SCALE MODEL NEWS

COMPARED TO THE CURRENT BMW MINI, the original (and many would say best) Mini is tiny, but that didn’t stop driver Paddy Hopkirk and navigator Henry Liddon achieving victory in the 1964 Monte Carlo Rally. Mat Irvine:  There have been model kits of the classic BMC Mini before, both Tamiya and Fujimi having made 1:24 scale rally Mini Coopers. However, neither of these represents this particular car, a Morris Mini Cooper S. Revell Germany already makes the basic Mini Cooper in racing form, so this kit is a modification.  The box-art ( below ) shows only one person inside, perhaps Paddy Hopkirk. But the painting was based on a contemporary photo, so is correctly depicted, at least for this particular occasion. The Revell model is fully detailed, with a tiny BMC A-Series transverse front-drive engine under the bonnet, along with enough other bits and pieces to fill the bay. The model’s underside features separate front and rear sub-frames, with the front-drive set up, separate shoc...

HAVING ACQUIRED THE LINDBERG AND HAWK BRANDS, new owner Round 2 has been taking a look at the whole back catalogue to see what can be done, especially with some of the older kits. Mat Irvine: Lindberg cars are split roughly into pre- and post-1990s. Previous owner of Lindberg, the Craft House Corporation, toyed unsuccessfully with 1:20 scale, then moved into 1:25 scale with new-tool kits. These certainly were a success, definitely coming up to the standard expected from the likes of Revell and AMT.  Previously, Lindberg cars were not, to be kind, some of the best model kits ever made. In fact, I’ve commented before that some of these Lindberg car kits would make pretty good Rat Rods. So what was the subject of a recent reissue? Ironically, this Ford Roadster Rat Rod, representing a real-life car that was built to be as grimy and dirty as possible. This Round 2 reissue is a 1934 (actually, 1932) Ford Hot Rod, now intended to be built as a Rat Rod. Instead of the usual custom car co...

THE FINEST HOURS is a Disney action-thriller, based on a true sea rescue mission. And the Glencoe 1:48 scale US Coast Guard rescue boat features the type of vessel used in the movie. Click below to see Mat Irvine's video build of the kit.  A US Coast Guard crew ( below ) went into the teeth of a massive nor'east megastorm off the coast of New England storm to reach the tanker SS Pendleton . The SS Pendleton  ( below ) snapped in two, with only a couple of hours left before the stern section sank, taking the sailors down with it. So the Coast Guard had a race against time as well as weather.   The trailer (below) reveals a seat-of-your-pants movie, complete with love interest. It looks good, and we'll be watching it soon. Click here for more on the Glencoe kit.

THE FUTURE OF DRIVING IS ELECTRIC, or at least that's how companies like Tesla and BMW see it. And now they are joined by this droolworthy delight from Morgan in the UK. SMN report: Not that you can buy a kit of the Morgan EV3 - yet. But there are kits and collectibles available of the ultra-traditional hangovers from a golden age made by Morgan. The all-electric Morgan EV3 can accelerate from 0-60 mph in nine seconds, and can reach a top speed of 90 mph-plus. Just as importantly, despite its diminutive size, the battery pack gives it reasonable legs - the EV3 is claimed to have a range of some 150 miles on a single charge. The SMN view? Morgan's EV3 looks fantastic, and that off-centre headlight is weird but wonderful. There aren't too many Morgan kits around, though the Minicraft 1935 three-wheeler ( below ) is attractive, even if the 1:16 scale is a slightly odd choice. However, it would fit into a collection of 1:18 diecast ready-builts without any real misgivings. The...

SYLVIA ANDERSON, CO-CREATOR OF THE famed Thunderbirds puppet series, has died aged 88. She was best known for being the voice of Lady Penelope, one of the show’s star names. Sylvia Anderson was a producer and writer, and created the Supermarionation puppet series with her husband, Gerry, who died in 2012, aged 83. As well as speaking the lines of Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward in Thunderbirds from 1965-68, Sylvia Anderson also worked on other puppet series, such as Stingray, Captain Scarlett, and Joe 90. Lady Penelope’s car of choice was the futuristic six-wheeled Rolls-Royce FAB-1, driven by Parker, her chauffeur. Click here for more information on Sylvia Anderson. Click here for Thunderbirds at SMN.

SCI-FI AND FANTASY MODELLER magazine has been going for ten years, with Volume 40 now in print. However, a first for the mag is  Modelling the Eagle , a one-off special that celebrates the Eagle spacecraft from Gerry Anderson’s best-known live-action TV series, Space: 1999. Mat Irvine:   Modelling the Eagle  is linked primarily to the fact that Round 2 Models - owners of the MPC kit name - decided to release a brand-new Eagle spacecraft model kit. Mike Reccia, founder of SF&F, and Editor in Chief at Happy Medium Press, decided to dedicate a whole publication to the Eagle, resulting in a perfect-bound ‘bookazine’ with nine comprehensive articles, spread over 82 pages of text.  The main cover image ( header, below ) was provided by the specialist model maker David Sisson. The lower centre photo of a younger Brian Johnson is one I shot myself many years ago, probably in the late 1970s, when I first met him at Bray Studios. Modelling the Eagle  includes a range ...