DALEK SECRETS REVEALED IN ‘BBC VFX’ BOOK FROM MAT IRVINE AND MIKE TUCKER

David Jefferis turns the pages

First things first - BBC VFX is a thundering great tome that tips the scales at not far south of 2 kg (4 lb) and is an encyclopedic 240 pages from end to end. And in fact, that’s just what it is - a show-by-show encyclopedia detailing the work of the BBC Visual Effects (‘VFX’) Department down the years.

SMN contributor Mat Irvine

The two authors behind BBC VFX are long-time experts in the VFX field. We know Mat well for his contributions to SMN, and for his droolworthy Model Museum, packed with examples just about every kit ever made. Mike Tucker worked at the BBC until 2003, and now runs his own company, The Model Unit, based at Ealing Studios near London.

Daleks to Moonbase 3

So what’s between the covers of BBC VFX? Quite simply, the most complete listings, descriptions, and behind-the-scenes information about virtually every BBC TV show that’s featured the Department’s expertise. Some of these are world-renowned - Doctor Who and the Daleks, for example; others are less well known - I’d never even heard of the 1970s series Moonbase 3, much less seen a show. But famous or not, Mat and Mike have put together a showstopper of a book that is packed with fascinating facts, whatever the TV show they are talking about.

BBC VFX picture-fest

The densely packed text is backed up by hundreds of pictures, many of them new to print, so there’s a massive value here in archival terms alone. And because of the show-by-show presentation format, you can dip in and out at leisure, which suits my magpie reading style a treat.

Should you buy BBC VFX?

If you have any interest in the world of visual effects, then there’s no choice really - BBC VFX is a must-have, to sit on the shelf next to books on other VFX-masters, such as US concept artist Syd Mead, French illustrator Jean ‘Moebius’ Girard, and a galaxy of others. 

From a personal point of view, I’d like to see BBC VFX also available as an enhanced ebook for the iPad and other ereaders, as SMN Towers is absolutely stuck for storage space. Also, it would be good to see any video clips Mat and Mike have available, as well as personal introductions, discussions and links to specialist model suppliers.

The pictures show, top to bottom:

1  Mike Tucker (left) and Mat Irvine, with Dalek and BBC VFX book.

2  Daleks in extermination mode.

3  BBC VFX spread describing the cult sci-fi series Red Dwarf.

4  This mini-Batmobile was built on Triumph Herald running gear.

5  Along with Jack Kine, Bernard Wilkie founded the BBC VFX Department. Here Bernard sets up a space station scene from Quatermass IV, a proposed TV series which was never completed by the BBC. In fact, it was made eventually by Euston Films for ITV some six years later.

VFX is published by Aurum; you can buy it here.

See Daleks here and Doctor Who stuff here.

U-BOAT SUBMARINE CUTAWAY KIT FROM REVELL

1:144 scale model makers can home in on the latest Revell nautical kit, the World War II-era U-2540 (‘U’ stands for ‘unterseeboot’, or undersea boat btw). Revell’s kit of this Type XXI submarine - now known as the Wilhelm Bauer - is a neat and tidy rendering of the 76.7 m (251 ft 8 in) original that was launched in January 1945.

Details, details...

The kit reissue contains 163 components, which build up to make a model some 532 mm (20.9 in) long, and for display purposes the U-2540 can sit neatly on the included stand. On deck, anti-aircraft guns, antennas, periscope and snort mast are included. But it’s the cutaway port side that turns this model into a desirable addition to a miniature naval force. As you can see in the pictures, the torpedo compartment, crew quarters, control room, diesel engines, electric motors, and batteries are all present.

U-2540 in German Navy service

U-2540 was built by Blohm and Voss in Hamburg, but was scuttled at sea after little more than four months active  service. The Type XXI design was very advanced indeed, and had more of them been available earlier in the war, they would have been a deadly threat to Allied forces. As it was, the sub sank to the bottom of the Baltic Sea, where it lay undisturbed until 1957, when it was raised and repaired, then relaunched with the new name Wilhem Bauer, then being used for research purposes. 

Since 1984, the Wilhelm Bauer has been on display as a floating museum in Bremerhaven, Germany. The sub is open to visitors, and info is available here.

   

See various submarine kits here.

The pictures show:

1-4 Revell 1:144 scale U-2540.

5  The Wilhem Bauer is now a floating museum. 

GOTHA HEAVY BOMBER THUNDERS OVER FROM WINGNUT WINGS

Every now and again a model appears that simply blows us away, and here we are, duly blown, with the wonderfully detailed 1:32 scale Gotha G.IV from New Zealand’s Wingnut Wings.

