SCALE MODEL NEWS

Attractive cgi visuals from Kitty Hawk trail the upcoming 1:48 scale Bell Huey Model UH-1Y Super Huey or Venom. SMN Report: Visuals like this give us a clear idea of what to expect with this miniature, slotted for near-future release, probably early 2015. Particularly pleasing (above) is the exposed engine detail, which will really give diorama fans a chance - imagine this helo surrounded my maintenance techs in a steamy jungle or sandy desert environment. The UH-1Y is now the standard US Marine Corps utility helicopter, so anywhere the USMC goes can be a subject for a model display. Ordnance (below) looks to be well provided for, with a side-mounted chain gun, rocket pods and sensor pod under the nose. All the doors open, allowing you to clearly see inside, providing plenty of opportunities for impressive interior paint and weathering. Closeup detail (below) looks mighty fine, so we are really looking forward to this kit, and especially to comparing its fit and finish, and general qua...

Set for near-future release is a 1:48 scale F-101 Voodoo from Kitty Hawk Models. But can this model beat the classic Monogram kit to the same scale? We don’t have too many details at the moment beyond these tantalizing CGI development screen shots, but Kitty Hawk’s other kits are pretty good, so this upcoming Cold War and Vietnam War warrior ought to be something worth waiting for. The model will be a biggie when it comes, as the Voodoo was a largish beast - to 1:48 scale, the model should measure some 438mm (17.2in) long with a wingspan of 250mm (9.8in). Talking of Monogram’s old kit (below), two items that really shone were the well-sculpted crew figures, so it will interesting to see whether a pair are provided with the new kit, and if so, how they compare. The F-101 was developed in the 1950s, and set a number of speed records, including a JF-101 testbed aircraft that flew at 1943.4 km/h (1207.6 mph) on December 12, 1957, beating a previous record of 1811 km/h (1132 mph) set by the...

Italeri’s 1:72 scale Martin B-57G Nighthawk is one of those golden oldie model kits that’s been around for a looong time. But it remains an interesting subject, representing a highly successful early medium jet bomber. The new release is much the same as before, with a 277mm (10.9in) wingspan, and adequate, if hardly state-of-the-art detailing. Fuel tanks and ordnance are included, as is the big two-piece nose radome. We’d just love to see a detail-up version, with engines, ground crew and bomb trolleys in the box. Decals However, Italeri has at least seen fit to add a choice of unit markings, and if you haven’t built a B-57 before, it could be an interesting way to while away some evenings at the workbench. Specialist choices A more unusual build for kit-bashers and keen converters would be one of the many specialist B-57s that have flown. The B-57 series listed a host of variants, a couple of which we show here. First off, the long-wing WB-57F Air Weather Service civilian version, fl...

Mat Irvine inspects: The Revell-Germany Classic Kits range aims to bring you: 'Classic kits from 5 decades of modelling history', and one of the recent aviation reissues certainly adds to the list. This is the Martin B-57B, a twin-engine medium jet bomber built in the US as a licensed version of the English Electric Canberra. Clouds of starter smoke surround an Air Guard B-57B. Successful Canberra jet The Canberra was a very successful high-flying design that first flew in 1949. It was manufactured throughout the 1950s, and flew in the air arms of at least 17 countries. The last Canberras were retired only in 2006, these from the Royal Australian Air Force. The Martin B-57 that is the subject of this Revell kit went into service in 1954 and in all, more than 400 were built. The B-57 was a stalwart performer during the Vietnam War, and Pakistani versions saw service against Indian forces in 1965, and again in 1971. Original 1957 catalogue entry. Looking at the past Back to the k...

SMN reports The ROK (Republic of Korea) kit maker Academy is on something of a roll at the moment - company representatives were delighted to collect 2010 Modell des Jahres (Model of the Year) awards at the recent Nuremberg Toy Fair for their quite superb 1:35 scale Merkava tank and 1:72 scale M977 cargo truck. And now Academy has a new-release 1:35 kit of the somewhat less-known M50A1 Ontos tank-killer. This was a small tracked vehicle in service from 1959-1965, and used with some success in the Vietnam War, by the US Marine Corps for fire support. Armament was a central machine gun, surrounded by six 106 mm (4.2 in) recoilless rifles, three on each side. Like all weapon systems, the Ontos (from a Greek word meaning ‘thing’) had some weaknesses, not least being the fact that the crew had to reload the rifles from outside, leaving themselves vulnerable to enemy fire. Still, the Ontos was light enough to be airlifted by cargo planes and CH-53 helicopters, making it a highly mobile weapo...