DESTINATION MOON ROCKET FROM FANTASTIC PLASTIC

GEORGE PAL'S DESTINATION MOON MOVIE of 1950 was a classic of its kind. The acting was rather indifferent, but it did have a handsome spaceship, the Luna, looking like a sleeked-up version of a World War II German V-2.

WEIRD WHEELS - WHY DOES REVELL SUPPLY THEM?

As you may have realised by now, we’re fans of today’s non-cement snap-together kits. For the ham-fisted or time-poor, they’re a great way to assemble a model at the speed of light, yet be able to add some finishing touches - a touch of weathering, say - to turn it into a personalised statement that’s a long way from being a toy.

We’re enthusiasts of Revell’s Easykits, especially the Star Wars hardware. The 1:100 scale aircraft from Revell are reasonable takes on the real thing, if simplified somewhat. The Panavia Tornado IDS (box, top pic) is beautifully pre-finished in Tiger Meet markings, with a tailfin and rudder that form, quite simply, a small work of art. Components are neatly presented on two runners (middle pic), and need only a little fine trimming when twisted off. The clear canopy is supplied separately in its own bag, so there’s no chance of scratches in the box.

So... after all that care and effort producing the rest of the kit, just WHY Revell, do you supply three crummy bits of inaccurate plastic purporting to be the undercarriage of this Euro-attacker? The parts (bottom) bear no relationship to any aircraft flying today, and what’s worse, are supplied as standard issue with other aircraft in the range, such as the bright orange F-4 Phantom II. It’s bizarre!

Of course, assemble this Tornado in cleaned-up flying condition, and it will look just fine, though you’ll have to provide your own stand. Score: Components 7/10, Markings 9/10, Wheels 0/10.

There's a good range of Easykits to inspect here.

TAMIYA SUPERDETAIL SPITFIRE NOW RELEASED

We were talking Spitfires in mid-September, when we saw that Tamiya was showing its brand-new 1:32 scale Mk IXc at the Tokyo Hobby Show. And now the little beauty is officially on release. As the pics above show, the Spit is loaded with mouthwatering detail, in particular the 12-cylinder Rolls-Royce Merlin engine. The engine cowling panels are pretty much to scale and to achieve this are just 0.4 mm (0.01 in) thin. You can remove them easily to show off the Faberge jewel-like Merlin that Tamiya has crafted.

There’s also a highly-detailed cockpit and a neat little 16-page booklet, packed with reference pics taken by the Tamiya team when they were researching the model. The aircraft is marked JE-J, which was the Spit flown by Royal Air Force ace James ‘Johnnie’ Johnson, and Tamiya’s sculptors have done a pretty good job in creating a fair likeness of him to 1:32 scale.

The Mk IX is pretty much SMN’s favourite Spitfire, so the Tamiya kit will be given a workout in the near future, if only to check Tamiya’s ‘most accurate yet’ claim.

The Tamiya 1:32 Spitfire will be available from stores and online suppliers very soon. Meantime, if you can’t wait - or would simply like to graze a Spit or three - there’s a tasty lineup for you here.

Pictures courtesy Tamiya.

FORD RACING CAPRI TO 1:43 SCALE FROM CORGI

First off, let’s just say that Corgi has made a decent fist of the Ford Capri Mk3. Shape and proportions are pretty good, with neat detailing to the wheels. The real thing is generally reckoned as the best all-rounder of the Capri series, various models of which were made from 1961 to 1986. The Mk3 in particular was a well-balanced good-looker, and fitted the bill as a Euro-size mini-Mustang pony car. These days it’s reckoned as a collectible classic, though some still run in anger on circuits and dragstrips.

It’s a mystery why Ford let the model die - the Capri really ought to be in its Mk6 or 7 version by now - but there are rumours of a rebirth in a year or two’s time. Come on Ford! And another mystery is Vauxhall/Opel's great-looking Calibra - why did the company drop it so suddenly a dozen years ago?

Rant over, and back to the models. A trawl through SMN’s Vault of Ancient Models revealed the Tamiya 1:24 scale Zakspeed Capri, which was finished with a dinged and dented ‘dirt and grime’ look. The kit was a good one to build with absolutely no fit problems, and a driver figure that looks just right in the cockpit. The kit came complete with a rear-mounted electric motor that can still drive the soft rubber tyres. The real thing had its engine upfront, but at least Tamiya's neat underbelly detail included the bottom of the engine.

