SCALE MODEL NEWS

French publisher-cum-model producer Editions Atlas has some very interesting miniatures available at the moment. SMN report: A long-time staple of the Armee de l'Air (French Air Force) training fleet, the Alpha Jet from Editions Atlas is to 1:72 scale. The metal and plastic miniature is accurately produced, though it lacks the ultimate precise detail that you might expect with an equivalent injection-moulded kit. But it's a sturdy production, so should last for years on the display shelf, and certainly looks the part in neatly applied red, white and blue stripes. The gold tail lettering marks the 60th anniversary of the national air display team, the Patrouille de France (French Patrol). Facel was a French car manufacturer that lasted only a decade, from 1954-64, but in those years the company produced a handsome series of cars. The Facel Vega FV2 (below) was the car to be seen in if you were a 1950s French movie star, and this 1:43 scale open-top version is what we get from E...

HERE'S A CHANCE TO GET A FRENCH period tramcar at a bargain price. It has to be a great deal at just 2.99 Euros. And if you don't want a French model, how about a British balloon tram? SMN report: Editions Atlas is a European partwork publisher, with a good reputation for making collections available of both usual and unusual subjects. Tractors, tanks, even Volvo cars, are included in the current EA list. The particular French tram here is a Type 500 of 1907, a design that could be seen trundling around the streets for decades after its introduction. Many were withdrawn in the 1930s, though some survived until well after World War II. Today, the tram revival is big news, and sleek new designs are in service in cities all over Europe. The Editions Atlas Type 500 is unbeatable for the price, and it would be possible to motorise it if required. Other uses could be as a non-working fixed cafe conversion, or perhaps as a workman's rest hut. The possibilities are endless. As a f...