JAMES BOND LOTUS CAR-SUBMARINE TO 1:24 SCALE FROM FUJIMI

“TRY NOT TO DAMAGE IT, 007…” That famous phrase from ‘Q’ in James Bond movies applied in spades to the famed Aston Martin DB5. But it also related to another Bondmobile, the Lotus Esprit S1 that served double-duty as a submarine in the 1977 film The Spy Who Loved Me.

BACK TO THE FUTURE WITH THE 1:24 SCALE FUJIMI FUTURE CAR

IF THIS MODEL LOOKS familiar, it should be, for is it is a renamed Police Spinner from the classic science fiction film Blade Runner, already made as a kit by Fujimi. 

SHIZUOKA 2012 - BANDAI YMT-05 HILDOLFR SUPER-TANK

SMN REPORT:

Shizuoka is ground-zero for model robots and mecha of all kinds, and heading the charge from Bandai are Mobile Suit Gundam models and kits, based on a fictional universe that’s been popular since it first hit the stores in 1979. ‘Gunpla’ are Gundam Plastic models, and here’s an especially neat 1:144 scale sci-fi tank kit, the YMT-05 Hildolfr AFV, a deadly weapon named after a son of the Norse god, Odin. 

2012 INCOMING - FUJIMI ULTIMATE BOMBER, SLEEK SPORTSTER, ROYAL ROLLS

SMN update:

Fujimi of Japan has some fascinating stuff heading our way, including this 1:144 scale model of a ‘what-if’ design, Japan’s ‘ultimate’ World War II heavy bomber, the Nakajima G10N Fugaku (Mt Fuji) designed with the power and range to attack the US West Coast. It’s interesting that Fujimi should choose this relatively small scale, as there’s a similar-sized model out there already: the Anigrand Craftwork 111-component resin production.

SCIENCE-FICTION FEAST FOR 2012 - FUJIMI BRINGS US ‘BLADE RUNNER’ FLYING COP CAR

Mat Irvine reports:

Even after all these years, the model companies can still surprise us, especially when one of them - Fujimi of Japan - recently announced a model kit of a ‘star car’ that appeared in Blade Runner, a famous science-fiction movie first released no less than 30 years ago this June.

REMEMBER THE HUGE DORA RAILWAY GUN? HERE’S THE MAN WHO MADE THE MASSIVE MASTERPIECE

SMN Report

Mat Irvine recently provided pictures of the huge 1:35 scale Metal Troops Creation Dora German railway gun, on display at the 2008 ModelKraft show. Said Mat: “It's about 4 feet long, maybe 5 - and with 3000 parts it probably counts as the most number of parts in a kit - period.” 

Monster gun builder

We may have featured the Dora but we didn’t know who built it. Now we do, so SMN thanks the builder, Simon Boness, who is wearing the red top in Mat’s picture above, while sitting behind the monster gun is Bob McIntosh.

DORA BUILD PIX - A MEGA-KIT REVEALED

SMN Update

The 1:35 scale Dora really is quite something. Mat Irvine spotted the beast a while back and took these pix. In his words: “This was at the 2008 ‘ModelKraft’, which is the large model show run by the UK’s Milton Keynes Scale Model Club in February each year."

APRIL FOOL’S DAY OR WHAT? WORLD’S BIGGEST GUN, WORLD’S BIGGEST KIT

SMN Report

Looks like we have a conclusion to the ‘world’s biggest kit’ discussion, and the answer has to be the model world’s reproduction of a World War II mobile gun that was an extraordinary engineering feat, but in military terms, little more than an expensive joke.

FUJIMI F-35B TO 1:72 SCALE

SMN report
No sooner did we do the F-35 piece below, when we ran across the recent Fujimi 1:72 scale F-35B STOVL version. It’s a multi-colour kit, something along the lines of the old Matchbox releases, though it has to be said, Fujimi’s palette is far less alarming than the kaleidoscope of inappropriate shades that Matchbox dreamt up.

A mixed bag from Fujimi
It’s an important product, as it is about the first one that approximates the production-standard machine, though doubtless details will still change between now and squadron service. The engine is moulded in a rich dark metallic shade and has extremely fine detail, so top marks there Fujimi. Less entrancing are the weapons, which are fairly basic - serious model fans will go straight to the bits box or to aftermarket suppliers.

The Fujimi model is becoming available now, from model stores and online suppliers. There’s an in-depth review of what’s in the box, with heaps of closeups and comments for and against, from model maker Drewe Manton here.