The pictures above show:
1 Corgi Capri Mk3, 1976 race winner.
2 Capri powered up for drag meets.
3, 4 SMN’s own Tamiya 1:24 Capri.

Amazon has a range of Capri models here - look out for the original ‘hairdresser style’ Ford Consul Capri from the early 1960s. Amazon has the Corgi model featured above at a small discount.

eBay has some Tamiya Capris on sale here, and there's also an attractive-looking photo-etch detail set from a Belgian seller.

HALLOWEEN HORROR'S EVE GREETINGS TO ALL MODEL FANS

Yes, it’s that time of year again, with ghosties, ghoulies and things that go *bump* in the night. And for model makers a chance to use a chunkier knife, and dispense with the airbrush, paint, filler, cement and scalpel.

So here’s a science-fictional quartet of pumpkins for your delectation. Have a good one tonight!

Note that one of the pumpkins is a steampunk creation, so just to let you know that the Museum of the History of Science in Oxford, UK, has an amazing show running until February 21, 2010. If you have even a smidgeon of interest in the genre, and can possibly get to Oxford, do go - it’s just amazing. Visit the Museum here.

The pictures above show:
1 Cylon pumpkin, from Battlestar Galactica.
2 Death Star pumpkin, from Star Wars.
3 Steampunk pumpkin.
4 Mobile pumpkin, motorized with Lego.

SMN thanks the pumpkin creators - imagination runs rampant in the spectral model making community!

AIRFIX 1:72 SCALE DAMBUSTERS DIORAMA DISPLAY

Barnes Wallis, inventor of the bouncing bomb used in the World War II raid against a series of enemy dams, died 30 years ago today, so it’s a fitting moment to see how kit makers have treated the subject. The video shows a longish clip from the 1955 movie of that raid, The Dam Busters.

A new Dambusters release from Airfix should certainly be on the ‘maybe treat myself’ list as, although it’s marked as a gift set that includes paints, cement and brushes - and indeed as a Level 2 (8 years-old and up) product - the draw is really the potential display-factor. The kit comes complete with a fairly realistic German dam, with a 1:72 scale Avro Lancaster flying over the top. Strictly speaking, the dam is somewhat undersized but even so, the combo will make a fine talking piece, especially if side-lit by a small desk lamp in a darkened room. It’ll look impressive, as the dam measures some 432 mm (17 in) across.

The Lancaster itself is a fair representation of the real thing, though the 1:72 scale Revell kit is more accurate and cheaper - but you don’t get a dam in the box. Tamiya’s big 1:48 Dambuster is packed with detail, but is pricey, and has a few inaccuracies too. So there’s no one perfect kit, though there are aftermarket conversions available, mostly aimed at improving the Airfix kit. Your choice!

A brief afterword on packaging - congrats to Airfix on the steadily improving look and feel of its kit boxes. The latest ones show that there are people who seem to really care about design and marketing.

The pictures above show:
1 Airfix Dambusters kit.
2 Barnes Wallis.

Barnes Wallis picture, courtesy IWM/PD-BritishGov.

The Airfix Dambusters gift set is available from Amazon here.

Revell and Tamiya Dambuster Lancs are available here.

MINICRAFT CATALOGS FREE ONLINE

Minicraft is a respected name in plastic models, and their catalogs - general and this year's - are available for download in pdf format. They’re big files mind, but the general products one in particular has some gems.

In this, there’s a reminder that Minicraft is one of the relatively few companies that offers those Cinderellas of the model world, general aviation lightplanes. Minicraft makes a small range of Cessna, Piper and Beech aircraft to 1:48 scale, which are neat and tidy replicas of the real thing.

A Cessna may not be as exciting as an F-16 loaded for bear, but even so, every collection should have one or two GA planes, if only for comparison. It’s tempting though, to apply camo markings, then hang some attack hardware under the wings and fuselage. Hey, SMN’s being aggressive again, but if we’re being honest, plain old ‘white with a stripe’ is not so thrilling.

There’s another item in Minicraft’s selection that strikes a chord - a really nifty rendering of Noah’s Ark. It’s a good size at some 470 mm (18.5 in) long, but the real kicker is that it includes heaps of cross-sectional detail, including three decks, living quarters and animal cages.

