SCALE MODEL NEWS

THIS LAYOUT COMBINES traditional model rail construction with a dash of science fiction. The Edwardian sci-fi story  War of the Worlds by HG Wells makes for an interesting, and very different, diorama setting. SMN report: Invasion from an alien world is an old science-fiction theme, and one that's tackled successfully in this suitably British model rail display. It's a good subject for all model makers, and kit manufacturers have supplied various scale models to satisfy demand. Pegasus Hobbies have an interesting take on the 1953 George Pal movie, an award-winner in its day, and a classic that should be seen by all sci-fi fans. Click to read all about the Pegasus kit. The latest War of the Worlds reinvention is from the BBC ( below ). The three-part series is currently on-air and streamed on iPlayer. It's worth watching, not least because it is set in England, as was HG Wells's original tale. The effects are also worthwhile, even if the pace becomes somewhat ponderou...

IS THIS NICELY-BUILT model more than the sum of its parts? Look and learn to see how careful work can result in something that really looks the biz.

THIS EXCELLENT LITTLE RETRO MODEL will make a useful accessory for dioramas based on US 0-gauge railroads, and aircraft kits to 1:48 scale. Mat Irvine reports:  During a recent trip to the US east coast, I had an opportunity to drop by Atlantis Models, located on Long Island, New York. Atlantis are now best known for taking over the vast amount of unwanted tools from when Revell itself was taken over a year ago, the new owner deciding that it just didn’t want all the old moulds. Fortunately, Pete Vetri and Rick Delfavero – who head Atlantis – stepped in, and acquired the lot. And they have been busy with several reissues a month of models that originated not only from Revell, but also Monogram and Aurora, with some Renwal kits as well. One of the Revell old moulds is the White-Fruehauf Gas Truck in 1:48 scale, which forms one of a quartet of similarly-scaled kits. 1:48 scale was not a scale often used by Revell, especially for vehicles, but 1:48 is 0-gauge in the US, and is also a ...

ENJOY THIS VIDEO giving details of the upcoming 1:72 scale Airfix Avro Vulcan B.2. This is looks to be a very exciting kit for anyone with an interest in military aviation of the Cold War era. SMN report: Airfix chose the recent IPMS Show at Telford, UK, to reveal this new project. Last year, the star of the show was the Airfix 1:24 scale Hellcat. Next year? Who knows what will be revealed, but we're looking forward to it! And here's a build-up video ( below ) from Tom Grigat showing the Blue Steel missile-carrying Handley-Page Victor.  Love the interior detail, especially the instrument panels, though our request to Airfix would be to include a transparent fuselage half. Then we could see and appreciate that intricate detail after final assembly!

THE BUSY HOBBY BOUNTIES store in Singapore recently had a model competition to coincide with the launch of the new Midway movie. Hobby Bounties proprietor Peter Chiang's mother gave the prizes. Third Prize was awarded to Ben Koh ( below right ) for his Airfix 1:72 scale Zero, in green finish. Second prize was awarded to Kevin Luo  ( below )  for his Battle of Midway diorama.  First prize went to YEE Soon Tuck  ( below )  for his Airfix 1:72 scale Mitsubishi Zero, set on a neatly produced rising sun logo base. The Midway movie ( trailer below ) looks pretty good, especially for the cgi action scenes. The World War II Pacific battle was fought from June 3-6, 1942.

FOLLOWING RECENT JAMES BOND articles, here’s a piece on converting two kits into one of 007’s more unusual forms of transport. Mat Irvine reports:  The second James Bond movie was based on Ian Fleming’s book  From Russia With Love , and came before  Goldfinger , where the idea of Bond using a specially adapted car – the famed Aston Martin DB-5 – was introduced. In  From Russia With Love  the vehicles were frankly ‘working props’, appearing on-screen for relatively short periods of time. But the movie did have one set of wheels that made an impact, a 1961 Chevrolet Apache 30 stake truck, carrying a load of cut flowers ( movie still below ). In the movie, 007 hijacked the truck to escape an attacking helicopter, driving across what was meant to be ‘east European’ countryside, with his latest lady friend ( see below )bouncing about in the pickup bed at the back, amongst the blooms. A kit of the vehicle was a non-starter, my idea coming from the multi-issue par...

MORE INTERESTING STUFF from Peter Chiang with these entries from his Hobby Bounties mini-Airfix James Bond competition 2019. The cars are all in 1:32 scale, the James Bond Aston Martin ( above ) being fitted with an ejection-seat cutout in the roof, and much else besides.   SMN report: Here we see a nicely assembled Airfix 4.5 litre Bentley ( below ) and VW Beetle with skis, both to 1:32 scale. Secret agent Bond ( below ) leaves his top hat behind. A change of scale ( below ) with Airfix 1:76 scale astronauts, here featured in a neat diorama setting. Click here for more info at Hobby Bounties.

SOME INTERESTING PIX HAVE ARRIVED from our man in Singapore, Peter Chiang, of Hobby Bounties . The classic 1:12 scale Airfix Bentley is boxed here in 007 guise. SMN report: The old Bentley kit is still a good one and well worth a build, as these pictures reveal.    The completed Bentley pictured here has been completed for Peter's mini-Airfix James Bond Competition, due for judging on October 26, 2019. Early box painting ( below ) featured the 4.5 litre Bentley in its race-winning paint finish of British racing green. And here Peter Chiang sent us pix of a Bond figure, a work-in-progress that's looking very impressive. It's based on converting Sean Connery to another of the best Bond actors, Daniel Craig ( below ). Click here to visit Peter Chiang at Hobby Bounties.

THERE’S AN OLD AVIATION question that runs, “Why do they put four engines on a 747? Answer: because they can’t fit six…” Well, that doesn’t apply to the Antonov An-225 as it has six engines as standard and holds the record as the largest aircraft in the world currently flying. Mat Irvine: The Antonov An-225 was initially developed to transport the Soviet Buran space shuttle, but with the demise of that project, the An-225 – named Mrija (‘Dream’ in Ukrainian) and developed from the four-engined An-124 – was mothballed for almost a decade. But then it was refurbished as a transporter for very large and heavy payloads. The Revell model is the first conventional kit of this giant aircraft, and is moulded ( below ) in standard 1:144 scale. You can build the An-225 in one of four poses. These are: landing gear up for in-flight display, gear down, with the large loading door open, and with the fuselage kneeling nose-first to allow vehicles to drive straight into the capacious hold. The kit h...