SCALE MODEL NEWS

THE REVELL MQ-9 REAPER Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) has been out for some time, but it remains a good kit of a type of aircraft that is changing the face of military aviation. SMN report: The DJI Phantom 3 is a drone you can buy right now, and fly it right away. But military drones, also called UAVs, are different animals altogether. Best known of the breed is probably the General Atomics Predator series, which the 1:48 scale Revell MQ-9 Reaper represents. The Predator-B is known as the MQ-9 Reaper in military service, though why it earned the name-change, we don't know.  The Revell kit is a reboxed version of a Skunk Models Workshop original, though none the worse for that. Detailing is light but accurate, the missiles ( below ) being reasonably convincing after some careful painting. Note that you will need to add some nose weight if the Reaper is to stand on its landing gear correctly. Adding about 28 gr (1 oz) should be enough to avoid it being a tail-sitter.  The MQ-9...

FOR DECADES, NASA HAS USED computer models to simulate the airflow around aircraft, in order to test designs and especially, to improve aerodynamic performance. At the NASA Ames Research Center in California, researchers used this technique to explore the aerodynamics of a popular consumer drone, a modified DJI Phantom 3 quadcopter.  According to Ames, the simulation reveals the complex motions of air particles, made especially so by the interactions between the Phantom 3's four twin-blade rotors and the X-shaped body. In the video, airflow interactions are shown as undulating lines, low-pressure air in blue, high-pressure in red. The drone that NASA chose, the highly respected DJI Phantom 3, is a good example of a serious-amateur level machine.   Drone manufacturer DJ reckons the all-white machine can do plenty: * Easy to Fly: An intelligent flight system automatically keeps your Phantom 3 Standard in the air and under your control. * Amazing Images: Take stunning 2.7K HD vid...

THIS IS A REISSUE OF AN AMT classic show rod, as designed by John Bogosian, in 1970. Li’l Gasser was one of four kits based on the same six-wheel chassis and running gear. Mat Irvine:  Although the  1:25 scale Li’l Gasser is essentially the same kit that was issued way back when, this new version has changed somewhat. As with other recent Round 2 reissues, you get far more in the new version. The new box ( header pic ) uses the original artwork, with ‘Retro DeLuxe’ and ‘Katch the Kat’ stickers on the shrink-wrap. The side panels ( below ) depict some features of the kit. New items include tyres that have been replaced with new-tool versions, complete with highly desirable pre-applied lettering. Then you get two sets of transparencies, the original clear and for this kit, a duplicate set in smoke-grey. There is also a new and comprehensive decal sheet, plus a card diorama on which to place the finished model. A card cut-out figure of John Bogosian is also included. Parts roste...

AN EXCELLENT 1:72 SCALE KIT from Airfix, the Handley Page Victor B.2 is modelled with one of its primary payloads, the supersonic Blue Steel stand-off nuclear missile. SMN report: The Airfix 1:72 scale Handley Page Victor B. Mk 2 is here, and a fine kit it is, too. The Blue Steel missile is included, which makes sense, and certainly adds to the interest-value of the model. The Victor was one of three British V-Bombers, designed to deter the USSR at the height of the Cold War. Airfix has now modelled all three of these important aircraft, so now the Victor can be displayed as a one of a trio of jet bombers, alongside the Avro Vulcan and Vickers Valiant .   You won't see much flight deck detail when the Airfix Victor kit is completed, more's the pity. There was room inside for five crew, so it would be tempting to build a second kit, alongside the first. You could then cut away one side to make a visible display of the interior. Note the pale Royal Air Force (RAF) markings ( b...

IT'S AMAZING HOW MUCH enthusiasm there is for radio control (RC) in all its forms. Here's a great little vid showing what's claimed as the world's largest of the breed. SMN report: A lot of hard work went into making the scale Eurocopter helo, and that care extends to every part of the machine. Just take note of the detail involved in making the fenestron tail rotor to see what we mean. And of course, because RC is all about actual flight, it all has to work just like the real thing - in the air, as well as on the ground. Mind you, when a model helo gets this big, we can't help feeling it would be good to go the whole way and fly in a real one. Still, you don't have to have one this big. Traditional-style ready-built RC helos are available at wallet-friendly prices. The Legend ( below ) is fairly typical of this kind of machine. The basic structure is made of lightweight aluminium, with a streamlined cockpit made of plastic. Power is provided by an electric mo...

REVELL HAS REISSUED ITS BOEING 747-400 with a set of special decals marking ‘The Book of Souls’ world tour by the Iron Maiden rock band. Mat Irvine:  When flying on a tour, the members of British heavy-metal rock band Iron Maiden don’t need to wait for their flight crew to turn up, as lead singer Bruce Dickinson is a fully-qualified airline pilot. He is Captain of Iron Maiden’s own aircraft, the Boeing 747-400, known as ‘Ed Force One.’ The parts layout ( below ) reveals that, apart from the decal sheet, this is the standard Revell 1:144 scale Boeing 747-400 kit. The unique markings of Ed Force One are the whole point of this 1:144 scale Revell 747-400 kit. The wings and horizontal tail are normal enough, being finished in standard two-tone grey, with white overall for the fuselage. But the rest - including the fin’s giant image of the band’s Ed mascot - are all on the decal sheet, as are window and door frames. Front page ( below ) of the instruction booklet. Construction of the ki...

HERE'S A NIFTY FOUR MINUTES of fun, in which YouTuber 'TrainGuy659' has mounted a video camera on a Lego train. SMN report: Which is a reminder of Mr J's childhood days... Back then, a talented man called Jack Cooke built his own live-steam locos and rolling stock from scratch. They were big-scale machines, far larger than the Lego trains shown here. Jack built his own garden rail system on a raised track, and we would be treated to sit-on rides, with Jack being the engine driver. While in charge of his pride and joy, he wore overalls and a peaked blue cap, plus a well-earned air of great concentration. We loved all that, while our parents and their friends got mildly ratted on plenty of gin and tonic and other good stuff. But after the train rides, the big bonus on one of Jack's steam-up days was being allowed to use the outside privy. Although it was converted from an Edwardian-era coal-store and was pretty small at that, the facility was definitely a privy-plus....

A TRIP DOWN ROUTE 66, the famed 'Mother Road' highway that runs from Chicago, Illinois, to Santa Monica, California, reveals an unexpected home for a treasure trove of tinplate trucks. Mat Irvine: I stopped at the Munger Moss Motel in Lebanon, Missouri, a while ago. And found that the lobby was filled with a great display of Route 66 retro-Americana, in the form of shelves loaded with tinplate trucks. Here are some of the pix I took of my unexpected find.  Plenty of souvenir cards to buy ( below ) in front of those tinplate trucks, which were display items and not for sale, more's the pity. One of the best - or at least, most interesting - motel lobby areas ( below ) I've seen on my travels. A lone Brit in the form of a Norton motorcycle t-shirt ( below right ) hangs in the lobby display. A scale Australian Road Train ( below ) parked in front of two early photos of the Munger Moss Motel site. Some of the tinplate trucks on display ( below ). Most are generic designs, ...