MOVIE STAR STANLEY BAKER PROMOTES REVELL HARBOR TUG

THERE WAS A TIME WHEN model kit companies weren’t averse to bringing in some star names to help push sales, which we saw in an old bound volume of RAF Flying Review magazine, which was loaded with ads for kits old and new.

BACK TO THE FUTURE WITH ‘RAF FLYING REVIEW’

Here’s another treasure from the SMN Vault of Ancientness - one of a bound set of 1961-62 RAF Flying Review magazines. In its time, this monthly British publication was a must-buy for air and model fans, and was packed with news, views, stories, and what was called ‘Technical Gen’ - hard-core info-porn to you and me.

As almost all air fans are also modelers, the scale model page was an important part of FR. While the magazine's lead feature ranted (rightly) about the UK government’s disastrous habit of canning air projects just as each prototype had shown its worth, Michael Farmer’s 'Model Talk' was looking at the latest Hawk kit, a 1:48 scale F-104 Starfighter.

The F-104 displayed Hawk’s attempt at giving a model a realistic bare-metal look by using a vacuum-deposition ‘chrome’ finish; at that time, model makers had little choice beyond a streaky paintbrush, so the prospect of a jet covered with chrome plating was very interesting indeed. However, Farmer reckoned the Hawk effort was TOO realistic, rightly saying that no aircraft is ever likely to be as shiny as this, even fresh from the factory. Today of course, we’re spoilt for choice, and metallic finishes and dull coatings are cheap as chips.

Opposite Model Talk is an advertising gem, a full-page black-and-white ad for the 88-model Aurora range. For this reviewer, the tasty one of the three kits shown is the gorgeous Regulus II, complete with an operating launch platform - come on, today’s reissue-meisters - IWOOT! The twin-rotor Piasecki H-25A is pretty tempting too, its look and layout predating today’s heavy-lift workhorse, the Boeing Chinook. The SE5a? It looks OK enough, but here in 2009, we’re really spoilt for choice in this department, especially in the diecast zone. Corgi’s 1:48 diecast SE5a includes ultra-fine rigging that the average model maker (well, me anyway) wouldn’t even dream of attempting.

If a Corgi SE5a hits the spot, Amazon has several variations on offer at the moment, here.

RUSSIAN SUPERSONIC BOMBER FROM ANIGRAND

The 1960s were a mixture of turmoil and trauma - from Flower Power to the Vietnam War, Gagarin to Apollo - all set against the deadly background of the ongoing Cold War. And a key decision for the politicians and military planners of the time was the supersonic heavy bomber - was it relevant in the new age of the Inter Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM)?

Until that decision was made, the US developed the B-58 Hustler and test-flew the XB-70 Valkyrie, while behind the ‘Iron Curtain’, the Myasishchev design bureau came up with the four-engined M-50, given the designation ‘Bounder’ by NATO.

And now model builders have a chance to recreate the Bounder, with a nicely-tooled resin kit to 1:144 scale from Anigrand Craftswork in Hong Kong (top picture). Even in this small scale the Bounder makes up into a fair-sized model, with a length of 399 mm (15.7 in) and span from tip-mounted jet to jet of some 243 mm (9.6 in). In common with various other Anigrand kits, you get more for your money than your simple order might imply - along with the Bounder, Anigrand includes three smaller Russian jets to the same scale (middle picture). A nice touch, Anigrand.

Talking of the Bounder, SMN’s Library has a nicely bound set of 1961-62 RAF Flying Review magazines (bottom pictures), and what a resource these are - accurate information, nicely produced, and on a par with anything on sale today. In the September 1961 edition, there’s a report on Moscow’s Tushino Air Display, in which the Bounder made its only public flight before being cancelled in favour of those ICBMs. Luckily for us all, none were ever used in anger.

Visit Anigrand here.