SURF’S UP WITH A CLASSIC VW BUS FROM HASEGAWA

The classic ‘split-screen’ Volkswagen Type 2 bus just never goes away. Introduced in 1950, and with an uprated single-screen ‘bay window’ version still being made in Brazil, it has had far and away the longest production run of any commercial vehicle. The flower-power 1960s were probably the heyday of the split-screen, when it became a symbol of hippiedom and of course, surfer dudes. Yet here we are in 2009, with teenagers (including my daughter) still wanting one, spurning modern high-tech designs for the desirable retro looks of the old VW bus.

And now Hasegawa gives us a taste of that bygone era with a very nice 1:24 scale VW Surf Bus, which is the one with rows of neat eyebrow windows running down the sides (top picture). For this 2009 offering, Hasagawa has given the kit some extras, including a pair of neatly moulded resin surfboards, and a roof carrier to display them. The kit is very well done, and just waiting for the addition of sea, sand and bikini-clad girls, on a diorama display.

Hasegawa also produces two other variations on the 1:24 VW T2 theme, a delivery van (middle) and pickup truck (bottom). These are already available from model stores and online suppliers, including Amazon here. The Surf Bus is due in shortly.

BLAST FROM THE PAST - WHO REMEMBERS EAGLEWALL?

FROM MAT IRVINE
Sometimes ‘new’ is ‘old’. Recently an old friend of mine Jason Joiner - who runs the popular Collectormania events - handed me a kit that I hadn’t seen for decades, the Eaglewall Design-A-Plane. This dates from the early 1960s, so certainly counts as a ‘blast from the past’.

The Eaglewall company began in the mid-1950s in what is often described as the ‘sleepy town of Dorking’, in Surrey, UK. Initially, Eaglewall made a series of cheap aircraft kits issued in polythene bags - as of course Airfix did at that time. These first kits were issued under the ‘Vulcan’ name, but a tie-in then took place with the popular British Eagle boys’ comic, and this name was used on the boxes, later extended to Eaglewall. Most kits were of individual 1:96 scale aircraft, and ships to 1:1200 scale, but then there was... the Design-A-Plane.

The Design-A-Plane let you construct an amazing 4,000-plus different aircraft designs from the one kit, which had a set number of parts and a ‘computer’. This computer, (which was actually more a paper slide-rule, and really not even that), allowed you to select a scale, then which bits from four sets of bagged parts to select for making your own design - the actual figure was supposed to be 4,104, but no, I haven’t yet confirmed it!

The four ‘real' aircraft in the box were an international group - Dassault Mystére, Gloster Javelin, MiG-15, North American F-86 Sabre - but by combining their parts you could come up with the thousands of other designs. The components could be assembled and reassembled time and again, for no glue was needed. The decals could also be removed and stuck down again too. These included national insignia, plus walkway markings and jet exhaust warnings.

The instructions claimed the whole idea was backed and validated by Remington Rand’s Univac computer, used for ‘real’ aircraft which, to quote: “Has speeded and advanced by many years the development of high speed jet aircraft and missiles...”

Design-A-Plane is an interesting piece of modelling history, though the kit wasn’t British - Eaglewall’s product was a reissue of the American Pyro company’s original, and Eaglewall also reissued the Pyro Design-A-Car kit.

If you can visit the store, Dorking Models has a display of Eaglewall kits, and viewers are welcome. You can also read more in the excellent Arthur Ward book Classic Kits: Collecting the Greatest Model Kits in the World from Airfix to Tamiya.


Visit Dorking Models here.

You can buy Classic Kits by Arthur Ward at Amazon here.

Check out Collectormania events here.

TAMIYA REISSUES APOLLO 1:70 SCALE APOLLO 11

A MAT IRVINE REVIEW
The 40th anniversary of Apollo 11 has bought reissues of many original Apollo-era kits, and the latest is the first-ever reissue by Japan’s best-known model name, Tamiya.

