COLD WAR WARRIOR RETURNS - MACE MISSILE FROM RENWAL

SMN report:

Mat Irvine spotted the next Revell reissue of a classic Renwal military kit when he was at the iHobby Expo  recently. It will be the futuristic Teracruzer and Mace missile set, and as you will read in Mat’s article later today, there’s been a sea-change at Revell where packaging is concerned.

NEW FROM CORGI - TRAINS, PLANES, CARS

SMN report:

Corgi’s next Aviation Archive diecast release will be a variation on the highly successful 1:72 scale TSR-2 British strike bomber. This one is modelled on the XR220 machine, now on display at the RAF Museum, Cosford. It’s a Limited Edition, with just 1500 in the run, and has extra parts to reflect the stronger landing gear fitted to the aircraft, and the two cameras fitted to monitor gear behavior.

HORNBY STEAMS AHEAD, EXPECTS LONDON OLYMPICS 2012 BOOST

SMN report:

Hornby, owner of the famous Airfix, Corgi, Humbrol, Hornby trains, and Scalextric names, has posted an 80 percent jump in first-half 2011-12 pretax profit, and looks forward to a good result for the next half too, as it eyes a mouthwatering boost from selling Olympic Games-linked products.

IPMS SCALE MODELWORLD 2011 - THIS WEEKEND

SMN report:

The Scale ModelWorld 2011 Show is a big event in the IPMS (International Plastic Modellers Society) diary, and is thought to be the world’s largest model show, in both size and visitor numbers. It attracts thousands of people from all over the globe, and is on today and tomorrow, November 12-13.

SMN’s own Mat Irvine will be there, and there are many other highlights if you can make it, such as:

ITALERI 1:48 SCALE HURRICANE MK I

SMN report:

Is there room for another Hawker Hurricane kit? There are certainly plenty of them around, but this new-tool Italeri kit looks worthwhile, even if it does face stiff competition, not least from Hasegawa’s kit to the same scale.

CLOUD OF KITS FLY IN FROM PEGASUS

Mat Irvine reports from iHobby Expo:

Continuing my look at the new goodies on show at iHobby, this time I'm inspecting Pegasus Hobbies, a company that started off by making glitzy accessories for car modellers, an aspect it still does, but that now also makes aircraft and military models, and is best known for its science-fiction kits.

REVELL 1:32 SCALE SEA LYNX COMING INTO THE HOVER

SMN report:

Another treat is due very soon for helo-lovers - Revell’s new 1:32 Westland Sea Lynx should be released this side of Christmas. Revell is going a storm in big 1:32 scale these days, and a helicopter like this is particularly suited to the size, as there is so much detail that can be packed into the cockpit and interior.

REVELL LONDON BUS AND TAXI KITS ARRIVING SOON

SMN update:

It looks like the Revell 1:24 scale AEC Routemaster London Bus will be generally available this side of Christmas. And better still, the big red double-decker will be joined by a same-scale London ‘black cab’ taxi. Both kits should be in the stores shortly, and by the looks of things, ought to be on any public transport lover's Christmas stocking list.

ITALERI PIASECKI H-21 ‘FLYING BANANA’ HELICOPTER KIT

SMN report:

The Italeri twin-rotor Piasecki H-21 is a 1:72 scale kit for nostalgia-loving helo fans. First flown in 1952, the H-21 was flown by half a dozen air arms, and numerous civil operators, so the choice of markings for this kit is large.

EARLY REVELL MAXWELL CAR KIT - A TRIBUTE TO FAMED US COMEDIAN JACK BENNY

Mat Irvine reports:

I’ve just got back from an interesting US trip, and while there collected a number of items, which I will write about in the weeks to come. To start with, here’s the Revell Maxwell Auto ‘Action Pull Toy’, an oddity from the early days of Revell, with links to US comedian Jack Benny, whose weekly radio show ran from 1932 to 1955. 

IPMS SCALE MODELWORLD 2011 - A MUST-VISIT SHOW FOR MODEL FANS

SMN update:

The Scale ModelWorld 2011 Show is heralded as: ‘The Greatest Model Show on Earth’. It’s certainly a mega-event that the IPMS (International Plastic Modellers Society) reckons is the world’s largest model show, in both size and visitor numbers. It attracts thousands of people from all over the globe. So keep your diary free for next weekend, November 12-13.

