PROJECT MERCURY GIANT CAPSULE KIT

Mat Irvine reports
19 December 1960 saw the very first launch of a Mercury capsule on a Redstone booster. This short flight (15 minutes 45 seconds) did not carry an astronaut though, for it was a ‘boiler-plate’ capsule (see previous posting on this subject), a test article built to check out systems, from basics like “does it fit on the top of the launch rocket?” to later technicalities, such as checking parachute deployment.

For many years the best Mercury capsule you could get as a model kit was a 1:48 scale version that arrived in a box along with its bigger two-man sibling, Gemini. This was by Revell, and the kit has been around for many years, also cropping up twice under the Monogram name.

But a few years ago, space modelling enthusiast Scott Alexander made the brave decision to design and finance a larger (and ‘larger’ here means ‘a lot larger’) model of this iconic capsule to 1:12 scale, making it four times the size of the Revell kit, so it packs a whole lot of detail.

Scott runs Atomic City Models, but he needed help with manufacture and distribution, so he involved the US company MRC, and the kit carries both names. It can be built as any one of the six capsules that carried astronauts, though the first MR-3 that launched Alan Shepard on his suborbital hop, was slightly different as far as windows and hatch are concerned, but the Atomic City plans include full details of the mods needed.

The kit is mainly in styrene plastic moulded in several colours, though it does have a few parts in metal, and the astronaut figure comes in vinyl. The kit features as one of the detailed builds in my book Scale Spacecraft Modelling in which you will also find a great deal more, such as simple conversions, how to deal with resin kits, designing and building dioramas, and a complete scratch-build of a Mars module.

Scale Spacecraft Modelling is published by The Crowood Press, and is available from Amazon, along with various other books I’ve written here.

SMN note:
Mat’s book is packed with fascinating material, so if you’re after a last-minute Christmas goody, we recommend it highly.

The pictures show, top to bottom:
1 Atomic City/MRC Mercury kit box.
2 The finished model.
3 The model in Friendship 7 markings.
4 Mat’s SSM book jacket.

MONOGRAM WRIGHT FLYER MODEL DIORAMA

After putting together the Wrights article yesterday, Mat Irvine searched through his MMMM (Mat’s Marvellous Model Museum, a place of awe and wonder for any model fan) and hunted out this nice little diorama he built some years ago.

It uses the Monogram 1:39 scale kit as the showpiece, mounted on a 457 mm (18 in) circular base. The ground is a simulation of the dunes in the Kill Devil Hills area, North Carolina, where Orville and Wilbur Wright made their historic flights in December 1903. Note the complex rigging on the model, always an issue with those of us with less than nimble fingers, though not for Mat. Earlier kit issues supplied rigging thread in the box, more recent ones have left you to supply your own.

Mat also looked out some pictures that he took of the actual spot, and the two shown here give you an idea of the area. Note though, that these were taken in high summer - in December, the dunes are somewhat barer and breezier!

The pictures show, top to bottom:
1-3 Views of the 1:39 scale Monogram Wright Flyer.
4 Kill Devil Hill, looking toward the Wright Brothers National Memorial at its summit. The information board in the foreground is placed roughly where the Wrights made their first flight.
5 Closeup of the Memorial Tower, a massive 18 m (60 ft) granite monument that was dedicated in 1932. Out of shot are a marker stone and fascinating visitor centre.

CELEBRATING THE FIRST FLIGHT OF THE WRIGHT BROTHERS

Mat Irvine reports
Today’s the day back in 1903 that Orville and Wilbur Wright became the first humans to make controlled powered flights in a heavier-than-air machine, the Wright Flyer. The morning started with a short hop piloted by Orville (a decision made by tossing a coin) lasting just 12 seconds, and covering just 36.6 m (120 ft). This is less than the wingspan of many modern airliners, but it was a success and the rest, as they say, is history.

Because of its significance, the Wright Flyer has been turned in many a model, from diecast replicas to plastic kits, and perhaps more appropriately, wood and tissue paper kits.

