SCALE MODEL NEWS

At barely 6.35 x 3.18 mm (0.25 x 0.125 in) in size, New Jersey model train builder David Smith’s tiny train must be in the record books for the smallest ever - it works out to 1:35,200 scale. It’s not a feature in its own right however, for it represents a model train running inside an already small Z-gauge 1:220 scale display. In fact the five-car ‘train’ consists of an oval of trimmed and painted plastic, moving by means of a small motor. And this has raised some queries, with people suggesting that because there are no separate three-dimensional components such as locomotive, carriages and track, then perhaps it shouldn’t count as a ‘model’ at all. Well in SMN’s opinion, it is certainly a thing of wonder, and we've nothing against making a two-dimensional model, so David Smith gets a vote for sheer amazingness, if nothing else. You’ll find out how he pulled the trick off in the fascinating video above. For more conventional model train enthusiasts, the Big Boy Revell kit could b...

This intriguing 1:72 scale model represents the LLRV (Lunar Landing Research Vehicle) built to test the controls of the Apollo Lunar Module before flight. Two LLRVs were built. Mat Irvine: This is the first time the ungainly LLRV has been modelled, and Three Stooges Productions (explanation later!) has produced a multi-material kit, from photo-etch brass, injection resin and styrene parts. The kit looks daunting at first, but it actually goes together fairly easily, though the plans need clarifying at some points. The photo-etch brass components cut easily from their sheet - a sharp knife blade in a heavy-duty cutter will suffice. The tags - they can be sharp - need cleaning up with a model file. Being soft brass, these parts bend easily - sometimes too easily - and care is required to get the angles correct. They can be soldered, but great care is required for this, as the components are small and thin, and can warp very easily. Hence superglue is probably the most straightforward op...

A lesson for us all here in how to make a BIG model. Rod Stevenson's V-2 rocket is 1:5 scale, and as you can see from the video, it can fly high too. The flight recorded here gained Rod a UK Rocketry Association (UKRA) Level 3 Certificate, so congratulations are in order. For most of us, a smaller rocket is probably more realistic, and for that one of the many Estes kits are ideal. I used to fly them, and can confirm that the kits are fairly easy to build, and great fun to fly. When she was much younger, my elder daughter gained her rocket star for being in charge of countdown procedures, graduating to commander in charge of the actual launches. Pressing the red FIRE button was her reward for helping Dad out with his hobby. Click here to visit the UKRA. Click here for a wide range of flying model rockets.

Model maker Ed Ross mixed live steam and Victoriana, to produce a working steampunk aerial battleship. The result is a superb piece of craftsmanship.  The video is a comprehensive look at a work of pure imagination. In Ed's words, "...Battleship train ship model with cannons and lasers that fire. It has many handmade moving parts that are driven by a live steam engine. "  The engine looks like an old Mamod machine, the type that were especially popular in the early 1960s. Ed adds, "The video is a depiction of the first trial run, with some animation and effects thrown in. It was made from over 50 found parts and took over 2500 hours to construct." "Except for the steam engine, which was modified, it is totally hand built using ordinary home tools.  It is almost four feet tall and 51 inches long. Hope you enjoy."

You’ve only got this week to get along to the Royal Air Force Museum in London, to see a fascinating exhibition. It closes at the end of May, so for a close look at Airfix kit history, it’s the place to be. Mat Irvine reports: The show consists of two displays, one of original box-art, primarily by noted artist Roy Cross, then two large cabinets that hold examples of models, boxes, paints, and other artifacts. The show is not just about model aircraft, instead covering the whole range of Airfix subjects. Possibly the most interesting part is that the models shown are not professionally built as you might expect - actually, they are constructed by amateur model makers. Models in the show include aircraft, figures, rail rolling stock, ships, cars old and new, and some educational models, such as the Beam Engine. An injection-moulding unit (below) is also on display, perhaps the only one that would fit inside a cabinet, itself strong enough to take the weight of the solid-steel mould, pr...

The UK Automodellismo model car show put on a fourth outing last weekend, with hundreds of beautifully constructed miniatures on display, making the show more than worth the effort for visitors and exhibitors alike. Here’s the roundup of Automodellismo 4, 2014: Some of the models (below) bought along by the Britmodeller group. Nick Allen created the Beyond the Box SIG (Special Interests Group), best known for its amazing modifications to the Airfix Wallace and Gromit kits. He also likes trucks and buses, and is seen here converting the Revell RM London bus into one that is being dismantled for recycling. As he says, “You can’t save them all.” And Wallace and Gromit are having another ‘Grand Day Out,’ though here Gromit has become detached from Wallace. Members of the Car and Motorcycle SIG. New to Automodellismo is Tony and his Custom FX resin cast models. This one will be interesting when it is finished as the infamous coach from The (original) Italian Job. “Hang on lads, I have an id...