A figure of Noah and some animal pairs are included, but this must show an early moment in filling the big boat, for Minicraft supply just 16 critters, hardly enough to restock a post-Flood planet! Come on Minicraft, you should add a zooful, plus Noah’s family, even if they have to be in an add-on pack. Minicraft products are available at model stores and online suppliers.

Click here to download Minicraft range brochures.

Amazon has a range of Cessnas, from 1:72 kits to RC flying models here.

SPACESHIPTWO ROCKETS IN FROM FANTASTIC PLASTIC

To the world's spacewatchers, progress on Virgin Galactic’s sub-orbital space program has been little short of phenomenal, and test flights of the spacecraft-carrierplane pair are due to begin soon, with passenger flights planned around 2011.

Becoming a sub-orbital astronaut won’t be cheap, but should provide the thrill of a lifetime for anyone (like this reviewer) who has spaceflight in their blood. Tickets to ride are currently priced at $200,000 USD (£122,000 GBP), with deposits starting at 10 percent. Around 250 would-be astronauts have already plonked down their moolah.

The latest offering from Fantastic Plastic (FP) is considerably cheaper - $75 USD (£46 GBP) - but should provide the space model fan with an impressive display piece. Even at 1:144 scale, the 29-piece resin kit spans more than 290 mm (11.5 in). It’s worth pointing out that you are on your own with markings on this one - trademark issues have meant that FP have not been able to provide Virgin Galactic logos.

Even so, the kit looks fascinating, and we’re looking forward to adding one to the SMN collection.

The pictures above show, top to bottom:
1 SpaceShipTwo separating from the VMS Eve carrier plane.
2 The parts for Fantastic Plastic’s kit.
3 View of the kit in built-up form.

Visit Fantastic Plastic here.

Visit Virgin Galactic here.

AMAZING NANO-SIZE TRAIN BEGS THE QUESTION - WHAT IS A MODEL?

At barely 6.35 x 3.18 mm (1/8 x 1/4 in) in size, New Jersey model train builder David Smith’s tiny train must be in the record books for the smallest ever - it works out to 1:35,200 scale. It’s not a feature in its own right however, for it represents a model train running inside an already small Z gauge 1:220 scale display. Wow!

In fact the five-car ‘train’ consists of an oval of trimmed and painted plastic, moving by means of a small motor. And this has raised queries on at least one internet site, with people suggesting that because there are no separate three-dimensional components such as locomotive, carriages and track, then perhaps it shouldn’t count as a ‘model’ at all.

Well in SMN’s book, it is certainly a thing of wonder, and there’s nothing in the book against making a two-dimensional model, so David Smith gets our vote for sheer amazingness, if nothing else. You’ll find out how he pulled the trick off in the fascinating video above.

For more conventional model train enthusiasts, there’s a selection to enjoy at Amazon here.

JAMES MAY TOY STORIES BOOK PUBLISHED SHORTLY

The success of the BBC TV series Top Gear is a worldwide phenomenon, but the three presenters, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May also have lives beyond motoring mayhem.

The TV series Toy Stories features presentation by James May, and includes such fascinating events as the creation of the world’s biggest Scalextric circuit, a 16-km (10 mile) stretch of model railway, and the building of a 1:1 scale plastic Spitfire kit, a clip of which is shown in the video above.

May’s relaxed style goes well with the subject and it’s a treat to see toys and models featuring on TV screens - we enjoy a popular hobby that’s been virtually ignored by broadcast media over the years. Toy Stories airs on BBC 2, starting this Tuesday, October 27.

And to go with the series, which was shot over summer 2009, here are a book and a DVD, both definitely worth a look.

Buy the Toy Stories book on offer here.

There’s also a DVD of the series, due out end-November. You can pre-order it here.

EXCELLENT BARE-METAL FOIL HOW-TO BLOG

Techniques report
SMN’s always been in awe of those model makers who create hyper-real miniatures using the metal foil technique. Done well, it’s a way of transforming a plain ol’ plastic model into something else again.

So here’s a link to a fascinating blog article by modelmaker Ken Friend. It’s packed with useful information and detailed knowledge should help you with techniques for a good finish.