The most comprehensive kit comes from Hasegawa in its Museum Models series. This is 1:16 scale and a ‘multi-material’ kit in that it contains more than one material. Mimicking the original, a lot of the 301 parts are wood and brass with a sprinkling of white metal and plastic. But this model is for the really dedicated, and is not idly called a ‘museum’ model - many actually do end up in museums. It’s not presently in production at Hasegawa, but kits are available from stock in model stores off and online.

Probably the most familiar Flyer is from Monogram. Produced in the early days of the company, it first appeared in 1958, and has been in and out of the catalogues over the decades, so one of the issues should still be found easily. It matches the famous photograph of the first flight in that you get Orville at the controls, with Wilbur running alongside. And that isn’t all, for the bits and pieces of paraphernalia visible in the historic photo are supplied too - launching ramp, starter battery, brush in a pot, workbench, even the g-clamp.

The only thing against this kit is that it’s to a weird fit-the-box scale of 1:39, but in a diorama setting scale is less important and considering its age, the kit still looks good.

So what kits are available off the shelf right now? Not a lot, sad to say, but click the link to find out what Amazon has in store. Best of the bunch is the decent Aviation Archive 1:32 Flyer from Corgi, which comes with figures and takeoff ramp. It’s available at a cracking price here.

The pictures show, top to bottom:
1 The original historic photograph, taken on a plate camera. Although set up by Orville, the shot was actually tripped by John Daniels, one of the local life-savers the Wrights roped in to help.
2 Five issues of the Wright Flyer, with the first Monogram release in the front. The Revell kit at top left was issued in 2003 to celebrate the flight’s centenary.
4 Tonka is rightly famed for its tough tin toys; less well known are its kits, such as this Wright Flyer diorama.

Photographs of the kits courtesy Mat Irvine.

BACK TO THE ORIGINAL ‘Z’ WITH THE TAMIYA FAIRLADY 370Z

We’re looking for new wheels at SMN Towers, and were at the local Nissan dealer yesterday, kicking the tyres of a Note, Qashqai, and an X-Trail. Of course, the one we’d really like would be a late-used 350Z. It’s a handsome brute, but with no room for bikes, cameras, tripods and computers aboard, it can’t be on the IWOOT list, sad to say. We also had a look at the 350Z’s replacement, the 370Z, which is a somewhat dumpy-looking retro version of the original 240Z of 1969, so Mat’s report is a timely one. Now read on...

Report by Mat Irvine
The latest incarnation of Nissan’s Z-car, and the latest 1:24 scale kit from Tamiya, is the 370Z, in Japan known as the Fairlady Z. This is a ‘curbside’ kit, a term derived from US model makers to describe a model car without a separate engine, therefore destined to sit forever by the curb! But even as a curbside, this 370Z (the sixth-generation ‘Z’, released in December 2008) is full of the sort of detail one expects from Japan’s best-known name in modelling.

Although there’s no separate engine, the rest of the drivetrain is fully represented and, given that much of the underside is painted the body colour - in this case I sprayed the car in Chrysler Daytona Yellow from Testors - it’s worth taking time to pick out the details as well. For the interior you get both left- and right-hand drive instrument panels and, given Tamiya’s penchant for detail, there are even separate decals for the speedo in mph and km/h. You’d be hard-pressed to read them, but it’s nice to know they are there. Even the seats differ slightly, left- to right-hand drive, as the driver seat squab changes sides. Two sets of wipers are also provided.

The kit consists of some 100 parts, and is moulded in black, white, and two lots of vacuumed-plated parts - satin and bright chrome - plus the usual clear and transparent red for head and tail lights. These are works of art in their own right, with the clear ‘reversing’ lens being a separate item that fits inside the rest of the red tail light. Finish off with the metallized decals that correctly match the badges and you have yet another example of Tamiya’s Sports Car Series (complete with ‘muscular body styling’) to add to your collection.

The kit was supplied by Tamiya UK distributor, The Hobby Company, which you can visit here. Note you may also see Italeri's new Arado floatplane on the THC site - report coming soon!

