SCALE MODEL NEWS

David Jefferis reports The modelmasters at Tamiya are excelling themselves these days, and for 1:48 scale model fans, here are some items heading our way that are well up to scratch. Tamiya Fairey Swordfish The first is an absolutely jaw-dropping Fairey Swordfish floatplane, to add to the existing 1:48 examples in the Tamiya lineup. This one seems to have outperformed everything else that the company has produced along these lines. The 250 mm (9.8 in) long British World War II naval aircraft is packed with detail that includes excellent crew figures, a centreline torpedo, hardpoints for underwing stores, and a pair of beaching trolleys for those shapely floats. There’s also a metal-etch fret set available for adding the rigging neatly, though the less than super-dextrous (aka DJ) may be best to leave that alone. Tamiya Jagdtiger Matching the Swordfish for scale is a German Jagdtiger heavy tank, with a length of 219 mm (8.6 in). The kit includes three figures, though these are torsos on...

David Jefferis reports To the average tourist, the half-timbered town of Stratford-upon-Avon is famed for just one thing - it’s the home of the Immortal Bard, William  Shakespeare. But for the model and toy fan, Stratford is a magnet for another reason - it’s the base for the splendid model emporium Much Ado About Toys (MAAT). Housed opposite a delightfully beflowered traffic island, MAAT is a treasure trove of miniature delights that range from plastic kits to tinplate collectibles. So far as tinplate is concerned, Schylling’s products are well represented here. They are modern takes on nostalgic and retro themes, and very affordable too - for example, the palm-sized ‘King Jet’ is a bargain £8.99 GBP ($13.80 USD), and comes in several marking alternatives, including a splendid ‘Pulse Car’ which is just the sort of thing I’d like parked in my garage! Somewhat pricier are the CIC diecasts from France. However, their attractive retro lines make them a fascinating addition to a collec...

David Jefferis reports It’s an old argument between model fans - should you buy ready-built models, and collect your kicks from the collecting habit? Or should you make your miniatures, and get your groove from the craftsmanship involved? As ever, there are two sides to every story - and in this case, more than that. For example, it’s possible to buy a ready-built model and improve it with weathering or extra detail. Or buy a snap-kit to cut down assembly time, a good half-way house for those us us who don’t have time for a full-on model making hobby. Balsa v Plastic And even if you reckon the ‘true way’ is assembly with loving care, things are not clear-cut - after all, balsa-and-tissue craftsmen once dismissed plastic kits for making things too easy! But where the line has really blurred is with the results of competition between diecast makers in providing ever-higher levels of detail. And nowhere is this more apparent than in models of older subjects, especially aircraft of the pre...

Komatsu is second only to the US Caterpillar company in the construction machinery stakes, and actually makes the biggest ’dozer in the world, the Model D575A. But the first Komatsu bulldozer was much smaller than the D575A, and it’s this early G40 that is the latest 1:48 military vehicle released by Tamiya. Komatsu developed the G40 to speed up construction of Japanese airfields - until it became available, most runways were produced purely with manual labour - and some 150 G40s were produced from 1943 until the end of World War II. The Tamiya model is a dinky little thing, just 75 mm (2.9 in) long, but the detail is very neat for all that, with components such as hydraulic lines, front grille, suspension system and, of course the ’dozer blade, all well reproduced. The tracks are one-piece plastic parts though, and so are non-moving items. However, Tamiya has included a decent driver figure, who holds the controls realistically. An unusual feature at the front is the grille badge, whi...

At last 1:48 seems to be the scale of choice for new AFV plastic kit offerings. Tamiya already have a mouthwatering range of military subjects, even if it’s not terribly large. And now Italeri is launching a range of new-tool 1:48 scale vehicles. The first two are due soon, and are both World War II subjects. The armoured car is an Italian Autoblinda AB 41, in production from 1941, hence the number. The utilitarian looks belied its usefulness (though the four-wheel-steer system caused problems) and some were fitted with metal wheels to speed along Italian rail tracks. After Italy surrendered in 1943, German forces confiscated some 57 AB 41s and built 120 more. And one of these is the subject of this kit, complete with Iron Cross markings. The Kfz 305 truck is a soft-top three-tonner that was used in virtually every Axis combat arena, and Italeri’s kit features a metal chassis frame, which should give the finished model a nice heft. Decals are included but, sad to say, the stern-lookin...

Here’s a tasty preview from Airfix of the upcoming 1:48 Hawker Siddeley Sea Vixen carrier-based jet. Due out in September the Sea Vixen is shown here in prototype form, created by an interesting machine that many of us would like in our back room. It’s called a stereolithography apparatus (SLA) and is a cunning piece of kit that translates 2-D computer information - typically three-view plans - into a lifesize 3-D model. It’s created by squirting precisely-shaped layers of resin on top of each other, each one being hardened by a pass with an ultraviolet laser beam. SLA is only for prototyping though - as you can see from the pix here, there is no fine detail on the model yet. Small vents, panel lines, and other bits and pieces are added later, after the SLA prototype has been adjusted and approved. The Airfix Sea Vixen will be the FAW.2 version that saw service with the Royal Navy from 1964, a flying career brought to a halt in 1972 by that bane of the UK military, defence cuts. When a...