SCALE MODEL NEWS

  ROUND 2 HAS REISSUED ONE OF MPC’s most comprehensive and unusual kits, the American-type 4-4-0 wood burning locomotive, named the  General . Mat Irvine:  A locomotive model is hardly rare in the US - railroads are the biggest modelling subject - but what makes this kit unusual is that it is not to a standard scale such as 1:87, but to the car kit 1:25 scale, making it a very big model indeed. The latest box ( header ) is the third version of the artwork, but the first that makes it look like a real loco running on rural tracks. The box base ( below ), in common with many Round 2 kits, is used to present information that includes a photo of the assembled and finished model. When assembled, the  General  and tender measure more than two feet long. There are more than 300 parts, moulded in black, red, grey, clear and gold-plated. The two-part display base is moulded in brown. Opening the box ( below ) reveals that it is packed very full indeed. The  General ...

IF THIS MODEL LOOKS familiar, it should be, for is it is a renamed Police Spinner from the classic science fiction film Blade Runner , already made as a kit by Fujimi.  Mat Irvine: But then why is this one called ‘Future Car’? This is because it appears in Back to the Future Part II, the second one in the trilogy that really is set in the future, where the car is seen briefly - very briefly - parked in a couple of scenes as, well, a parked car. The kit - as the Police Spinner - has already been reviewed here , and the Future Car is, as far as the parts go, basically a straight reissue. No markings or special paint job are required, and some of the exterior details are not required - just build it ‘out of the box.’ Cleanly moulded components (below) are a Fujimi hallmark, including red and blue transparent light units. Incidentally this is not the only ‘re-used’ Star Car to appear. The car built for the The Last Starfighter  movie was built, as was the Spinner, by customize...

The Round 2 model spectrum includes not only the AMT, MPC and Polar Lights brands, but now features the Lindberg and Hawk names as well. Mat Irvine reports from iHobby Expo: Round 2 had the largest of all model kit company stands at the show. My first look here is based mostly around Round 2's new and upcoming space and science-fiction kits. After this, I will look at Round 2 cars, aircraft and the rest. The booth (above) for Round 2 at the 2014 iHobby Expo. Note the display includes all R2 brands, including Auto World which deals with both slot car racing, and is the name for the online store. A pleasant surprise (below) was this MPC Space 1999 line-up. The Eagle Transporter itself is not new, but Round 2's latest offering is the first conventional injection kit to come with the twin-engine dorsal rocket booster pack included in the box. And that's excellent news for Space 1999 fans. Note the neatly applied wear and tear dirtying-down work on the assembled and finished Ea...

SMN REPORT: Did you enjoy the classic sci-fi movie, Blade Runner? Did you laugh at the Back to the Future (BttF) time-travel trilogy? If so, we bet you didn’t know that Blade Runner’s Spinner cop car also appeared in the second BttF movie. And now here it is again, coming shortly as a 1:24 scale kit, from Fujimi of Japan. The latest Fujimi 1:24 scale sci-fi kit, simply titled ‘Future Car’ features a vehicle that’s said to be briefly seen in Back to the Future II - so very brief, in fact, that the SMN Crew fast-forwarded the DVD last night without spotting it. However, we live in hope and will sleuth some more tonight! Sleeker Spinner The new injection-moulded car is essentially a standard Fujimi Spinner kit, less police accessories such as the roof lights, though they are included in the box. As you can see from the box-top art (header pic), the overall look of the Future Car is somewhat sleeker than the police Spinner, so it’s none the worse for being minus some items. Parked Spinner ...

Mat Irvine update: After my initial report on Fujimi’s surprise release of the 1:24 scale Spinner Police Car from the classic science-fiction movie Blade Runner , here’s how I worked to complete the model. Hard to find details Frankly, one major problem was finding enough references, to check details when building the model. The obvious starting point might be the movie itself, but a glance at Blade Runner makes you realise that the future-view of Ridley Scott (and of author Philip K. Dick, for that matter) is pretty dank and dismal. Most Spinner shots show a cityscape shrouded in smog and rain, so trying to ascertain details direct from the movie is not worth the bother - frankly, forget it! There is however logical reasoning in that if this is how Spinners appear on-screen, it’s how they should be depicted, but even here one has to start somewhere. Magazines to the rescue Given the popularity of Blade Runner , I would have thought that details would be everywhere, from publications ...

SMN report: Thanks to the SMN reader who pointed out this Tamiya-based video for the UK boyband McFly's 2006 song Room on the 3rd Floor . The band is named after Marty McFly, movie star of the 1985-90  Back to the Future  sci-fi trilogy, and inspiration for all those kits and diecasts of the DeLorean flying car. Animated sequences Whether or not you like MacFly's music, the video is well worth watching to see the components take on a life of their own, with - somewhat spooky, it has to be said - animation sequences, both parts on their runners and art on the box. A singing plastic head may not be quite to everyone’s taste, but It’s very well done indeed, and gets even better when the instructions come to life too, line-drawings moving around with gusto to show various pieces self-assembling in a very clear and satisfying way. Animated brochures The McFly video pointed to a possible future direction for Tamiya and other kit manufacturers, to add visual interest to their pr...

SMN report: China-based Sun Star is probably best known for its truly excellent range of 1:24 scale bus and coach diecast models, and the even larger 1:12 Volkswagens and Morris Minors. It’s not so notable in smaller scales perhaps, but this recent addition to the range shows that Sun Star retains its mojo, even when working in 1:43 scale. Massive upgrade - from 1965 Chrysler Imperial to crime-killer The subject is a detailed rendering of the automotive star of the recent comic-based movie The Green Hornet , starring the crime-fighter of the same name, alias Brett Reid, aided by his Asian partner Kato. Their vehicle of choice is called ‘Black Beauty’, and is a fast and heavily armed street machine, based loosely on a 1965 Chrysler Imperial, itself a fine example of the best in retro-Americana. As a ‘star car’, we reckon the Black Beauty trails some way behind more imaginative designs, such as the outrageously designed Batmobiles, or even the DeLorean time-travelling car from the Back t...