Building the Gotha G.IV

The real thing had a wingspan of some 23.7 m (77.75 in), a spread which is reflected on the model shelf, at an extensive 730 mm (29 in). It’ll be a build-and-a-half if you decide to splash out and get one - there are 436 plastic components, plus 22 metal-etch fine detail parts. The instruction book’s 40 pages will help you all the way, and there’s a rigging diagram for those with more dexterity (and patience) than this writer. Wingnut Wings have also included various optional parts, decals for five different aircraft, and a pair of engines that are a work of model art in their own right.

Zeppelin or Gotha?

The Gotha G.IV was designed as a direct replacement for the Zeppelin airships that attacked Britain from the air. Zeps were far from ideal as weapon platforms, being expensive to build, slow in flight and vulnerable to attack, especially as they used dangerously flammable hydrogen gas for lift. For production of the G.IV, Gotha’s own factory was supplemented by those of LVG and SSW, for a total of 232 built, before the G.IV was steadily replaced by the heavier G.V version, starting in the late summer of 1917.  Like any combat type, the G.IV suffered losses, but three-quarters of these were caused by landing accidents, rather than Allied firepower. Such losses were mostly the result of engine-nacelle fuel tanks splitting in heavy landings, so splashing their contents over hot engines - something of a design flaw!

Steampunk possibilities

The Gotha is of course of prime interest to World War I fans, but it could also form the basis of a dramatic steampunk extravaganza. For example, what about the ‘Big G’ starring as the lifting power for a secret Kaiser-luft bolts-and-rivets space rocket? The example above is just a taster for the sort of thing that could look the part, atop the Gotha's biplane wing structure.  

The Wingnut Wings Gotha G.IV is available at $139.00 USD including P&P here.

Thanks to The Rocketry Blog for the steampunk heads-up.

Gotha G.IV pictures courtesy Wingnuts Wings.

BATMOBILE SOLD AT AUCTION FOR SIX FIGURES

David Jefferis reports

Holy Moley, we like Batmobiles, but $370,100 USD (£232,000 GBP) is stretching the SMN wallet way past breaking point. But eBay buyers certainly didn’t think so, for that’s what the befinned black beast (top pic above) that starred in two Tim Burton Batman movies fetched on Wednesday this week. Mind you, the car - from Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992) - didn’t hit the ‘Buy It Now’ price of $499,000.

Batmobile's atomic engine

For power, Burton’s Batmobile had an ‘atomic-turbine’ engine, with a neat flamethrower-style exhaust, just the thing to toast the toes of an unwary bad guy. The real thing that just found a new buyer has a somewhat more prosaic Chevy 350 cu in engine, though we have to admit even that puts the tiny three-cylinder motor that powers the SMN Ibiza in the shade!

Batmobile for model makers

The white-finish Batmobile we show here originated with the 235 mm (9.25 in) long 1:25 scale AMT kit, and conceptually describes what Batman did with his car when he retired from the crimefighting business. Yep, it’s a 'mature driver' race version, with a few extras to make it street-legal, such as the wire-mesh flameguard around the atomic exhaust, and removal of the weaponry. 

A rear spoiler between the fins keeps the Batmobile firmly on the tarmac when it’s nailing around a race track, and flipout side-strakes adjust the airflow through tight twisties. We’re not too sure what racing class this Batmobile should be in - maybe ‘classic cars’ with appropriate handicap. The white finish gives it a totally different feel from all the other Batmobiles, and suitable decals and some carefully airbrushed weathering give the model that well-used look.

Range of kits and models

Batmobiles you can buy today in kit form are rather thin on the ground, though diecasts and toys appear randomly all over, from Toys ‘R’ Us to your local corner store. Here are some to browse, at the UK’s sci-fi store chain Forbidden Planet. As you’ll see when you hit the link, four are on special offer, while the upcoming Polar Lights snap-kit features too. 

New Batmobile kit to come

This 1:25 scale kit is due for release in May 2011, and is based on the classic 1960s TV series design by US customizer George Barris. It’s looking like an interesting kit, especially as scale figures of the dynamic duo, Batman and Robin, are included. More on this nearer release date, when we get a sample here in SMN Towers. 

Visit Forbidden Planet here.

More Batmobiles here.

Thanks to PistonHeads for the auction heads-up.

AIRFIX KIT CATALOG 2011 OUT NOW

David Jefferis reports

Aaah... The new Airfix 2011 catalogue reminds me of the classic ‘Bisto Kids’ logo, in which two street urchins are depicted in seventh heaven, as they smell the rich aroma of Bisto* gravy wafting by their noses. Except in this case, the smell is aromatic printer’s ink which leads me to the tasty contents of the 130 colour pages of this publication.

New tool kits

The fast-expanding Airfix range is looking very good indeed, with plenty of new-tool products - in fact, there is barely a page that doesn’t feature something new. The pictures give you just a hint of what’s coming this year, but one thing comes over strongly - there’s a clear interest by Airfix in 1:48 scale, which is especially interesting to me, as it’s ‘my’ scale and is a good match for another keen interest, Bachmann On30 railroad models.

