

This release was the first opportunity I had to buy and build a Revell KC-135.  In fact, it was this kit that got me back into building models at the completion of my formal education.  The model in the photos below was completed in 1985.  Inspired by the box art photography, I attempted to duplicate it as closely as I could using skills that had become rusty since my previous major building activity when I was a teenager.

This photo was taken in 2020 with the model having been built 35 years previously.  Apologies for the missing tail HF antenna which went AWOL some time ago.  One aspect of Revell kits of this vintage to be aware of; the decal adhesive turns yellow-brown over time on the model!

This view shows the new clear plastic windshield part on the completed model.

Bottoms-up:  compare the box art to this view.  Apparently, the model on the box had prototype markings and what you got in the box was different--better in this case.  The Pilot Director Light (PDL) array is depicted here, at least in decal form. 

Parts fit on these kits is about what you'd expect for a vintage kit, that is to say not all that great.  For this build, I did work on the center fuselage seem, but little else, apparently.

This was one of a series of great 1/144 military and civilian aircraft models that Revell released in the 1980's.

The Revell KC-135 didn’t see another re-release after the early 1980’s and became rare.  Prices on eBay escalated.  Circa 2013, Minicraft Models came to the rescue with a state-of-the-art KC-135 that is truly one of the best 1/144-scale kits there is.  Accuracy and detailing is much improved over the Revell kit and additional versions followed.  The nostalgic among us may still miss the Revell version, and if it ever is re-released at a lower price point than the Minicraft KC-135, it could still be relevant in the model kit market.

REVELL AWACS

Around the same time the KC-135 returned in the 1980's, Revell padded its 1/144-scale military aircraft lineup with an E-3A AWACS.  In addition to new decals, a new radome and pylons were tooled to make the 707 into an AWACS.  The kit even used the correct JT3D engines.  That was about all that was correct about the kit, unfortunately, for the sticklers among us who wanted an accurate AWACS.  Revell's 707 was the short-body version, and the AWACS was based on the longer-fuselage Intercontinental 707.  The wing for the Intercontinental version was much larger as well.  Still, it was a fun kit, and I bought a stash of these on clearance that I have to this day whenever the mood strikes me to build an early short-body 707.  

Modelers had a choice of USAF or NATO decals.

Yes, the radome could spin if you were careful with your glue!

Here's what a nearly 40-year-old collector kit looks like upon being opened for the first time.  This box was unsealed to bring you these photos.

25 years after the 707/KC-135 was first tooled, Revell made a new radome to transform their 707-120 into an E-3 AWACS.

Like the KC-135, the AWACS got a clear plastic windshield.  Another subtle addition is a wingtip antenna.  At far top right, note the tail prop, which consists of a silly little cart-thing.  Like most models with a tricycle-style undercarriage, you want to put some weight in the nose so you don't have to use the silly little cart-thing. 

Decal artwork for the AWACS is absolutely beautiful.  That radome decal looks fantastic on the black disc.

A near-macro view of the new windshield part that Revell included to "modernize" the kit.

Revell's instruction sheets for the 1980's used more pictograms to accommodate an international clientele.  Drawings to locate the decals were a nice improvement over previous kits.

1996:  THE AWACS RETURNS

During the 1990's, modelers enjoyed a renaissance of model kits returning with their original box art.  Many vintage Revell kits returned wearing their 1950's clothes in the SSP program.  Since the E-3A AWACS was a 1980's kit, it returned in its "Blue Band" guise.

WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE?  On the left is the 1996 SSP re-release of the Revell AWACS (Scalemates photo).  It appears that the proportions of the box were changed; this was common for many SSP kits.  Instead of a scale, Revell lists the dimensions of the model in lieu of the true scale.  However, the copy proofreader must have called in sick the day the box art went to the printer.  Check out the kit title.  This is NOT a correct designation for the E-3A AWACS.


REVELL'S BOEING "720"

In the year 2000, the Revell 707 made a surprise appearance.  During the summer of that year, a Revell 720 showed up unexpectedly in hobby shops.  It was not in the Revell catalog that year.  It was not really a 720, either.  The 720 was a variant of the 707 purchased by United Airlines.  United asked for a special designation to make the aircraft sound “newer” than the 707’s used by competitors Pan Am and American, and talked Boeing into the newer-sounding 720 number.

The box art has a strong vintage vibe to it, but Revell never did a United Airlines version of the 707 (as a 720).  Revell did their early DC-8 in United colors.  This is all-new artwork for the year 2000.

Revell provided photos of a built model on the sides of the box to entice potential purchasers.  They had me upon first sight with the painting on the top of the box!  Use of the vintage logo was a nice touch.

At the time, Revell was owned by Hallmark.  Hallmark put Revell's expertise at creating detailed plastic replicas to good use for their line of Christmas tree ornaments.

