DeAGOSTINI RELEASES BIG 1:16 SCALE MITSUBISHI ZERO FIGHTER IN - COUNT THEM - 25 EPISODES

SMN report:

The Italian partwork publisher DeAgostini is creating something of a reputation for large-scale kits, with several ships and a racing car produced so far in its ModelSpace range. Now aviation fans are target customers, with this massive 1:16 scale Mitsubishi A6M2b Model 21 Zero fighter, a widely produced version of the famed Japanese aircraft that was such a fearsome combat adversary for Allied forces early in World War II.

Alternative versions

The DeAgostini Zero can be built as a carrier- or land-based version, and has a choice of construction formats. The interior can be made fully- or partly-visible, the flying surfaces can be painted or unpainted, left on or off - the options are up to you, the builder. We’d probably go for a half-and-half build, the port side exposed, starboard side covered and painted.

Big display mega-model

Whichever final form your Zero takes, it’ll be a shelf-filler, with a wingspan of 750 mm (29.5 in) and fuselage length of 560 mm (22 in) - all the better to admire the detail! And detail there is, with a crisply cast aluminium airframe, and riveted panel lines. The landing gear is fully retractable, with working damped oleos and rubber tyres. 

Working parts

The Nakajima Sakae two-row radial engine is a work of art all by itself. It doesn’t actually fire up with a cough and a splutter, but there are many other working features, such as moving control surfaces, folding wing tips, and - a nice touch - the rotating propeller has variable-pitch blades. The DeAgostini Zero also has lighting, courtesy a selection of mini-bulbs and a battery contained within the belly fuel tank - nice!

Back-burner build

The Zero is available from ModelSpace in 25 monthly instalments, though DeAgostini points out that inexperienced modelmakers shouldn’t be put off, as there will be detailed step-by-step instructions and clear photography, plus an online forum for builders. You also get the necessary tools, assembly fittings, and a display base.

Summation

Looks like a terrific kit, though how many of us could keep up the committment for more than two years is hard to guess... do you really want to see in New Year 2014 before your Zero is complete? Thought not! Perhaps DeAgostini will see the light and release it as a high-priced, but complete one-off kit.

Visit the Mitsubishi Zero at DeAgostini here.

Smaller Zero kits here

ROLL BACK THE IRON CURTAIN WITH SOVIET-ERA 1:43 SCALE DIECAST CARS

SMN report:

The ModelSpace brand from publisher DeAgostini has a fascinating offer starting now: a dozen-vehicle range of vehicles from the days of World War II, and the later Cold War era, when the Soviet Empire vied with the West.

You speak Russian?

Each 1:43 scale car comes with an imported Russian-language magazine (two spreads shown above) so, unless you speak Russian, you’ll need to crank up your Google translator program. Actually, the language drawback makes the whole thing a lot more interesting, as the cars are only available on general sale today in Russia and the Ukraine.

Marvel and drool

In the words of DeAgostini’s somewhat breathless copywriter: “Marvel at Russian build quality, drool over Soviet refinements - the country that invented austerity!” And that’s about right as, powerful as the USSR was politically, the quality of its technology was, should we say, rather basic. Iron Curtain machines did the job, but with little notion of style or finesse.

Style knockoffs

The cars themselves cover a range of awfulness in automotive design, with names like VAZ, GAZ, and ZAZ. Many of them were poor knockoffs of American style, yet today there’s a period charm that outweighs the copycat looks that first marked them out.

Definitely different

As 1:43 scale models go, these are all fair to good, though without much sophistication. But no matter, they are worth having for that ‘difference-factor’. DeAgostini offers various purchase options, including money-saving bundle deals.

GAZ 11-73

The GAZ 11-73 (top picture) was produced from 1940-46, albeit very slowly, and only 1250 were made -  just 50 or so examples are thought to survive today. First intended as a civilian car, the 11-73’s size and large V6 engine made it ideal as a military staff vehicle. The model is 110 mm (4.3 in) long and 39 mm (1.5 in) wide.

GAZ-13 Chaika

Chaikas were the wheels of choice for the thugs of the KGB, as they swept along the central VIP lanes of ‘everyone is equal’ socialist Moscow, and if a dissenter bound for Siberia was handcuffed in the back, so much the better. The Chaika (Russian for ‘Gull’) was a Communist version of chrome-n-fins Americana of the day, and like the 11-73, was a limited production machine - from 1960-81, less than 4,000 were made. The Chaika diecast model measures 134 mm (5.3 in) long by 46 mm (1.8 in) wide.

Other cars in this import set are just as interesting. For more information visit DeAgostini here.

ON THIS DAY 1945 - JAPANESE BATTLESHIP ‘YAMATO’ SUNK IN THE PACIFIC

SMN report

The Yamato, biggest battleship ever built and flagship of Japan's World War II fleet, was sunk on 7 April 1945 some 80 km (50 miles) south-west of Kyushu, Japan’s southerly main island, after multiple attacks by US Navy forces. By August that year, the Japanese High Command had destroyed all drawings and official photographs of the 72,800-tonne ship, to keep her details from approaching Allied forces.

The Yamato, seen here on patrol in the Pacific Ocean.

Yamato model from DeAgostini

But that has not stopped model makers producing miniatures of the huge ship, and this latest one is among the best there has been. The partwork publisher DeAgostini (whose McLaren F1 car we looked at recently) has produced a BIG 1052 mm (41.4 in) model to build, at 1:250 scale. The DeAgostini team has worked with the Yamato Museum in Kure, Japan, to develop the model, using the Museum’s huge 1:10 scale replica for reference, plus the many drawings and photos housed there. 

Yamato model ship specifications

The results are impressive - the model has more than 500 parts in wood, plus 1200 in metal, has already been successful in Japan, and is available now as part of DeAgostini’s 'Model Space' brand. The spec includes brass propellers and shafts, photo-etch deck plates, laser-cut plywood, brass details, and metal turrets.

Purchase options

And there’s more - purchase options are varied - you can receive 11 or 22 monthly installments, or make a one-off purchase costing £475 GBP ($775 USD), a choice that also saves some money as well as time, as you don’t have to wait for those deliveries. There are some interesting goodies on offer, including a tool kit that comes free with part three.

The DeAgostini team is on something of a roll at the moment, with lots of interesting stuff on release or on the way, including one for UK naval fans, HMS Hood, which we’ll be looking at soon.

Other Yamato kits to consider

The top pictures show views of the DeAgostini offering, but an even bigger Nichimo kit is available at 1:200 scale (above), though it takes a lot more work. You can read a review of the finished ship at the link below. There are various smaller scale Yamato kits on offer, and you can view a selection via the ad links below, not forgetting the imaginative 'Space Battleship' version used in the Japanese science-fiction anime series.

Thanks to DeAgostini for the pictures of the 1:250 scale Yamato. Visit the website here.

Bill Waldorf’s review of the Nichimo kit here.

More pix of the built-up Nichimo kit here.