WEEKEND MODEL WINDOW

Weekend Model Window is an occasional spot to show you some interesting stuff we've come across recently. 

The 1:43 scale Ferrari F40 is a Herpa plastic readybuilt, full of detail and a beautiful little product that sold to a lucky eBay buyer recently. 

The Messerschmitt Me163 Komet diorama was created by SMN star Mat Irvine, and very neatly done, too.

BIG-SCALE LONDON BUS KIT COMING LATER THIS YEAR

Mat Irvine reports

I made a quick trip to the London Toy Fair at the end of January, and one of the biggest surprises of my visit was to find Revell-Germany announcing a 1:24 scale London Transport RM Routemaster double-decker bus plastic kit. Often suggested as an idea - and I recall there were rumours back in the 1970s that Airfix was planning such a venture - but the general consensus was that it would have been far too large a kit, and so that put the kibosh on the concept.

BRIGHTON MODELWORLD 2011 OPENS THIS FRIDAY, OPEN ALL WEEKEND

David Jefferis reports

Here’s something for Brits to visit by the seaside from Friday to Sunday, Brighton’s ModelWorld Exhibition, which trails itself as the model show that: ‘has to be seen to be believed’. This is the 33rd show, so it’s certainly been popular down the years.

Victoriana at the ModelWorld

Brighton ModelWorld should have something to suit everyone, from model trains and RC tanks, to scale aircraft and cars. A previous year’s exhibit featured a charming model of the Volks ‘electric tramroad’ that trundled along the beach in the early 1890s. 

LITTLE AND LARGE TYPHOONS INCOMING - REVELL PROVIDES 1:32 AND 1:144 OPTIONS.

SMN report

The big, 349 mm (13.7 in) wingspan 1:32 scale Eurofighter Typhoon is an imposing beast when you open up the box. It’s got 391 parts, a fuselage length just short of 500 mm (19.7 in), and it’s a completely new mould, with decent surface details and recessed panel lines. The level of detail rivals Revell’s other big-scale kits, with an 11-piece ejector seat, moveable canards,  jet nozzles in two configurations, detailed air brake, landing gear and bay, plus separate ailerons, flaps and rudder. 

This Typhoon is ready for combat

ECM pods are provided, as are the in-flight refuelling probe optionally extended or retracted, and two drop tanks. Revell has really gone to town with the weapons fit, with a total of 14 missiles ready for bear - four Meteors, four AMRAAMs, two Sidewinders, two IRIS-Ts, and finally a brace of ASRAAMs for the RAF version. There's also a maintenance stand with supports and suspension points to display one of the two EJ200 engines. Decals for the German Luftwaffe and British RAF round out the kit.

ST. VALENTINE’S DAY REMINDER TO ALL MODEL MAKERS - DON’T FORGET THE SIGNIFICANT OTHER IN YOUR LIFE!

SMN note

Model making (if you discount doll’s house miniatures and the like) is an overwhelmingly male activity. We’re not sure if there has ever been any serious research into the ‘why’ of this, but it’s true nevertheless. So, here’s a reminder for all Scale Model News readers that, much as we all like our favourite hobby, let’s not forget those significant others out there!

On the other hand, let’s not forget our scale models either, in the form of the really rather tasty Eurofighter Typhoon from Revell. Another large scale kit, this one looks good straight from the box, with potential to be a showstopper, so more pix next post.   

CORGI TOYS TIE-UP WITH BLOODHOUND SSC LAND SPEED RECORD ATTEMPT

David Jefferis reports

Interesting news from Corgi that the company is linking up with the British Land Speed Record (LSR) team, headed by former record-holder Sir Richard Noble. The team's aim is to build the Bloodhound SSC jet-and-rocket-powered car, its target, to smash the current LSR with an amazing 1000 mph (1609 km/h) two-way run - that’s a Mach 1.4 machine, running at ground level! 

Model maker and Bloodhound SSC partnership

Corgi’s role is to be the official toy and model partner for a series of replica models of the Bloodhound, as the vehicle is developed into its final record-ready form. So there should be a mini-collection opportunity for tech-hungry diecast fans.

