SCALE MODEL NEWS

PERHAPS THIS IS NOT a scale modelling article in the plastic kit sense. But as it’s that time of year, here is a look at some Halloween displays. Mat Irvine: The pictures ( below ) show items that are produced primarily by the US company Department 56, which describes itself as ‘the official website for Christmas villages, village accessories, holiday giftware, collectibles, and fairy garden supplies.’ Products from Dept 56 are intended for those with perhaps less modelling skills that most SMN readers are likely to exercise, but who would still like a model display in the home. It’s a strong market, reflected by the fact that Dept 56 is currently celebrating its 40th year. Of course, the buildings and characters still have to be put into settings, and many shops and stores set up layouts, to give you ideas for your own show. The pictures here show the displays in a store I pop into regularly, the Katrinkets Kollectibles gift shop in the Chicago area. Department 56 has a nice line in ...

HERE'S A NICE FIND, a hand-crafted miniature harbour, presently hidden away in the English Cotswold Hills. SMN report: The model, named Wolf's Cove, is a tiny part of the amazing collection built up by an English collector of anything and everything, the late Charles Paget Wade. The whole story is over at our partner site, so click The English Eye to read on.

IS THIS JUST AN EXCUSE TO SHOW A GOOD-LOOKING gal on a scale model website? Maybe... but it's also a salute to three talented individuals and a plea to model kit manufacturers. SMN report: The video shows aerobatic pilot Melissa Andrzejewski flying under high-wire ace Sketchy Andy Lewis and freestyle motocross legend Jimmy Fitzpatrick in a first of its kind aviation stunt. The Edge 540 is a stunt plane-and-a-half, with stats that make the mind boggle - and the stomach ready to do a flip-flop. The single-seater can make 265 mph flat-out using its 400 hp Lycoming  engine, and climb at 3700 ft per minute. But it's the roll rate that really boggles - 420 degrees per second! And that makes the Oklahoma-built Zivko Edge 540 ideal for Red Bull air displays, which is where it has become the must-have wings of choice for aerobatic pilots. And Melissa? She certainly seems a top-notch lady. Here's what they say about her: " Award-winning aerobatic pilot, free fly skydiver and ch...

YET ANOTHER 1:48 SCALE warfighter from Airfix, the Curtiss P-40B Warhawk is due for release shortly. SMN report: The Curtiss P-40B Warhawk is the 'long nose' version, as used in the early years of World War II. It's more than welcome to the expanding ranks of 1:48 scale aircraft from Airfix. To our eyes, 1:48 is pretty much the ideal scale, as it's big enough to pack in the detail, yet not too humongously huge to crowd out display space - at least while a collection is young. Airfix cgi development pix ( below ) show there'll be plenty to enjoy with this Airfix P-40B. Attention to realistic rivet detail will be a plus, especially compared to the mushroom-sized bumps applied to P-40 models on sale during the 'golden age' of plastic kits in the 1950s and '60s. Interior cgi reveals a cockpit packed with enough bits and pieces to satisfy most detail freaks. If you want even more, companies like Eduard are already on the ball with detail-up packs for the 1:...

MORE MOUTHWATERING STUFF FROM AIRFIX with a pre-announcement of a 1:48 scale P-51D Mustang kit, due for release in July 2017. SMN report: As the cgi pix ( below ) show, the Airfix team members are putting in plenty of hard work to make this kit at least as good as other Airfix kits to this scale. There is a lot of competition where Mustang kits are concerned, with the major manufacturers all competing to produce excellent models of this famed World War II aircraft. We're hoping that Airfix has an ace up its sleeve in this regard, with a feature or two that the others don't have. We'd go for removable sections to reveal interior detail, perhaps even a ground crew included, to supplement the pilot. These cgi shots ( above, below ) show that the new Airfix kit will have plenty of positionable parts, and a decent choice of ordnance. The Mustang flew in the Korean War as the F-51D, seen ( below ) taxiing before an attack mission with bombs and rockets. US Air Force pic ( below ...

A DETAILED KIT OF AN UNUSUAL FRENCH MODEL describes the Citroen 2CV Pickup, a 1:24 scale release from Ebbro of Japan. Mat Irvine: There are two surprising facts about this model - one with the kit itself, and one with the subject. Regarding the kit, although it is based on the Citroen 2CV Fourgonette van, which Ebbro has already produced ( SMN review here ) using the Tamiya 2CV saloon as the basis, this kit isn’t based on that Tamiya original - it is a totally new kit. The other fact, perhaps more surprising, is that the kit is based on a version of this archetypal French car that was devised and built in the UK. But first to the Ebbro 2CV Pickup kit. It differs completely from the Tamiya version and no parts are duplicated. In addition, the 2CV Pickup is the opposite of the Tamiya in that it has no engine detail, but does have separate doors. These are not hinged, but can be fixed in open or closed positions. The Ebbro 2CV Pickup is fairly complex, with 100 components ( below ). The ...