AIRFIX VICKERS VALIANT DISPLAYED AT NUREMBERG TOY FAIR

SMN report

Today's the last day of this year's Toy Fair, and it has certainly lived up to expectations, with many attractive kits due for release through 2011.

British nuclear bomber

Here’s the hotly awaited 139-part Vickers Valiant V-bomber kit from Airfix, just seen on display on the Airfix stand at Nuremberg Toy Fair 2011. The display model has been finished in anti-flash white overall, with the pale RAF roundels that went with that finish. Markings for the ‘Val’ are included for four versions, including a camouflage scheme.

Valiant available soon

The Valiant has been largely ignored by mainstream manufacturers over the years, so it’s good to see the gap filled, at least in 1:72 scale. To this reviewer, the Valiant has always been the Plain-Jane of the British V-bomber trio, but none the less important for all that. The kit will be available soon.

More info from Airfix here.

Thanks to our friends at Toy Collector for the heads-up on this model.

REVELL ARADO 196 FLOATPLANE TO 1:32 SCALE

Revell’s Arado 196 armed-reconnaissance floatplane (or seaplane, as you wish) is a fine kit of an unusual subject, for water-based aircraft are not exactly cramming the model stores. No matter, Revell has really gone to town with this one and given us a BIG 1:32 scale kit. Even a two-seater like the Arado comes out a good size at this scale - the wingspan is 393 mm (15.5 in), and 192 components make for a very complete build.

Detailed kit and options

Among the features are neatly-scribed recessed panel lines, excellent detail to the front cockpit and similarly careful treatment to the rear gunner’s station, with its machine gun mount and ammo magazine.

Revell offers various options, such as assembling the wings in flight or folded positions, optional propeller types, decals for two versions and much more besides. The ailerons and air brakes are separate components.

Kriegsmarine service

As for the real thing, it first flew in May 1937, followed by service entry with the Kriegsmarine (German Navy) in November the following year. It was a good handler and popular with its crews - and as the standard armed-recon aircraft, was used across all German naval theatres during World War II. There seems to be no agreement on actual numbers built: we’ve seen figures ranging from 435 to 541, so take your pick. Whatever, it was a tidy-handling, successful package that took catapult launches and craned-up sea recoveries in its stride. Nominally a two-seater, there was room for extra bods to cram themselves in when occasion demanded, such as impromptu air-sea rescues and delivery of personnel.

Request please

The Revell kit makes a good comparison with the smaller Airfix 1:72 and Tamiya 1:48 offerings - old or new, they each show off well the fine lines of the Arado design. Let’s hope that with this kit, Revell follows the excellent example of Italeri in offering a complementary kit of well-sculpted personnel, and maybe some equipment as well - howzabout a launch-ready catapult, Revell?

  

See the Revell Arado 196 kit here.

And other Arado kits here.

The pictures show:

1-4  Revell Arado 196, assembled and painted.

5  Kriegsmarine engineers servicing an Arado 196 on the water.

6  Arado 196 ready for catapult launch from the battlecruiser Gneisenau. 

REVELL Y-WING STARFIGHTER - A TEMPTING KIT FOR SCI-FI FANS

Report by David Jefferis

Star Wars was only the second sci-fi movie I saw in which the special effects (SFX) were thoroughly believable - no jerkiness to the action, no visible wires holding up the spacecraft, no rubbish alien makeup to chortle at. And the actors romped along in their roles, and could truly act! Since then of course, there has been a never-ending cascade of collectibles for fans to drool over or purchase, and the franchise is still going strong, with new TV series for a younger audience.

Star Wars Y-Wing tactical strike starfighter
New stuff aside, one of our all-time faves here at SMN is the handsome Rebel Alliance Y-Wing, designed by Colin Cantwell of the SFX company Industrial Light & Magic, and first introduced in 1977’s Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. The design was fresh then, and remains so today. There are various kits and collectibles available, ranging from pocket-sized up to a substantial 1:48 scale. But the one shown here sits nicely in the middle of the size range, and is the Revell Easykit version. No scale is mentioned on the box, but taking the length of the full-size (though fictional) spacecraft as being 16m (52.5 ft), then Revell’s neat little model scales out to approximately 1:76 scale.

British 00 gauge spacecraft
Now 1:76 is a slightly odd size, common only to the world of British 00 gauge model trains, itself a weirdness on a planet in which every other country has H0 or 1:87 as its most popular model rail scale. However that’s another story, and if the Brits like being out of step with everyone else, so be it. The good thing is that - allowing for a bit of artistic license - the Revell Y-Wing sits pretty well with another standard, the more logical (albeit non-Metric) 1:72 international model aircraft scale.

Easykit fit and finish
Is this Easykit kit any good? Well, yes actually - in fact, it’s one of the best of its kind, with no major fit problems to slow construction. The rear-mounted ion engine vane supports were a little warped straight from the box, but responded reasonably well to some tender loving care. The only real downer is the pre-painted finish - maybe it’s just this reviewer, but pale-gold fuel lines outlined against off-white body panels somehow manage to look a bit feeble. This Y-Wing aches for a repaint, with extra detailing and weathering to give it the battle-weary look of a well-worn fighting machine.

