HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL OUR READERS

OUR VERY BEST WISHES FOR a truly excellent festive break. Here's hoping too that there'll be enough time off to get that box opened up and end the year with a satisfying model build. 

BATMAN v SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE - THE BIGGEST BATMOBILE MODEL EVER?

IS THE UPCOMING 1:6 SCALE 2016 RELEASE from Hot Toys the largest Batmobile miniature yet released? Could be, and when you consider that for many of us, the Batmobile in its many forms is perhaps a bigger star than the Batman himself, it looks like the ultra-tech new version will be well worth waiting for.

NEW YEAR TEMPTATIONS - AIRFIX 2016 YEARBOOK REVEALS PLENTY OF INCOMING MODELS

 

THE LATEST AIRFIX 2016 YEARBOOK (aka ‘kit catalogue’) has hit the streets, and it’s packed with new kits. If you're into aircraft, then Airfix have a particularly interesting 2016 in store for you.

STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS - GREAT IDEAS FOR MODEL DIORAMAS

NO EXCUSES for showing this neat video, as there are so many ideas for modellers. The crashed TIE fighter rather takes our fancy for a fresh take on this old sic-fi story. Hopefully we'll see a few appearing in model shows soon.

INCOMING - NEW ALBATROS B.II FROM WINGNUT WINGS

JUST IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS, the Wingnut Wings 1:32 scale Albatros B.II promises to be an epic build for those days after the turkey and trimmings chompathon.

STAR WARS 'THE FORCE AWAKENS' X-WING KIT FROM REVELL

THE FORCE AWAKENS is the latest in a long-running movie franchise that first hit the silver screen in 1977. Along with the new movie comes an invasion of merchandise, of which this 1:50 scale Revell X-Wing is just one.

DAMES DUELING TO THE DEATH? AIRFIX RUMOURED TO BE AIMING AT FEMALE MODEL FANS

ACCORDING TO REPORTS, AIRFIX is plotting new stuff 'for the girls' as the 60-year-old model kit maker targets a new generation of female scientists. Not forgetting that Hasegawa (above) is already in the female model maker market.

EASY EIGHT 1:35 SCALE SHERMAN TANK FROM 'BAND OF BROTHERS' TV SERIES

WE’VE BEEN CATCHING UP ON the multi-award winning TV series Band of Brothers recently, so the newly-released Tamiya 1:35 scale M4A3E8 Sherman tank is particularly interesting.

HAMEX KIT SWAP TODAY

YES, THE SEVENTH HAMEX KIT SWAP lands in Hanslope, UK, today. As ever, the K-9 Cafe serves up grub fit for kings (and model fans). Just turn up from 10.00-1600 hrs today. More details on the show here.

TASTY TAMIYA MAZDA TWO-SEATER ROADSTER

THE MAZDA ROADSTER - also called the MX-5 or Miata - has been a genre-defining car since it first went on sale in 1989. And this 2015 Tamiya kit depicts the latest fourth generation machine.

THE MODELHAUS - MODEL CARS, SPARES, AND A RETRO-STYLE SHASTA AIRFLYTE

THERE ARE PLENTY of companies making aftermarket parts for model cars, but few offer a range as comprehensive as that available from The Modelhaus.

MODEL CAR DECADES - THE SCALE AUTO BOOKS OF BILL COULTER

MODEL CAR HISTORIAN Bill Coulter has written three excellent colour books for anyone who loves retro-style Americana, and the greatest pony car of them all, the Ford Mustang.

WINNING MODELS AT SCALE MODELWORLD 2015

SCALE MODELWORLD is the national show for the UK IPMS (International Plastic Modellers Society). It was held over November 7-8, 2015, at the Telford International Conference Centre.

'MILANO' SPACECRAFT FROM THE SCI-FI MOVIE 'GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY'

THE HOLLYWOOD HIT Guardians of the Galaxy was a rip-roaring space opera that punched its way to popularity, and now stands in third place on the Marvel Studios all-time hit list. And now Fantastic Plastic has released a 1:144 scale kit of the Milano, a ship that plays a similar sort of role in Guardians to the Millennium Falcon in the various Star Wars movies.