Note that Ken’s info is on the fascinating Old Model Kits site that specializes in exactly what it says - it’s a jaw-dropping treasure trove of desirable goodies from past times.

There are too many OMK items to list here, though one fave at SMN is the 1:72 scale Revell Fokker E.III kit featuring art by ace British artist Brian Knight. This was one of a UK-only range, and Knight’s superb work was its main draw for this modelmaker at the time.

Visit Ken Friend’s article on foiling at Old Model Kits here.

Visit the Revell E.III at OMK here.

54mm LITTLE CONTEMPTIBLES FROM NEW ZEALAND

David Jefferis reports
For anyone interested in 1:32 scale aircraft and 54mm figures, New Zealand’s Wingnut Wings provides a bunch of extremely attractive models.

Wingnut’s focus is on World War I, and the aircraft are really quite excellent. But what we’re looking at here are the 54mm figures, named Little Contemptibles. They are nicely sculpted, and are grouped in diorama-like sets - the pair featured above are in the box labelled ‘Under the Line’, and represent a part of trench warfare that must have been ghastly, with constant danger of tunnel collapse being just one of the dangers.

The Wingnut Wings figures are cast metal, so have a good heft to them, and are neatly painted, ready for display.

They are available from the Wingnut website here.

FEELING BLUE? THEN NOSFERATU IS THE VAMPIRE FOR YOU!

Mat Irvine reports
I was watching The Simpsons recently, and it reminded me that there was a kit I’d acquired some time ago, but had yet to build.

It was a figure in the style of the old Aurora kits, of a subject that Aurora perhaps should have done, the original vampire movie of 1922, named Nosferatu for copyright reasons. Later versions of Count Dracula by Bela Lugosi and Christopher Lee set the benchmark for what a self-respecting vampire should look like (it was good enough for Grandpa Munster, after all), but the German actor Max Shreck’s portrayal of Nosferatu was far more frightening, even though - or maybe because - the movie was black-and-white and the vampire was seen mostly only in shadow.

The Canadian model company Monarch Models, run by Scott McKillop, is one of the companies often cited as the ‘new Aurora’, along with Polar Lights and Moebius Models. Monarch’s Nosferatu has been nicely produced in the style of the original Aurora company, even down to the vertical blue box. The only real change is that the instruction sheet is in full colour, whereas Aurora’s would have been black and white.

The features of the model match Max Schreck as Count Orlok, aka Nosferatu the vampire. He is shown descending the steps to his cellar, with added features (again typical of Aurora) that include a spider, centipede, human bones and a couple of rats. There’s also a version that includes luminous parts, which is just as well, as the standard version has a 'Sold Out' sign.

Oh, and The Simpsons reference? Mr Burns of course. Apart from having an uncanny likeness to the undead, he actually took on the role in Treehouse of Horror IV, which briefly featured a scene with a passing nod to Nosferatu.

The pictures show (top to bottom):
1 Monarch kit box.
2 Box and parts.
3 Nosferatu assembled on base, blue skin and all.
4 Colorized frame from the 1922 movie. btw German director Werner Herzog made an excellent 1979 remake, which is well worth a look if you’re into the genre.

Visit Monarch Models here. You may have to reload the page, as it seems to be a bit iffy at the moment.

DVDs of the movies are available on Amazon here.

AIRFIX 1:24 SCALE MOSQUITO BUZZES CLOSER

Probably the most eagerly awaited 2009 kit is the 1:24 scale de Havilland Mosquito from Airfix. We’ve had tantalizing ‘it’s coming along’ dripfeeds through the year, but now the on-sale date is actually in sight.

Glimpsed in the online newsletter of the Collecting Friends website (founded by Airfix expert and author Arthur Ward) is a nice little pic of TV presenter James May of TV’s Top Gear fame. And there, on top of a Bentley box, is... the Mosquito. And what a clean machine it looks too. Very nice, so pre-orders in now folks - it looks like a winner. IWOOT.


The pictures above show:
1 Factory-fresh Mosquito lineup during World War II.
2 James May (left), Arthur Ward, and the Mosquito.

James May picture courtesy Collecting Friends.

Visit Airfix here.

If you can’t wait to build a Mossie, some other kits and bits to go for are here.

