“THE NAME’S BOND... OR CORGI… OR SCALEXTRIC.” 007 AT HORNBY HOBBIES

TO WRAP UP THE LONDON TOY FAIR we returned to the Hornby stand, though not to Airfix this time, but to two other names in the Hornby stable, also involving a third.

WINGNUT WINGS FOKKER DVII FIGHTER TO 1:32 SCALE: PLUS FREE 32-PAGE BOOKLET

This latest Wingnut Wings kit was released in late March 2013, at the Easter Weekend Omaka Classic Fighters Airshow, in New Zealand. Like other Wingnut aircraft, the Fokker DVII is a top-quality production.

HORNBY GETS GROWN-UP - 2012 AD CAMPAIGNS TARGET ADULTS

SMN market report:

Hornby Hobbies are expanding the company image away from pocket-money-price ‘small boys’ toys’ to moneyed-and-mature ‘big boys’ toys.’ Well, that’s our take on the plan. In advertising marketeer-speak, Hornby has launched: “a long-term brand campaign as part of a big push to introduce adult consumers to its products.” Having said that, Hornby traditional strengths remain, with updates to the rail range that include the 4-4-0 locomotive above, and the ready-weathered 4-6-0 Black 5 shown after the jump.

HORNBY GAINS FROM 2012 OLYMPICS AND WINS STAR WARS

SMN report 

Hornby has just hit the headlines with exciting Scalestric news. In the words of Hornby CEO Frank Martin: “We are delighted that we have secured the worldwide licence for a range of Star Wars Scalextric products. As the films are converted into 3D format by Lucasfilm over the next few years, we anticipate that we will get an encouraging reaction to our new range of speeder bikes and X-wing fighters. We also have high hopes for our products associated with the new Disney/Pixar movie "Cars 2".

THIS WEEK ONLY - 40 PERCENT OFF A 1:32 SCALEXTRIC CHEVROLET CORVETTE RACER

 

SMN report
The Chevrolet Corvette Stingray - we’re not supposed to use ‘Chevy’ according to some recent (and misguided) PR rules, we’re told - has been in production since 1952 (yes, 1952!) and it’s been an all-American performance-car love affair ever since. After six design generations in various body styles, the car is still going strong, and as you can see from the video above there’s no shortage of ideas for many more years to come. Which is great, as it’s one of this writer’s all-time fave road rippers.

This week’s Amazon offer
So it’s ‘yes please’ to this week’s Amazon offer of a 40 percent discount on the Scalextric 1:32 scale race version of driver Steve MacDonald’s 2008 car. To be honest, the ’Vette is not the ultimate best from Scalextric, but for scale model fans willing to put in some effort, it’s definitely a masterwork in waiting, as the basics are pretty much there, with the general shape being captured quite decently.

Adding detail to the Corvette
However, the driver looks somewhat vacant, and details like his straps need some TLC to look convincing, as does the cabin itself. As for the exterior, it’s not too bad at all - you’ll want to carefully hollow out the sidepipe exits though, as well as re-scribe the panel lines to give them some bite and incisiveness. Dulling off the paintwork and muddying the wheel arches with an airbrush will also add authenticity.

And after all that lot, blimey, it goes around a track as well! Not bad at all...

Access Amazon’s 40 percent offer here.

Visit Scalextric here.

REVELL 1:32 SCALE SUPER CUB - KING OF ROUGH-STRIP TAKEOFFS

Here’s a ‘different’ kit for you to try, a 1:32 scale model of one of aviation’s classics: the Piper PA-18 Super Cub. This is a two-seater bushplane that first flew in 1949, with a short-field performance that enables takeoffs to be achieved in only 70 m (200 ft) or so - and with a strong headwind, even less. It’s actually possible to hover in a Super Cub if the headwind is more than about 56 km/h (35 mph)! Production stopped at Piper in the early 1990s, but various independent manufacturers still make variations on the original design. The three short video clips give you an idea of the simply amazing performance of the little machine, especially when it’s fitted with big, fat, tundra tyres.

The new-tool Revell kit is packed with detail, and comes with three sets of decals, enabling you to model two civil versions (British and German) and a German military machine. At big 1:32 scale, even a small aircraft like the Super Cub has a decent assembled wingspan of 338 mm (13.3 in), and would look terrific in a diorama setting - its sports-recreation credentials make it suitable to be seen next to one of the latest Scalextric racing cars, any of which look terrific when they have been tweaked and weathered appropriately. Or you could go the bushplane route and feature a battered pickup truck instead.

