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1:8 SCALE ROBOT FROM CLASSIC 'METROPOLIS' SCI-FI MOVIE AVAILABLE FROM X-PLUS

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METROPOLIS IS ONE OF THE EARLIEST and most talked-about science-fiction movies ever made. And now the Japanese X-Plus company has created a 1:8 scale kit of Maria, a female robot that became the film’s most powerful image. Mat Irvine: Metropolis took 18 months to film; director Fritz Lang treated the cast terribly; it was badly received when it first appeared (HG Wells in a review called it “silly”); the leading lady had to do all her own stunts; it involved 35,000 extras; Heath and Safety didn’t seemed to be involved at all; it was recut, losing a quarter of the movie for the American market, and for many years didn’t exist in its original form. But for all that, Metropolis has gone into history as one of the most significant movies ever made. One of the movie’s most memorable images is an early vision of a robot, one generally called Maria. Considering Maria’s significance, it’s surprising that it has taken so long for a conventional model kit of this cinematic creation to be made...
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AIRFIX 2023 RANGE: NEW MODELS FOR ALL

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INTERESTING STUFF FOR AIRFIX BUILDERS this coming year. We'll take the 1:48 scale Buccaneer S2B and Fairy Gannet, but we would really go for a 1:48 scale F-35B. Hey ho, we'll just have to wait for that!
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FABLED FRENCH MANUFACTURER HELLER GETS A NEW LEASE OF LIFE IN 2023

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The French Heller model company has had its ups and downs, but the future looks a little brighter with this news.
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BLUE BULLET! TAMIYA 1:24 SCALE SUBARU BRZ STREET CUSTOM CAR VIDEO BUILD

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SUBARU FANS WATCH THIS! We hope this post-Christmas vid will delight anyone who's into this iconic Japanese auto brand. David Jefferis: The BRZ two-seater in particular has gained many thumbs-ups and awards, not least for its classic simplicity, which makes it pretty much a driver's car, on a par with another Japanese sportster, the Mazda MX-5. As for the kit shown here, well, it's a Tamiya model, so that means a beautifully executed kit that's a pleasure to built. Our current festive project is constructing a resin garage-build of a 1:24 scale steam locomotive, and that means a massive difference in the quality, fit and finish of the components.  Mind you, Tamiya has been in the game for many years, having been founded by  Yoshio Tamiya in   Shizuoka, Japan , in 1946.  The company rapidly gained a reputation for producing outstanding quality models, with superbly accurate detail. The founding philosophy is reflected by a simple motto: First in quality around the wo...
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PLASTIC KIT MODELS HISTORY FROM MAX

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HERE'S A FASCINATING PIECE OF SCALE model history from video maker Max. Enjoy a few minutes with him, especially if you are a baby-boomer kit-maker. 
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EXCELLENT SCHOOLS COMPETITION MODELS AT THE 2022 AIRFIX COMPETITION IN SINGAPORE

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HERE'S A HANDSOMELY MADE BUNCH OF MODELS courtesy of our colleague Peter Chiang, of Hobby Bounties, Singapore.  David Jefferis: The sponsored competition is held annually, and proves that the modelmaking spirit is alive and well in this corner of Asia. The model of HMS Victorious ( below ) has a flightdeck loaded for action. Aircraft on view include a trio of Supermarine Scimitars and a quintet of de Havilland Sea Vixens. Sadly, it looks like a Scimitar missed the deck and is in the drink.  Other pictures here show a wide range of skills, though World War II is clearly the most popular theme and era for these scale modellers. An exception is the neatly made Grumman F-14 Tomcat, finished in the the colours of the IIAF (Imperial Iranian Air Force). These were exported as land-based interceptors to Iran in 1976, and a few are still in service by the present Islamic regime. As always, click a pic for an enlarged view. And click here to visit Peter's Hobby Bounties model store. ...
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INSIDE AIRFIX: A TRIP TO THE MODEL KIT FACTORY IN THE SOUTH OF ENGLAND

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AIRFIX IS A NAME THAT'S BEEN FAMOUS in the plastic kit world for many years. Now here's a fascinating look at the Airfix factory, this video shown courtesy Matt of Model Minutes, which appears on YouTube. David Jefferis: Matt shows you around the present-day Airfix factory, including a close look at the latest 1:24 scale Spitfire Mk IXc kit from the company.  It looks a great kit, somewhat let down for me by not including a pilot figure. Shame that, though maybe Airfix could create a separate pack, to include seated and standing pilots, plus some ground crew figures and maybe even a Jeep and fuel bowser.  Airfix itself goes back to 1939, when it was founded by Nicholas Kove, a Hungarian businessman, to make rubber toys. He selected a name beginning with 'A' as it would appear in the front pages of trade directories of the time. In 1947, Airfix introduced injection moulding, and two years later the company created a Ferguson tractor model, each one used as a sales aid f...
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FROM PLASTIC TO BALSA WOOD, WITH TOM GRIGAT, THE KING OF STOP-MOTION VIDEO

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PLASTIC IS GREAT AS A MODEL-MAKING MEDIUM. But every now and again, it's good to try something new – or old, in this example of that traditional material, balsa wood. David Jefferis: Tom Grigat is SMN's uncrowned king of stop-motion videography, and he's here with one of his movie productions, which is impeccable as ever. The model is a Dumas kit of the short-takeoff Feiseler Storch from World War II. Enjoy! Dumas has an interesting range of kits, and is especially strong in ship models.  Click here for a selection to look at.
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REISSUE OF A CLASSIC REVELL KIT: NIKE HERCULES MISSILE FROM ATLANTIS MODELS

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  RECREATING OLD KITS is a specialism of Atlantis Models, and here the company adds to its nostalgic list with a 1:40 scale missile from the mid-20th century. Mat Irvine:  This is a reissue of one of the classic Revell 'H-1800' kits, so-called as they all started with the reference 'H18xx' – and in fact, this release from Atlantis even retains the original Revell number, H1804.  The kit was first issued as a Revell product way back in 1958, when these sort of SAM (surface-to-air missiles) were being developed to protect the USA against the perceived Soviet Cold War threat. The Atlantis Models reissue is virtually identical to the Revell original, even down to the decals and the box-art, though the box is larger and features the Atlantis logo.  These early Revell missile kits often stated on the box ‘molded in two colors’, white for the missile and dark green or grey for the launcher parts. This was mainly because painting a complete model was rare in those early days...
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JUST ARRIVED - DETAILS OF THE HORNBY TT:120 CLUB

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THE TT:120 CLUB IS ONE OF HORNBY'S i deas to support prospective owners of the newly-introduced 1:120 scale model railway system. David Jefferis : Our TT:120 club membership package arrived in the post today. An impressively chunky envelope contained details of the rewards for joining up. There was an introductory welcome letter, introducing the club and its benefits. These include: A quarterly club magazine, featuring all the latest news and product updates. Hornby TT:120 membership card plus a lanyard and badge holder. Just right for going to club meetings or displays! There was a neat little TT:120 Club pin badge, to attach to a jacket lapel. 15% off orders when buying TT: 120 products directly from Hornby online. However, the main heft in the package was a handsome A4-size 32-page catalogue, entitled Small World… BIG ideas . Full-colour printing on glossy paper make this a pleasure to read, so congrats to those members of the Hornby team who put it together. So the next thing f...
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