Visit Collecting Friends here.

iHOBBY EXPO OPENS THIS WEEK

Here’s a must-visit zone if you’re in reach of Rosemont, Illinois - the iHobby Expo opens later this week, running from October 22-15. It’s an annual fest that is a popular trade meeting ground, with public days on Saturday and Sunday; kids under 10 go free, which makes family visits easier on the pocket.

This year - it’s the 25th anniversary show - more than 200 vendors are displaying their wares, and there are many extra displays, including the World Micro Heli Cup, the Phoenix Cup Wild Card Airplane Competition, and Chibots, the Chicago Area Robotics Group.

Many familiar companies will be there, including Bachmann, with its superb larger scale model railroads. The video above (great music!) shows how today’s Bachmann products are absolutely state of the art, with detailing and operation on the featured 4-4-0 locomotive that’s second to none.

Here at SMN, we’ve been particular fans of 0n30 gauge for years, and definitely have a soft spot for Bachmann’s little 0-4-0 locos to this scale, and of course the quite excellent sloooow-running Climax.

Visit the iHobby Show here.

Visit Bachmann here.

There’s a pile of Bachmann stuff available on eBay here.

RADIO-CONTROL BIGGIES FROM TAMIYA - RUSSIAN KV-2 TANK AND ITALIAN 500 RACER

Tamiya’s choice to model the KV-2 tank (‘KV’ was short for Kliment Voroshilov, a defence commissar of the time) is quite unusual, as it was one of the rarest tanks of World War II - only about 255 were made. It was a 45-tonner, and massively armoured, but these were downfalls for a fast-moving battle. The KV-1’s turret was so heavy it needed flattish ground to even turn properly, on top of which the tank was quite slow and unreliable.

However, the Tamiya model shows off the ‘Gigant’ well. It’s made to 1:16 scale and is some 443 mm (17.4 in) long. It’s packed with working features, including forward and reverse, steering, gun elevation and target tracking. Even better, there’s recoil action on both the gun and the KV-2’s hull, with recorded engine sounds to bring digital audio into RC tanking.

Coming right up to date with model choices, Tamiya’s 1:10 scale RC Fiat 500 Abarth is a fine replica of one of the best cars to come from this Italian automaker in many years. The real thing is a hoot to drive, and is only marginally outpointed in the handling stakes by the BMW Mini. The Tamiya model is made of ultra-lightweight plastics, and is less of a ‘scale model’ than the KV-2 - it’s an XB-series ready-to-run racer - but even so, it’ll look great on a display shelf until it’s collected some dings and dents on RC race circuits.

Pictures show, from top to bottom:
1 KV-2 Heavy Artillery tank 1:16 scale RC model.
2 World War II KV-2 picture, courtesy German Federal Archive.
3 Fiat Abarth 500 Assetto Corse 1:10 scale RC model.

Both these models will be available shortly from model stores and online suppliers. Meantime, here are some options:

The 500 RC is available now as a factory-fresh street machine here.

The KV-2 is available as a very neatly produced 1:48 scale kit here.

SOME EARLY STEALTH KITS WERE JUST PLAIN WRONG - SO GIVE THEM A TOTALLY NEW LOOK

Reading Mat Irvine’s recent piece on the F-117 Nighthawk had us hunting through the SMN Vault of Ancient Kits for an early iteration of the stealth story - a totally inaccurate kit, made by ...*maybe*... Dragon. But apologies if the maker’s wrong: all we found was a bag containing a sorry mixture of runners and parts, not even any instructions. Do let us know if you can identify!

But we’re not necessarily down on the imprecision-perp, as few details of the Nighthawk were available in the early days, and the kit was probably prepared from no more than a few blurred photos. However, this one is so spectacularly incorrect that it merits a new life as something else entirely. So here’s what we did with the poor beast.

The SMN crew is a huge fan of Japanese anime (animation) and in particular Akira, a 1988 sci-fi epic set in Neo-Tokyo, a near-future dystopia, and a movie that’s an acknowledged classic of its kind. Akira is awash with high-tech devices - orbital laser platforms, cryogenic chambers, hyperbikes - you name it, it’s probably in there somewhere.