Bloodhound SSC at the Farnborough Air Show

I saw the Bloodhound display at the Farnborough Air Show last summer, and took the set of iPhone pix shown here. It’s a hugely impressive project, even if the Farnborough Bloodhound SSC was only a life-size development mockup. The Bloodhound's triple-engine technology is a complex combination of EJ200 turbofan engine, a type normally seen powering the EFA Typhoon combat jet, plus a hybrid Falcon rocket motor. Fuel for the EJ200 and Falcon is pumped by a third power plant, an 800 bhp racing engine.

Construction on the real car started just a few days ago, the aim being to have it ready for runway trials in Spring 2012. If all goes well with the trials, then the Bloodhound SSC team will move on to high-speed runs in South Africa later the same year. There’s a choice of 14 possible sites for the actual LSR attempt, but that final choice is not yet finalized. 

Corgi Bloodhound SSC model

The sneak peeks above show what Corgi has in mind for the Bloodhound SSC. It looks pretty good, but we’ll wait to see if the finished thing is a match for Corgi’s excellent scale aircraft, which is the sort of standard we’d like to see at Scale Model News. Fingers crossed then!

LAST-EVER BATTLESHIP COMING SOON IN 1:450 SCALE

SMN report

Talking of Hasegawa, there’s an interesting naval kit coming up soon: a 1:450 scale model of the British battleship HMS Vanguard. The attractive box art shows Vanguard sailing past the Rock of Gibraltar, and Hasegawa promises a 150-component parts count in the box. It should be worth looking out for, not least for its historical appeal. The photograph shows a much smarter and more shipshape vessel than Hasegawa's somewhat rusty version, but maybe that's a touch of artist's license!

Too late for the war

HMS Vanguard was ordered in 1941, launched in 1944, but not commissioned until August 1946, 13 months after the end of World War II. She was the last battleship built in the world, and the Royal Navy’s biggest and fastest. She was broken up for scrap in 1960, after a peacetime career in which she never fired her guns in anger.

This is the first plastic kit of HMS Vanguard, but it’s a pity the scale is 1:450, instead of 1:700 or 1:350, which are starting to become the warship kit standard scales. Still, as a one-off, the kit should be worth having.

HASEGAWA Ma.K SCI-FI SERIES ‘NUTCRACKER’ HOVER-TANK FLOATS ACROSS OUR MODEL SHELF

David Jefferis discusses

Long-term readers will know how enthusiastic we are of science-fiction models, and in particular the Hasegawa kits featuring the Ma.K (Maschinen Krieger) sci-fi universe, first created in the 1980s by Japanese artist Kow Yokoyama. Ma.K is set in the 2800s, with a storyline based on the fighting between various factions as the Earth repopulates after a nuclear war.

Hover-tank ahead

Thanks to Hasegawa, Ma.K models continue to be released, and now we have one with real appeal for armoured fighting vehicle fans. The 1:35 scale PKH 103 Nutcracker hover-tank is a neatly crafted addition to the Ma. K range, and a delight for all sci-fi buffs, with bolts-and-rivets steampunk overtones into the bargain. As envisaged, the Nutcracker (once named ‘Nutrocker’ btw) is a robotic AFV with no humans aboard - but to make up for that lack, Hasegawa supplies a pair of new-tool troopers wearing armoured Battle Suits. These are works of model art in their own right, and will reward extra care with the brushwork - and like the Nutcracker, are an absolute natural for the war-weary scarred and weathered look.

AIRFIX VICKERS VALIANT DISPLAYED AT NUREMBERG TOY FAIR

SMN report

Today's the last day of this year's Toy Fair, and it has certainly lived up to expectations, with many attractive kits due for release through 2011.

British nuclear bomber

Here’s the hotly awaited 139-part Vickers Valiant V-bomber kit from Airfix, just seen on display on the Airfix stand at Nuremberg Toy Fair 2011. The display model has been finished in anti-flash white overall, with the pale RAF roundels that went with that finish. Markings for the ‘Val’ are included for four versions, including a camouflage scheme.

