SCALE MODEL NEWS

OUR VERY BEST WISHES FOR a truly excellent festive break. Here's hoping too that there'll be enough time off to get that box opened up and end the year with a satisfying model build.  We're taking our own festive break for a few days, and will be back with more models and miniatures in the New Year.  Meantime, there are some delightful models to see and hundreds of articles to read on our compilation site here . Enjoy!   Happy Holidays!

IS THE UPCOMING 1:6 SCALE 2016 RELEASE from Hot Toys the largest Batmobile miniature yet released? Could be, and when you consider that for many of us, the Batmobile in its many forms is perhaps a bigger star than the Batman himself, it looks like the ultra-tech new version will be well worth waiting for. SMN report:  The real-life movie prop is shown ( above ) as it appeared during the press reveal, but Hot Toys shows a remarkably similar miniature in its promo video. The Dark Knight’s deadly wheels have seen many design changes down the decades, but - like the assorted Aston Martins of James Bond - the key thing that links them all are the weird and wonderful features that help our heroes beat the bad guys. The Batmobile in the upcoming Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice movie is no different. And, as Hot Toys has done with previous versions of the Batmobile, this 1:6 scale replica has working lights, moving parts, and a cockpit with enough controls to out-stealth a stealth figh...

  THE LATEST AIRFIX 2016 YEARBOOK (aka ‘kit catalogue’) has hit the streets, and it’s packed with new kits. If you're into aircraft, then Airfix have a particularly interesting 2016 in store for you. Mat Irvine:  In the words of Airfix, “…We're excited to announce the launch of the first Airfix Yearbook. Rather than just being a traditional product catalogue, the Airfix  Yearbook will be your one-stop source of information for all things Airfix in 2016, with exclusive news and information about the latest products and new releases for the year." Airfix goes on, “...Whether you're just starting out, or a fully-fledged expert modeller, the Airfix Yearbook is packed with handy tips and information, builds of key releases such as the Beaufighter and HMS Illustrious, a full list of the 2016 Airfix range and much, much more.” Top of many modellers' 2016 build-list will be the 1:72 scale Avro Shackleton maritime patrol aircraft. The four-engined machine was descended...

NO EXCUSES for showing this neat video, as there are so many ideas for modellers. The crashed TIE fighter rather takes our fancy for a fresh take on this old sic-fi story. Hopefully we'll see a few appearing in model shows soon.

JUST IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS, the Wingnut Wings 1:32 scale Albatros B.II promises to be an epic build for those days after the turkey and trimmings chompathon. SMN report: The Albatros B.II is a typically fine Wingnut Wings World War I aircraft kit. There are plenty of parts, 156 in all, with 13 photo-etch detail components. These include early production side mounted Hazet radiators and a steering wheel-style control column. There are also optional propellers, exhaust manifolds, and the main wheels can be finished with covered or exposed spokes. There are two high quality Cartograf decal sheets, including photo-realistic plywood fuselage panels, plus markings for five aircraft. The multi-page instruction booklet ( above, below ) has been produced to Wingnut Wings' usual high standard, with a plethora of visuals, helping the model maker to produce an exhibition-worthy 1:32 scale replica. The engine is a work of art, with parts that allow a choice of a Daimler-Mercedes 100hp D.1 or 1...

THE FORCE AWAKENS is the latest in a long-running movie franchise that first hit the silver screen in 1977. Along with the new movie comes an invasion of merchandise, of which this 1:50 scale Revell X-Wing is just one. SMN report: We're great fans of pre-finished Revell easy kits, as for the ham-fisted or ultra-busy they represent a great solution to both lack of skill or time. And for those of us want a more finished looking model, then plastic cement adds permanence to assembly, while further painting, detailing, and some judicious weathering all go to making a display-quality miniature. The Revell X-Wing represents the Incom T-70 Resistance X-Wing fighter, an update design of the original. The kit has 55 components, and they all go together well, although we reckon a few drops of cement will be useful to keep the wingtip laser cannon pointing straight. The scale of 1:50 is a good one, as it's close enough to standard model aircraft 1:48 that there are plenty of current aircr...

ACCORDING TO REPORTS, AIRFIX is plotting new stuff 'for the girls' as the 60-year-old model kit maker targets a new generation of female scientists. Not forgetting that Hasegawa ( above ) is already in the female model maker market. SMN report, heads up courtesy Martin Postranecky: A recent news story in the London Daily Mail reckoned that Hornby-owned Airfix wants to move away from 'masculine' war toys. Apparently Airfix bosses reckon that girls have more patience for models than boys. They may be right, and in any case, it's a far cry from the first Airfix model aircraft kit, a 1:72 scale Spitfire ( below ) wearing the RAF unit marking BT-K. That was 60 years ago, and at a distinctly old-fashioned price, just two shillings (10 pence today, equivalent value £2.45 GBP). So what might a new ‘girl-centric’ Airfix offering be like? Joseph Curtis for Mail Online notes that products could be aimed at a new generation of female scientists. And if that’s an excuse for bri...