SCALE MODEL NEWS

If you like the look of the new 1:24 scale Airfix Hawker Typhoon 1b, then this book by Brett Green looks like an essential must-read. Packed with pictures and info, How to Build... Airfix 1:24 Hawker Typhoon 1b  is available direct from Airfix here , while other useful Brett Green model-build books are also on show at Amazon. Click here for Brett Green modelling books.

One of the major forces behind the designs for spacecraft in the classic science-fiction movie 2001: A Space Odyssey , Frederick I Ordway III, died earlier this month, aged 87. Fred Ordway (above at NARCON (National American Rocket society) in 2002.) was recommended by 2001 ’s co-author, Arthur C. Clarke, to the Director, Stanley Kubrick. Consequently Fred, and his colleague Harry Lange, went on to oversee spacecraft designs that would be technically feasible for the timescale of the movie. This certainly worked, as the movie still ranks with most sources as the, ‘Number One Science Fiction Movie ever made’, much of which stems for the authentic designs used in filming. They still stand up to scrutiny nearly half a century later. Classic wheel-shaped space station (below) from 2001 . Fred Ordway was born in New York City in 1927. From 1960-1964 he was Chief of Space Information Systems at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, where he also taught at the University. ...

Fabbri have produced a whole range of 1:43 scale diecast vehicles in the long-running partwork series, 'The James Bond Car Collection.' Among them is a Ford Thunderbird, which I've matched here today with a somewhat larger 1:25 scale Revell kit. Mat Irvine: The Fabbri diecast car collection (below) was vast - it ran up to 134 vehicles, with accompanying magazines. Among these was the new-style retro-flavour Thunderbird that Ford produced in the early 2000s, number 27 in the Fabbri series. The T-Bird featured in the twentieth James Bond movie Die Another Day , which was what earned its place in the Fabbri partwork. This car returned to what the Thunderbird - 'T-Bird' to its fans - had been all about in its early days. It was a small two-seater sports car, and a competitor to the Chevrolet Corvette. The Corvette always stayed a two-seater sports car, but the T-Bird had moved in 1958 to a larger, four-seat  ‘personal car’ format, and remained that for many years. But ...

THE HASEGAWA 1:72 scale Sukhoi Su-33 is a decent kit of Russia's premier carrier warplane, and today's video provides some good detail shots, allowing model makers to add extra sparkle to this kit. Box art (below) is to a high standard, and it's no surprise to see that it's been painted by  Shigeo Koike , one of the world's grand masters of aircraft illustration. The Hasegawa kit is not brand new, though it's no worse for that. And at least for the time being, it's the only 1:72 scale kit of the Su-33 available. We found this open-the-box video (below) from Russia. We don't speak the language, but it's interesting to watch, all the same. The model pix here come courtesy Hasegawa, and depict the company's 1:72 offering. It comes with 204 components, and comes with two sets of markings, featuring Tiger and Eagle tail logos. The kit is generally up to Hasegawa's normal standards, and even at the relatively small 1:72 scale, still has an assemble...

THIS KIT WAS A GREAT surprise - and a delight to many model makers - when it was announced. Until now, Meng, one of the newer Chinese model companies operating out of Hong Kong, has concentrated mostly on 1:35 scale AFVs and associated military, with a few aircraft in 1:72, 1:48, and 1:32 scales. Now this 1:24 scale kit - a Ford F-350 Super Duty Crew Cab - has been produced to fill a gap that seems to have been oddly missed by the American manufacturers. Mat Irvine: This review will be followed by a buildup in the not too distant future, but until then, let’s have a look at what’s in the Meng Ford F-350 box. What you get is a highly-detailed kit, with full engine, chassis, and drivetrain detail. The four-wheel drive axles are there, and the front wheels are steerable. Box contents (below) include a single chrome-plated runner, a small decal sheet, and peel-off chrome foil for the rear-view mirrors. The cab is a one-piece moulding, with separate floor, side panels, and seats. Even the ...

Here's the online version of the 2013-2014 Trumpeter brochure, which has plenty to read for the avid model maker. Trumpeter’s product line consists of an interesting mix of ships, aircraft, cars and military ground vehicles. The company is based in Zhongshan, China, where design and development takes place. On-site facilities include mould-making, using a production technique that runs from computer aided design in the early stages, all the way to print and packaging of the kit boxes. Trumpeter does outsource a few items, such as photo-etch components, but otherwise all else is normally an in-house job. Trumpeter also produces kits for other brands under contract, including names such as Hobby Boss, Mini Hobby, Fujumi and Pit Road. Click here to visit Trumpeter's English-language homepage. Be patient - it can be a slow loader.

The auction house Vectis has a sale that will include the last major tranche of original Roy Cross Airfix artwork, selected by Roy himself from his personal collection. The Vectis sale is on Thursday July 24, 2014. SMN report: 90-year old Roy Cross was the principal artist for Airfix during the 1960s and 1970s, when plastic kit popularity was at its peak. He created hundreds of images of the world’s most famous aircraft, and other subjects. This week’s sale is quite a haul that includes box art, printer’s proofs, sketches, drawings, tracings and watercolours. For the keen modeller, perhaps the most interesting items are illustrations that never made it to the printer - rejects, roughs, and other original stuff which has never been seen in public. Why has Roy decided to put his work up for sale? It’s mainly to clear studio space, though the prospect of a £20,000 sale total can’t be too off-putting either. Rest assured, any collector who buys a Roy Cross item is on to a winner - his wor...

There's plenty of excellent reading for radio control (RC) enthusiasts in this online version of the picture-packed Model Airplane News. RC flight is now a good option for scale fans, allowing you to not only build your aircraft, but also to fly it too - and mostly at an affordable price. SMN report: The advent of quiet, low-maintenance electric motors has been a game changer for many RC fans. Old-style fuel engines need expert hands for efficient running - and they are noisy, which doesn't make them popular with non-enthusiasts. Speaking from experience, flying a largish multi-motor fuel engine aircraft is not for the faint-hearted. A twin-electric like the PBY (below) is a much easier proposition, especially for those new to RC flight.   Craftsmanship may count with large-scale RC machinery, just as much as it does with plastic kit construction. This is a beautifully-made Albatros biplane (below) based on an original machine that was one of the best known German aircraft of ...

HERE IS A NICELY RENDERED iPhone 6 concept that's been inspired by various leaks and rumours. The present iPhone 5s includes an excellent camera - many SMN pix are taken with one - but if rumours are correct, the upcoming iPhone 6 will be even better. SMN report: This particular concept design features a 4.7 inch ultra retina display, and a redesigned home screen, matched by a  5mpxl front camera and a 13mpxl rear camera, which has enough resolution to shoot video to the latest hi-res 4K standard. Will the iPhone 6 really look like this? We'll have to wait for release in a couple of months before we get confirmation, though there's one thing here that is unlikely to make the cut, and that's the bright - aka garish - gold finish shown. The Apple version has been a very subtle champagne gold that's a little more high-class, in our opinion. The other shades look good though. But can the iPhone perform as a decent snapper for model kits? Or are you best to stay with a ...