SCALE MODEL NEWS

GOOD WEEKEND READING that should make those winter evening model-making sessions much more productive. It's a special online edition of a publication called 'The Weathering Magazine.' There are useful instructions aplenty in the pages of The Weathering Magazine, and decent photography ensures that the results are shown in detail. There are lessons for scale model-makers who are new to the hobby, and plenty too for those with more experience. Nice info given (below) for those who want that well-worn look. It's especially useful for World War II naval aircraft, exposed as they were to the worst of weathers and a corrosive environment. Gorgeous rusty-stain effects on the German AFV (below) add hugely to the general appearance. We'll be expecting to see more weathered winners at model shows in 2015.

THE HAMEX 6 MODEL SHOW takes off once more in Hanslope, UK, this Sunday, November 30, 2014. The show will be masterminded by the boss of modelling tools, paints and accessories, Paul Fitzmaurice. HaMeX 6 will provide a mixture of dealer tables, individual displays and swapmeet goodies. The show should give visitors great variety in a venue that's packed with interest. And of course, there'll be plenty of opportunities for pre-Xmas buys. These pictures are from previous HaMeX shows, and Sunday's event will be more of the same - plus extra-interest items.   For details of the show, click here .

AIRFIX IS MAKING OUR MODELLING somewhat cheaper this week. The Black Friday Sale has started, and there are some amazing bargains to be had, direct from the Airfix website. The Handley-Page Hampden ( above, below ) was a British twin-engine bomber, and has to take a minor medal for design weirdness, featuring a fuselage barely wide enough for a hunky British pilot, let alone someone with a rugby or US footballer's bulk. Congrats to Airfix for featuring the machine in the first place, and it's available now at a massive markdown. The Vickers Valiant was the first of Britain's V-bombers to see service, though the later Victor and Vulcan soon supplanted it in front-line service. However, the Valiant found later success as a photo reconnaissance platform and for air-to-air refuelling. Here Airfix has come up with a nicely made detail-up kit, enabling model makers to produce different Valiant versions with minimal effort.  Top marks to Airfix for these and other bargains availab...

WE ARE GREAT FANS OF OLD KITS AND retro-style box art at SMN, so news that Revell is re-releasing the old Renwal M42 Twin Forty AFV is very interesting indeed. The Revell Renwal Twin Forty kit is produced to the unusual - for AFVs - 1:32 scale. This is rather good actually, as it can sit well with plenty of same-scale Airfix vehicles and any number of aircraft models.  The M42 Twin Forty was an anti-aircraft weapon, mounting two Bofors 40 mm cannon as a 'sky sweeper' firing up to 240 rounds per minute. As such, it is a relevant piece of equipment that would make appropriate shelf-top company for any 1:32 scale Cold War aircraft of the 1950s.  Indeed, the M42 could also be used in a Vietnam War display, as it was recalled into service in 1966, and became a powerful anti-infantry weapon, named the Duster. The kit is reasonably complex, with 175 components and when assembled measures some 180 mm (7.1 in) long. Five figures are included, though these don't have the level...

JAPANESE AIRCRAFT MODELS FROM THE WORLD WAR II era will look good on display, when backed up by this Isuzu TX40 fuel truck group from Hasegawa. Made to Hasegawa's usual meticulous standards, the TX40 has very nicely rendered roof and grille treatments, detailed tyre treads, and realistic fuel lines. In addition, two ground crew are included, along with a full tool set, hand-hauled fire extinguisher and a quartet of fuel drums. There are also eight wheel chocks, in two sizes. Note the careful assembly and paintwork in these Hasegawa promo pix, making an object lesson for us all in the application of 'just enough' weathering detail. The 1:48 scale Isuzu TX40 kit from Hasegawa has 127 components, and the truck measures 120 mm (4.7 in) long when assembled. Note that Hasegawa also makes the similar Type 97 cargo truck, which is also an attractive kit that is a pleasure to assemble and finish. Hasegawa provides 1:72 scale versions for smaller scale fans.

STONEY CREEK DESIGNS are  run by Roger Malinowski, author of many enthusiast articles and creator of notable railroad layouts. Roger has done design work for various manufacturers, and some years ago decided to manufacture his own Stoney Creek product line, with an aim to build a variety of structure kits to 1:48 quarter-scale. Quarter-scale works with various rail gauges, such as O, On2, and On30. It's also a match for aviation-standard 1:48 scale, so there's a wide choice of modelmaking possibilities to think about. SCD kits are representations of old Americana and look terrific, though you have to get in quick with an order, as they are limited production and sell out fast. Kits come with full-colour signage, a CD with hi-res pix, plus detailed notes to aid builders during construction and weathering suggestions for the finished kit. Stoney Creek's delightful Station Diner was created as a companion to the bigger Union Hotel. The Diner is based on a narrow-gauge passenge...

THE MESSERSCHMITT ME 262 was a high point of World War II Luftwaffe air power. Faster than anything else in the sky, the jet had the potential for taking command of the air. So before starting out on that Me 262 model build, it's worthwhile looking up some of the many books and online material that are available. One of the most interesting is the foreign-language publication we found on Issuu ( below ). The information inside ranges from rare and unusual photos to neat elevation drawings. Aero Tecknica is well worth a good read over an evening. Click here to see a wide range of Me 262 kits

The US movie effects company ILM (Industrial Light and Magic) is coming up to its 40th birthday, due in May 2015. Formed in May 1975 by George Lucas, ILM has made groundbreaking special effects (SFX) for many big-name movies, including the scenes from Star Trek: Heart of Darkness  seen in the video above. However, the most influential of ILM's movie's has to remain the original Star Wars trilogy, starting with 1977’s Episode IV: A New Hope . The biggest difference between then and now is that in those early days, moviemakers made physical models for almost all SFX scenes - computer generated imagery (CGI) was in its infancy, and the amazing movie trickery today's audiences regard as normal lay decades in the future. Even so, Star Wars broke new ground in adventure science-fiction, for the spacecraft attack sequences looked absolutely convincing, and ILM created leading-edge technology to make them so. For example, to film the attack on the Death Star, cameras flew along a b...

HERE IS A SECOND SET OF photos, taken by Mat Irvine at IPMS Scale ModelWorld 2014, in Telford, UK. I'M NOT SURE of the exact model-count on display at the show, but as you can see from the photo ( above ) every table had much to show visitors. What's more, there were plenty to keep the judges busy on their inspection duties. Industria Mechanika was well represented at IPMS Scale ModelWorld 2014. The neatly crafted IM kit ( below ) was a beautifully presented 1:35 scale model of the Remora, a 'sorta' streampunk flying cargo ship. The kit is ideal for weathering and this one has certainly been weathered! This Comet Miniatures Liberator ( above, below ) gained a Silver. Personally, I think the engine should be finished in a slightly darker green, but otherwise it was a good build, and had the additional feature of a circular 'space' backdrop. This Industria Mechanika Dragonfly ( above, below ) gained a class Gold. Besides the excellent paint finish on the craft its...