In 1969, Tamiya issued three kits of the Apollo spacecraft. These consisted of a CSM Command/Service Module (kit number A-101), the LM Lunar Module (A-102), and a third kit (A-103) that featured these two combined. The bonus with A-103 was that you also got the SLA Spacecraft/Lunar Module Adaptor, which was a conical section that contained the LM during launch.

Tamiya’s 2009 reissue is of kit A-103, and you get two versions of the SLA - one in white plastic, one in clear. There are also two separate bases, one for the CSM-SLA, the other for the LM on the Moon, with two astronauts that came with the original LM kit, A-102.

However, what you don’t get this time around is one of those gimmicks that the Japanese kit industry delighted in, especially in earlier years - the CSM in kit A-103 was motorized, and you could fly it round the room! A small electric motor was tucked inside the Service Module, and a two-bladed propeller stuck out the back of the engine bell. You hung the spacecraft from the ceiling on a nylon line, and watched it circle around! Many of the action parts are still included in the box, but there is no motor, switch assembly or propeller.

A copy of the original plans are supplied in Japanese, but - if your Japanese is not up to scratch - you get a new English supplement that takes you through the various construction stages. This also explains the business of the original motorization, and the fact that it’s no longer in the kit.

Also included this time around is a sheet of gold foil, and a clear sheet for the small windows in both the CM and LM. Some parts are also still chrome plated, which may seem odd, but these are mostly for the LM legs and struts, a number of which were covered in silver foil, so the chrome could be left ‘as is’ to simulate this.

The kit is to the slightly odd 1:70 scale, as it comes from a time when many Tamiya kits were in metric, not imperial, scales. But of course, it is very close to 1:72, the same scale as the Airfix LM and a great deal else besides. Perhaps odder though, is that Tamiya has made so few factual, real-space kits. Besides this, the only other space item has been the 1:100 scale Space Shuttle Orbiter.

The photos show, top to bottom:
* Original 1969 boxes for the separately-issued Apollo craft.
* The new box with 40th anniversary label.
* Contents of the new box - the red parts are a somewhat odd shade for the LM pads and Descent Stage engine bell, but are the same as they were back in 1969.

Thanks to The Hobby Company, which supplied the review kit and which distributes Tamiya in the UK.

Visit THC here.

The kit is available from retail stores and suppliers online, including eModels here.

TAMIYA 1:48 SCALE M8 LIGHT ARMOURED CAR FINISHED MODEL

Here’s another neat addition to Tamiya’s growing range of finished models. It seems that at last manufacturers have cottoned on to the fact that 1:48 is a popular aircraft scale that has little in the way of military-model backup. So SMN says, the more the merrier Tamiya, and anyone else who wants to add subjects to this scale. This new finished model is based on the existing 1:48 kit version, and Tamiya also produces a larger kit, to military 1:35 scale.

The M8 6x6 light armoured car (known as the Greyhound in British service) measures 104 mm (4.1 in) and comes finished in US Army markings. Tamiya’s usual attention to detail extends to the turret interior and the running gear is particularly nicely modelled. The 37 mm main gun and machine gun atop it are both very convincing. And talking of convincing, Tamiya has given the M8 a metal chassis, which gives the model a nice heft - to this reviewer, it just makes the whole thing much more satisfying to pick up.

The M8 itself was manufactured from March 1943 to June 1945, during which time more than 8500 were churned out by the Ford Motor Company. As a recon vehicle it was fast, being capable of around 90 km/h (55 mph) but, despite having six powered wheels, was not much good in the soft stuff off-road. Even so, M8s saw action all over Europe and the Far East - and some are still used in Africa and South America.

The Tamiya M8 will be available from retail and online stores soon. Meantime, you can buy the larger 1:35 kit version at Amazon here.

The pictures show, top to bottom:
Tamiya 1:48 scale M8 finished model.
M8 at the Liberation of Paris in August, 1944. Note that the unit markings were defaced by the censors for security reasons.
Shells in an M8 turret, courtesy the Minnesota Historical Society. Lots of opportunities for 1:48 super-detailers here!

