SCALE MODEL NEWS

WE'VE BEEN SENT SOME attractive model competition entries from Hobby Bounties in Singapore. SMN report: As the pix ( header, below ) show, there's some serious talent on show in Singapore when it comes to making a convincing seascape. More to come shortly, on this and other winning entries.

  A TOTAL OF MORE THAN 500 PARTS distinguishes this 1:144 scale Moebius kit. The subject is the  Discovery , spacecraft star of the classic science fiction movie  2001: A Space Odyssey . Mat Irvine:  On opening the box, the kit does look rather daunting - after all, there are over 500 parts. However, laying them all out logically makes things become clearer. Many are duplicate runners, to deal with the many containers along the fuselage spine, the three main engines, and trio of cargo-bay doors. There are also various parts for the antenna assembly. The kit was designed for Moebius by Adam Johnson, who has compiled books on designs from the movie. Click here to read the SMN review of Adam’s first title  2001: The Lost Science . The kit instructions follow a logical assembly path, with the main fore and aft sub-assemblies being dealt with first. These are followed by the containers, spine, and antenna assembly. Actually, I found that putting the kit together fall...

  CONGRATULATIONS TO TAMIYA for collecting a ModellFan Model of the Year 2018 Award for the 1:48 scale Messerschmitt Bf109 G-6. SMN report:  In many ways, the plastic kit industry has never been in better form, at least for the excellence and accuracy of kits like the Airfix Supermarine Walrus and this Tamiya Messerschmitt Bf109. The German ModellFan magazine agrees too, and has given awards for both these models. Here's what Tamiya has to say about the 1:48 scale Bf109 G-6: Highly detailed DB605 engine. Separate parts for 20 mm cannon pods. Polythene cap allows drop tank to be fitted on or off. Two air intake options, standard or with dust filter. Standard or Galland panzer canopy rear armour plate. Canopy open or closed. Main and radiator flaps up or down. Seated pilot figure. Three marking options, plus canopy masking stickers, and a colour painting guide. Tamiya mini-magnets can be used to show open and closed engine cowlings.   The DB605 engine ( below ) can be displ...

ANYONE WHO SAW the SpaceX Falcon Heavy lift off on February 6, 2018, must have enjoyed the sight of Elon Musk's old Tesla Roadster in orbit, complete with its Starman passenger. SMN report: The picture ( header ) shows the last image of Starman as he heads off to Mars and beyond. There's a nifty website devoted to him ( link at bottom ) which records location, speed, and other details. But where did SpaceX CEO Elon Musk get the inspiration for loading an old car aboard his ship? As a sci-fi enthusiast, maybe he'd read a decades-old issue of the graphic magazine Heavy Metal , and thought "Hey, that's a cool idea." Or perhaps Elon simply had another ace-idea brainwave - either way, Starman and Tesla make a great spacefaring duo. The graphic story ( below ) comes courtesy of Heavy Metal and Dan O'Bannon, who dreamt up the concept, while the talented illustrator Thomas Warkenstein brought the idea to life. As for cars in space, there's isn't yet a ki...

  CONGRATULATIONS TO AIRFIX for collecting the Model of the Year 2018 award from the respected German magazine, ModellFan. SMN report:  Subject of the ModellFan award is the 1:48 scale Supermarine Walrus. It’s a delightful model, and the largish scale means that there’s plenty of opportunity to make it a superdetail subject.   Here’s what Airfix says about the subject: “… Now recognised as the largest toy and hobby exhibition in the world, the Nuremberg International Toy Fair held within the first few weeks of each year has now become an extremely important event for the Airfix team. “…The event has now also become something of the 'Oscars' for the Toy and Hobby industry with a number of prestigious awards being presented to manufacturers and individual products deemed to be exceptional in their field. We are proud to announce that a recent Airfix new tooling release was the recipient of such an award, continuing a proud tradition of success for the Airfix design team. “…...