Incidentally, the photos above are missing one small item, the R2 maintenance droid that should slot into the upper surface. Mea culpa folks - the tiny R2 fell into a dark corner of the SMN Construction Shack, never to be seen again.

Summation
The verdict on the Revell Y-Wing? For sci-fi fans, it’s well worth a look, especially as it can sit reasonably well with standard model scales. Note though that Revell supply no undercarriage legs - if you want your Y-Wing sitting on the ground, you will have to scratch-build a set.
    
ps. In case you’re wondering, my very first Believable Movie was the classic 2001 A Space Odyssey, directed by Stanley Kubrick.

There’s lots more information on Star Wars here.

There are Y-Wings of various kinds including later designs here.

CONGRATULATIONS CORGI - ‘GRAND SLAM’ LANCASTER WINS THE VOTE FROM MAGAZINE READERS

David Jefferis reports
Corgi was among the first to kick off the wave of accurate diecast aircraft collectibles with its Aviation Archive products. They are still among the most popular of their kind, and the readers of the UK specialist magazine Model Collector recently voted Corgi’s 1:72 scale Avro Lancaster as Best Aircraft Model of the Year.

Model Collector magazine
The magazine is one of the UK’s two magazines that focus on diecast models, and its pages are always worth a read as they are packed with reviews and in-depth articles. Some 9000 readers got the chance to vote for Model of the Year, so their accolade must make Corgi proud of that Lancaster.

Earthquake bomb
The model is a B1 Lancaster, specially modified to carry a single 10-tonne (22,000 lb) ‘Grand Slam’ bomb under its belly. The Grand Slam was designed by ‘Dam Busters’ bouncing-bomb designer Barnes Wallis and was dropped from a height of about 6 km (20,000 ft). Falling vertically, Grand Slam hit the surface at more than 1100 km/h (700 mph), enabling it to penetrate deep underground, where it exploded to create an instant cavern called a camouflet, into which anything above or nearby collapsed immediately.

The Corgi Lancaster model
Corgi’s Royal Air Force Lancaster represents the 617 Squadron machine used to attack the concrete fortifications of the Valentin U-boat pens at the port of Farge, Germany, in March 1945 - the pic above shows some of the damage caused by the raid. The Corgi Lancaster has the nose and dorsal gun turrets removed, and the bomb is correctly semi-recessed underneath. Day camouflage is neatly applied, and crew figures are visible under the flight deck glazing. For the diecast fan, a fine addition to a World War II themed collection.
 
Visit Corgi here.

Visit Model Collector magazine here.

Lancaster books, kits, ready-builts and other stuff are also available here and here.

GIANT 1:72 SCALE C-17 TACTICAL AIRLIFTER FROM ANIGRAND

SMN reports
For lovers of b-i-g model aircraft, and cargolifters in particular, then Hong Kong-based Anigrand has the answer, in the form of its newly-reissued 1:72 scale Boeing C-17 Globemaster III.

The C-17 is often nicknamed ‘Moose’ for its tall winglets, but it’s a lot faster than the animal that’s for sure - a fully loaded C-17 can leave the ground in just 1064 m (3500 ft) and cruise at some 833 km/h (518 mph), all the while carrying a 70-tonne US Army M-1 Abrams tank. If you’ve ever seen a C-17 at an air display, it’s likely you will have seen the short-landing capability, and its showpiece, reversing and manoeuvring on the ground by using thrust reverse from the four underwing engines.

Anigrand’s model is certainly a shelf-filler, with a wingspan of 722 mm (30.4 in). Its length is little shorter, at 736 mm (29 in). It’s a mixed-material kit, with 99 components. Most of these are in resin, with 14 metal and a clear-cast glazed flight-deck window section.

SMN would like to see a big-scale injection kit of the C-17 from another manufacturer though - such a cargolifter begs for masses of internal detail, an operating loading ramp, crew figures and flight deck, plus a full load of  troops and AFVs - well, here’s hoping!
 
Visit Anigrand here to order direct.


The smaller and more manageable 1:144 scale Revell C-17 kit is a decent kit that is also worth considering. Despite its smaller size, there is loads of detail, including a particularly neat airstair on the nose portside.

DIECAST FOLDING-WING SWORDFISH BIPLANE FROM CORGI

SMN reports
Here is the latest Fairey Swordfish from Corgi. The rocket-armed 1:72 model represents the Royal Navy Historic Flight machine that still flies at air shows, some 55 years after the end of World War II.

The Swordfish is a significant aircraft, and in World War II accounted for the sinking of more than 300,000 tonnes of enemy shipping, more than any other single Allied type, so the model is a useful addition to any diecast combat aircraft collection of that era.

Corgi’s model shows the advances made in the world of diecasts in recent years, with excellent camouflage and markings, plus a full crew of three and weapon load. The pre-fitted rigging wires add to the realism, as do the underwing rocket launchers. The only downside is that much of the fuselage panel detailing is still somewhat clunkier than an equivalent plastic kit - but that is simply the nature of the two materials, and if you want ultra-fine detail, plastic is the way to go.

Pictures courtesy Corgi.

Visit the Royal Navy Historic Flight here.

Visit Corgi here.

Or purchase kit versions such as the Tamiya 1/48 Fairey Swordfish Mk.I (Clear Edition)