2016 INCOMING: AIRFIX BOEING B-17G FLYING FORTRESS

ANOTHER AIRCRAFT KIT TO LOOK FORWARD to in 2016, the upcoming 1:72 scale Airfix Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress looks to be well waiting for. And that’s just as well, because release isn’t slated until Q3 2016, so it’ll probably be October 2016 before we see the kit in stores.

VIDEO LOOK AT IPMS SCALE MODELWORLD, TELFORD 2015

FOR THOSE OF US WHO didn't make it to the huge IPMS ModelWorld at Telford, UK, here's a roundup of what was there.

RIP GEORGE BARRIS, KING OF THE KUSTOMIZERS

 

GEORGE BARRIS, PERHAPS THE BEST KNOWN US car customiser - and inspiration for many custom car kits - died on November 5, 2015. 

2016 INCOMING - VICTOR B2 V-BOMBER FROM AIRFIX

ON DISPLAY THIS WEEKEND AT THE massive IPMS Scale ModelWorld at Telford, UK, is this latest 1:72 scale jet project from Airfix.

INCOMING: FLYING FLAPJACK FIGHTER FROM KITTY HAWK MODEL

LOVERS OF WEIRD and wonderful aircraft of the past will be delighted that Kitty Hawk Model has made an excellent 1:48 scale kit of a 1940s rarity, the Vought XF5U-1, tastily nicknamed the 'Flying Flapjack.'

700-PLUS ENTRIES RUN IN THE NAMELESS MODEL SHOW-OFF

ALSO HELD AT TOLEDO the year was an NNL (Nameless National Luminaries) model event.

INCOMING 1:25 SCALE WHEELS - RETRO AMERICANA AND NEW BATMOBILE FROM MOEBIUS

TOLEDO COLLECTORS TOY FAIR CAR KITS on display included some mouthwatering new releases from Moebius Models.

ROUND 2 MODEL CARS SHOWN AT THE 2015 TOLEDO COLLECTORS TOY FAIR, OHIO

THE TOLEDO COLLECTORS TOY FAIR was held earlier this month in Sylvania, Ohio. Today we look at the new models that were shown on the Round 2 stand.

NOT-SO-LONE RANGER FROM MOEBIUS MODELS

THIS IS THE long-anticipated release of the 1971 Ford Ranger pickup from Moebius Models, which definitely fills a gap in the market.

FLYING WING HORTEN GO 229 FROM REVELL - LUFTWAFFE 46 JET

THE HORTEN Go 229 WAS A WORLD WAR II German jet that could have made a difference in the air, had it been operational in time. And now here is the Revell 1:72 scale kit, back as a reissue once again.

1:72 SCALE STAR WARS MILLENNIUM FALCON FROM REVELL

STELLAR NEWS FOR SCIENCE FICTION FANS comes with the latest Revell Snaptite kit of the famed Millennium Falcon starship. Released to coincide with the latest Star Wars movie, the kit has some significant mods to bring it up to date.

2016 INCOMING - BIG NEW 'TIFFY' FROM AIRFIX

WORLD WAR II BUFFS will be delighted by the Airfix 1:24 scale Typhoon, due for release next year. No, it's not a Groundhog Day release, it's actually the 'car door' version of the Hawker Typhoon that preceded the teardrop canopy design already in the Airfix list.

A VISIT TO THE DuPAGE COUNTY TOY AND PLASTIC KIT SHOW 2015

THE TOY AND PLASTIC KIT SHOW was held at the DuPage County Fairgrounds, Illinois, on September 17, 2015. The show is held every spring and autumn, and although it occupies just two halls in the extensive County Fairgrounds, there is always plenty to see, and maybe even purchase.

AIRFIX 1:24 SCALE MOSQUITO - NEW KIT DUE NOVEMBER 2015

HERE'S A TASTY KIT that's coming up very soon. The new-tool de Havilland Mosquito FB VI looks a most exciting Christmas kit for World War II enthusiasts.