So it seemed a good idea to recreate the feel of post-apocalypse anime with our old pile of parts. After a simple assembly, several coats of satin white covered the airframe, after which various bay doors were picked out in ink, and the canopy area painted with bare-metal aluminium finish. Akira and Manga logos were clipped from a DVD info sheet, and attached in suitable places. Then it was time for Photoshop...

And this involved more than a dozen picture layers, including speed blurs, explosions, smoke, sky, the aircraft and more. But we had fun and hope you like the result.

Look out for the upcoming SMN Freeebook Nighthawk for more info on this, and of course more accurate F-117 models.

The pictures above show, top to bottom:
1 A four-ship flight of real-deal F-117s.
2 Ventral view of our bogus F-117 shows a wing planform that’s far too steep. The real thing has much more sweepback.
2 The SMN Akirahawk braves heavy enemy fire as it approaches Neo-Tokyo on a bomb run.

For a selection of new stealths, try the link here.

Akira, in both movie and printed form, is here.

AIRFIX MODEL CLUB OFFERS A MEMBERS-ONLY SEAFIRE KIT

We’re not great joiners of things here at SMN, but another look at the Airfix Club has made us think twice.

Annual membership buys you a badge and membership card, various discounts, an Airfix catalogue, a Flying Hours Passport token collection scheme, and the quarterly magazine, samples of which are shown above.

But the real come-on is the members-only model kit, which combines three 1:72 scale aircraft in one box. A Swordfish torpedo bomber and Wildcat fighter are interesting enough, but the real kicker is the third aircraft, a Seafire MkIIc, which is available only in this kit.

The annual sub comes in three membership scales, for the UK, Europe, and Rest of the World. UK members have the option to receive hardcopy magazines and catalogue at extra cost.

The pictures above show:
1 Club magazine jacket sample.
2 Club magazine spread sample.
3 Club-only kit box.
4 Seafire on the deck of HMS Formidable

Seafire picture, courtesy IMWA.

Visit the Airfix Club here.

HERE'S ANOTHER CHANCE TO VIEW THE SMN FREEEBOOK

Some of you had the odd issue viewing the 'freeebook' of the SMN dummy we produced a while ago.

Sooo... here's another try, in a slightly different format. You should be able to view it above as a tiny, clicking on the small white triangles half-way up the sides to turn the pages, or you can click the 'full-screen' button in the middle to view the freeebook at a decent size.

It's best not to press the 'Menu' button though, as that leads to all sorts of other stuff. Enjoy!

STEALTHY STARS AND STRIPES - ITALERI’S COLOURFUL F-117A

By Mat Irvine
It’s 26 years today since the Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk went into service with US forces, though it was another five years before the ‘stealth fighter’ was revealed to the public.

At first the F-117A seemed rather like a Model T Ford - you could have it in any colour as long as it was black. Since then however, the aircraft has been painted in various shades, including this colourful version with stars and stripes adorning the underside.

The kit comes from Italeri, last major bastion of the Italian model kit industry, (though it has acquired one of the others, Protar), and is a version of Italeri’s existing 1:72 scale kit. Two schemes are provided - both have the flag, but one has black upper surfaces, the other features low-visibility grey. The stars of the flag are provided as one decal for the nose area; for the stripes you need to paint white first, then apply seven red decal strips when the paint has dried. Otherwise, Italeri’s model assembles easily, with no real difficulties.

I made the diorama above to show the F-117A flying near the vast Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, which houses many secret US aircraft projects. Whether any are based on ‘alien technology’ is a question I’ll leave for now, but all the ‘black’ (secret) projects have likely been tested here, from the U-2 spyplane to the SR-71 Blackbird and the F-117A - and probably others still to be revealed.

One place near Nellis, (and I’m talking ‘relatively’ near, as you cannot approach the base closely) is the small town of Rachel, Nevada. Outside Rachel, you will find the ‘white mail box’, infamously thought to be linked to secret UFO goings-on, and my diorama shows this, plus a jeep and its driver, waving to the pilot.

Back to the kit, and one small point: the back of Italeri’s box lists one aircraft as coming from ‘Groom Lake, New Mexico’. In fact, the lake is within Nellis Air Force Base, so it should be Nevada. ‘Groom Lake’ is one of the shorthand names often applied to the whole place – along with ‘Dreamland’ and of course, ‘Area 51’...

The Italeri F-117 is available from stores and online suppliers, including Amazon here.