The 370Z is also available to purchase online with other Tamiya Nissans here.

The pictures show, top to bottom:
1 Neatly designed kit box.
2 The assembled kit, in Testors Daytona Yellow.
3 Fully detailed underpan.

BOEING 787 DREAMLINER FIRST FLIGHT

And there she goes! Congratulations, Boeing.

And now let's see some really ace kits and models please!

BOEING 787 DUE TO FLY TODAY

She’s years late and way over budget, but finally Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner is ready for flight. As planned, the twinjet should take to the air later today from Paine Field Airport, north of Seattle, US.

Taxi tests earlier this week were successful, and Boeing’s big baby even lifted her nose briefly, though not before the test pilot had applied speed brakes to avoid an accidental liftoff. You can see this, and hear the roar of the thrust reversers in the video above. The 787’s a pretty plane by any standards, and while those engines - airlines have a choice of Rolls-Royce or General Electric designs - may be massive, they will be incredibly economical and low on emissions too.

For model fans however, there hasn’t yet been too much activity on the kit front where the 787’s concerned. An exception is Zvezda, a Russian company that already has a neat 1:144 scale 787 in production, and which is slowly filtering into the retail supply chain. As you can see from the component layout pic above, it’s a relatively simple kit of an important aircraft for which Boeing already has some 840 orders, and is well worth adding to any collection of 1:144 scale airliners.

Good luck to the 787 on her first flight today, the second major first flight this last week, after the European A400M airlifter.

Visit Zvezda’s interesting range here.

Zvezda's kit is becoming available at model stores and online suppliers; there's also a much smaller 1:400 Gemini Jets 787 you can see here.

Video courtesy David Parker Brown.

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.

REVELL-MONOGRAM FIRST-HALF 2010 RELEASES

Here’s a look at what Revell-Monogram US has in store for us in the first half of 2010.

There’s a decent mixture of old and new there, with some nostalgic faves present, including three personal ‘couldn’t afford it at the time’ items - the Corporal tactical missile with launcher to 1:40 scale, the F-82 Twin Mustang to 1:72 scale, and the Red Knight of Vienna to 1:8 scale, complete with splendid golden eagle atop his helmet. If you’re into creature features, then the not-so-scary Creature from the Black Lagoon may tempt you too. Enjoy!

A400M AIRLIFTER MAKES FIRST FLIGHT AT LAST

The European A400M military airlifter, falling roughly midway in size between the 'Fat Albert' Hercules and the jet-powered C-17 has - at long last - made its first flight.

For air-buffs, it's been a race (with betting on some aviation sites) as to whether the A400M or Boeing 787 Dreamliner would be first (or second) into the air. Well today that particular race is over, with the years-late and way over-budget A400M finally turning from a paper project into real aircraft. Boeing meantime, promises a 787 first-flight before the year ends - it could come as early as next Tuesday.

As for us model fans, well we're still waiting too, so come on Revell-Germany - these aircraft have to be right up your street for 2010 release! In 1:144 scale, an A400M would make a good partner for the neat C-17 already available. The same goes for the 787, with rumours indicating we could see a model of this next year too. Once again, there's a bigger kit already out there, in the form of the A380 double-decker, so please let's get that 787 out of the world of dreams and into scale reality!

FORD’S SKYLINER GAVE YOU THAT '93 MILLION MILE HEADROOM' FEELING

1958 Ford Skyliner Retractible Hardtop
by DwightFrye

Report by Mat Irvine
It may be a chilly December day here at SMN Towers, but the sky is blue and wouldn’t it be nice to have a folding hard-top to see more of that sunshine? Such cars are available and all owe their ancestry to the Ford Skyliner, the first car to feature a ‘convertible hard top’. A way-out idea in the 1950s, the concept has since become standard fare from manufacturers such as Peugeot, Ford and Vauxhall-Opel.