The 720 had an even shorter fuselage than the 707-120.  The wing inboard of the engines had what was known as a “glove;” basically a leading-edge wedge that increased wing chord at the root and provided a sharper-angled leading edge.  The greater-efficiency airfoil increased speed and performance.  For the modeler deciding to do a conversion, the wing change will be the most difficult.  In the grand scheme of things, these changes may not be that noticeable to anyone but a 707 geek and Revell certainly hoped that nobody would notice.  A very cool decal sheet provided the United markings.

The plastic for this kit was the basic 707.  Revell included a "Revelving stand."  This is pretty much what you get with the 2022 Atlantis 707-120 with the excpetion that it's molded in white plastic and says "Atlantis" on the clear stand.

At top is the 720 fuselage (2000 release).  Compare it to the vintage 707 fuselage below.  Length is the same.  Window placements were changed a little.

Engines look like what came with the original 707 with sound suppressors.  They appear a little different than what came with the KC-135.

A closeup of the rear fuselage shows differences between the 2000 version (top) and vintage 707 at bottom.  Window openings are more realistic on the older version.

It may be the decals that made this kit a popular collector's item not too long after it was sold out.  Prices on eBay were higher than for the older E-3A AWACS version, spelled correctly or not.  Quality of the passenger windows on the new Atlantis version is much better, with silver outlines for the windows plus a nicely done cockpit window that Revell didn't include here.

CONVERTING A 707-120 INTO AN ACTUAL BOEING 720

Many modelers could be perfectly content with the Revell Boeing 720 built right out of the box.  Admittedly, the differences between the 707 and 720 are minor, particularly to anyone who is not a 707 geek.  I decided to draw the line when I knew I would eventually display my 720 next to a 707 and I was curious to see how hard it would be to pull off such a conversion.

Modifications were made to this kit to produce a more accurate Boeing 720.  The fuselage was shortened.

To make the 720, Boeing simply shortened the standard 707-120 fuselage (the Revell kit represents this variant), Designers removed sections from the airframe corresponding to window frame widths.  Distance between window-centers is 20 inches (50.8 cm).  In 1/144 scale it's just over 1/8", or 3.5mm.  When doing such model kit conversions, it is often easier to deal in millimeters. 

Four window frames were removed ahead of the wing (80 inches), and one aft (20 inches) totaling   8 feet 4 inches.  Depending on how picky you care to get with scale, in 1/144 scale, 80 inches is about 9/16", or 1.4 cm.  In 1/139 scale, it's maybe a hair's width over 9/16". If you want to be hyper-picky, the number is closer to 35/64".  It's enough to make your brain hurt.

The best place to remove a frame aft of the wing is behind the wing-body fairing just before the fuselage begins its taper.  Ahead of the wing is easier; you want to be behind the forward doors and far enough ahead of the wing that cleaning up and filling the "chop" is easy.

To make the cuts, I wrap a few layers of masking tape around the area with one edge where I intend to make the cut.  If the layers are even at that edge, you know your cut should be as close as possible to being a right angle.  Run a hobby knife around the fuselage against the tape a number of times with light pressure to make a guide-groove, and keep going around lightly until you've cut through. 

Sheet plastic and a lot of puttying were used to add the wing glove between inboard engines and the root.  The leading edge of a standard 707 wing is a straight line.  It goes without saying that the rivets were an early casualty of this conversion.

It's the wing root where the extension gets tricky, especially on the bottom.  The engraved window openings were filled, too since the decal cheat lines have windows included.

A wedge that happens to be similar to the Star Trek logo becomes a guide for extending the wing root.  Live long and model!

The extension has to meet that crease at the wing root air intake.

More styrene bits were used to fill in the wing root and a few cycles of puttying-sanding-priming were in order until the crease where wing meets fuselage had an even curve and surfaces either side were smooth and the added surfaces matched contours of existing parts.

The 720 wing shape is apparent in this view.

I painted and finished the model with wings, tail, and engines glued in place.  It's not like the parts have a great fit and seams would show prominently if not dealt with prior to painting.  This was especially applicable with the wing root modifications done to get the 720 conversion.  Another minor modification was to the decal cheat lines--they had to be shortened to match the cut fuselage!

Alclad II was used for the metal finish below that gold accent line.  One item I missed on this conversion was the fuselage crease at floor level.  You didn't even notice it, did you?  Like the changes I did to get a more accurate 720, this is a fairly subtle detail.  I've got another 707 in progress that has the crease.
​

THE INTERNATIONAL RELEASES

Revell partnered internationally to manufacture and market the 707 kit in many parts of the world.  Revell branches in Germany, Great Britain, Brazil, and Japan sold the 707 kit, often in markings of more interest to modelers in those regions of the world.  The kit was also boxed with affiliate names such as Lodela, Kiko, Kikoler, and Marusan.

During the 1980's, it was easy to find Revell KC-135 and E-3 AWACS model kits in stores in the USA.  Harder was the 707.  However, the imported versions could be found in American hobby stores from time to time.  Here, we'll show a portion of the kits that were sold mainly overseas.  We all love Scalemates.com, and there's a pretty good timeline for the KC-135/707 that we'd recommend you view here.

