SCALE MODEL NEWS

I HAVE BEEN ASSISTING Glencoe Models with up-and-coming reissues of two Adams launch rocket kits, Thor and Vanguard. Here is an exclusive first look at one of these, the Thor IRBM (Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile), a kit that was first released in 1958, along with the Vanguard. Mat Irvine: So far only the missile sections of these launchers have been test shot, and this review is based on the Thor missile itself, not the launch platform. The Thor is a simple structure, consisting of two missile halves, fins, engine plate and bell, and the nose cone. Considering the tooling’s age, the components have come out remarkably well, with few signs of age. Four crew figures, two of them in protective suits, are also provided, and again these have survived surprisingly well, considering their small detail. The Thor has a supplied launch platform that allows the missile to sit on an adapted Vanguard pad. However, most Thors were launched from a somewhat simpler pad, the top of which has bee...

The T-800 Terminator strikes back with this latest 1:6 scale figure from the Hong Kong firm, Hot Toys. David Jefferis reports: Hot Toys has revealed the latest Arnold Schwarzenegger figure in its 1:6 scale collection, a battle-damaged T-800 from The Terminator a movie that’s been around for a near-unbelievable 30 years. Arnie has already been given the Hot Toys treatment for his role in the 1991 Terminator 2: Judgement Day , but this new figure recreates his performance in the first film. The 1:6 scale Hot Toys Battle Damaged T-800 comes with two different heads, one of them more damaged than the other, allowing you to see parts of the metallic endoskelton, and the famed glowing red eye. There’s also a leather jacket, a range of guns, different hand positions and, of course, Arnie’s trademark ultra-dark sunglasses. However (and it’s something of a pity for this reviewer) there’s no built-in trigger and sound system for the figure to say those immortal words, “I’ll be back.” More Hot ...