The Skyliner’s folding system was mega-complex, involving no less than seven motors, ten power relays, eight circuit breakers and nearly 200 m (600 ft) of wiring, all to move the hardtop roof completely in and out of the trunk. The video above demos you the lot in full working order.

The full-size car was produced from 1957 to 1959, and Revell made a kit of the last year of production, with a completely working roof. OK, you had to move it by hand, but given that this was in the early years of model kit production, it was still a masterpiece of engineering. It has been reissued a few times over the intervening years – including the ‘Skip’s Fiesta Drive In’ series and was later reissued in the Selected Subjects Program Phase 9 (Winter 1995). Revell-Germany’s 50th anniversary range also featured the car, so examples could still be around.

The pictures show, top to bottom:
1 Kit boxes from top left anti-clockwise - original, followed by more recent issues and most recent top right.
2 Roof retraction sequence of the Revell kit.

The kit is not made at present, though we tracked down a reasonably priced one on offer at eBay here.

SHADES OF RENWAL’S VISIBLE MAN - CLEAR PARTS LET YOU LOOK INTO THE SOUL OF YOUR MODEL

Decades ago, the US Renwal company came up with the bright idea of making a transparent model that revealed the insides of its subject, a 3D version of the traditional cutaway book illustration. The Renwal Visible Man was a big success, and was soon joined by the Visible Woman (though without private parts to allow her to give birth), the Visible Engine, and others that included even a Visible Dog.

Apart from these early stalwarts, transparency has been largely ignored by manufacturers over the years, but the magic of ‘seeing inside’ is still there, and the latest convert to the idea is Trumpeter. Its big 1:32 scale Fairey Swordfish is absolutely a gem in this department, with a transparent port fuselage section that allows you to gaze inside the ‘stringbag’s portly form. You can mask off parts for painting, to reveal more or less of the interior, as you wish.

The recently introduced MkII Swordfish joins the already available MkI, and is packed with detail, has a wingspan of some 433 mm (17 in) and has a box stuffed with no less than 373 components. Wire bracing on biplanes has become a near-standard fixture on ready-built models such as those of Corgi, but here on Trumpeter’s Swordfish, you get to do it yourself with a supplied wire bracing set. Never the easiest of jobs, at least the big 1:32 scale helps, though this reviewer will pass on the job to a more nimble-fingered craftsman.

All in all, a fine addition to the ranks of see-inside models, and an excellent kit of a World War II classic aircraft.

Visit Trumpeter here.

You can buy the Trumpeter 1:32 scale Swordfish MkI here.

FAST JET FROM ASIA - TRUMPETER COMBAT AIRCRAFT KIT TO 1:48 SCALE

Two of Asia’s important powers - China and Pakistan - are locked in a techno-race in many areas, especially in nuclear weapons, but they also join hands on various projects, including the combat aircraft called the PAC JF-17 Thunder in Pakistan, the Chengdu FC-1 Fierce Dragon in China.

The ThunderDragon (as we’ll call the single-engine jet here for simplicity) looks much like a cross between the US-designed F-20 Tigershark and F-16 Fighting Falcon, but there the similarity ends, as design and development have been carried out in-house, and the engine is a Russian Klimov RD-93.

ThunderDragon’s first flight was from a Chinese air base back in 2003, but development went well and the first production aircraft was handed over to the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) just last month. The first squadron is due to be fully operational with the PAF early in 2010.

So Trumpeter’s 1:48 scale kit of this aircraft is well timed for modern jet combat model fans. It’s a biggish model, scaling out to some 297 mm (11.7 in) long with a wingspan of 199 mm (7.8 in). There are 235 plastic parts, plus some components on a small photo-etch sheet. All in all, a kit that will sit interestingly next to its contemporaries from Russia and the West.

The pictures show, top to bottom:
1 Chinese aviation magazine cover.
2 Trumpeter box-art
3 Three of the nine component runners.
4, 5 Pre-production cgi images.

Visit Trumpeter here.

You can buy the JF-17 Thunder/FC-1 Fierce Dragon from model stores and online suppliers here.

