SCALE MODEL NEWS

MOEBIUS MODELS brought us the Batmobile for the movie based on two giants of the DC Universe,  Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice . And now Moebius has released Batman’s other mode of transport from the movie, the Batwing. Mat Irvine:  As with the Batmobile, the Batwing’s design has changed between movies, and this incarnation is possibly the most striking-looking machine to date. It’s certainly the largest, as this 1:25 scale model has a wingspan of 430 mm (17 in). This isn’t the first Batwing to match the scale of the relevant Batmobile, but the 1990 Batwing was a lot smaller, with a wingspan of 330 mm (13 in). Unsurprisingly, the components in this new kit are big, especially the wing-section. The Batwing design incorporates a forward-mounted cannon assembly, the cockpit positioned behind it, which gives an intriguing look to the assembled machine. The movie craft can fold its wings, and the kit option allows you to do the same. But you have to decide before the model is co...

IT'S MAY 4, SO TODAY IS STAR WARS DAY and here is a look at probably the biggest kit of the Millennium Falcon available. SMN report: The DeAgostini kit assembles to make a 1:1 scale replica, though the 1:1 scale refers to one of the prop models used for filming – not a life-size ship! Even so, the model is a massive beast when completed, as you'll see in the video below. Of the kit, DeAgostini says: “This official model of the iconic Millennium Falcon is a 1:1 replica of the original Empire Strikes Back movie prop, and also features unique internal details, lighting and movable parts." The kit comes as a partwork, and like many of these, has some extras to go with the actual model components. DeAgostini adds, “Your magazine will include easy-to-follow detailed Assembly Guide plus a fascinating look inside the Star Wars archive with The Starship Fact File, The Guide to the Galaxy and The Secrets of Spaceflight. “Easy to construct but with an unprecedented level of reali...

HERE'S A REALLY WATCHABLE video of building the Tamiya 1:48 scale Spitfire. SMN report: It's arguable as to whether this is the 'best' 1:48 scale Spitfire on the market, but certainly Tamiya has provided World War II fans with a beautiful model. In these lockdown days, it's a real pleasure to set aside some time to watch the model come to life in the hands of an expert model maker. As the stills below show, a modest amount of weathering helps this Spitfire look like a battle-worn veteran.

HERE'S A HANDSOME piece of cgi by our friends at MetaBallStudios (MBS). Sit back and enjoy all those familiar vehicles from the worlds of fantasy and science-fiction. From Batman to Star Wars, Mad Max to the War of the Worlds, it's gorgeous stuff. 

EVERYONE'S FAVOURITE KILLER weapon, the Death Star is the most powerful armament possessed by the evil Empire, and it has been shown ( above ) in various forms of part-built construction. But brothers Benjamin and Isaac Botkin have gone much further, to create a mesmerising build-sequence that displays their musical and cgi talents. SMN report: The video was a personal fan film, created by musician Benjamin Botkin and his FX-guru brother, Isaac. The visuals were planned and created in Lightwave 3D software, while the score was composed especially for the sequence. Ben’s goal was to arrive at an original melody that echoed the iconic music style of John Williams. The musical piece for the sequence was created by Ben, using virtual instruments, available from a galaxy of online music libraries. It’s all truly inspiring stuff, and fascinating for any Star Wars fan – and indeed for anyone who is interested in visual effects, and music apps such as GarageBand. For scale model builders,...

IF THERE IS ONE spacecraft that sums up the Star Wars saga, then the Millennium Falcon belongs at the top table. Depending on your personal preference of course, the X-Wing or TIE fighter just might compete for gold! But there's no arguing that the Bandai Perfect Grade kit represents the peak where plastic kits are concerned. SMN report: Detail throughout is superb, and of course the kit is made to model aircraft-standard 1:72 scale. And that means the Bandai  Millennium Falcon  can be displayed next to more or less any aircraft to that scale, from a P-40 to an F-15. The flight deck ( below ) includes neatly moulded figures of Han Solo, Chewbacca, Princess Leia, and Luke Skywalker. They bring it to life, as well as adding that important sense of scale. Note the detailing of the ship's side mouldings, where there is plenty of mysterious machinery to add a convincing look.   The instruction book ( below ) is a work of publishing art, certainly good enough to make a perman...

THIS 1:25 SCALE BUICK RIVIERA CUSTOM is a reissue of a kit first released by AMT in 1965. Mat Irvine: I mentioned the chassis of a 1965 AMT Buick Riviera in my recent article, ‘Scale modellers and Self Isolation’ so here’s a closer look at the Riviera, the chassis of which was in the photo of my workbench ( circled below ). The kit is a reissue of the AMT 1965 Buick Riviera, one of the company’s ‘annual’ kits, released each year from the late 1950s to the early 1970s. These were ‘3 in 1’ kits, meaning that you could build one of three supplied options, almost always being stock, competition, or custom. The 1965 Riviera was a 3 in 1 kit, but there was no competition version, instead having two custom options. The ‘Villa Riviera’ came about as a present from General Motors’ Buick division to car-customiser George Barris ‘to do with it what he thought best.’ Unsurprisingly, Barris accepted the car, and was ready to start some mild customising on it. George Barris workshop The Barris wor...