Wide range of products

I’ve picked some Airfix 2011 pages, but there’s plenty more reading in this, the best-looking catalogue for years. The emphasis is on the company’s traditional strengths, aircraft and miltaria, but there are many other ranges on offer, including cars, ships, steam engines and more. It’s becoming available now, online and in model stores. 

The pictures show, top to bottom:

1  Attractive cover of the A4-size Airfix 2011 catalogue.

2  1:72 scale Curtiss P-40B, as flown by the Fighter Collection at IWM Duxford. Please note Airfix - it should be 'Harbor' on that label, not the anglicized spelling with a 'u'. 

3  1:72 scale four-engine Cold War V-bomber, the hotly-awaited Vickers Valiant.

4  1:48 scale helos: Westland Lynx and AgustaWestland Merlin.

5  1:48 scale classic jets, the Lightning and Sea Vixen.

6  Up to date in Afghanistan, with 1:48 scale British troops and equipment.

7  An AFV for 1:76 fans, the World War II-era Cromwell Mk IV tank.

8  More 1:76 scale with a group of ready-made resin buildings, ruins that will suit diorama fans.

9  Rocketry in 1:144 scale, including an especially interesting Saturn V Skylab-toting version.

10  More 1:48 scale in Afghanistan - the Land Rover Patrol kit includes eight figures as well as the vehicle.

11  Sea Harriers are now history in British service (sob) but for STOVL fans, this Falklands War FSR1 could be an essential build. 

* For non-UK readers, Bisto is a gravy-browning product. Here's an old ad for it:

Visit Airfix here.

See Airfix kits here.

“THUNDERBIRDS ARE GO” - AGAIN!

“Thunderbirds are go!" quickly became a popular phrase for schoolkids when Gerry Anderson’s soon-to-be-famous series first aired in 1965. Featuring ‘Supermarionation’ for its puppet stars, led by Jeff Tracy and his sons Scott and Virgil, plus their glammed-up friend Lady Penelope and Brains the scientist, Thunderbirds was soon an international hit.

To the rescue

Based on the remote Tracy Island, the Tracy family made heroic disaster-rescues across the world, using their fleet of Thunderbirds rescue craft, and also fought the bad guys, especially the loathsome Hood. Even so, only 32 episodes were made - a warmed-over live action movie was released in 2004, but was not a success.

T-Bird stamps

Still, times may be changing, as the UK Royal Mail has a set of T-Birds stamps on sale, and Gerry Anderson (now a sprightly 81 years old) confirmed this week that there is a new TV series in the works. Whether it’s live-action or Supermarionation is something we’ll have to find out.

Models available

In the model world, there are Thunderbirds models aplenty, ranging from Dinky Toys diecast Lady Penelope’s pink FAB 1 Rolls-Royce, to plastic kits of the various T-Birds craft. Of these, the Japanese Imai company has perhaps the widest range of offerings. Many of these are discontinued or hard to find - so to have a look at one in closeup we snouted deep into the SMN Vault of Antiquity to find the kit shown in the pix above.

This is actually quite a cracker, with several craft in the same, richly painted box (the art is quite luscious), each moulded in a different shade and scale. Actually that’s not quite true - the kit is labelled ‘Thunderbird 2 with three elevator cars in pod’ - so the other craft, which also include a TB1 and tiny TB5 space station, are popped into the box as free extras. Very nice attitude, Imai.

Details big and small

Some detail is rather disappointing - Thunderbird 2’s flight-deck windows are just moulded indentations, for example, but the tiny Mole and Thunderbird 4 are very neatly detailed. So it’s swings and roundabouts, but the skilled model maker should be able to turn the set into an impressive display piece. 

Fanderson, the home of all things Thunderbirdish and more here.

Thunderbirds toys, models and collectibles are here.

The pictures show:

1  The UK Thunderbirds 4-3-2-1 stamp set.

2-3  Imai Thunderbird 2 box, and components.

4  Imai FAB 1 six-wheel Rolls-Royce

5  Nice and big Product Enterprises FAB 1 collectible - it’s 460 mm (18 in) long, with chauffeur Parker at the wheel.

6  Contemporary advert for Thunderbird toys - we'll take the ray gun please!

ITALERI MAS MOTOR TORPEDO BOAT TO 1:35 SCALE

The World War II era MAS - from the Italian ‘Motoscafo Armato Silurante’ (literally, motorboat armed with torpedoes) - is becoming widely available in stores now.

MAS boats were used by Italy’s navy, the Regia Marina, and this very substantial 55 cm (21.6 in) long model is well up to the usual Italeri standard: packed with detail, a neat set of well-printed decals, and a biggish metal-etch fret for super-detail parts. The hull is a one-piece component, always a relief in marine kits, as any trace of warping can make assembly a pain. 

