SCALE MODEL NEWS

THE PIPER SUPER CUB IS one of the best-known light aircraft. And here we have Revell releasing a 1:32 scale kit of this high-wing two-seater. SMN report: The Piper Cub and Super Cub are synonymous with sport flying, so the Revell PA-18 is a welcome kit. The Piper PA-18 light aircraft was mass-produced between 1949 and 1983 in various versions, and up to 1994 in smaller numbers. According to Revell, the kit features: * Detailed surfaces and fabrics with recessed panel joints * Detailed 150 hp engine * Large propeller * Detailed cockpit with two seats * Separate access hatch * Large balloon tundra tyres * Intricate latticework structure in the cockpit area * Faithfully represented large area cockpit glazing * Detailed tailwheel * Separate navigation lights * Decals for two aircraft: N693JB, Birchwood Airport, Alaska, 2009; N7059, US State Troopers, Alaska 2012 The panel could do with better instruments ( below ) and attention to detail here would do much to improve the interior. The lig...

LOOK AND LEARN about our very own Mat Irvine in this wide-ranging interview with Aaron Skinner, of the respected Fine Scale Modeller magazine. SMN report: Mat talks freely about his work with the BBC, and conjures up some nice anecdotes. For example, did you know that Doctor Who's K-9 (aka 'the dog') once needed a length of string to make him perform for the camera? Mat also discusses the books he has written, including BBC VFX which now has limited availability. But his latest  Mat's Marvellous Model Museum is available now as an ebook from Amazon ( see below ). We're also in the early stages of planning a luscious coffee-table book, which could be on sale in time for Christmas 2016. Keep a lookout for this. Click here to visit Fine Scale Modeler.

THE MOOF MUSEUM IS tucked away under Brussels Central Station, and it’s easy to miss. We chanced upon the collection after arriving in Brussels from a two-hour train ride on the high-speed Eurostar service from central London. SMN report: MOOF stands for Museum Of Original Figurines, and it’s an absolute delight for anyone (like me) who loves strip cartoons and graphic stories. These are popular throughout Europe, where they are known as BD, or Bandes Dessinees, meaning ‘designed strips.’ You won’t find plastic kits at MOOF, but if you like miniatures in their wider sense, then the place really earns its keep. The day we arrived, Eric Pierre was behind the counter, and he looked after our travel bags while we explored the museum. The entrance ( below ) is just inside the Galerie Horta shopping mall. Outside Galerie Horta and MOOF, a super-size Smurf ( below ) stands on guard. The Smurfs are another Belgian creation, the characters originating from the pen of the artist Peyo, back in 1...

MODEL CAR BROCHURES used to be full of dragsters, those race cars built to make a quarter-mile run down a strip in the quickest time. Over the years, dragster kits dropped out of favour, but Round 2 is bringing them back, using its AMT and MPC moulds. Mat Irvine:  The Round 2 Jawbreaker, subtitled as a 'Wild Rail Dragster' is one of these reissues, this one from the MPC list. The car may be listed as a WRD, but if you want to be picky, it’s actually an ‘Altered,’ as it features the semblance of a stock car body, in this case from a 1932 Ford Victoria. This would mean running in a different class, though if you leave off the bodywork, then yes, it could run as a top-class fuel dragster. Box side panel ( below ) depicts an alternative colour scheme. There are no figures in the kit, which is perhaps a pity, though suitable figures are available from aftermarket companies. The assembled engine and chassis ( below ). The only addition is that I added a set of plug leads to the engin...

MORE MODEL MANIA FOR BATMAN FANS has arrived with the Moebius Models 1:25 scale Batmobile, as featured in the movie  Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice . Mat Irvine:  On first opening the box, you could be forgiven for thinking that perhaps Moebius has the scale wrong, as the components look like they could be to 1:20 scale, or even 1:18. But nope, the kit is correct as it stands at 1:25, for this version of the Batmobile is BIG. As constructed for the 2016 movie  Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice , the Batmobile measures 6.07 m (20 ft) long by 3.7 m (12 ft) wide - and that’s wider than a classic Mini car is long. All this makes it the largest Batmobile - by pure bulk - to date, if you take the cartoon 'tank' version out of the equation, which was as wide as a three-lane highway. Unlike the earlier Tumbler design, this  Batman v Superman  Batmobile has a tractor in its genetic code. Production designer Patrick Tatopoulos says that the design team was stuck with...