SCALE MODEL NEWS

Here’s a homage to the late, great ‘Big Daddy’ Ed Roth, king of the Customizers and creator of the bulging-eyed Rat Fink rodent. Excellent news for all custom car fans, it’s available now from Revell. Mat Irvine: The late Ed Roth (he died in 2001) is probably best known for show cars such as the Beatnik Bandit, Outlaw and Road Agent, but he started his career as an artist, painting T-shirts and applying pinstripes to custom cars. This eventually led to his own auto creations, though he originally started these as advertising vehicles to show off his artwork. Inside the box (above) with Rat Fink’s plastic parts in a polythene bag, while (below) the nine components reveal a super-simple construction job. Revell’s latest Ed Roth model kit is a card diorama of one of his early garage workshops. It’s complete with the ‘Crazy Painting’ sign over the garage and, just in case people still haven’t got the point, a free-standing sign that adds ‘The CRAZY Painter.’ Card dioramas are not new to k...

Sunday December 8, 2013, saw the fifth HaMeX show (Hanslope Model Expo) held in the village of Hanslope, North Bucks, UK. The day was chilly, but bright and dry, which can’t always be guaranteed for this time of year! Above, the new Batman Tumbler from Moebius was built on a suitably grimy Gotham city diorama by Mat Irvine, then loaned to Tony James for his stand. Mat Irvine: HaMeX started as a swapmeet  devised by Paul Fitzmaurice and Mat Irvine (and, originally, your host for Scale Model News, David Jefferis), and is now in its fifth year. It was intended for those ‘last-minute present ideas’, even if they are presents for yourself! The 2013 event was the most successful to date, both for the ‘fun element’, and to raise money for Village Hall funds. A model display was always part of the original plan, and this year co-organiser Mat Irvine recreated much of the Doctor Who props and models display that he and colleague Mike Tucker had put on two weeks earlier at the official Doct...

It’s December again, and that means another HaMeX Swapmeet and Model Show, to be held on Sunday, December 8, 2013, in Hanslope, UK. HaMeX 5 opens from 10:00-17:00, and packed into Hanslope’s Village Hall you’ll find individuals selling off old kits, maybe some new kits, books, magazines, accessories - perhaps even the odd diecast! Individual sellers booked to attend include Mark Peacock, Chris Harding, Chris Mitchell, Brian Porter, Kit Spakeman, Chris Sissons, Clive Davies, Chris Simmonds, Bob Houesden, Neil Howes, Mike Reveller, John Weaver and Nigel Perry. Dealers at HaMeX 5 will include Steve Foster with Klassic Kits, Tony James with Comet Miniatures, plus Oxonian Plastic Fantastic… and not forgetting the show organisers, Mat Irvine and Paul Fitzmaurice. Mat is aiming to put on a large display of his models from over the years, and especially interesting to sci-fi fans will be a selection of models and props that were on display at the Doctor Who 50th Celebrations at ExCel on Novemb...

Here’s another partwork collectible from the publisher, Eaglemoss. For enthusiasts of scale militaria, this World War II series could be a tempter, especially as the models themselves seem to be well made. This model is of a World War II-vintage British Crusader III, the first British tank to mount a six-pounder main gun. It’s one of a newish collection of iconic World War II vehicles, all to 1:43 scale and made in diecast metal and injection-moulded plastic. They may be partwork-style collectibles, but detailing is generally good, and all are mounted in a transparent display base. For a kit-builder the Crusader III is an opportunity to take a ready-built model, then add some detailing and weathering to take it to the next level. As you can see from the pix, the basics seem to be there (including a rotating turret and moving tracks) but the tank would look even better with some added TLC. The model rates a solid 8/10, with the opportunity to take it up a notch in the finish and detail ...

French model fan JC Carbonel was hard at work during his visit to the IPMS ModelWorld 2013 recently. His pictures show a kaleidoscopic range of model choices, and highlight the hugely high level of craft skills on display. The overall show winner was of course captured by JC’s camera. The Gold Winner shows a spectacular display of creativity and steampunkery, in the form of the sci-fi vehicle shown here at the top, a Bugatti Tesla magnetic levitation race car. Away from the fictional aspect, detail work is mesmerisingly rich - just look at the intricate engine, and the fan-like Tesla blades sprouting from the wheel arch. JC’s other images include this ‘what-if’ piece of aviation heritage, in the form of a British TSR-2 deep-strike bomber, toting an airborne radar atop the fuselage. Again, full marks for creativity, though we’d suggest that the TSR’s speed would have made the addition of such a dish rather unlikely. Fun though! The biker cafe is just the sort of place us two-wheel folk ...