SCALE MODEL NEWS

BORED WITH ORDINARY FIGHTING SHIPS? THEN try converting a US aircraft carrier kit to create a TV advert-style racetrack for BMW performance cars. The ad (below) is a bit of fun, but is also an excellent example of what can be done on a big budget. In the smaller scale world of model ships, things are somewhat limited by comparison, but it still might make quite a challenge to construct something like this - especially when Summer comes to a close, and Autumn nights start to draw in. Of course, there are other aircraft carrier concepts around if you feel like a bit of adventure in your model making. We have featured some, so click on the links below to get some ideas. To get an idea, try here and here .

Watch out for a fresh new look at Scale Model News, due very soon. We'll have more models of all sorts, presented in a cleaner style on screen. Features will include new versions of the Star Trek Romulan craft (above) and reviewing the history of an old fave, the classic polythene-bag Airfix Spitfire (below). Ships will include more miniatures like this diecast Japanese aircraft carrier (above) and mixed-material kits like the paper-tech Pagani racer (below). Coming soon - look out for the new-style SMN.

Here’s a prize-winning build of the 1:24 scale Airfix Harrier, remodelled as a Spanish Navy Matador. The kit is based on the old-mould Harrier, marketed a few years back with additional parts to build the GR3 version. Creator of the sound-enabled display model is US model-maker George Mustafa. It took George over 800 hours (that’s equivalent to more than 33 days solid, working round the clock!) to correct the many flaws in the plastic, to scratch-build the hundreds of missing or corrected components, and to super-detail virtually everything else. The video (below) gives a good feel for George's work, especially the sound-chip side of things - which works just great. George used various bought-in extras, such as part of the Flightpath photo-etch set, a resin ejection seat from Heritage Models, while other parts were scratch-built. The resulting Matador model has working navigation, beacon, and landing lights, an illuminated instrument panel, rotating turbine blades and real Pegasus ...

SMN REPORT: Is this a subject for maritime modellers or aircraft builders? We don’t know the answer (though suspect it’s probably both) but either way, these Chinese Navy illustrations have surfaced on the internet and, concept or not, the cat-carrier is just made for an impressive what-if miniature display piece. It’s not known if this is a genuine project for the expanding Chinese Navy, but the idea seems to be a quantum leap-and-a-half above anything being conceived elsewhere. Multi-purpose design A catamaran design isn’t so crazy, as it offers huge capacity and stability, plus twin flight decks that allow takeoff and landing ops to be carried out at the same time. The space between the hulls would come in useful, offering servicing facilities for submarines and amphibious landing craft. Kriegsmarine cat Not that the Chinese are unique in thinking about catamaran aircraft carriers, as scale modeller Halsted Morris conceived a what-if World War II German Navy version some time ago. L...