SO, JUST WHAT IS A 'BOILERPLATE'?

The term ‘boilerplate’ came up in the recent post about the reissued Airfix Lunar Module, and the fact that early test spacecraft and mockups are usually called boilerplate versions. It's a bit of an odd word, so we asked ourselves: “Why are they called that?”

The name stems from the earliest US crewed spacecraft, the single-seat Mercury capsule. Although flight versions were built by what was then the McDonnell Aircraft Company (later McDonnell-Douglas, now part of Boeing), early mockups were built at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, (currently NASA’s Langley Research Center). The ‘boilerplate’ moniker appears to stem from the very first of these, when a Mercury capsule’s conical section was made at the Norfolk Navy Shipyard, from the type of steel plate used for ship-building, or for that matter, pressurized engine boilers.

This first boilerplate did fly a short distance on top of a Little Joe rocket, and the name has stuck, whatever materials have been used. Note though, it can be written as ‘boilerplate’, ‘boiler plate’, even ‘boiler-plate’!

Since that first boilerplate Mercury, the word has been used to describe all US test spacecraft, especially the capsule designs used for Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, and the latest Orion. In theory, the prototype Space Shuttle Orbiter Enterprise could be called a boilerplate, though it is rarely referred to as such.

The pictures show, top to bottom:

Little Joe rocket and Mercury boilerplate at Wallops Island.
Mercury boilerplate at the Air Power Park, Hampton, Virginia.
The delightfully named Gemini El Kabong boilerplate at the Air Zoo, Michigan.
Apollo boilerplate 29 on display at Meteor Crater, Arizona.

Little Joe picture courtesy NASA, others by Mat Irvine

A NEW TAKE ON THE ’57 CHEVY FROM REVELL

A MAT IRVINE REVIEW
One of the most popular American cars ever made was the 1957 Chevrolet. The US ‘Big Four’ in the model car field - AMT, Monogram, MPC and Revell - have each made their own kits of the ’57, some dating from decades ago, which have been issued, reissued, and modified over the years. So why has Revell come up with a brand-new 1:25 scale 1957 Chevy kit? It’s mainly because previous models have featured the top-end Bel Air version; this new one is the exact opposite, the entry-level 150 Utility Sedan.

The 150 was more the sort of car you would take racing, rather than the top-of-the-range Bel Air, and it was also the cheaper model that Joe Public would drive, and was often used by travelling salesmen with the back seat removed, to leave more room for samples.

This Revell 2’n1 kit comes with optional parts that allow either stock or race-ready versions to be built, the racer dubbed ‘Black Widow’, reflecting a popular showroom scheme of mostly black with white rear quarter-panels and trunk (‘boot’ to UK readers). Among the changes made by Chevrolet for the Black Widow were to install a 233 cu in fuel-injection engine, add an internal roll bar, leave off the wheel embellishers and wipers, and fitting covers over the headlamps - and these parts are supplied by Revell for the kit, as is the simple racing numbers scheme.

Modern model touches include decals for the interior door panels and seat patterns, and separate chrome-plated door handles - in earlier years these were usually moulded into the bodywork. The ‘V’ emblem Chevy used at that time can either be applied as a decal along with the word ‘Chevrolet’, or they are supplied as separate chromed parts.

The interior of the model I built for this review was finished in Humbrol paints, mostly shades of grey. For the exterior, I used Testors spray paints - Classic White for the white bits, and the new black lacquer for the, well, you can probably work that out. When these coats were thoroughly dry, the whole car was finished off with Testors High Gloss Clear.


Visit Revell-Monogram here.

Visit Humbrol here.

Visit Testors here.

LIMITED EDITION CORGI STEAM TRACTION ENGINE

1:50 scale diecast collectors take note: Corgi is releasing a 1000-piece Limited Edition traction engine, to coincide with next week’s UK event, the Great Dorset Steam Fair.

