AMAZING MINI STRANDBEEST KIT - JUST BLOW GENTLY AND IT WALKS ON BY

WE FEATURED THE DELIGHTFUL wind-powered Strandbeest, created by Dutch artist Theo Jansen. And now a Strandbeest is available as a kit from Gakken, a highly regarded Japanese publisher.

BIG 1:6 SCALE ROBOT B9 FROM THE ‘LOST IN SPACE’ TV SERIES

THE ROBOT B9 FROM THE 1960s TV series 'Lost in Space' is one of the best-known screen robots, though its role often seemed to consist mainly of flailing its arms around, while intoning the warning, “Danger, danger, Will Robinson.” However, Robot B9 is an iconic design and one that’s welcome as a 1:6 scale kit from Moebius Models.

NEVER SAY DIE - BLUE BEETLE RETURNS AS THE BLUE BANDITO 1:24 SCALE MONOGRAM CUSTOM CAR

THIS IS ONE OF Monogram’s classic 1:24 scale Hot Rod kits, originally released in 1964 as the Blue Beetle, but now renamed the ’29 Ford Street Rod Blue Bandito.

TOMORROWLAND: A WORLD BEYOND

THIS TRAILER FOR TOMORROWLAND: A WORLD BEYOND marks the movie as one that we're looking forward to very much.

Disneyland visitors may recall that Tomorrowland was an important part of the original California theme park, and to lure you in, a third-scale Moonliner stood on its three landing legs, resplendent in the red-and-white markings of TWA (Trans World Airlines).

PONY CAR REVIVAL - 1:25 SCALE FORD MUSTANG-BASED MALCO GASSER FROM MPC

This is an MPC reissue of a 1:25 scale drag racer kit, “Ohio” George Montgomery’s Malco Gasser. The Gasser is based on a 1969 Mustang, but the body shape is where the resemblance ends, as everything else is pure dragster.

EARTH vs THE FLYING SAUCERS: WE COME IN PEACE - NOT!

Atlantis Models seems to be vying for the title of ‘model company making the most saucers’, with this latest UFO addition, the Attack Saucer from the 1956 movie Earth vs. The Flying Saucers.

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.

ADIOS TO SHERIFF ROSCO COLTRANE FROM THE DUKES OF HAZZARD

The modelling world lost one of its ‘characters by association’ with the death of American actor James Best on April 6, 2015. The modelling association is that although Best featured in over 40 movies and appeared in nearly 300 episodes of various TV series, it is one of the latter, The Dukes of Hazzard, for which he will almost certainly be best remembered.

COLLECTING VINTAGE PLASTIC MODEL AIRPLANE KITS

HERE'S A GOOD-LOOKING BOOK that's of interest to any kit enthusiast, and particularly if you have a pile of unbuilts keeping a corner of the house warm.

REVEALED: RENAULT ALPINE VISION GRAN TURISMO AUTO CONCEPT

IF ALL RENAULTS OOZED THE APPEAL OF the performance cars above, then SMN would have a line of them outside the front door.

INCOMING ROCKET - GLENCOE MODELS THOR MISSILE TO 1:87 SCALE

I HAVE BEEN ASSISTING Glencoe Models with up-and-coming reissues of two Adams launch rocket kits, Thor and Vanguard. Here is an exclusive first look at one of these, the Thor IRBM (Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile), a kit that was first released in 1958, along with the Vanguard.

HELLER KITS 2015 - INCOMING FRENCH BEAUTIES, AND MORE BESIDES

HELLER, THE BIG NAME IN FRENCH model kits, seemed to go though a few years of uncertainty after the separation from Airfix-Humbrol, with a shrinking catalogue and little in the way of new kits. However, in 2015 Heller appears to have a new lease of life.

WHEN IS A BOAT NOT A BOAT? WHEN IT’S A REVELL HOT ROD HYDRO!

ANOTHER ANSWER TO THE HEADLINE question could be, “When it’s a car.” For this is how model companies have usually treated powerboat kits - as an extension to their model car catalogue. 

THUNDERBIRDS ARE GO - MODELS THAT MADE IT BIG

WE MOSTLY THINK OF MODELS as miniature versions of the real thing, 1:72, 1:48, 1:87 and so on. Well, every now and again, the models get their revenge and make it the other way round - from small-size original to full-size 1:1 realization.

REST IN PEACE DAVID CARLOCK, 1937-2015

A SAD LOSS TO THE modelling world is Dave Carlock, who died recently, aged 77. For many years Dave worked for the AMT Corporation when it started in Troy Michigan, then he went to Ertl in Dyersville, Iowa, and most recently, Testors in Rockford, Illinois.

SPRINT INTO SPACE WITH THE AOSHIMA 1:200 SCALE EPSILON LAUNCH ROCKET

Aoshima seems to be the only kit company coming up with regular brand new items in the real-space field. This one is the tenth in its Space Craft Series, and features the Epsilon, Japan’s latest launch rocket.

BACK TO THE FUTURE WITH THE 1:24 SCALE FUJIMI FUTURE CAR

IF THIS MODEL LOOKS familiar, it should be, for is it is a renamed Police Spinner from the classic science fiction film Blade Runner, already made as a kit by Fujimi. 

1:25 SCALE REVELL KIT OF ED ‘BIG DADDY’ ROTH ’57 CHEVY BEL AIR

REVELL HAS REISSUED its original 1:25 scale 1957 Chevy Bel-Air kit as one of the creations of zany car customiser, Big Daddy Ed Roth, the ‘Rat Fink’ himself.

RIP DISCWORLD AUTHOR SIR TERRY PRATCHETT 1948-2015

IT’S WITH SADNESS THAT WE REPORT THE death of fantasy writer Terry Pratchett, who died on March 12, 2015, aged just 66.

RETRO ROCKET FLIES AGAIN - LUNA FROM THE MOVIE ‘DESTINATION MOON’

WE’VE FEATURED THE LUNA rocket from the 1950 movie Destination Moon before, but this new kit from Pegasus Hobbies assembles to make the tallest model yet. Luna comes in the accepted rocket scale of 1:144, so can be stood next to a Space Shuttle or Saturn V for comparison.