INCOMING: SPECTACULAR 1:24 SCALE GRUMMAN F6F-5 HELLCAT FROM AIRFIX

AIRFIX IS ON A ROLL and this giant-size kit underlines the excellence of new products from this company.

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.

INCOMING: AIRFIX 1:24 SCALE HAWKER TYPHOON

Brilliant news from Airfix at the IPMS Scale ModelWorld show is the soon to be released 1:24 scale Hawker Typhoon.

BUY YOURSELF A SUB-ORBITAL XCOR LYNX SPACECRAFT - WELL, A COLLECTIBLE MODEL ANYWAY

David Jefferis reports

For a limited time, the California-based XCOR Aerospace rocket engineering company is offering a numbered, limited edition of hand-carved 1:24 scale display models of its Lynx spacecraft, currently under development. Only 100 models were made and there are still some available. Many are now on the desks of various VIPs and XCOR investors, but the rest are on offer to space fans.

MICHAEL PAUL SMITH’S 1:24 SCALE MINI-WORLD

Here we have scenes from a 1:24 model zone called Elgin Park by its creator, US model maker Michael Paul Smith. He’s built a miniature town to precision standards, and best of all, has the photographic skills to create believable super-real pictures that would have all but an expert fooled.

The diner interior is one of SMN’s faves, as it’s made from just about every item from a box of bits like the one that most of us keep. He’s even used part of an earring as a delivery tube for the hot water urn. The night shot has a dusting of snow and Michael’s prowess with the camera is evident from the careful lighting and depth of field - we’re also assured that these are all ‘real’ shots, where Photoshop has not been used to slot backgrounds into place - which makes the whole thing more remarkable.

There are more pictures at Michael’s Flickr Photostream, where you can also spot Mr and Mrs Robby Robot, and their son, Robby Jr - just great!

Visit Michael’s Photostream here.

If you’re inspired, we present a range of 1:24 scale vehicles here.

REVELL TRABANT - SOME WILD CUSTOM IDEAS

David Jefferis reports
After Mat’s look at the Revell 1:24 scale Trabant (top picture) it seemed in order to trawl around to see what people have done to their East German oily smokers. The Trabi had a 30-year production run and more than 3 million were made, so there have been plenty of opportunities to ring the changes on the old Soviet-era workhorse - and provide food for thought if you’re into custom car kit-bashing.

As the next picture shows, workhorse it was with this Trabi, sawn in half to make a fine pony-and-trap for an East Berlin couple.

The Trabant also attracted the rock band U2, who had custom-painted Trabis on stage for their 1992-3 ZooTV tour. The cars shown now hang in pride of place at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, US. The RARHOF is highly recommended if you’re into pop music btw.

Stretch limos are a part and parcel of many a partygoer’s ‘big night out’, though whether the average glammed-up girl would rate a Trabi-Stretch is questionable - this one hardly puts a Hummer to shame!

Last but not least, Trabis have even fallen into the hands of the customizers - and if you half close your eyes, this wide-wheel car could (almost) be taken for a 1980s-era BMW 2002.

The Revell Trabant is available from model stores and online suppliers, including Amazon here.

Visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame here.

REVELL TRABANT - A REMINDER OF SOVIET AUTO DESIGN FROM THE COLD WAR ERA

Mat Irvine reports
When the Berlin Wall came down in 1989, East and West Germans mixed for the first time since it was built in 1961. And the people crossing the border like migrating lemmings often came in their smelly little Trabant cars, putt-putting their way into the West.

Much has been written about the Trabant (or ‘Trabi’) most of it not very charitable, but for East Germans it did what it said on the tin, or in this case, not ‘tin’ but bodywork constructed from Duroplast, an interesting name for a combination of waste cotton fleece and artificial resin. The engine was hardly more sophisticated, being a two-stroke air-cooled unit that put out about 20 bhp and a heck of lot of smoke. But it got the population of the East Germany around for several decades – well, those who could wait several years to buy one, then afford to buy it, anyway.

The colour scheme wasn’t quite as limited as the Model T Ford “You can have any colour as long as it’s black…” but it was still fairly basic. You could choose between grey, green or blue - and blue Trabis were considered lucky!

Revell Germany made a 1:24 scale Trabant kit in 1990, followed by a reboxing that featured the star of the German 1991 comedy movie Go Trabi Go about one that got away across the border. Now Revell has released a third version, this time a totally new kit with seemingly almost as many parts as a full size Trabant! From the tiny engine at the front and a battery that is almost the same size, to the sparse interior (though it does have a radio) and boot containing a spare wheel. This was an unusual feature for original Trabi owners, as it came as an extra and most couldn’t afford it.

All in all, an unusual but impressive kit that’s a must-have for any Trabi fan. It’s a vast improvement on the earlier version that results in a handsome 1:24 model.

SMN note:
There are plenty of opportunities to customize the Trabi, and we’ll be showing some pix shortly.

The pictures show, top to bottom:
1 Box for the new Revell Trabant 601S.
2 Box for the 1991 Go Trabi Go kit, with box art based on the movie poster.
3 Parts comparison between old and new. The 1990 kit is shown at left, with blue bodyshell - the movie version was identical. The latest Trabi at right has a white body, and a set of proper tyres.
4, 5 The built-up new Trabi.

The Revell Trabant is available from model stores and online suppliers, including Amazon here.