This latest Corgi traction engine is a Burrell Showman’s ‘Lightning II’ (top picture), finished in the bright green paintwork of Prestons of Potto. Like other Corgi steam transport diecasts, the Burrell is nicely made and finished, and the biggish 1:50 scale means that there’s room for lots of detail, including fine metal chains and neatly printed markings. It’s available only as an online special, with no sales at all through retail suppliers - so if you’re interested, go straight to Corgi Direct, via the link below.

The bottom pic shows a 1905 Best steam tractor, a popular US agricultural machine in its time, steam being the preferred choice for almost all heavy haulage and agricultural working before the internal-combustion engine was perfected. That so many of these old steamers are still in good working order is testament to the ‘heavy metal’ engineering of the Victorian age - things were built to last! If you’re in the UK, you can revel in the sounds and smells of it all at the Great Dorset Steam Fair, a must-visit annual event for anyone in visiting distance. It’s a five-day show, held from September 2-6.

Incidentally, Potto is a village in Yorkshire that earned itself a name in the 1950s for having a pub that never opened - you were allowed to go in for a drink only if the publican, a Mr Heslop, liked the look of you!

Best steam tractor courtesy Oakland Museum, photo Dan Crow.


Visit Corgi Direct here.

Visit the Great Dorset Steam Fair here.

A NEW LOOK FOR THE AIRFIX LUNAR MODULE KIT

A MAT IRVINE REVIEW
When asked by Airfix if I would take a look at two potential reissues to celebrate the Apollo 11 40th anniversary, I knew there were some changes that were going to have to be made. First, the Saturn V had to have its Service Module corrected, which was done, and which I covered in a previous posting. Second, the 1:72 scale Lunar Module (LM) needed looking at.

You can be picky and say some details on the Airfix LM are not quite right, but overall it is actually pretty accurate. However, one aspect needing a change was the supplied colour scheme. When the Lunar Module was first announced (originally it was called the ‘Lunar Excursion Module’, but NASA reputedly dropped the ‘Excursion’ as it sounded a bit like a vacation, though the pronunciation ‘lem’ remained) it was usually seen in a black and white finish. However, this was only for early non-final ‘boilerplate’ versions, but the colour scheme got through to the early Airfix artwork and this has never been changed, until now.

So my main task was to ensure that the new colour instructions were closer to the actual scheme of the flightworthy LM, given the limitation that this is a kit aimed at the general model-maker. With designer Jonathan Mock doing excellent graphics and a new decal sheet, you now have a colour plan that uses black, gold, aluminium and silver - and if these aren't absolutely every single shade seen on the real craft, they're much closer than plain ‘black and white’.

And that’s not all with this new Airfix kit. You also get the Astronaut Set included, which conveniently provides two Lunar Rovers (for Apollo 15 through 17) and other astronauts in alternative poses. The only brand-new part is an extra vacuumed-formed base that can incorporate not only the LM, but as many astronauts and equipment as you like. It's a good size, measuring some 347 x 246 mm (13.6 x 9.7 in). A last-minute decision by Airfix was to include a sheet of gold foil, to cover appropriate areas on the LM Descent Stage.

The pictures show the new box-art (top), another first for this kit, which has always used a variation of the original painting. The back (middle) has neat renderings of what’s in the box, including the astronauts, which were rapidly built by me!

The box contents (bottom) include a separately packed LM and its two astronaut figures, all moulded in polystyrene. The astronauts are polyethylene, a material that does not take enamel paint or conventional plastic cement, but you can use superglue and acrylic paints. As Airfix designates the kit as a ‘set’, eight small pots of acrylic paints are supplied, along with paint brushes and cement.

And finally - if you want to add more detail, the plans include the address for Mike Mackowski’s excellent Space in Miniature website. His book SIM 7 Apollo Lunar Module is packed with information.

