Scale Modelling news, reviews, features and more...
HOW DO THEY GET IN ?
Sometimes a project can snowball if just a simple question is raised during construction – for Editor Stu Fone and Airfix’s re-issued 1/72 Beaufighter TF.X, it was wondering how the crew entered the aircraft.
YOUNGSTERS IN THE HOVER
Airfix’s Quickbuild series is splendid for introducing young kids to making models. The latest offering is the new-generation Lockheed F-35B Lightning II.
Building Kinetic's 1/48 scale Harrier GR.3
Kinetic's 1/48 Harrier has been reformated to portray the RAF's GR.1/GR.3 airframes. The moved prompted Jay Blakemore to jump for joy and produce a wonderful build.
FORTRESS IN CLOSE-UP
In 2012 Keymodelworld’s CHRIS CLIFFORD flew in the Collings Foundation’s B-17G Nine O Nine. In a tribute to the aircraft, which crashed in 2019, he presents 30 walk-round photos to help in detailing your builds.
A FINE VINTAGE
Airfix has re-released its 1/144 HP.42 airliner, originally tooled in 1965. CHRIS CLIFFORD takes a detailed look at the kit, and shares superb period images of the type, from the Key Archive.
BEASTS AND STINGING INSECTS
Builders with a naval aviation focus could find Model Art's new 1/48 decal sheet useful indeed. It caters for Royal Navy Westland Wasp helicopters and French Aeronavale Curtiss Helldivers.
KITTY’S BACKBONE
Kazan Model Dynamics has released yet another stunning detail set for Tamiya’s 1/48 Tomcats… this time for the aircraft’s spine.
THE CURSE OF KURSK
INTERMEDIATE BUILD
Tamiya's recently released 1/35 Panther D is beautifully built and portrayed in a maintenance pose by Kev Smith.
ALMOST TWO POUNDS OF PANZER!
CHRIS CLIFFORD is hugely impressed with MiniArt's latest 1/35 Panzer IV interior kit, which allows you to build two different variants. His out-of-box review includes 20-plus parts photos.
THE FLYING DUTCHMAN
INTERMEDIATE BUILD
How 'friendly' is Italeri’s Fokker F27? Massimo Santarossa finds out, as he constructs this famous turboprop airliner in 1/72 scale.
BOHEMIAN DETAILING
Czech firm Eduard has released a raft of accessories recently and here, we inspect a selection of resin and photo-etched metal parts, and decals. The recipient subjects are the Spitfire Mk.V, A-4B Skyhawk, Sabre F.4, Hind gunship, and there are standalone fast jet stores too.
HARRIER QUIZ
Test your Harrier knowledge with our brain-teasing 15-question quiz on this famous hovering combat jet.
RACING GRIFFON
Airfix’s ‘Civilian Schemes’ 1/48 Spitfire Mk.XIV is a straight re-boxing of the 2019-released Fighter Reconnaissance (FR) kit with changed markings.
BIG-BOOMED TWIN-JET
When Revell announced a 1/72 Sea Vixen it took many modellers by surprise, but this is a re-boxing of the flawed Dragon/Cyber-Hobby kit.
DESERT AIRBASE
The fourth outing for ICM’s Gladiator sees the return of the original Mk.I kit (32040), this time paired with the firm’s excellent three-figure British Pilots in Tropical Uniform set (32106).
KURT TANK'S TANK-BUSTER
Eduard’s 1/48 Focke-Wulf Fw 190F-8 combines five frames from its latest depiction of the type with Runners N, S and T plus a pair of photo-etched steel frets from its previous quarter-scale Fw 190s.
SCOURGE OF THE SKIES DUO
Eduard’s limited-edition offerings are often keenly anticipated, and its Fokker D.VII has been packed as a double set, complete with photoetched (PE) brass and resin extras – the last provides superb Mercedes D.III and BMW IIIa engines (one of each type).
UPGRADED MOOSE
IBG has been meticulous with its coverage of the Polish PZL.37 bomber, covering each sub-type in turn.
UHU TRAINER
Special Hobby has re-released its 1/72 Fw 189B, with two grey styrene runners containing the wings, fuselage booms (common with other iterations), but the third and transparent frames contain items for the three- or five-position gondola.
DIVE-BOMBING BRITAIN
Re-released as part of Italeri’s Battle of Britain celebration, its Ju 87B contains beautifully printed markings for four France-based airframes during summer 1940.
CAPTURED AUSTINS
World War One-era armoured cars seem all the rage, and MiniArt’s Austin vehicle is the firm’s fourth kit of this type, covering captured machines operated by German, Austro-Hungarian and Finnish forces.
MOBILE MACHINE GUNS
Armoured cars are gaining in popularity, with Hauler’s resin kit depicting the Russo-Balt Type C produced in the Russian Empire during the 1910s.
ARMOUR WITH A STING(ER)
Dragon’s reissuing of its splendid M2 Bradley series continues with the short-lived M6 Linebacker, which replaced the anti-tank missile launcher with a Stinger surface-to-air missile unit.
GUNNERY GROUP
Having been absent from Italeri’s range for 40 years, the ex-Peerless 1/35 155mm Howitzer M1 has been re-released and paired with Ukrainian firm Master Box’s same-scale US Artillery Crew figures.
HEAVY FELINE
This iteration of Dragon’s 1/35 Panther Ausf.D provides alternative upper/lower hull and turret components with or without the integrally moulded Zimmerit anti-magnetic coating, providing a ‘2-in- 1’ option that’s either/or rather than two kits.
PRIOR TO COMBAT
Consistently offering great value pairings, ICM has combined its 1/35 Model T RNAS Armoured Car (35669) with its World War One tank crew (35708) for a price increase of just 10% compared with the initial boxing.
SCOUTING FOUR-WHEELER
Here’s a veritable blast from the past in the shape of Matchbox’s 1972-vintage Humber Mk.II scout car, which has been re-boxed by Revell with new markings.
DREADED TIGER
Airfix’s re-boxing of the Academy Tiger I ‘Early Version’ might have modellers hoping it is the full-interior offering, but instead this is the basic kit (13264).
ESCAPING DANGER
ICM’s fifth Chernobyl set features arguably one of the less well-known aspects – the evacuation of thousand of civilians from the vicinity.
GERMAN GROUNDCREW
Large-scale Luftwaffe and diorama modellers will appreciate ICM’s newly tooled set of three 1/32 scale German ground personnel.