SCALE MODEL NEWS

First look at the big Mini: We’re pleased to report that supplies of the Hasegawa Mini Cooper S ALL4 Countryman are available now. The model represents the 4-wheel drive performance version of the biggest car in the BMW Mini range. It’s a 1:24 scale kit of this newish vehicle, and has 104 components in the box. Alternative parts The kit developers at Hasegawa have decided to include two wheel styles, plus parts that allow modelmakers the choice of building the kit in either left- or right-hand drive versions. The kit looks an excellent choice for anyone interested in Minis old and new, and the upright boxy outline of the vehicle makes an interesting comparison with the smaller original car of the 1960s.  Not really a Mini? Purists often complain that the current BMW Mini is not small enough, and that the bigger Countryman range bloats the beast even more. However, it’s no worse than first time round in the 1970s, when the Brits introduced the shed-like Maxi as a mega-Mini variatio...

Tiny treats from Japan: Tending to a bonsai tree is a labour of love that takes plenty of TLC, but Japanese artist Takanori Aiba has taken the whole concept a quantum leap into the model world, by combining live trees with blow-your-mind superdetail scale models. Cool magazine in Japan Aiba has worked for many years in the fashion magazine world, especially with Popeye, a super-cool mag aimed at street-smart Japanese males. However, it’s his model work we’re looking at here, and that hearks back to traditional Japanese imagery and botany more than the uber-fashions of today. Oriental philosophy Aiba has spent years on these beautiful works, described by him as: “an experimental approach to turn out a modern bonsai style that portrays the beauty of spiritual accordance between human and nature in miniature.” That’s a bit of a mouthful perhaps, but words are earned by results, and Aiba hits it big in that department, and comes as a breeze of fresh air in the conservative world of bonsai...

Mat Irvine reports: Apart from the Mona Lisa, the Vitruvian Man pen-and-ink sketch is probably Leonardo’s da Vinci’s most famous image, and something of an international trademark. And it’s now the subject for Revell’s latest Leonardo kit, the only model in the series that represents a more metaphysical side, rather than his designs and inventions. Baker’s dozen build-up Vetruvian Man is the simplest kit so far in the da Vinci series, consisting of just 13 pre-cut wooden parts. Seven of these are for the base and nameplate, which leaves six to create a 3D representation of Vitruvian Man himself. As with the other kits, the wood parts are laser-cut, which leaves a suitably ‘aged’ look to the edges, and the supplied bottle of PVA glue can cement everything together in very short order.  Assembling the base The base is built up first, the box structure held together with elastic bands while the glue dries, then it’s a simple matter of slotting the various circles into place. Impressi...

SMN comment: A glance through the 2012 Revell catalogue reveals a feast of model treats, from standard items to new stuff. And it all looks very tasty indeed. The first new offering that takes our interest is on the front cover, a 1:144 scale model of the Virgin Galactic space travel contender, Space Ship Two and its carrier jet White Knight Two. The pair will form an imposing centrepiece to a space collection, as WK2’s wingspan is 296 mm (11.7 in), a good size for this small scale. Airborne Owl A newly confirmed item is the upcoming 1:32 scale Heinkel He 219 Uhu (Eagle Owl). This exotic looking late-World War II night fighter hasn’t been a subject of too many kits in the past, so to see it arriving in this large scale is all the more welcome. According to Revell’s published spec, the twin-engine He 219 Uhu - the first service aircraft in any air force to have ejection seats fitted - will have a wingspan of 578 mm (22.8 in) and length of 486 mm (19.1 in). Parts counters (like us) will ...

SMN report: Today’s images are a trip back in time to the years 2005 and 2006, when US concept artist and modelmaker Greg DeSantis made a series of compelling fantasy and science-fiction models. However, these were not wood, plastic, or metal creations - instead, they were 3D models created in a computer - for Greg was, and is, a gifted digital modelmaker. Museum of the Improbable To publicize his virtual creations, Greg also created another masterpiece, the Museum of the Improbable, its slogan: “Because reality can be overrated”. Which is surely the sort of byline that can be taken up by anyone who’s keen on the twin genres of fantasy and sci-fi. Models on sale Greg DeSantis made the models for sale as limited edition downloads, and by all accounts that side of things was the success it deserved to be - within a year, sales were complete, but the site itself stays on - and you can go there using the link below. Virtual or reality? Well, if they are virtual, you might ask: “Why are the...

SMN tourist treat: We’re not really dollshouse people here at SMN, but a recent visit to the Roman city of Bath, UK, for software training had us scrutinizing products for enthusiasts of very small houses. Bath itself dates back to Roman times, when it earned the name Aqua Sulis, and its present-day name derives from the splendid baths built by the Romans. So where do modern miniatures come into the picture? Pulteney Bridge The story is all about Pulteney Bridge ( above ), which is one of the very few bridges in the world with shops on it. And cafes too - choose which side of the bridge you wish to be on, then choose your cup of java.  Small store for small items Also on Pulteney Bridge is a tiny shop specializing in dollshouse miniatures - it's the red storefront to the right of the flowers ( above ). As you can see from the pix ( below ), articles on sale range from tiny books, through figures of jesters, pigs, mice and dogs, to that arch-enemy of politically-correct militan...