Valiant available soon

The Valiant has been largely ignored by mainstream manufacturers over the years, so it’s good to see the gap filled, at least in 1:72 scale. To this reviewer, the Valiant has always been the Plain-Jane of the British V-bomber trio, but none the less important for all that. The kit will be available soon.

More info from Airfix here.

Thanks to our friends at Toy Collector for the heads-up on this model.

THE TAMIYA TOYOTA LFA 1:24 SCALE KIT AT THE NUREMBERG TOY FAIR 2011

David Jefferis looks at the show and the kit

The German city of Nuremberg’s annual Toy Fair is far and away the biggest of its kind anywhere, with sheer size something of a mind-boggler - the venue boasts some 160,000 square metres (nearly 40 acres!), providing room for nearly 2700 hobby, toy and craft manufacturers to display their wares. Whether your thing is plastic kits, radio-control, model trains, diecasts, they’re all at Nuremberg for your delectation, as are clear pointers to the latest trends in upcoming products.

Visitors at the Nuremberg Toy Fair 2011

This year is the the 61st such show and the organizers are expecting 76,000-plus visitors to visit before the turnstiles close tomorrow. And many of those showgoers will be poring over the wares of long-standing exhibitor, Japan’s Tamiya, which is at Nuremberg this year for the 44th time in succession.

WHAT'S IN A NAME? THE NEW FRANKENSTEIN FROM MOEBIUS

A Mat Irvine review

You had the same situation with the classic Aurora monster kits - all had their own names: Dracula, Wolfman, The Mummy, Creature from the Black Lagoon... except Frankenstein, for it was of course a monster of his own creation, not Dr Frankenstein himself. But over the years the two have ended up as virtually interchangeable names. 

Moebius breeds a new monster in the cellar

Although the original Aurora kit has reigned supreme for nearly half a century, there’s now a new kid on the block, or in this case, monster in the cellar: the new kit of Frankenstein’s Monster from Moebius Models. Some Moebius kits have simply been recreations of Aurora kits, but this kit is brand new. However, it is made in a similar style to those of Aurora, to the same 1:8  scale, and posed in some appropriate scenic setting, but in a completely different location. Also, and although Aurora modelled the actor most associated with the creature - Boris Karloff - pretty closely, this monster bears an uncanny resemblance. It recreates the scene where the creature opens the door to the basement, and in fact the box-art is a still of the same scene from the movie.

Building the Moebius kit

Besides the figure you get a sizable chunk of floor, walls, and cellar door. The overall construction, as is the case with most of this style of kit, is not difficult as the scenery comes in very large chunks of plastic. In fact there are just 32 components in all. Maybe a bit of filler is required on a few of the seams, but in a model like this, these are easy to conceal in folds of the clothing. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY FIGHTING FALCON - THE F-16 FIRST FLEW 37 YEARS AGO

The General Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin) F-16 Fighting Falcon first flew on February 2, 1974, and since its active entry in August four years later, has been in continuous service ever since.

From lightweight fighter to heavyweight attacker

The F-16 was developed originally as a lightweight day fighter, but has evolved into a much bigger, heavier, and more powerful beast since then - it’s now a highly successful all-weather multirole machine  that is flown by the air arms of some 26 different countries. For a jet fighter, production numbers are eyebrow-raising at 4450 manufactured so far, with more orders to come. However, to put that production number into perspective, Russia’s MiG-15 tops the charts with a likely total of some 18,000-plus, though a precise figure doesn’t seem to be available.

1:48 scale F-16 kits to buy

There are more F-16 kits than you can shake a stick at, so we’re just going to pick three of our faves - they come from Hasegawa, and are in big scales. The 1:48 scale F-16E Limited Edition has 146 components, including the conformal fuel tanks that give the aircraft much added range. Aesthetically, they don’t add the the F-16’s dainty looks, but to our eyes, the bumps, blisters, sensors, and other military extras give the aircraft a tough appeal of its own.

