SCALE MODEL NEWS

This is the fifth book French modelling expert Jean-Christophe Carbonel (universally known as ‘JC’) has written on aspects of various model kit companies. Mat Irvine: JC Carbonel's book is about ESCI, one of Italy’s best known names in the modelling field, though one that ceased business more than a dozen years ago. This does however bring one advantage, in that the author can definitively chart the company’s entire existence, in this case from 1967-2000. To this end, most of the book has yearly announcements, with details of the significant new kits that were released over ESCI's 33-year history. But those dates are not quite so simple, as JC explains, “The actual origins of ESCI can be traced to before World War II, when it was incorporated as the ‘Ente Scambi Coloniali Internazionali’ or Company for Trade with the International Colonies.” The inside front cover (above) carries an advert for Kager, ESCI’s distributer in Germany. Initially ESCI just imported and distributed t...

MAT IRVINE: The UK-based Milton Keynes Scale Model Club held its annual ModelKraft Show recently, and there were thousands of beautifully-finished miniatures on display. General view of the ModelKraft main hall (below) reveals a mass of models, and plenty of visitors. The smaller exhibition area (below) on the first floor, with the main hall visible through windows at the back. Friend of SMN, and co-organiser of the HaMeX model events, Paul Fitzmaurice’s trade stand (below) was packed with model accessories - and every item on it is transported to and from shows in his Skoda Roomster minivan, which he packs and unpacks with millimetric precision. Paul has also set up the newest model club in the area, details at his website. Visit Paul here . You can’t have too many Phantoms… despite its antiquity (first flight 55 years ago!) the cranked-wing F-4 is still a major draw with aviation fans and modellers alike. A neatly-presented 1:25 scale AMT 1965 Lincoln Continental (below) complete...