SCALE MODEL NEWS

  NAVAL MODEL FANS will be pleased to see the latest Italeri update of the 1:35 scale Schnellboot of the World War II German Navy. SMN report: The Italeri Schnellboot ('fast boat') is a large kit, which measures nearly a metre long when assembled. It is a superb World War II naval model, but the big military-kit standard 1:35 scale really allows the intricate detail work to be seen and appreciated.   Italeri has given time and effort to make this latest issue of the S-boat (or E-boat as it was also known) well worth another look. The brass components ( below ) in particular supply a delicate level of realism.     Decals ( below ) are produced to a high finish. Pictures of an assembled Italeri Schnellboot ( below ) reveal a handsome addition to the naval display shelf. At a metre in length, the S-boat dwarfs other motor torpedo boat kits. Click here to see previous versions of the Italeri S-boat at SMN.

SMN Report: Success for Italeri with its other 1:35 scale motor torpedo boats, the German Schnellboot S-100, Italian MAS, and US PT Boat, means that another World War II veteran is on the slipway, nearly ready for launch. The upcoming British Vosper Motor Torpedo Boat (MTB) will complete the Italeri torpedo boat fleet, and details of progress make it look unmissable. Shapely hull, and deck-mounted torpedo tubes, visualized on the computer. Scale length The large scale helps of course - even though it’s a third shorter than the S-100, the real-life MTB’s 22 m (72.5 ft) length still translates to a 628 mm (24.7 in) long model, so the Italeri version will be a real shelf-filler and should look terrific displayed next to the other boats in the range. The large scale has allowed for lots of detail work - in Italeri’s words: “...great care and attention has been devoted to the construction of the bridge, the offensive armament, consisting of the torpedo tubes, and the defensive armament such...

It just goes to show that perhaps we shouldn't take promo material literally. Model guru Mat Irvine points out: "Incidentally and re: yesterday's posting, in no way is the Italeri boat the 'biggest kit' - if by 'biggest' you mean longest/tallest - and I presume you do as you quote 'metre'?" "Revell's 1:96 Saturn V is 4 feet tall and Lindberg's Japanese submarines are almost five feet long! Pretty sure Renwal's Visible Chassis was longer too." Well, we had another look at the Schnellboot, and strictly speaking, Italeri declares it as the "biggest 1:35 scale plastic model kit", so maybe that claim still stands. No matter, it's a good one!

SMN Report Good news for model ship enthusiasts with Italeri’s announcement that ‘popular demand’ is bringing back the metre-long  (well, 999 mm to be precise) kit. The Italeri 1:35 scale Schnellboot - ‘fast boat’, also known to the Allies as the E-Boat - really is one of the best-ever World War II naval models in any size, but especially in the big military scale, and it certainly dwarfs the 1:72 scale competition from Revell and Airfix. Smaller-scale Schnellboot built in Germany Of course not all - even most - of us have room for the Italeri giant, and those smaller alternatives are decent kits in their own right. The German website 'Das Modellboard' has some fine build pix of the Revell 1:72 scale Schnellboot, two of which we show below, and as you can see it’s beautifully built. It might be nice to see some crew aboard this latter-day Marie Celeste , but that’s up to personal preference. Restoring the S130 Meantime in Cornwall, UK, work continues with the restoration of the...

At last 1:48 seems to be the scale of choice for new AFV plastic kit offerings. Tamiya already have a mouthwatering range of military subjects, even if it’s not terribly large. And now Italeri is launching a range of new-tool 1:48 scale vehicles. The first two are due soon, and are both World War II subjects. The armoured car is an Italian Autoblinda AB 41, in production from 1941, hence the number. The utilitarian looks belied its usefulness (though the four-wheel-steer system caused problems) and some were fitted with metal wheels to speed along Italian rail tracks. After Italy surrendered in 1943, German forces confiscated some 57 AB 41s and built 120 more. And one of these is the subject of this kit, complete with Iron Cross markings. The Kfz 305 truck is a soft-top three-tonner that was used in virtually every Axis combat arena, and Italeri’s kit features a metal chassis frame, which should give the finished model a nice heft. Decals are included but, sad to say, the stern-lookin...