SCALE MODEL NEWS

Sad to say, the pretty little 1:72 scale de Havilland Heron airliner depicted on this old Airfix box-top wasn't at the 2012 Jersey Air Show, either in model form or the real thing. But there were plenty of elderly aircraft flying at the display held a couple of weeks ago. Here are some of the interesting aircraft on display, on the ground and in the air. The annual event must make an interesting change for the air traffic controllers, as display and regular traffic use the same runway, under watchful eyes in the gleaming new control tower. The tower painted on the old Airfix box-top is now consigned to the past. Airliners sharing runway space with the display aircraft included types from Embraer (above) and Airbus (below). The Groupe Trenchant flew ex-Armee de l'Air Potez Air Fouga Magisters in a neat four-ship display. Britain's Red Arrows display team put on their usual immaculate performance in BAe Hawk jets. Classic World War II heavy bomber, the Avro Lancaster in fligh...

SMN update: Shizuoka 2012 sees the Japanese model companies at their best, showing off a fantastic range of new and retooled products to delight us all. And leading the charge is Tamiya, with a galaxy of mouthwatering models. Speed and power First off, the latest lightweight affordable 1:24 scale sportsters from Toyota and Subaru, respectively the GT 86 ( top pic ) and BRZ ( above ). They’re the same car, apart from badges, trim and the odd minor tweak, and road testers the world over reckon they’re the dog’s bits to drive.  Transparent body Also on release is the Toyota LF-A, a far more sophisticated vehicle, though I’ll take a BRZ from choice. Tamiya’s Shizuoka take on the LF-A is a very tasty see-through model, with transparent bodyshell. Nice... and offers the opportunity to do a 50:50 see-through/paint job if you wish. Big cruiser The Japanese World War II heavy cruiser Chikuma is a 1:350 scale biggie, 576 mm (22.7 in) long, and comes with its own seaplane squadron on the rea...

SMN report: Researching the upcoming 51st Shizuoka Hobby Show means we’ve bumped into all sorts of good stuff, and that includes these ace shots of the Hasegawa 1:35 scale Lunadiver Stingray spacecraft, complete with a pair of space-combat troopers. Moon attack trio Lunadiver isn’t brand-new, but here you have a couple of same-scale combat troopers cocooned in their Fireball SG combat suits, plus the pilot sitting in the cockpit. Movie postponed - for a short while There’s also a brief cgi movie showing these sci-fi combat craft in action, but the oddities of this blogging platform mean that it’s gotta be processed separately - so we’ll hopefully be able to post that later this week. It’s short but really gives a feel for the backstory and ongoing warfare that’s the raison d'être of this futurespace Maschinen Krieger item. Ma. K stuff to buy here . Also available at HobbyLink Japan here . Visit the Shizuoka Hobby Show 2012 here .

SMN report: We’ll be fascinated to see how many robots will be on display at Japan’s Shizuoka Hobby Show on May 17-20. They’ll probably number in their hundreds, from a host of toy, figure, and kit manufacturers, including Fine Molds, whose 1:20 scale robot shown here comes from the anime fantasy movie Laputa: Castle in the Sky . Unusual robot This Fine Molds robot is not a brand-new release, but the strange mechanoid is worth a mention, if only because it is so definitely not a run-of-the-mill Terminator or Robocop-style creation. There are two versions of the design, the combat 'soldier' type shown here, with 132 components, and the peace-loving 'gardener' type shown at the bottom, with 139 parts.  City in the sky The movie Laputa was first released in 1986, but it’s still going strong, and maintains a faithful following. The recent Fine Molds snap-fit kit includes the hugely long-armed soldier-bot, human figures, and a strange creature that seems to be a weird cross...

SMN report: Last year’s Shizuoka Hobby Show was held not long after Japan’s devastating earthquake and tsunami, so let's extend good wishes to Japan and for no similar shadow over the show this year. The doors are open for the 51st Hobby Show on May 17-20, and it’s a biggie, held in Shizuoka, the self-styled Japanese ‘Hobby City’. Huge event The four-day event means a massive celebration of toys, hobbies, and models, with display stands for hundreds of companies. For SMN readers, the interest will span such brands as Aoshima, Bandai, Doyusha, Fine Molds, Hasegawa, Tamiya, and many more besides.  Learn with Tamiya Among the draws for show goers will be Tamiya’s skill zone, where younger modelmakers can assemble kits and learn tips and tricks for better modelmaking. There’ll be displays aplenty of assembled kits to make you drool, and of course, all the latest stuff will be on display.  Robots on the march We’ll be fascinated to see how the Japanese love affair (OK, obsession) ...