CORGI 1:43 A40 FARINA - A DIECAST FOR NOSTALGIA BUFFS

The square-cut Austin A40 Farina was first introduced in 1958, when the British car industry was riding high. Even so, the styling was given to the Italian design house Pininfarina, to add some fizz to the looks of the dumpy and curvacious model that preceded it. The A40 was a pretty good handler, and was entered successfully in races such as the trans-Europe Monte Carlo Rally, which was a big event of the time. Still, half a century on, the A40’s not exactly a charisma queen, though it has its followers.

But for anyone who has an interest in cars of this era, Corgi’s 1:43 diecast is a pretty fair rendering of the Mk 1 ‘Countryman’ version, which can lay claim to being one of the first (maybe the first) hatchbacks on the market. Corgi’s car has the smooth bonnet (US readers note: ‘hood’) design - the other style had twin flutes which added some visual interest - and is finished in a mid greeny-blue which matches the original shade of Sutherland Green pretty well.

Should you add one to your line-up? Well, it’ll fit in nicely with a 1950s-1960s collection, and as A40 Farina models of any sort are something of a rarity, it’s probably a must-have for the completist. As for me, I’ll take a Ferrari or a Mustang!

The pictures show, top to bottom:
1 Corgi 1:43 Austin A40 Farina.
2 A40 Farina showing the fluted bonnet design.
3 An A40, modded for racing work.

Take a look at the Austin A40 Farina Countryman at Corgi here.

Corgi’s race and police versions of the A40 are also available, here.

EXPERT GUIDE TO THE IPMS SCALE MODELWORLD 2009

Above and top right you'll see the Expert Guide Library box - and in here is Mat Irvine's view of the IPMS (International Plastic Modeller's Society) UK Nationals, held at Telford a while ago.

Just click on the Expert Guide cover image - NOT the 'Shelf by Issuu' tab, which goes somewhere else entirely for some reason (we're still experimenting).

Assuming all goes well, you should find that the Scale ModelWorld Expert Guide should pop out in magazine-style double-page spread form. Navigate with your mouse according to the instructions and enjoy. There's also a 'superzoom' button at the top which gives you even bigger closeups.

Tip: For best viewing, after you get into magazine mode, click the 'full screen' button at top left.

MORE TAMIYA EXCELLENCE WITH THE R/C DELTA INTEGRALE

It’s Tamiya time again, as the Japanese company rolls out its 1:10 scale Radio Control Lancia Delta Integrale (top pic above). If you like Jeremy Clarkson’s ‘Top Gear’ TV series, then you may have seen the recent edition featuring Lancia’s many oh-so-desirable cars, including the square-cut Delta Integrale. It was a rally winner many times over, and still runs as a modern classic in events such as the 2007 Deutschland Rally (middle picture).

As for Tamiya’s R/C Integrale, it comes well up to the mark, scaling out at some 407 mm (16 in) long, which makes it a chunky beast indeed. It’s fair to say that the lightweight plastic body is nowhere near as detailed as an injection-moulded kit, but from a short distance away, the effect is very realistic indeed. And with such a low centre of gravity, cornering is likely to be roll-free except in the most extreme manoeuvres (erm, confession time - the SMN Crew really, really likes bad things like that).

Enjoy the video too, and crank up those speakers for a suitably rock n roll sound track!

The Delta Integrale will be available soon, and is of course only one of many Tamiya R/C vehicles, some of which you can see here.

FIGURE IT OUT WITH TAMIYA’S 1:35 AND 1:48 MILITARY SCULPTURES

Tamiya has long been well regarded for the excellent sculpted figures included in its kits. And now there are two more sets for model fans to enjoy. First off is a group of World War II US Navy figures to 1:48 scale. You get a trio of kneeling pilots poring over a chart before a mission, plus a pair of standing pilots looking on. In shirtsleeve order are two groundcrew lugging an ammo box. And to finish the set off nicely, an aircraft tug is provided, complete with driver. All in all this group will do a lot to enhance any 1:48 scale US Navy scene of the era.