THREE HOT 1:10 SCALE RADIO CONTROL CARS FROM TAMIYA

SMN report:

Radio Control is a mega-popular hobby-cum-sport, with the widest possible range of models to choose from - helicopters, combat planes, ships, subs, tanks, cars - you name it, there’s a wealth of choice.

MOEBIUS MODELS AT THE 2011 iHOBBY EXPO

Mat Irvine reports:

The 2011 iHobby Expo show took place from October 20-23, at the Rosemont Center, near Chicago, Illinois. It's an amazing place to visit, as it showcases a mind-boggling array of model and hobby products. 

COMING SOON - DEEP DIVING SHINKAI 6500 SUBMERSIBLE IN TWO SCALES

SMN report:

The Japanese Shinkai 6500 is the world’s deepest-diving crewed submersible. It’s capable of going down 6500 metres (4.03 miles), carrying two crew and a researcher inside the titanium pressure hull.

And now there are two upcoming kits of this interesting DSV (deep-submergence vessel), one at 1:48 scale from Bandai, and a 1:72 scale kit from Hasegawa. Both should be available soon.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN WITH MODEL ART THAT’S GOOD ENOUGH TO EAT

SMN report:

Here’s something unusual, and a little different from the usual SMN line, but as Seattle-based artist Christopher Boffoli has used a range of model rail figures in his works, that’s a good excuse for us to have a closer look.

HASEGAWA MASCHINEN KRIEGER ROBODOG ‘GROSSER HUND’

David Jefferis reports:

Here’s more from the Ma.K (Maschinen Krieger) science-fiction 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.

Hasegawa has been leading the way with excellent Ma.K kits, and the latest in the line is the new-tool ‘Humanoid Unmanned Interceptor Grosser Hund.’ Grosser Hund (Big Dog) will be to 1:20 scale, and have 196 components. Many of these, particularly the limbs and head, will be moveable using Hasegawa's neat poly-cap system.

ROARING ALONG FOR DECEMBER RELEASE - HASEGAWA 1:24 SCALE MINI COUNTRYMAN

SMN report:

Car fans should be pleased with Hasegawa’s December release of the Mini Cooper S ALL4 Countryman, a mouthful that indicates the 4-wheel drive sporty version of the biggest Mini in the range. Hasegawa has released a 1:24 scale kit of this newish vehicle, which will have 104 components. When fully assembled the Hasegawa Mini Cooper S will measure 173 mm (6.8 in) long.

AHOY THERE! REVELL ‘VASA’ SWEDISH SAILING SHIP ON THE HORIZON!

David Jefferis looks at a new marine kit:

There’s another interesting ship kit due from Revell with the release of the Vasa, a 17th Century Swedish sailing ship. To the unusual scale of 1:150, the model will be 455 mm (17.9 in) long when complete. The component-count is 330, and the Revell Vasa should be in the stores by December. These pictures show test shots of the kit.

BOEING 787 FIRST COMMERCIAL FLIGHT WITH ANA - BUT ARE YOU GOING TO BUILD A KIT FROM REVELL OR ZVEZDA?

SMN report:

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner has - after many delays - finally gone into passenger service, with the first fare-paying flight by lead airline customer All Nippon Airways (ANA). Years late, the Boeing twinjet is now rewriting the rules for lightweight construction, fuel economy, and passenger comfort. 

ATTENTION CAPTAIN SCARLET FANS - AIRFIX ANGEL INTERCEPTOR APPROACHING CLOUDBASE NOW!

SMN update:

It’s good to report that Airfix have reintroduced an old sci-fi classic kit, the Angel Interceptor from the Gerry Anderson supermarionation television series Captain Scarlet, first shown in the late 1960s. It’s to 1:72 scale and is an ultra-simple build, with just 23 components to assemble. From canard-equipped anteater nose to Spectra-Fan air ramjet tail, the model measures some 185 mm (7.3 in) long.