MERCEDES-BENZ 300 SL GULL-WING FROM TAMIYA. STEP-BY-STEP BUILD GUIDE

WE HAD A QUICK LOOK at the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL 1:24 scale Tamiya kit six months ago, and now here’s how we got on with building and finishing the model.

RANGER SURVEY CRAFT FROM 'INTERSTELLAR' RELEASED IN 1:72 SCALE FROM MOEBIUS MODELS

THE RANGER TRANSGALACTIC Survey Craft featured in the 2014 science fiction movie, Interstellar. And now here is a 1:72 scale kit of this spacecraft, from Moebius Models.

BOOK REVIEW - THE NEW SCALE SPACECRAFT PRIMER

IN 1990, SPACE MODELLER MIKE MACKOWSKI from Phoenix, Arizona, produced A Scale Spacecraft Primer. This was the first title in a modelling series called Space in Miniature, and now here’s an excellent 2015 update, The New Scale Spacecraft Primer.

SMALLEST MODEL KIT EVER MADE? A NEW CONTENDER WITH THE 1:144 SCALE SPACE CRUISER FROM FREIGHTDOG MODELS

SOME TIME AGO WE POSED the question, “What is the smallest model kit ever made?” We came up with an answer in the form of the tiny two-part Nike Hercules missile included as a ‘Revell kit’ in the My Merry Hobby Shop children's play set.

SPACE TECHNOLOGY FROM SIX DECADES AGO - 1:5 SCALE HAWK PROJECT VANGUARD SATELLITE.

PROJECT VANGUARD WAS THE FIRST US space launch programme. Now Round 2 has released the 1958 Hawk kit of this most important pioneer of spaceflight’s early years.

AMT 1:25 SCALE PIRANHA SUPER SPY CAR - OR IS IT A RIDE FOR THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E.?

ROUND 2 MODELS HAS REISSUED A 1:25 SCALE AMT Piranha Super Spy car, though the box omits its heritage as The Man from U.N.C.L.E. car, with no mention either of the latest movie of the same name.

FUTURE FIGHTER FROM MASCHINEN KRIEGER WORLD OF COMBAT

MASCHINEN KRIEGER, Ma.K FOR SHORT, IS A LONG running Japanese sci-fi saga of the future. Hasegawa regularly releases kits based on the Ma.K combat universe, such as this Type MK44 robotic power suit to 1:20 scale.

LIFE’S A BEACH WHEN YOU MAKE AN ED ROTH SURFITE CUSTOM CAR

THE SURFITE IS A REISSUE OF one of Ed Roth’s smallest custom vehicles. Revell originally issued the 1:25 scale Surfite in the 1960s, and it has had just one reissue since. This was part of the SSP (Selected Subjects Program) Phase 4, Fall 1993, so even that was more than 20 years ago.

SPECIAL EDITION EUROFIGHTER TYPHOON IN BATTLE OF BRITAIN MARKINGS FROM HASEGAWA AND CORGI

ACCORDING TO THE HASEGAWA promotions department of the Eurofighter Typhoon, “If only we had these in 1940…”

BEAUTIFULLY MADE MODEL OF ARLINGTON ROW COTTAGES

NOT EVERY MODEL comes out of a box, and here is a beautiful example of traditional model making at its best.

MUNSTERS OR MONSTERS? WE'LL TAKE BOTH WITH THIS 1:25 SCALE CHEVY TRUCK

 

THE MUNSTERS CHEVY MONSTER TRUCK is a reissue of the existing AMT Chevy Monster Truck, but this time round, the kit is marketed as a vehicle supposedly used by The Munsters, the ghoulish family of a TV comedy series that first aired from 1964-66.

2016 INCOMING - AIRFIX 1:48 SCALE GLOSTER METEOR TWINJET

BIG NEWS FOR fans of the jet age is that Airfix will be releasing a 1:48 scale Gloster Meteor next year - and the pre-order hotline is already open.