The crew

The real thing typically had anything up to a 10-man crew, so what do they look like in this kit? Well, there aren’t any, and it seems to be standard procedure for Italeri to offer humanoids separately. In fact, so far as ships go, it’s not a bad idea, as many marine modellers prefer to show off just the boat, and nothing but the boat.

However, in SMN’s view, the Italeri Crew and Accessories pack really makes the difference, adding a sense of scale, drama and life to this already excellent kit. You don’t get any below-decks crew - there are just six chaps included in the box - but they are nicely sculpted. You could always add another box-full of sailors, though we doubt the MAS needs two captains!

MAS boat in service

The MAS had a displacement of up to 30 tonnes, depending on the model, and could reach up to 45 knots (52 mph) with power coming from Isotta Fraschini engines. Armament was a pair of 450 mm (18 in) anti-ship torpedoes, with a deck-mounted machine gun for anti-aircraft protection and surface fire. In 1940 there were 48 MAS 500-class units in service.

The Italeri MAS boat is available here.

The pictures show:

1-4 Italeri MAS boat.

5  Crew and accessories pack.

6  MAS in action, finished in WWII ‘disruptive’ camouflage markings.

Just click the SMN logo at top left to return to the home page.

FANTASY FIGHTER FROM FANTASTIC PLASTIC

An SMN reader asked this week: “Can I buy Fantastic Plastic products direct in the UK?” Well, we don’t think so, but if there’s a supplier out there who we don’t know about, contact SMN and we’ll give you a mention.

Hammerhead space fighter

But talking of Fantastic Plastic, there’s an interesting new release from this US company, in the form of the Hammerhead air-space fighter from the TV sci-fi series Space: Above and Beyond (S:AAB), which aired for just one season in 1995-6. Thanks to the likes of the YouTube clip shown above, S:AAB lives on as a cult military-tech-drama, and the 31-component Hammerhead, released on December 21 2010, is a neatly-produced reminder of the series.

Fantastic Plastic supplies the canard-design Hammerhead to 1:72 scale, and parts for the single-seater are cast in resin, with a clear canopy.

Pusher-prop plane

This  month sees a host of Fantastic Plastic releases, including the pusher-prop Douglas DS-312A heavy fighter from 1939. It never went into production but paved the way for a number of pusher designs through the 1940s. Incidentally, this appears to be a remarketed version of the DS-312A from Unicraft Models, a company that produces the most amazing collection of weird, wonderful, and just plain extraordinary aircraft. Many of them are of unrealized projects, so visit Unicraft if you have a thirst for the world of what-if aviation.

The best way to get Fantastic Plastic stuff is direct here.

Visit Unicraft Models here.

REVELL ARADO 196 FLOATPLANE TO 1:32 SCALE

Revell’s Arado 196 armed-reconnaissance floatplane (or seaplane, as you wish) is a fine kit of an unusual subject, for water-based aircraft are not exactly cramming the model stores. No matter, Revell has really gone to town with this one and given us a BIG 1:32 scale kit. Even a two-seater like the Arado comes out a good size at this scale - the wingspan is 393 mm (15.5 in), and 192 components make for a very complete build.

Detailed kit and options

Among the features are neatly-scribed recessed panel lines, excellent detail to the front cockpit and similarly careful treatment to the rear gunner’s station, with its machine gun mount and ammo magazine.

Revell offers various options, such as assembling the wings in flight or folded positions, optional propeller types, decals for two versions and much more besides. The ailerons and air brakes are separate components.

Kriegsmarine service

As for the real thing, it first flew in May 1937, followed by service entry with the Kriegsmarine (German Navy) in November the following year. It was a good handler and popular with its crews - and as the standard armed-recon aircraft, was used across all German naval theatres during World War II. There seems to be no agreement on actual numbers built: we’ve seen figures ranging from 435 to 541, so take your pick. Whatever, it was a tidy-handling, successful package that took catapult launches and craned-up sea recoveries in its stride. Nominally a two-seater, there was room for extra bods to cram themselves in when occasion demanded, such as impromptu air-sea rescues and delivery of personnel.

Request please

The Revell kit makes a good comparison with the smaller Airfix 1:72 and Tamiya 1:48 offerings - old or new, they each show off well the fine lines of the Arado design. Let’s hope that with this kit, Revell follows the excellent example of Italeri in offering a complementary kit of well-sculpted personnel, and maybe some equipment as well - howzabout a launch-ready catapult, Revell?

  

See the Revell Arado 196 kit here.

And other Arado kits here.

The pictures show:

1-4  Revell Arado 196, assembled and painted.

5  Kriegsmarine engineers servicing an Arado 196 on the water.

6  Arado 196 ready for catapult launch from the battlecruiser Gneisenau.