SCALE MODEL NEWS

STAR WARS FANS QUEUE RIGHT NOW as it's time to see  Solo, the latest movie in the four-decade old sci-fi saga. SMN report: We plan to see Solo ASAP, but for now let's look at the latest kits from Revell, released to match the movie. First off ( below ) we have the Millennium Falcon flown by Han Solo. With this kit, Revell goes back in time with a *sorta* match the box size, at 1:164 scale. That's certainly an oddity as scales go, but the simple-to-build model should look OK as a stand-alone display piece. The included lights and sounds will certainly add interest on the display shelf, and even at the small scale it's still 235 mm (9 in) long when assembled. The simple construction of this 21-part kit is not necessarily a bad thing, though as the pix show, some careful TLC with super-detailing skills could easily transform the toy-like model into a convincing starship miniature.   Also released is the coffin-like single-seat Imperial Patrol Speeder ( below ). Again, ...

NEWS THIS WEEK reveals that Ford will be selling mostly SUVs and trucks in a few years time. The plans make two recent car kits of special interest. SMN report:  The 1:25 scale Monogram Del Rio Ranch Wagon and Revell Gasser represent an era when Ford and other US majors were riding high, with chrome and fins being key styling features, and imported cars barely on the horizon. It was decades before the current SUV (Sport Utility Vehicle) was even thought of - but mega-popular SUVs and trucks now represent Ford's future direction. So, tracking back more than 60 years, the Ford Del Rio Ranch Wagon was a key purchase for many Americans, and here we have two kits to build. The Monogram and Revell cars are basically the same kit, though with extra options to differentiate them. Here’s a quick roundup of both, the box side panel ( below ) showing the Monogram kit.   The tooling is recent, as of a year or so ago, and this particular version of the 1957 Ford hasn’t been kitted before. ...

THE FIRST HOT WHEELS CARS were released in May, 1968. Known as the ‘Original Sweet Sixteen,’ those cars all had redline wheels, and original paintwork and style that directly challenged existing diecast toys such as Matchbox cars. SMN report: Mattel has now released a set of five new 50th Anniversary Hot Wheels Editions, to celebrate 50 years of the brand. They are modern takes on the Sweet 16 originals. The five new Hot Wheels cars are finished in candy metallic shades (‘Spectraflame’ in Hot-speak) with 50th Anniversary stickers on the doors. The stickers alone should make them instant collectibles.  The 1967 Chevy Camaro is finished in blue, the Custom 1967 Ford Mustang painted candy apple red, while the 1968 Mercury Cougar comes in gold with a black top. To finish off the quintet, the 1967 Plymouth Barracuda comes in green with a black stripe. Lastly, the Volkswagen Beetle is finished in purple.  All have the unique redline tyres, an update on the whitewalls of the 1950s. ...

AIRFIX BRINGS BACK A NEW WAVE OF OLD KITS for model makers with a taste for nostalgia. SMN report: Airfix is celebrating its scale model heritage by relaunching a host of old kits, bringing back a mixture of old favourites and highly requested kits from the company’s tool bank archive. As Airfix says, “Relive the excitement of nostalgic Airfix modelling with a ‘Vintage Classic’ twist - the kits and iconic artwork we all love, complete with original release details and current Humbrol paint references.” The first releases look very interesting indeed, especially for military and nautical model makers. The kits ( below ) are to 1:76 scale, originally manufactured to match British OO gauge model trains. They are a little smaller than aircraft standard 1:72 scale, but don't look too out of place in a mix-and-match diorama display. The gorgeous Golden Hind kit ( below ) is that comparative rarity, a nautical subject to 1:72 scale. Which opens up a genre that wasn't invented when t...

MORE THAN 60 YEARS OLD, this Revell kit still makes a decent aviation project for World War I buffs. Mat Irvine:  Last month saw the centenary of the death of Baron Manfred von Richthofen, better known as the ‘Red Baron.’ He was probably the best-known German fighter ace of World War I, and highly respected by friend and foe alike. When he was eventually shot down and killed on April 21, 1918, he was given a hero’s burial and a guard of honour by the British. The parts you get in the box ( below ). They are moulded in red, of course.   Von Richthofen flew a number of different aircraft during the War, but very early on he established bright red as the signature colour for his aircraft, and this followed through to his most famous fighting machine, the ‘dreidekker’ (three-wing) Fokker Dr.1 Triplane. So far as models go, the Revell Fokker Triplane dates from 1957, so is one of the earliest of the US company’s kits. It was made to the somewhat odd 1:28 scale, but this was from a ...

LIKE THE MODELS THAT STAR IN MOVIES? THEN MAKE IT TO THE HAMEX ZONE this coming Sunday, May 6, 2018! Mat Irvine:  The big idea of the MEDIA MODELLING show is to display models based on anything you might see in the media - taking their inspiration from the movies and TV. But MEDIA MODELLING isn’t just about the worlds of film and television, and it’s not just about space and science fiction themes - instead the focus is on all subjects. All subjects? The origins of a model could be in a book, the theatre, video game play, images on albums or CD covers, or even an important news event… the MEDIA MODELLING interpretation is very fluid. For example, a Spitfire fighter counts as a possible MEDIA MODELLING entry, for as well Spits being in the ‘real’ Battle of Britain, the plane has also featured in countless ‘reel’ Battle of Britain and World War II movies. Spot the movie that inspired these miniatures ( above, below ). A scene ( below ) from the BBC radio series, The Archers . The tra...