RENWAL AEROSKINS

HERE'S AN OLD IDEA that might just be ready for a 21st century revamp. The strip-style advert (above) portrayed grizzled old Captain Billy asking grandson Kid about a novel Renwal product, pre-painted Aeroskins, an interesting idea that didn't last long. 

MARTIN SEAMASTER - SLEEK FLYING BOAT JET BOMBER

HERE IS A SLEEK AIRCRAFT of interest to classic kit collectors and builders. The Martin Seamaster was one of the best-looking bombers ever made, even if it didn't have a long career.

MAT'S MARVELLOUS MODEL MUSEUM

A GOOD READ FOR ALL MODEL enthusiasts, Mat's Marvellous Model Museum is part autobiography and part kit history. It's a fascinating read that's available online now.

BEWARE! THE INVADERS ARE COMING FROM ATLANTIS

THIS IS AN ATLANTIS MODELS reissue of an original Aurora kit of the alien craft that featured in the 1960s TV science fiction series, The Invaders.

BUILDING THE POLAR LIGHTS 1:25 SCALE BATMOBILE

BATMAN MODEL KITS and collectibles are as popular as the movies themselves, and this 1:25 scale Batmobile kit from Polar Lights is no exception.

'WHISTLING DEATH' CORSAIR VIDEO

THIS MOVIE HAS REALLY UNUSUAL INTRO and outro sequences. People do think of the most unusual places to attach a video camera.

BIG B-1B 'BONE' FROM REVELL

FANS OF BIG BOMBER models could do worse than look at the Revell B-1B Lancer kit. It's a biggie all right - to 1:48 scale, the model measures some 921 mm (36.26 in) when assembled.

SCRATCH-BUILDING A ‘NEW HORIZONS’ PLUTO PROBE TO 1:8 SCALE

IT TOOK NEARLY TEN YEARS and a journey of three billion miles, but the space probe New Horizons finally flew close by the sub-zero world of Pluto on July 14, 2015. And here is Mat Irvine’s account of scratch-building a 1:8 scale model of the probe for a BBC TV show.

ROYAL INTERNATIONAL AIR TATTOO 2015 - AIRCRAFT AND MODELS

A NICE VIDEO courtesy Airfix and Corgi of the UK's premier air display, the Royal International Air Tattoo 2015, held at RAF Fairford earlier this month. It makes good viewing, especially the camouflage-finish EFA Typhoon and bat-like Avro Vulcan. Click for full-screen mode, to max out on those all too brief glimpses of the modelling side of things.

1:72 SCALE AIRFIX BARGAIN - FOUR KITS IN ONE 'CONFLICT BUNDLE'

A BATTLE OF BRITAIN anniversary special from Airfix offers four 1:72 kits at less than half price. Three of the kits are aircraft: a Spitfire, Hurricane, and Bf 109. The fourth is an unusually good choice, in the form of the Airfix RAF Air Sea Rescue Launch.  

SMALLSPACE 4 - TV AND MOVIE MODELS

SMALLSPACE 4 FEATURED MANY STARS of the big movie franchises. This Ironman figure is finished with a neat metallic sheen, and also features a realistic lighting display.

SMALLSPACE 4 - GERRY ANDERSON TV SERIES

GERRY ANDERSON ENTERTAINMENT ruled children's TV in the 1960s and 1970s, with series after series, all achieving great popularity. Above, the Mole, from the all-time classic, Thunderbirds.

SMALLSPACE 4 - BBC TV SCIENCE FICTION

BBC SCIENCE FICTION featured strongly at Smallspace 4. Outside the main hall (above) a bunch of Doctor Who lookalikes posed next to the Whomobile car.

SMALLSPACE 4 - STEAMPUNK TAKES A SOLAR SYSTEM PRIZE

THE STEAMPUNK DISPLAY at Smallspace 4 took the 'Best in Solar System' Prize, and deservedly so. Modelmaker Ian Crichton's display showed a range of beautifully finished models.