F-16 at Red Flag

The Hasegawa F-16i is an Israeli version, also in 1:48 scale. Like the original it has those conformal fuel tanks, very noticeable in the pic above, where you can see a pair of these jets, flying at the 2009 Red Flag combat-training exercise in the skies of the US Nevada Test and Training Range.

GIANT-SIZE REVELL HEINKEL He 111 - DOES THIS MEAN 1:32 SCALE IS THE NEW 1:48?

The Revell He 111 is a BIG bomber in 1:32 scale, and joins the ever-growing ranks of kits in this scale. Whether 1:32 will ever replace 1:48 is a moot point, but it is not too far from the widespread military 1:35 scale, and there are plenty of cars out there too, including Scalextric slot racers, which get more attention to detail and so more model-like (rather than toy-like) with each succeeding year.

What’s the He 111 kit like?

The pictures (courtesy Revell) reveal an attractive model of this World War II medium bomber, with plenty of detail, which looks particularly neat in and around the nose glazing zone. Once assembled, the seams are filled, paint applied, and weathering completed, this could well be the biggest and best He 111 available. It’s good to see tyre and undercarriage detail so carefully attended to, and the bomb bay looks to be particularly well done. In this large scale, it’s fair to say that diorama fans in particular might want (even expect) a pair of detailed engines and more in the way of fuselage interior to be part of the package - in fact (just to dream) how good it would be to see a cutaway version of this kit, along the lines of the U-2540 sub we looked at the other day. Ah well, a future plan perhaps!

DALEK SECRETS REVEALED IN ‘BBC VFX’ BOOK FROM MAT IRVINE AND MIKE TUCKER

David Jefferis turns the pages

First things first - BBC VFX is a thundering great tome that tips the scales at not far south of 2 kg (4 lb) and is an encyclopedic 240 pages from end to end. And in fact, that’s just what it is - a show-by-show encyclopedia detailing the work of the BBC Visual Effects (‘VFX’) Department down the years.

SMN contributor Mat Irvine

The two authors behind BBC VFX are long-time experts in the VFX field. We know Mat well for his contributions to SMN, and for his droolworthy Model Museum, packed with examples just about every kit ever made. Mike Tucker worked at the BBC until 2003, and now runs his own company, The Model Unit, based at Ealing Studios near London.

Daleks to Moonbase 3

So what’s between the covers of BBC VFX? Quite simply, the most complete listings, descriptions, and behind-the-scenes information about virtually every BBC TV show that’s featured the Department’s expertise. Some of these are world-renowned - Doctor Who and the Daleks, for example; others are less well known - I’d never even heard of the 1970s series Moonbase 3, much less seen a show. But famous or not, Mat and Mike have put together a showstopper of a book that is packed with fascinating facts, whatever the TV show they are talking about.

U-BOAT SUBMARINE CUTAWAY KIT FROM REVELL

1:144 scale model makers can home in on the latest Revell nautical kit, the World War II-era U-2540 (‘U’ stands for ‘unterseeboot’, or undersea boat btw). Revell’s kit of this Type XXI submarine - now known as the Wilhelm Bauer - is a neat and tidy rendering of the 76.7 m (251 ft 8 in) original that was launched in January 1945.

Details, details...

The kit reissue contains 163 components, which build up to make a model some 532 mm (20.9 in) long, and for display purposes the U-2540 can sit neatly on the included stand. On deck, anti-aircraft guns, antennas, periscope and snort mast are included. But it’s the cutaway port side that turns this model into a desirable addition to a miniature naval force. As you can see in the pictures, the torpedo compartment, crew quarters, control room, diesel engines, electric motors, and batteries are all present.

GOTHA HEAVY BOMBER THUNDERS OVER FROM WINGNUT WINGS

Every now and again a model appears that simply blows us away, and here we are, duly blown, with the wonderfully detailed 1:32 scale Gotha G.IV from New Zealand’s Wingnut Wings.

