SCALE MODEL NEWS

THE BUCHER BU 131D JUNGMANN IS ANOTHER LARGE SCALE kit of an aircraft dating from the mid-1930s. It would sit nicely next to the recently-released Polikarpov I-16 to the same scale. SMN report: Manufactured by ICM Holdings of the Ukraine, the Bucher Bu 131 looks to be an interesting kit. The original first flew in 1934, and was used for nearly four decades - the last in-service aircraft served with the Spanish Air Force up to 1968. The ICM kit has markings for  Lilli-Marlene and is packed with detail. There is a choice of four markings, supplied as decals. The ICM computer image ( below ) reveals the four-cylinder engine supplied in the kit. Precise mouldings will allow a realistic looking miniature, perhaps suggesting the prospect of an in-hangar maintenance diorama.   The lower surfaces ( below ) are nicely captured. There will be plenty of rigging to complete the model, but at 1:32 scale, it won't be quite as much of a nightmare for the fumble-fingered (like this reviewer...

HENRY FORD IS AN ICON OF THE early auto industry, so a figure set featuring the man who said, “You can have any color, as long as it’s black” is a useful accessory for a vintage-era diorama display. Mat Irvine: This is perhaps a slightly eclectic choice of kit from ICM, but any 1:24 scale figure set is welcome, and here you get three figures, each built up from several parts. You can create Henry Ford himself, a mechanic in overalls, and an unspecified figure in a three-piece suit. As he is unnamed, he can be anyone you like, perhaps a design engineer or factory manager. Construction of the ICM kit is very straightforward and, although individual parts ( below ) can be painted separately, I usually find it best to assemble a whole figure, prime it as one, then paint the details.  But there are always exceptions, and here Henry Ford is best assembled as two sub-assemblies, the upper and lower halves. This is primarily because otherwise, his coat will get in the way of painting the ...

VINTAGE AMERICANA FROM UKRAINIAN COMPANY ICM comes in the form of this neat 1911 Ford Model T four seater. Mat Irvine:  This is the second ICM Ford T release, the 1911 Touring, or four-seater, and a kit that is the earliest Model T made in 1:24/5 scale. Consequently, it beats any made by AMT or other home-based US companies. Neatly moulded components ( below ). Note the white tyres ( bottom right ) and brass plated parts just above them. If you are used to the standard American kit style, this ICM will prove a bit different in construction, but you still get the conventional type of early four-cylinder engine block, axles and suspension. The wheels represent wood-style items from this era (which are also featured in AMT early Model T kits) but - and this is a first - ICM's tyres are the very old type, which were white, not black. Many of the parts are very delicate and care is needed when it comes to the final assembly. In particular, the support bars that run from the windshield f...