SCALE MODEL NEWS

EVERYONE'S FAVOURITE NAVY JET, the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II from Airfix will definitely be high on the must-build list for many model makers in 2017. SMN report:  Upcoming Airfix kits look very interesting indeed. The new 1:72 scale Phantom II looks to be a good one, with plenty of fine detail work to lift it way above the old kit from Airfix. Mat Irvine saw a test shot ( header pic, below ) at the Scale ModelWorld 2016 show in Telford, UK. Mat's pic shows the radar dish and fold-back nose radome, as well as the opening canopies and detailed twin cockpits. Note the extended nose wheel used by Royal Navy Phantoms, needed for a greater angle of attack on takeoff from relatively short RN carriers. We'll be looking forward to the many dioramas likely to be based on this kit in times to come. Another Airfix kit, seen ( below ) in assembled test shot form, will be the 1:48 scale Hawker Sea Fury. Note the five-bladed prop, folding wings, and assorted underwing ordnance. Th...

BIG NEWS FOR fans of the jet age is that Airfix will be releasing a 1:48 scale Gloster Meteor next year - and the pre-order hotline is already open. SMN report: 1:48 happens to be our favourite aircraft scale, so this big new Meteor kit is definitely one to wait for. With the huge amount of interior detail ( below ) on offer, we reckon Airfix ought to include a transparent fuselage half, to allow proper inspection of what's inside. Centrifugal turbojet engine ( below ) on stand looks a nice touch. Let's hope a nicely sculpted 1950s-era pilot is included in the box. Below, removeable nose cone, exposed guns, visible engines, and deployed air brakes are just a few of the goodies coming with the new kit. Shots ( below ) of the actual aircraft that Airfix have laser-scanned to make the kit as accurate as modern technology allows. When it arrives in Spring 2016 (April is the current target release date) the Airfix Gloster Meteor stands a good chance of being the best kit ever relea...

Here’s another big-scale aircraft from Hong Kong Models (HKM). It’s a 1:32 scale Gloster Meteor, the first British jet fighter, and first operational jet flying for the Allies in World War II. The Meteor was a single-seater, so even at 1:32 scale, the model is not going to have the same arms-length wow-factor as HKM’s heavy bomber kits, the Flying Fortress and Lancaster. But this ‘Meat-box’ jet isn’t at all tiny, having a wingspan of 355mm (14in) and fuselage length of 394mm (15.5in). As with the HKM Avro Lancaster, we don’t yet have build-up pix, but the cgi images are mouthwatering enough, particularly for anyone interested in either World War II or first-generation combat jets. About the Meteor The Meteor prototype first flew on March 5, 1943; the following summer, production machines were in service, flying against German V-1 flying bombs attacking London. The Meteor (F Mk3 shown below) proved to be an effective machine, with a total of 3947 being built for the RAF and 17 other air...

SMN report: There’s no apology for including another Dragon entry this week, as the Gloster Meteor F.3 is far and away the most detailed 1:72 scale kit of this important aircraft - the first Allied operational jet - that’s been made. It’s been out a while now, but this is the first time we’ve had a close look. The goodies on offer include: - Sliding canopy open or closed.  - Detailed panel lines.  - Photo-etch air brakes on both wings, upper and lower surfaces.  - Positionable control surfaces.  - Detailed cockpit interior and landing gear bays. Computer accuracy Like most of today’s kits, Dragon’s Cyber-Hobby kit was designed using CAD techniques, which have allowed accuracy combined with good fit and finish, including finely etched recessed panel lines. You have the choice of open or closed canopy. There are 51 components in grey, seven clear, and five photo-etch. Perhaps the only obvious doubt on accuracy is Dragon’s pistol-grip control column - the real thing spo...