Inside the nose, the four-cylinder Lycoming engine has been modelled quite accurately (though it would benefit from some careful extra detailing) and has wide-opening access panels that allow you to show off what’s going on in there. The instruments and seats look good too, with the full-harness belts neatly sculpted. The Super Cub has a metal structure covered with fabric, and the texture of this is well produced in the model - the fabric looks just right, especially when it’s been spray-painted. The 92-part Revell kit is a neat model of a not-so-usual subject and is available now.

Super Cub pictures courtesy Revell.

Videos courtesy YouTube.

Visit Revell here.

View the 1/32 Piper PA-18 Super Cub

NASCAR NUMBER 48 IN DETAIL

And here's a decent pic of Number 48 from the Lowe's website. It reveals loads of lovely detail, from air splitters to hood tie-downs, and note the much finer lines of the front air dam when you see it in the metal.

Click on the pic to see it bigger, and you'll see mucho stuff for a winter's evening tune-up that'll turn that already nice Scalextric model into an absolute stopper!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NASCAR

Today’s the day back in 1947 when NASCAR (North American Stock Car Auto Racing) was founded, its headquarters in Daytona Beach, Florida. Since then NASCAR has become an American institution, second only to US Football on the TV ratings charts. Races are shown in more than 150 countries and 75 million fans purchase more than $3 billion USD (£1.84 billion GBP) sponsored products - from T-shirts to diecasts - every year.

And among those sponsored products are the NASCARs marketed by the Hornby-owned model racing outfit, Scalextric. These are all to 1:32 scale and these days many of them are miniature masterpieces in their own right. Long gone are the days when a Scalextric car was little more than a crude electric toy - now you can display them as beautiful models when you’re not trying to overtake on the straightaway.

Several NASCARs are available from Scalextric, but SMN’s choice is the handsome 2009 series Chevrolet Impala, shown above. It’s nicely detailed, with sponsor ads that look accurate, and are applied well. The wheels are true to prototype, and the air dam in front and spoiler at the rear both look good.

Not that there isn’t room for us model fans to improve things - a whiff of airbrush to add some weathering, some finishing work on those wheels and careful interior detailing would help to bring this mini-racer to life, as would roof antennas and airflow splitters.

The Chevrolet Impala is available direct from Scalextric here, or at a considerable discount from Amazon here. Note some mid-season marking changes here.

The pictures above show,top to bottom:
1 Chevrolet Corvette pace car leading the field at the Texas Motor Speedway, April 2009.
2 A classic NASCAR from 1970, Richard Petty’s Plymouth Road Runner Superbird, complete with amazing rooster tail.
3 Scalextric Chevrolet Impala, 2009.

Superbird picture courtesy ‘ckirkman’ at Flikr.

SCALEXTRIC MERCEDES RACERS

Mat's piece on the Tamiya Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren reminded us that Scalextric produces a fine two-car set to 1:32 scale.

These are motorized slot cars, but the fine presentation pack and high moulding standards mean that they are eminently collectible as scale models in their own right.

For the realism fan, some light weathering would be all that's needed to turn this pair into fine desktop presentation pieces. And note too, that they are both SLRs - the M-B 300 SL 'Gullwing' was a hard-top coupe; the SLR was an open two-seat track racer.

The Scalextric two-car pack is presently available at a good discount from Amazon, here.

SCALEXTRIC - FROM TIN TOYS TO SUPERB SCALE MODELS

The roots of Scalextric go back to 1952, when Scalex clockwork racing cars were introduced, but the brand really took off a few years later, when electric versions were displayed at the UK Harrogate Toy Fair, in 1957. The name changed too, morphing to combine ‘Scalex’ with ‘electric’, and a year later was sold to Tri-ang, which developed the system under the wing of its subsidiary company, Rovex. Today, Hornby owns the brand, and the main manufacturing base is in China.

Comparing vintage Scalextric racers with state-of-the-art ones is like comparing chalk and cheese. Early cars were fine as slot car racers, but were still toys - made with little regard to the finest outline accuracy or detail. Today, the average Scalextric production is a superb mini-model in its own right, with decals and printing that rival anything you could achieve by hand. Inside, driver figures manage to look fairly human, and details such as seat belts are there for inspection.

There’s a choice for collectors and race car fans - buy and slot-race as is; leave in virgin condition as a collector’s item; or get the airbrush out and add some subtle weathering. Or of course, buy three at a time!

Unsurprisingly, Ferrari has always been a popular selection, and the beautifully detailed Ferrari F430 (top two pictures) is presently available at discount from UK online supplier The Modeller. If you like the classic look, eBay has a Ferrari F375 tinplate edition presently on offer. And in September, Scalextrix will release what should be a winner, the Lotus Type 49T, as driven by British driver Graham Hill (bottom).

Visit The Modeller here, eBay here, and Scalextric here.