The second Tamiya set is to military 1:35 scale, and the main feature here is a 109 mm (4.3 in) long Volkswagen Kubelwagen in desert sand finish, complete with officer and driver at the wheel. Three more figures set off the little Kube nicely, and as with the US Navy set, this group will enhance any North Africa combat diorama of the era.

Incidentally, the name Kubelwagen was short for ‘Kubelsitzwagen’, meaning ‘bucket-seat car’. The rear-engined vehicle could reach around 80 km/h (50 mph), and was widely used by German forces throughout World War II. It was designed by Ferdinand Porsche for VW to assemble - more than 50,000 were produced from 1940-45.

These two sets will be available through model stores and online suppliers; meantime there are various Kubes available already, including those shown here.

THE HAMEX MODEL EXPO - H-DAY VIDEO RELEASE

The HAMEX (Hanslope Model Expo) went off OK, and for a first-time event it really seemed to do the stuff. Mat Irvine demonstrated Doctor Who’s K-9 robodog and showed groups of science fiction enthusiasts various props and models from BBC TV series that he has worked on, including Blake’s 7 and Moonbase 3.

We made the quickie video above with an iPod Nano, which gives pretty good results bearing in mind it’s little bigger than a stick of chewing gum. The tiny machine is particularly impressive for its closeup abilities - even in fairly dim lighting the pimple-sized lens can give sharp results when recording objects as close as 20-30 mm (1 in) away. Simply amazing, especially when paired with the iMovie video editing software that comes free with any Apple computer.

Take a look at iPods here.

WHAT-IF? SPACECRAFT FROM FANTASTIC PLASTIC

We’re great fans of ‘what-if?’ scenarios at SMN, so the latest 1:72 scale kit from Fantastic Plastic really hits the spot. It features a spacecraft design that was certainly real enough, but that may - or may not - have been built and flown. During the 1960s, the US Air Force Flight Dynamics Laboratory (AF-FDL) built several small test models to discover the optimum shape for hypersonic re-entry from Earth orbit. Some reports suggest that several of these FDL concepts were blown up to full-size test vehicles. Among them was the FDL-6, a 10 m (33 ft) long spacecraft built under contract with Lockheed.

Drawn from official USAF documents, this new FDL-6 kit depicts the manned version of this top-secret test vehicle, as it may have been carried in (and flown out of) the Space Shuttle's cargo bay in the early 1980s. The 23-piece kit was created exclusively for Fantastic Plastic by BLAP! Models and includes a detailed cockpit with ejection seat, landing gear and markings for either a NASA test craft or operational U.S. Air Force version. The final model measures 114 mm (4.5 in) long.

The 1:72 scale FDL-6 is now available for $70 USD, plus shipping. Find out more at the Fantastic Plastic Virtual Museum Store here.

The pictures above show:
1 FDL-6 kit art
2 Parts laid out
3 One of two possible marking schemes.

HAMEX MODEL EXPO - H-MINUS ONE DAY...

The HAMEX co-hosted event is on tomorrow Sunday, November 29. If you’re in reach (there’s a map on the link below), it’ll be well worth coming.

HAMEX (Hanslope Model Expo) model-master Mat Irvine, will be showing his BBC Special Effects models and props, including the Doctor Who K-9 robodog, the Liberator spacecraft from the classic Blake’s 7 TV series, and a world-first: space models from the 1973 BBC science fiction series Moonbase 3.

UPDATE Mat will also have some spacecraft models from the ultra-long running astronomy series 'The Sky at Night' hosted by Sir Patrick Moore CBE. Mat will also run question-and-answer sessions at 1130 and 1430, when K-9 will be rolling around!

HAMEX co-host Paul Fitzmaurice of Little Cars will be showing tools and accessories for model makers.

Scale Model News will display a range of items from the SMN vaults, plus a slide show.

Check out the Hanslope Model Expo here.

Check out Little Cars here.

If you like spacecraft models, check out the interesting Space Craft Science Kits site here.