Visit Airfix here.

Visit Space in Miniature here.

'FAT ALBERT' HERCULES HITS THE DOUBLE-NICKEL

Believe it or not, the Hercules transport made its first flight 55 years ago today, and has been in continuous production ever since, a record for any military aircraft. Nicknamed ‘Fat Albert’ or ‘Herky Bird’, military and civil C-130s have seen an almost limitless number of uses, including troop transporter, ambulance, gunship, search and rescue, science research, and firefighting waterbomber. The latest version is the C-130J, which at a glance looks much like earlier Hercs, but is actually a vastly improved beast, with upgraded digital instruments, and new engines with six-bladed propellers.

There are many different Hercules models, but the biggest of the lot is the positively humongous 1:48 scale Italeri kit (box art shown, top picture). If you’ve got room to put this Herc somewhere - the wingspan is some 842 mm (33 in) - it makes a splendidly satisfying construction project, as at this size, you can pack in a huge amount of detail. The interior is nicely done, but some lighting would help reveal what’s going on in there - which in the basic kit is not a lot. There really ought to be a decent cargo load to make the kit a bit different.

Apart from combat troops, cargo Hercs can carry HUMMV jeeps or an M113 tracked APC, so one or both of these, with suitable figures, could make a terrific setpiece display and turn this massive kit into a ‘wow - look at that’ show-winner. You don’t have to stick to Italeri’s J-model of course - an earlier Italeri kit featured the AC-130U gunship version (middle picture dropping flares) and this makes up into a really attractive model, too (bottom).


The Italeri 1:48 scale Hercules is available from stores and online suppliers, including Internet Hobbies, here.

Thanks to Istvan Hevesi for his AC-130U - you can see more pictures at his page here.

NUCLEAR POWERED CARGO SHIP COMPLETES MAIDEN VOYAGE

Sounds like a headline for the latest techno-whizzery, right? Well, actually the NS (Nuclear Ship) Savannah completed her maiden voyage on this day back in 1962, at a time when the US was pursuing the ‘Atoms for Peace’ program, the idea being to beat nuclear swords into ploughshares for the benefit of all.

Nice words, but while the Savannah was a handsome vessel and a technical success, she was expensive to run and carried far less cargo than a conventionally-powered ship of the same size. Today the Savannah is classed as a National Historic Landmark, but is not presently open to the public.

Several companies have made Savannah models, the best known of which is probably the Revell 1:380 scale kit, first released in 1958 (top picture). It was a detailed model, with a nuclear reactor, movable propeller and rudder, plus swivelling cargo booms. There was a display stand and even a small sheet of metal-foil to simulate water in the ship’s swimming pool. Revell also added a small booklet called The Story of Ships.

As a classic kit, the Revell fetches good prices. A good condition original can fetch $175 USD (£106 GBP), though later reissues (middle picture) are worth less.

Other Savannah models include an 'Adams Action Models' offering. It was the company's only model of a ship and also featured a scale nuclear reactor under the hatches. Rocket launchers were amongst Adams' other products, and the Savannah fitted nicely with the general 'futuristic' approach of the 1950s. Another kit was made by ITC, and this was reissued by Glencoe Models in the 1990s (bottom).

Visit Old Model Kits for Savannah prices here. To find this ship, use the search box 'civil ship' tab and key in the name.

SCALEXTRIC MERCEDES RACERS

Mat's piece on the Tamiya Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren reminded us that Scalextric produces a fine two-car set to 1:32 scale.

These are motorized slot cars, but the fine presentation pack and high moulding standards mean that they are eminently collectible as scale models in their own right.

For the realism fan, some light weathering would be all that's needed to turn this pair into fine desktop presentation pieces. And note too, that they are both SLRs - the M-B 300 SL 'Gullwing' was a hard-top coupe; the SLR was an open two-seat track racer.

The Scalextric two-car pack is presently available at a good discount from Amazon, here.

