SCALE MODEL NEWS

REPORT: DAVID JEFFERIS “This is not a toy” declares a stern caption on the box of an interesting kit from China-based Meng Model. Actually, it’s not a real aircraft either, but an 1:72 scale kit of an uncompleted World War II design, the Mansyn Ki-98 pusher-prop ground attack machine - but that makes it all the more interesting! Imperial Japanese Army Mansyn Ki-98 Attack Aircraft The  Mansyn  Ki-98 was a Japanese piston-engined concept, designed by the Manchurian Aeroplane Manufacturing Company towards the end of the World War II. The prototype was under construction when Soviet forces swept into Manchuria in August 1945, and all works including design drawings were destroyed by the retreating Japanese Army. Science-fiction or faction? The Meng Ki-98 kit has been created by, in the company’s words, “...Inference From The Original Design Drawings. Finely Moulded Fuselage Details Make The Model Look Like A Real One.” Which makes the aircraft a fascinating subject for all lovers ...

REPORT:DAVID JEFFERIS Available shortly from Tamiya is this very neat 1:35 scale Simca 5 military staff car. The tiny Simca 5 was a French-built version of the better-known Fiat 500 Topolino, and many of them were pressed into military service during the World War II occupation of France. Neatly produced model The little Simca is beautifully produced, and well up to Tamiya’s usual high standards. There’s plenty of detail, including a driver figure who looks kinda outsized, but that’s actually because the Simca-Fiat was so small - not for nothing was the Fiat 500 nicknamed Topolino, meaning ‘Little Mouse’.  Careful handling required As for components, the picture above shows that the runners hold plenty of parts, many of them tiny enough to need a pair of tweezers for easy handling. But that’s OK - the result looks excellent when built, and would be a surefire hit if used in a period diorama. Big success The original Topolino was a big hit for Fiat, with more than half a million be...

REPORT BY MAT IRVINE: Here I continue my review of the 2012 WonderFest science-fiction and fantasy show, held at the end of May in Louisville, Kentucky - and take a close look at the test shot ( above ) of the huge 1:350 scale USS Enterprise due for release soon. The large scale means that the bridge of the Enterprise is clearly visible (above).  Main runners (below) for the kit.   Mighty starship Jamie Hood of Round-2 showed off the upcoming Star Trek USS Enterprise . This is the original version from the first series, and ‘the best’ as Scotty might maintain, “No bloody A, B C, or D…” The kit is made to a massive 1:350 scale, and stretches some 813 mm (32 in) long. Five moulding colours are involved: two shades of grey and three transparent tints. The Enterprise will be sold under the Polar Lights name, and should be available in October. You even get a tiny Galileo shuttlecraft, seen below next to a business card. Munsters at home Frank Winspur and Dave Metzner...

REPORT: DAVID JEFFERIS The Tobu Department Store is located at the Ikebukuro Station, Tokyo, and is one of the Japanese capital’s largest such stores - and is also venue for the Tamiya Tobu 2012 model contest. Importantly for Tamiya, 2012 is also the 50th anniversary of its first military model, so in the company’s words, “... epic tour de force gathered more than usual.” Well, that’s the Google translation, anyway! Diorama settings The models look truly excellent, and the mini-diorama settings really do add to their appearance. As you can see from the pix we show here, there’s been a wide variety of subjects - perhaps our favourite is the Beatles Abbey Road piece ( above ), mainly for the imaginative vinyl disc mounting arrangement, not to mention the lifelike figures and scooter-mounted music fan. Vertical format display The Bristol Beaufighter ( above ) looks good too, and again we like it especially for the diorama, this time in a curving vertical format, which is particularly nea...

ROCKET REVIEW BY MAT IRVINE Give that the H-IIB launch rocket is the mainstay of Japan’s satellite launch industry it’s somewhat surprising that there has been no kit of it before - this kit from Aoshima is a first. Small scale The H-IIB is number four in the Aoshima ‘Space Craft Series’, and is produced in a small 1:350 scale. Even so, the kit still makes up into a comprehensive model with several interesting features. The pic above shows H-IIB with clear sections. Inside these are the rocket stage and H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV). Clear and white runners, as supplied in bags. Note the small decal sheet in the clear bag on the right. Only two components - the third stage and payload shroud - are moulded in both white and clear plastic.  What’s in the box? You get two runners, one in white styrene with 34 parts, the other in clear with 22, and you can build up the rocket to be displayed in four ways. The H-IIB is not a difficult kit to build, and it’s likely you’ll ha...