SCALE MODEL NEWS

THE LATEST 1:25 SCALE TACO TRIKE KIT from MPC includes a vast array of decals, one set being for a so-called ‘Luna Cycle.’ Mat Irvine:  So I decided to assemble a second kit and finish it completely differently to the first ‘desert scene’ version.  This time I finished the trike in a dark Metalflake blue, with a matt blue interior. Unlike the Taco version, there were not too many decals to worry about. Once I had all the paintwork and assembly completed, I just needed the two supplied ‘Luna Cycle’ logos either side of the body and a selection of stars. And that was it – voila, a fresh take on the trick trike theme.   Boxes compared, for the 2005 issue ( below, top ) and the latest release. The artwork for both is the same, but the new box is bigger. It's now the same as a standard car kit box, but only half as deep. The new decal sheet in detail ( below ) has Luna Cycle decals printed at top right. Assorted stars are scattered in convenient gaps. Standard taco trike ( bel...

  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...

Mat Irvine:  This is a 1:144 scale kit that many modellers reckoned would never be made. Of all the, admittedly fairly small, number of spacecraft featured in what is generally reckoned to be the best science fiction movie ever made* (including all the ones still to be made…), the one thought the least likely to appear as a commercial kit has to be the  Discovery .  This is primarily down to practicalities. The  Discovery  has a length to width ratio of over 10 to 1, most of the spaceframe being a long spine that would be fine in the free-fall conditions of deep space, but in the 1g of Earth, keeping an assembled model straight and even is a tricky aim.  The box base ( below ) has plenty of pictures and details. But Moebius Models has achieved the necessary rigidity for this large and long model by judicious use of metal tubes. These slot together to slide along the whole craft, making a model that is more than a metre (or yard) long.  This can only be...

One of the major forces behind the designs for spacecraft in the classic science-fiction movie 2001: A Space Odyssey , Frederick I Ordway III, died earlier this month, aged 87. Fred Ordway (above at NARCON (National American Rocket society) in 2002.) was recommended by 2001 ’s co-author, Arthur C. Clarke, to the Director, Stanley Kubrick. Consequently Fred, and his colleague Harry Lange, went on to oversee spacecraft designs that would be technically feasible for the timescale of the movie. This certainly worked, as the movie still ranks with most sources as the, ‘Number One Science Fiction Movie ever made’, much of which stems for the authentic designs used in filming. They still stand up to scrutiny nearly half a century later. Classic wheel-shaped space station (below) from 2001 . Fred Ordway was born in New York City in 1927. From 1960-1964 he was Chief of Space Information Systems at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, where he also taught at the University. ...

SMN REPORT Having reviewed the excellent 2001: The Lost Science , we thought you’d like a look at the model kits AJA Models has on offer. If you have the slightest interest in the classic movie, then AJA could be the place to source your next kit. The resin products of AJA Models are not exactly cheap, but as you can see from the pictures, they are of fascinating subjects, such as the French weapon satellite ( above ).  Weapons and more All four of 2001 ’s orbital weapon satellites are available ( German and US above ) but the kit that particularly tweaks my interest buds is the portly-but-perfect Aries lunar shuttle. It’s a design that was conceived to be a real-space possibility, which is probably why it looks so realistic today, nearly half a century later. Interior detail kit The assembled kit looks extremely convincing, and not surprisingly benefits from the careful weathering shown in the photos. The interior kit, which shows off the circular seating arrangement well, is a pl...