SCALE MODEL NEWS

JUST IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS, the Wingnut Wings 1:32 scale Albatros B.II promises to be an epic build for those days after the turkey and trimmings chompathon. SMN report: The Albatros B.II is a typically fine Wingnut Wings World War I aircraft kit. There are plenty of parts, 156 in all, with 13 photo-etch detail components. These include early production side mounted Hazet radiators and a steering wheel-style control column. There are also optional propellers, exhaust manifolds, and the main wheels can be finished with covered or exposed spokes. There are two high quality Cartograf decal sheets, including photo-realistic plywood fuselage panels, plus markings for five aircraft. The multi-page instruction booklet ( above, below ) has been produced to Wingnut Wings' usual high standard, with a plethora of visuals, helping the model maker to produce an exhibition-worthy 1:32 scale replica. The engine is a work of art, with parts that allow a choice of a Daimler-Mercedes 100hp D.1 or 1...

This latest Wingnut Wings kit was released in late March 2013, at the Easter Weekend Omaka Classic Fighters Airshow, in New Zealand. Like other Wingnut aircraft, the Fokker DVII is a top-quality production. The 1:32 scale Wingnut Wings Fokker DVII has 198 injection-moulded components, including 36 parts that relate specifically to the BMW IIIa-powered DVII ‘F’ version. There are also eight photo-etch metal parts in the kit, plus propeller and engine cowling options. For the skilled model maker, full rigging details are supplied to make a museum-grade model. Neat details The pictures show an unpainted prototype model, nice, as you get to see the fine detail that has been incorporated, especially in and around the engine compartment. Also visible are the welded-steel tubular frameworks around which the fuselage, tail and ailerons of the highly successful real machine were built. Good size The 8.7m wingspan of the DVII translates to a 1:32 scale span of some 272mm (10.7in) and an overall ...

SMN report: In 1912, war clouds were gathering over Europe, and leading the charge for command of the air was the British RFC (Royal Flying Corps), set up on this day, 100 years ago. And suitably enough, the New Zealand-based model manufacturer Wingnut Wings has another 1:32 scale World War I aircraft kit for us, the biplane FE2b, as used by flight crews of the RFC. What’s in the box? The Wingnut Wings ‘early’ FE2b has a set of high quality decals, produced by the excellent specialist Italian Cartograf company. There are markings for no less than five different aircraft, so you’ve plenty of choice. Assembling the machine will involve putting together 366 injection-moulded plastic components, surely a record for an aircraft of this type.  Details, details... In addition to all those parts, there are a dozen photo-etch detail components, and the Beardmore engine alone requires 32 pieces to put together. It looks utterly convincing when assembled, so top marks here to Wingnut Wings. O...

SMN update: In our opinion, Wingnut Wings of New Zealand are purveyors of the most drool-making 1:32 scale World War I aircraft kits ever produced. We looked at one of Wingnuts’ earlier kits, the German Gotha bomber, last year - and here’s the Rumpler C.IV, another German aircraft that should join the Gotha, high on the list of must-make kits for any modeller keen on this early era of the aviation story. Rumpler kit details The Wingnut Wings Rumpler C.IV kit features high quality Italian Cartograf decals with markings for five aircraft, and the complex lozenge camouflage is also included. The kit features no less than 259 injection-moulded plastic components, plus a further dozen photo-etch metal detail parts. The engine - a Daimler-Mercedes D.VIa - looks quite excellent, and builds up nicely from a supplied total of 18 parts. Other details include various optional parts - whether you want gun rings, a wireless, flares, radiators or cameras, Wingnuts have them all covered. There’s even...

Every now and again a model appears that simply blows us away, and here we are, duly blown, with the wonderfully detailed 1:32 scale Gotha G.IV from New Zealand’s Wingnut Wings. Building the Gotha G.IV The real thing had a wingspan of some 23.7 m (77.75 in), a spread which is reflected on the model shelf, at an extensive 730 mm (29 in). It’ll be a build-and-a-half if you decide to splash out and get one - there are 436 plastic components, plus 22 metal-etch fine detail parts. The instruction book’s 40 pages will help you all the way, and there’s a rigging diagram for those with more dexterity (and patience) than this writer. Wingnut Wings have also included various optional parts, decals for five different aircraft, and a pair of engines that are a work of model art in their own right. Zeppelin or Gotha? The Gotha G.IV was designed as a direct replacement for the Zeppelin airships that attacked Britain from the air. Zeps were far from ideal as weapon platforms, being expensive to build...

SMN report For lovers of World War I and big-scale aircraft models, here’s a gorgeous 1:32 scale kit from Wingnut Wings, the Sopwith Scout, or ‘Pup’, a single-seater that was much loved by its pilots. Some 2100 Pups were built during the Great War, and the Wingnut model builds into a very neat representation indeed. What’s in the box? The box features handsome art on the cover, while inside there are 128 injection-moulded plastic components and six photo-etch metal detail parts. The Cartograf decals that include markings for six different aircraft. Optional build items include different side and engine cowls, plus fuselage and upper wing. The LeRhone engine is a miniature masterpiece, while detail work throughout is good - just look at the sewn seams on the rear fuselage and the wood-effect around the cockpit. For the nimble-fingered model maker Wingnut provides a rigging diagram, and this of course sets the aircraft off a treat - in fact, it’s essential to make the best of a biplane t...