SCALE MODEL NEWS

RIKKI WOLFE OF WOLFE AEROSPACE WAS AMONG THE TRADERS at the 2017 HaMeX model show . He had a selection of kits for sale, ranging from large-scale display-style models, to his latest project, a naval jet concept ( above ) from 1980. Mat Irvine: Models presently available from Wolfe Aerospace include, in 1:48 scale: EADS Mako/HEAT Harrier GR1/3s Harrier FRS1 and FA2 Harrier GR5/9 Harrier T12 Harrier TAV 8 USMC Harrier AV8B/AV8B+ Saab Gripen Tornado GR1/4 Tornado ADV Typhoon But the 3D-printed Hawker P1214 will be the target for anyone interested in what-if aerospace designs and projects. The P1214 was originally intended, along with the bigger P1216, as a replacement for the famed Harrier jump-jet. Sad to say, the X-wing P1214 was shelved before flight, but even in model form it makes an interesting subject. Rikki Wolfe ( below ) with his Wolfe Aerospace advertising banner. The range on display ( below ). Current price for a full kit is £25 GBP, built model £55 GBP.     Gorgeou...

SMN report: Ready for release in October is this what-if proposal for a supersonic Harrier replacement, from way back in the early 1980s. The team at Fantastic Plastic has revived the design with a 1:72 scale kit, patterned and cast by Anigrand Craftswork, of Hong Kong. Forward-sweep fighter The particular design chosen is the Hawker (BAe Kingston) P1214-3, an amazing looking machine with forward-swept wings, giving it a science-fictional X-wing appearance when viewed from above or below. In fact, further studies by the BAe team showed that forward-sweep didn’t give any real benefits, and the following P1216 design ( below ) kept the twin tails, but swapped the wing for a more conventional swept-back configuration. What’s in the box ? As for the kit, it’s a resin model, split into a relatively few major components. It’ll doubtless be somewhat more demanding to build than an injection kit, but the reward will be in making a model of a rather bizarre-looking aircraft that, in theory at l...