VISIT TO THE PEGASUS HOBBIES MEGASTORE

PEGASUS HOBBIES is billed as the largest hobby store in southern California (SoCal), and having walked all the aisles, I can confirm the statement is true.

LONDON TOY FAIR 2014: POCKET-SIZE MINIATURE MODELS FROM POCKETBOND

Pocketbond deals with an eclectic range of items, from toys and games, through to kits proper. It is the main agent for Trumpeter and Academy in the UK, and also imports Pegasus Hobbies, Imex, Roden, AFV Club, and a host of smaller companies.

COMET MINIATURES: THE END OF AN ERA, BUT THE DAWN OF A NEW AGE

Mat Irvine reports: After 30 years of being a major model store in South London, Comet Miniatures closed its doors for the final time last week.

iHOBBY 2013: MAT IRVINE SCOPES OUT NEW SCI-FI STUFF FROM PEGASUS HOBBIES

Pegasus Hobbies is the brainchild of Larry Thompson (on stand, above) starting some years ago with accessories produced for model car builders. Today, Pegasus is far better known for its kits covering the wide topic of science-fiction.

IMPROBABLE MODELS FROM FANTASY-MASTER GREG DeSANTIS

SMN report:

Today’s images are a trip back in time to the years 2005 and 2006, when US concept artist and modelmaker Greg DeSantis made a series of compelling fantasy and science-fiction models. However, these were not wood, plastic, or metal creations - instead, they were 3D models created in a computer - for Greg was, and is, a gifted digital modelmaker.

CLOUD OF KITS FLY IN FROM PEGASUS

Mat Irvine reports from iHobby Expo:

Continuing my look at the new goodies on show at iHobby, this time I'm inspecting Pegasus Hobbies, a company that started off by making glitzy accessories for car modellers, an aspect it still does, but that now also makes aircraft and military models, and is best known for its science-fiction kits.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

As we enter the Christmas season, we can all look forward to 2011 which, if model world rumors even come partly true, promises to be a very eventful year!

 Thank you for visiting Scale Model News throughout 2010 and we look forward to your company in times to come.

We are also looking forward to launching some major improvements to Scale Model News. So stay tuned!


As for the pix above, well wouldn’t we like to make a kit of that Jules Verne Nautilus lookalike?! Sad to say, there isn’t one quite like it available, so it’s here as an Xmas-week project idea for you kit-bashers out there.

And who got the idea for the Hawk paint job? This US-issue Hawk, aka T-45, is one of several of these jet trainers finished in deliciously bright Centennial markings. And you don’t need to be a skilled basher to create one for the display shelf...

Have a look at some Hawks (and not just the BAe kind) here.

JULES VERNE’S NAUTILUS SUBMARINE TO 1:72 SCALE

We had a nautiloid moment here at SMN, when we realised that good models of Jules Verne’s fictional Nautilus are far easier to get hold of than the US Navy vessel. And of the Verne subs, few are better than this one, from Oregon-based Total Immersion.

Total Immersion’s 1:72 scale Nautilus is based on the dramatic design that featured in the 1954 Walt Disney 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, and a very handsome model it is too, measuring some 813 mm (32 in) long. Just for once, we’re not complaining about oversize rivets on a model, as Victorian-era machines had ’em in spades! Mind you, the Disney sub isn’t a bit like Verne’s original book description, which detailed it as an elongated cigar shape, powered by sodium-mercury batteries. But SMN’s thumbs-up goes to the fabulous ‘Disney-Gothic’ styling, working by means of a proto-nuclear power plant!

In TI’s words, the kit is: “...based on the Harper Goff visualization built by Tom Scherman Hollywood set designer and Lee Seiler hydrodynamic model ship builder at the Department of Naval Architecture University of California Berkeley model ship towing tank”.

As you can see from the pictures, a LOT of work has gone into this product, which is available in kit form or fully-built to special order. Extra items include various figure sets, and a radio-control kit for underwater operation in the nearest lake.

Incidentally, Lee Seiler (the man behind the kit) is a long-time model builder, who has picked up a TV Emmy and whose dinosaur sculptures grace museums worldwide. He has some tasty future items planned for us, including another 1:72 scale ship, the American Civil War Monitor. Sounds good, Lee: we’re looking forward to it.

Visit Total Immersion here.