Building the Gotha G.IV

The real thing had a wingspan of some 23.7 m (77.75 in), a spread which is reflected on the model shelf, at an extensive 730 mm (29 in). It’ll be a build-and-a-half if you decide to splash out and get one - there are 436 plastic components, plus 22 metal-etch fine detail parts. The instruction book’s 40 pages will help you all the way, and there’s a rigging diagram for those with more dexterity (and patience) than this writer. Wingnut Wings have also included various optional parts, decals for five different aircraft, and a pair of engines that are a work of model art in their own right.

BATMOBILE SOLD AT AUCTION FOR SIX FIGURES

David Jefferis reports

Holy Moley, we like Batmobiles, but $370,100 USD (£232,000 GBP) is stretching the SMN wallet way past breaking point. But eBay buyers certainly didn’t think so, for that’s what the befinned black beast (top pic above) that starred in two Tim Burton Batman movies fetched on Wednesday this week. Mind you, the car - from Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992) - didn’t hit the ‘Buy It Now’ price of $499,000.

Batmobile's atomic engine

For power, Burton’s Batmobile had an ‘atomic-turbine’ engine, with a neat flamethrower-style exhaust, just the thing to toast the toes of an unwary bad guy. The real thing that just found a new buyer has a somewhat more prosaic Chevy 350 cu in engine, though we have to admit even that puts the tiny three-cylinder motor that powers the SMN Ibiza in the shade!

AIRFIX KIT CATALOG 2011 OUT NOW

David Jefferis reports

Aaah... The new Airfix 2011 catalogue reminds me of the classic ‘Bisto Kids’ logo, in which two street urchins are depicted in seventh heaven, as they smell the rich aroma of Bisto* gravy wafting by their noses. Except in this case, the smell is aromatic printer’s ink which leads me to the tasty contents of the 130 colour pages of this publication.

New tool kits

The fast-expanding Airfix range is looking very good indeed, with plenty of new-tool products - in fact, there is barely a page that doesn’t feature something new. The pictures give you just a hint of what’s coming this year, but one thing comes over strongly - there’s a clear interest by Airfix in 1:48 scale, which is especially interesting to me, as it’s ‘my’ scale and is a good match for another keen interest, Bachmann On30 railroad models.

“THUNDERBIRDS ARE GO” - AGAIN!

“Thunderbirds are go!" quickly became a popular phrase for schoolkids when Gerry Anderson’s soon-to-be-famous series first aired in 1965. Featuring ‘Supermarionation’ for its puppet stars, led by Jeff Tracy and his sons Scott and Virgil, plus their glammed-up friend Lady Penelope and Brains the scientist, Thunderbirds was soon an international hit.

To the rescue

Based on the remote Tracy Island, the Tracy family made heroic disaster-rescues across the world, using their fleet of Thunderbirds rescue craft, and also fought the bad guys, especially the loathsome Hood. Even so, only 32 episodes were made - a warmed-over live action movie was released in 2004, but was not a success.

T-Bird stamps

Still, times may be changing, as the UK Royal Mail has a set of T-Birds stamps on sale, and Gerry Anderson (now a sprightly 81 years old) confirmed this week that there is a new TV series in the works. Whether it’s live-action or Supermarionation is something we’ll have to find out.

ITALERI MAS MOTOR TORPEDO BOAT TO 1:35 SCALE

The World War II era MAS - from the Italian ‘Motoscafo Armato Silurante’ (literally, motorboat armed with torpedoes) - is becoming widely available in stores now.

MAS boats were used by Italy’s navy, the Regia Marina, and this very substantial 55 cm (21.6 in) long model is well up to the usual Italeri standard: packed with detail, a neat set of well-printed decals, and a biggish metal-etch fret for super-detail parts. The hull is a one-piece component, always a relief in marine kits, as any trace of warping can make assembly a pain. 

The crew

The real thing typically had anything up to a 10-man crew, so what do they look like in this kit? Well, there aren’t any, and it seems to be standard procedure for Italeri to offer humanoids separately. In fact, so far as ships go, it’s not a bad idea, as many marine modellers prefer to show off just the boat, and nothing but the boat.