SCALE MODEL NEWS

“TRY NOT TO DAMAGE IT, 007…” That famous phrase from ‘Q’ in James Bond movies applied in spades to the famed Aston Martin DB5. But it also related to another Bondmobile, the Lotus Esprit S1 that served double-duty as a submarine in the 1977 film  The Spy Who Loved Me . Mat Irvine:  Nicknamed  Wet Nellie  (as a back-referral to the  Little Nellie  autogiro in  You Only Live Twice ) it’s perhaps surprising that a proper model kit hasn’t been made until now. The ‘proper’ qualification is required, as a 1:32 scale kit from the Japanese Eidai company was released some years ago, but it was simplified, motorised, and - assuming you can find one today - can cost a fortune on Internet auction sites. So it’s definitely time for a 1:24 scale kit, which is what Fujimi has supplied. However, there was one slight problem in the early stages, not Fujimi’s fault, but which aspect of the multi-mode vehicle should the company choose to model? In the movie, the Esprit c...

HERE'S ANOTHER HYPNOTICALLY GOOD video showing an Airfix kit build. This time, it's the turn of the 1:72 scale Royal Aircraft Factory BE2c of World War I fame. SMN report: Good as the BE2c kit looks, especially as it nears completion, trying to match this kind of assembly at the relatively small 1:72 scale gives us a bad attack of the shaky fingers - and also a sneaky green-eyed admiration at the skills displayed by the model- and video-making team. Note though, that a nifty little widget is supplied to make sure the interplane struts are cemented at the correct angle. But it also makes us think that perhaps Airfix would do well to upscale this kit and others like it. If these biplanes were available at 1:32 scale, they would not only be a bit easier to construct, but would also match various Airfix car kits, and also the splendid B-Type Omnibus, especially in its Old Bill military guise. Not only that, but a 1:32 scale biplane range would also offer some competition for the a...

THE NEW MOVIE BATMAN v SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE is due for release on March 25, 2016. So Round 2 has taken the opportunity of reissuing the AMT Batmobile kit, as designed for the first  Batman  reboot of 1989. Mat Irvine:  The Tim Burton-directed Batman featured an Anton Furst-designed Batmobile, a sinister vehicle that was far removed from the original Barris TV version. The box base of the new release ( below ) provides plenty of extra details on the kit. The Round 2 kit is straightforward to assemble, with a one-piece body, cockpit-style interior, and enough chromed parts to add a touch of sparkle. You also get, as is becoming increasingly common with Round 2 reissues of AMT and MPC kits, what is described as a 'Bonus Backdrop Display', in this case one that represents the Axis Chemical Plant. The components ( below ) are neatly moulded, and fit cleanly. Tyres are vinyl, and come in two sizes for front and rear pairs. However there is one significant change to the o...

THE TANK MUSEUM, BOVINGTON, UK, houses a wide-ranging display of tanks and armoured fighting vehicles (AFVs) with some 300 vehicles on show, making the collection a world leader. Among the many AFVs on view are the world's first tank, Little Willie, the deadly German Tiger, and the modern Challenger 2. SMN report:  An excellent model display when we visited the Tank Museum included ( header, below ) a World War II Afrika Korps-built wooden bridge. Huge attention to detail contributes to a highly realistic appearance, as well as in the fit and finish of the scout car, with not too much weathering to overdo the surface finish. , War on the Eastern Front, shown ( below ) by a platoon of troops advancing with a Soviet T-34 tank. Another Afrika Korps diorama ( below ) comes complete with a scale palm tree. Note the rear windows of the Volkswagen, later to become a standard-fit on early post-war civilian Beetles. Officers ( below ) discuss battle plans with a large-scale map of North Afr...

EVEN IN THE HIGH-TECH 21ST CENTURY, THE QUAINT MODEL VILLAGE at Bourton-on-the-Water in the English Cotswolds is still a powerful magnet for tourists. SMN report: The beautiful Cotswold Hills are a hugely popular area for visitors to England. One of the top spots to visit there is the uber-cute village of Bourton-on-the-Water, a community that also sports an unofficial title, ‘Venice of the Cotswolds.’ That’s because of the River Windrush that flows through the centre of the village. The Windrush is criss-crossed by numerous foot and road bridges, and at Christmas, the villagers even place their Xmas tree in the middle of the water! There’s an excellent toy and miniatures shop, complete with model train layouts, and an auto museum with yet more models to see. But the model that every visitor really should visit is the old one shown in these pictures. Built in the 1930s, the Model Village here is an accurate portrayal of Bourton as it was before World War II. You walk down miniature ve...