HELLO HAWAII - 50 YEARS IN THE UNION

Today’s the day in 1959 that President Eisenhower proclaimed Hawaii as the 50th state of the Union, a fact that’s celebrated with the Admission Day public holiday. So have a good day, Hawaii.

For model fans, Honolulu offers some fine opportunities, including a climate that’s ideal for radio-control (R/C) flight enthusiasts, and stores such as Toys n’ Joys. As its name implies, much of the Tn’J stock is dedicated to younger buyers, but there are also diecast trucks and automobiles aplenty, as well as Big Boys’ Toys in the form of a wide range of R/C helicopters, cars, tanks, boats and planes.

Diecast aircraft include the Herpa and Gemini Jets ranges, plus - not a usual part of SMN’s remit, but they’re really quite cute - the Daron Toys range of Flight Attendant dolls. These are mostly female, come in a pink bag, are dressed in a range of airline insignia, and are highly collectible. This reviewer reckons one or two of these could make an interesting addition to any civil airliner collection. Or not! You choose - and if the answer’s yes, then Daron also produces male attendants, a pilot figure (top picture, and note the uber-cool shades) and a space crew astronette (bottom).

Visit Toys n’ Joys here.

Visit Daron Toys here.

TAMIYA MERCEDES-BENZ SLR McLAREN - A SUPERCAR IN MINIATURE

A MAT IRVINE REVIEW
There are several competitors in the ‘200-mph-plus’ street-legal road car market, and the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren is one of them, with a top speed of 334 km/h (208 mph). Using Mercedes' expertise in racing, and harking back to the classic M-B 300 SLR racer and 300 SL ‘Gullwing’ coupe of the mid-1950s, the SLR has been a joint venture with Formula One teammate McLaren, which built the car in the UK from 2003-2009.

Tamiya produced this 1:24 scale kit of the SLR in 2006, as an addition to its ever-growing Sports Car Series, and the 195 mm (7.7 in) long kit is still available (top picture). It is moulded in silver and black plastic, colours that echo one of the real SLR’s available schemes, though adding red to the model’s cabin lends a splash of colour (see picture) and helps mimic the original Gullwing, which often sported a red interior.

The kit also features a Tamiya innovation of recent years - a metal underbody pan that adds weight and heft to the completed model. One complaint with plastic cars kits is that they always seem ‘too light’, though as they are static models, I’ve never quite been sure how relevant this is. However, the use of this metal underbody pan does help, even if it is purely picking up the model to admire it!

The bottom pic shows the Revell 300 SL model (left), showing one of its doors open. The Tamiya SLR (right) displays a door opening not only upwards, but forward as well. The comparison also shows, as both models are to the same 1:24 scale, the increase in size of the newer car over its forebear.

The SLR is available from Amazon here.

Model interior pictures, courtesy Tamiya.

SUPERB HAND-BUILT SPACE MODEL AUCTION

For model makers, Russian space equipment is not especially well provided for, but for collectors it’s a different story, with a host of interesting items that come on sale from time to time. For example, the canine cosmonaut Laika’s trip to space in 1957 was celebrated with her image on sorts of mementos, including a cigarette brand named after her (top picture).

For well-heeled model fans, a superb hand-crafted spacecraft to 1:25 scale has featured in a Live Auctioneers sale (middle picture). As the description puts it: “Manufactured by the NPO Lavochkin Institute, in 7 x 13 x 16 inch custom wooden carrying case. An exquisitely executed model of the first manned spacecraft, presented to a major rocket designer for a 70th Anniversary by the Chief Constructor of Rocket Engines Valentin Glushko. Includes extraordinarily delicate detail. Few surface flaws, missing one thin antenna, still very fine. Beautifully made and a worthwhile addition to any fine model collection. A rare opportunity to purchase a classic space model. This model last sold at Christie's New York for over $16,000 USD in 2001”.

This time round, the model fetched £18,000 USD (£10,980 GBP), and in a recession too!