I recall that Revell of Germany model kits that were imported to the USA during this period were very expensive.  In later years (2000's),  import agreements were worked out that brought Revell Germany kits to the USA at prices not much higher than could be found in Europe accounting for currency exchange.

This 1980's issue could be found from time to time as an import in toy and hobby stores in the USA.  In the mid-1980's, I recall the price being USD$20.00, which seemed a tad spendy.  In 2020 dollars, that's nearly $50.00.

While the Revell KC-135 might have been sold as an import from the USA, it did not have an international boxing like this "E-3A Sentry A.W.A.C.S."

I almost hit the floor when I saw this model kit in my hometown hobby shop deep in the USA in the mid-1980's.  I bought it on the spot.  As I recall, the price was comparable to other kits and I was able to add this spectacular box to my budding airliner collection.  It was the first 707 model I was able to find during the 1980's and it completed my collection of Boeing jetliners that were available as kits at that time.

Revell's Boeing 707 had another release after the 720.  In 2002, this model could easily be found in hobby shops in the USA.  Pricing was much more reasonable than previous Revell Germany kits sold in the USA thanks to a more efficient importing process worked out between Revell of Germany and Revell USA.

Revell-Kikoler was apparently a Brazilian affiliate.  Note that manufacturing was done there.

Varig's compass livery.

Here's a 707-345C at Rio de Janeiro, taken in 1984.  While the box art shows different, the Revell-Kikoler kit actually came with JT3D turbofan engines as seen here (Wikipedia photo).  All 20 of Varig's 707's were the long-body Intercontinental version.

THAT'S ABOUT THE SIZE OF IT

The various issues of the Revell 707/KC-135 had the same fuselage and wings.  This plastic sufficed for the 720 and AWACS even though those aircraft had different dimensions and differing details from KC-135/707 mashup that Revell tooled which paid double duty as the KC-135 and 707.

In 1999, Minicraft came out with its Intercontinental 707, the latest version with longer fuselage and larger wing than the original 707 portrayed by the Revell kit.  For a couple decades, Minicraft owned the world of the KC-135 and late 707.  If you wanted an earlier 707, the Revell kit was plentiful and fairly easy to find.

At right, a Revell 707/KC-135 wing overlays Minicraft's 707-320B plastic.  The Intercontinental 707 wing was extended at the root edge, leading edge beyond the inboard engines, and substantially at the tips.  This plastic is used on Minicraft's AWACS. 

In 1999, Minicraft Models released this Intercontinental 707 in classic Pan Am livery.  Perhaps the appearance of this kit and an opportunity to license with United Airlines is why Revell chose to re-release their 707 as a 720 the following year.

Top:  Revell's E-3A AWACS fuselage half.
High-middle:  Revell's early 707, a 707-123.
Low-middle:  Revell KC-135.  Note that these first three fuselages are all the same length.
Bottom:  Minicraft's 707-320B, the Intercontinental, late version of the 707.  Again, recall that the "official" scale of the Revell plastic is supposed to be 1/139, so in theory, there should be even more difference between the length comparison here between Minicraft and Revell plastic.  This difference can be noted in the slightly larger width of the Revell fuselage.

2020's:  REVELL'S 707 LIVES ON!

A screen-grab of Atlantis Models' Facebook post from 14 November 2020 which teased a possible re-release of the classic Revell 707 plastic. 

In early November, 2020, this feature was in its advanced planning stages as part of our ongoing KC-135/707 model kit series.   We were thrilled on November 14, 2020 when Atlantis Models teased a re-release of the 707 with a post of a tooling photo on their Facebook page. 

Fast-forward a year or so and Atlantis brought the kit back with an awesome all-new decal sheet featuring a Boeing corporate scheme on the model for the first time.

We actually consulted with Atlantis regarding options for airline schemes on the box and decals.  As mentioned previously, airline brand licensing has become an expensive and legally onerous prospect for any model kit company.  Atlantis had already negotiated a licensing agreement with Boeing for use of the 707 and Boeing names.  Adding the Boeing name to the decal sheet and box artwork was simple and that's the route Atlantis chose to take with the markings.  As with most airliner kits, the purchaser always has the option of buying other airline schemes from aftermarket decal manufacturers.

We also hoped that the decals would be more like an aftermarket sheet; the sort you'd be willing to pay over $20 for by itself with separate windows.  We think Atlantis did a fantastic job and we're hopeful that this kit will be a popular one with modelers!

25 November, 2020:  Atlantis makes it official.  With its ownership of this classic tooling, Atlantis Models continues the history of this kit, and at their low, low prices!  We were absolutely delighted to see the Convair 990 Jet Airliner on this release list.  Unlike the 707, this kit hadn't seen the light of day in nearly half a century!  As of 2022, with inflation raging especially with petrochemical products such as plastic, Atlantis kept the initial price at that low US$21.99 MSRP promised in the 2020 announcement.  We're impressed!!!

SCROLL ON DOWN JUST A BIT TO SEE WHAT ELSE WE'VE GOT GOING.  PULL UP A COZY CHAIR AND STAY A WHILE!