ONLINE AUCTION FOR THE AMAZING ANDY YANCHUS MODEL COLLECTION

BRUNEAU AUCTIONEERS ARE PUTTING UP FOR SALE the First Stage of the Andy Yanchus Model Collection.

'THIS ISLAND EARTH' SCI-FI METALUNA MUTANT FROM ATLANTIS MODELS

 

WITH MOST SCALE MODEL NEWS REVIEWS, we deal first with the model, then maybe go into a few intriguing details that we hope are of interest. But with this new Atlantis kit, we have approached it the other way around, as things are not anything like straightforward.

FAREWELL TO ANDY YANCHUS, MODEL EXPERT AND PROJECT MANAGER AT AURORA MODEL KITS

A NAME THAT WILL BE familiar to many modellers, Andy Yanchus sadly died in Florida on 11 September 2021.

HALLOWEEN TREAT: THE MUNSTERS LIVING ROOM KIT FROM POLAR LIGHTS

 

IT’S HALLOWEEN AGAIN and here’s a chance to look at a kit that definitely fits the idea of ‘spooky.’ 

STROMBECKER CLASSIC KIT HISTORY FROM MAX'S MODELS

ANYONE WITH A NOSTALGIC MEMORY for classic Strombecker kits will enjoy this vid from Max’s Models.

LOOKING BACK AT ANDY YANCHUS AND AURORA

HERE'S A BIO-VID FROM Max's Models, and it makes fascinating viewing of a man who was heavily involved with one of the classic names of the plastic kit industry.

RAY MEYERS, A TALENTED SCULPTOR BEHIND AURORA FIGURE KITS

RAY MEYERS, who sculpted Aurora figure kits in the 1960s and 1970s, passed away on April 7, 2015. Meyers’ deft hands gave Aurora models incredible detail and when they were assembled, an appearance of hugely realistic and dynamic motion.

HO HO HO - ’TIS THE SEASON TO MAKE MODELS OF SANTA, AND TO WISH ALL OUR READERS A HAPPY CHRISTMAS AND SPLENDID FESTIVE BREAK

HERE’S A QUESTION you could ask a fellow model maker: “Has there ever been a model kit made of Santa Claus?

NEW KITS FROM ATLANTIS - ANIMALS, PIRATES, GLADIATORS AND MORE

From Mat Irvine:

One of the newest of the ‘new companies’ with connections to the original Aurora company is Atlantis, the model-kit arm of Megahobby, an online hobby distributor with the declared aim of bringing plastic modelling: “back to the level of popularity it once enjoyed.”

Atlantis is run by Pete Vetri and Rick Delfavero, who have cemented the Aurora connection by using as consultant long-time Aurora Project Manager, Andy Yanchus.

REVELL CUTLASS KIT - UPDATE AND EXTRA INFO

Mat Irvine reports
Old friend Andy Yanchus in New York, past Project Manager at Aurora, and a kit historian - with a much wider knowledge than me - points out that the Revell Germany Classic Kits reissue of the Chance Vought Cutlass F7U-3 (see SMN July 3) is not from the actual original. The very first version Revell tooled up was the F7U-1, which had a more pointed nose. In addition, and as was common with these very early kits, it had no cockpit or undercarriage. However it did have a stand, a simple two-piece design moulded in the same colour as the main parts.

Added details
However, Revell soon upgraded the Cutlass, along with the two other fighter kits it manufactured, the Lockheed Starfire and Grumman Cougar. These featured ‘new-fangled’ details, such as a cockpit and undercarriage. At the same time, the Cutlass tooling was changed to the later version, which had the more rounded nose.

Revell swivel stand
At the same time, Revell replaced the original stands with a transparent type with swivel top that would be standard-issue with all its aircraft kits for a good number of years. These clear stands were made in what are generally called ‘family moulds’, as the same parts can be shared by a number of different kits. In addition, by eliminating the original stand, it allowed Revell room in the tool to add the new landing gear parts and detailed pilot figure. The Sparrow missiles didn’t actually arrive until the third release of the kit, but for this release the swivel stand was omitted.

Mixed-up kit
This new-release Classic Kit therefore mixes up the new details and box art from the second kit, plus the missiles, and the fact that it doesn’t have a stand, from the third release. Now add in the brand-new decals, and you have an interesting melange!  

The pictures show, top to bottom:
1  The Cutlass now issued in Revell’s ‘Famous Artist Series’, noted by Andy as Chuck Coppock, with a 1961 issue date.
2  Richard Kishady’s artwork was far more dramatic, as were his many other excellent kit-box paintings.
3  Revell’s second issue of the three-fighter set. Complete sets are usually rarest (aka ‘most expensive’), as they almost always get broken up into their component parts.
4  A two-piece stand of the type that would have come with the first Cutlass kit. This one belongs to the F-94C Starfire but, with an appropriate name change, they would have been the same.

Thanks to Andy Yanchus for the information, and for photographs 1, 2, 4.

You can view the Revell Cutlass here. Note that the 1:60 is not quite right - careful calculation puts the actual scale at nearer 1:59.

There’s more on the artists Revell has used here.

ATLANTIS MODELS - A NEW MODEL NAME FROM MEGAHOBBY

Report by Mat Irvine
It’s a brave person who starts a new model company these days - but that’s what not one, but two guys in Long Island, New York, have done, namely Pete Vetri and Rick DelFavero.

Pete and Rick run Megahobby, a mail-order company that supplies a wide range of model materials. But now they have decided to look at relaunching many out-of-production kits, especially those from Lindberg and Aurora, and to create the new company name Atlantis for marketing the kits.

Aurora returns
Rick and Pete have also employed the talents of long-time model maker and kit historian, Andy Yanchus of Brooklyn, NY, who was for many years Project Manager at Aurora. Andy has been helping Rick and Pete out, not only with background information, but also in building box-top models and designing the artwork. To date, Atlantis has issued three kits - two UFOs first issued by the small company Light Force, and the old Lindberg Flying Saucer.

Flying Saucer
Although (relatively) recently reissued by Glencoe Models, the 1:48 scale Lindberg Flying Saucer has a particular niche in the space model market, as it is almost certainly the first ‘all-plastic space kit’, first issued in 1954.

The TR-3E Triangular UFO is a 1:72 scale scale kit, with box art designed by Andy Yanchus.

Visit Megahobby here.

Visit Atlantis Models here.

The pictures show, top to bottom:
1  Mat Irvine’s photo taken recently at Megahobby’s warehouse in Long Island. Shown (left to right) are Rick DelFavero, Pete Vetri and Andy Yanchus.
2-3  The Atlantis release of the original Lindberg UFO/Flying Saucer. Note the main artwork is a reproduction of the original Lindberg from 1954, while the back of the box shows the built-up model by Andy Yanchus.
4  TR-3E Triangular UFO box, with artwork designed by Andy Yanchus.
5  Hopefully, a future Atlantis kit - but more down to earth this time - could feature the old Aurora ‘Black Bear and Cubs’.
UFO pictures courtesy Megahobby and Atlantis Models.