Talking of space exploits, today’s the day in 1960 that the USSR’s Sputnik 5 (bottom), loaded with a space zoo that included the dogs Belka and Strelka, a pair of rats, 40 mice and a number of plants, left orbit after little more than 21 hours in space. Importantly, they were returned to Earth safely, unlike Laika, who died when her air supply ran out, but not before she had proved that a mammal could survive the stresses of takeoff and weightlessness.


Visit Live Auctioneers here.

GLENCOE EXPLORER SATELLITE MODEL MARKS 50 YEARS OF AMERICAN SPACEFLIGHT

A MAT IRVINE REVIEW
One space anniversary that seemed to get lost in the build-up to this July’s Apollo 11 40th was last year’s 50th anniversary of America in space. Explorer 1 became the first US satellite when it was successfully launched into orbit on February 1, 1958, by a US Army Jupiter-C rocket, modified for the flight to become the Juno-1.

A 1:6 scale model of Explorer 1 was produced by the Ideal Toy Company (ITC) in 1959, only a year after launch, and this was quite a detailed kit. It not only had an opening outer casing to show off the interior, but sat on a stand that had a handle (top picture). Turn the handle and, via what was in effect an all-plastic musical box, it ‘clicked’ out the telemetry signal the satellite sent back! 

The kit became quite rare, but those who wanted to actually build the model (instead of using it as loft insulation) were saved when Glencoe Models came on the scene. Founded and managed by Nick Argento, Glencoe reissues many of these old ‘collectible’ kits in a way you can actually build them – and the ITC Explorer 1 (middle picture) is one of these. The first Glencoe Explorer 1 was available in 1991, and it was reissued again last year as an Anniversary Edition, with additional information on the back of the box (bottom), as well as the original Glencoe artwork on the front.

The Explorer 1 Jupiter-C launch rocket (an ex-Hawk kit) is also available as a 1:48 scale kit from Glencoe.

Visit Glencoe Models temporary site here.

IRON MAN'S ATTRACTIVE INSTRUCTIONS

Just thought we'd mention the neatly produced instruction sheet for the Moebius Iron Man model, pictured above. It's clean, clear, and heaps better than some of the opposition's offerings.

Note that the parts are pictured in a cream shade. The actual kit has ruby red parts, so the ones used for the instructions could have been early early test shots, before the final injection shade was decided.

RUSSIAN SUPERSONIC BOMBER FROM ANIGRAND

The 1960s were a mixture of turmoil and trauma - from Flower Power to the Vietnam War, Gagarin to Apollo - all set against the deadly background of the ongoing Cold War. And a key decision for the politicians and military planners of the time was the supersonic heavy bomber - was it relevant in the new age of the Inter Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM)?

Until that decision was made, the US developed the B-58 Hustler and test-flew the XB-70 Valkyrie, while behind the ‘Iron Curtain’, the Myasishchev design bureau came up with the four-engined M-50, given the designation ‘Bounder’ by NATO.

And now model builders have a chance to recreate the Bounder, with a nicely-tooled resin kit to 1:144 scale from Anigrand Craftswork in Hong Kong (top picture). Even in this small scale the Bounder makes up into a fair-sized model, with a length of 399 mm (15.7 in) and span from tip-mounted jet to jet of some 243 mm (9.6 in). In common with various other Anigrand kits, you get more for your money than your simple order might imply - along with the Bounder, Anigrand includes three smaller Russian jets to the same scale (middle picture). A nice touch, Anigrand.

Talking of the Bounder, SMN’s Library has a nicely bound set of 1961-62 RAF Flying Review magazines (bottom pictures), and what a resource these are - accurate information, nicely produced, and on a par with anything on sale today. In the September 1961 edition, there’s a report on Moscow’s Tushino Air Display, in which the Bounder made its only public flight before being cancelled in favour of those ICBMs. Luckily for us all, none were ever used in anger.

Visit Anigrand here.