SUPER SWEDE - SAAB SEA GRIPEN CARRIER-BASED CANARD ATTACK JET

SMN report

Back in March Eurofighter released details of its proposed navalised Typhoon jet, and it looked really interesting, both as a concept and as an opportunity for a kit-bash. Now we’ve come across a similar proposal from Saab, with its single-engine Gripen multi-role fighter-attacker jet. Like the carrier-based Typhoon-N, Sea Gripen would not need a catapult for takeoff, instead being able to launch using a ski-jump - so it makes another, cheaper, competitor to the Lockheed Martin F-35, currently on order by the UK Royal Navy. The Gripen is designed to use rough strips - or at least, sections of Swedish highway - as wartime runways, so the lightweight aircraft seems to have the hard-working basics for seaborne ops already built in. 

Easy conversion

We show here Saab’s promo pix for the concept, and as is usually the case with sales material, the proposed differences are claimed to be minimal both technically and in cost - but that digital camouflage scheme is certainly a winner in the style department. In model terms, Italeri has some Gripen options - a single seater in 1:72 scale, and a single- and two-seater in 1:48. They are decent kits, so would make a good start for anyone interested in Scandinavian equipment.

Parts layout for the 1:48 scale Italeri Gripen. Below, weapon loads for the aircraft.

Sea Gripen conversion

If we go by Saab’s pictures, about the only changes needed would be an arrester hook, and a sensor head in front of the canopy. In addition, longer landing gear struts and a set of bigger tyres to soak up those high rate-of-descent landings would be necessary. To be strictly accurate, new gear would be necessary anyway, as these were part of the revised elements made as part of the upgraded NG specification. To add a nautical look, a section of carrier deck would make an authentic display base.  

This neat build shows that the basics for a Sea Gripen conversion are there.

Possible customer markings

As for markings, target customers are similar to those of the Typhoon-N, though at this point India is no longer interested. The what-if scenario is probably limited to the UK Royal Navy, with Spain, Italy, Brazil, and the US Navy as outside possibilities. Whatever, it could be an interesting project. Whether you want to make a full conversion to the Gripen NG/IN standard is up to you, but there's planty of info and pix at Saab's site below.

SMN Navy Typhoon article here.

Gripen kits here.

Nifty set of add-on Gripen decals available here.

More pix of that Empire Test Pilot School Italeri build here.

Saab NG site here.

And if you feel like a spot of RC, with a thrust-vectoring Gripen (better than the real thing!) try Banana Hobby here.

Graphics courtesy Saab AB, SMN Studio.

LIBYA LATEST - NATO ATTACK HELICOPTERS TO ENTER COMBAT ZONE

SMN report

It’s something of a helicopter time at the moment - the stealth machines used in the bin Laden raid, a possible European-issue NH90 stealth-design, and now the news that British Army WAH-64D Apache AH1s have been ordered into North Africa, operating from the amphibious assault ship HMS Ocean, in joint operations with French Eurocopter Tigers. 

British Army Apache at RAF Fairford.

Which Apache model to make?

There are plenty of Apache models out there, including the diminutive 1:144 scale Revell kit, but for a complex machine like this with so much detail in the cockpits, weapons, and rotor assemblies, smaller models are not really the most satisfying way to go, and even 1:72 scale doesn’t appeal to us. No, in our view 1:48 is the best all-round scale for doing justice to this state-of-the-art attack helicopter. And for the easily-recognizeable ‘D’ version, which mounts a Longbow radar atop the rotor mast, both Italeri and Hasegawa kits make good starting points.

Front cockpit.

Discreet markings

As for markings, the British Army WAH-64D won’t give the decal-makers fat wallets - the only emblems visible from the side are a small black ARMY sign, a discreet red-and-blue UK armed forces roundel, and a serial number halfway up the tail-rotor fin. Small red triangles are next to the cockpits, and yellow WARNING labels are printed by the missile launchers, but really, that’s about it. 

Rear cockpit.

Design mods

Note that the British Army version differs in detail from the standard-issue AH-64D. AgustaWestland built most of them under licence from Boeing, with changes that include folding rotor blades, de-icing equipment, Roll-Royce engines, and various equipment and sensor differences. You’ll have to look hard to detect the changes though, and the RAF Fairford picture, taken by by ‘Bob the Pirate’ should help. The cockpit shots are official British Army issue.

Display decision

So, for adding visual interest to the AH-64D’s surfaces, careful air- and dry-brushing to highlight all the rivet and panel sections are good options, though the results could easily be overdone, as the flat-finish of the Army’s Apache is designed to be just that - flat and dull. A set of blue drill-issue Hellfires could lift things, but this is definitely a case where a decision to make a diorama display, adding figures of crew, technicians, and maintenance equipment could be a transforming choice.

Interesting YouTube video of a US Army AH-64D kit-build.

Another feature

If the finished model warrants it, how about adding a neat user-feature in the form of a magnifying glass? There’s a model rail museum not far from SMN Towers, where these are built into the side glass of several display cases, and this added ingredient provides a good measure of bonus-interest for visitors young and old.

Various AH-64 helos to choose here.

Cockpit pix courtesy UK Ministry of Defence.

SCI-FI SALE IN JAPAN - ONLY A FEW DAYS TO GO

David Jefferis reports

The excellent HobbyLink Japan webstore is offering good deals on kits and ready-builts featuring the Ma.K (Maschinen Krieger) sci-fi universe, first created back in the 1980s by Japanese artist Kow Yokoyama.

Fully configured fighting suit

The main star is undoubtedly the 1:6 scale fully finished, articulated, and lighted Maschinen Krieger SAFS (Super Armoured Fighting Suit), complete with an extremely well sculpted female pilot figure. The 400 mm (15.75 in) tall suit - with multimedia parts in plastic, metal and vinyl - is highly limited, with just a 600-item run, so there are not many to go around. 

Lighting up the SAFS

All the various parts that should move, do move, and there’s cockpit lighting that includes a green-lit information panel, a blue inner cushion light, plus indicator lamps. What’s also a good feature is that the curvaceous pilot can slip neatly inside the SAFS, when the order goes out for her to get ready for battle.

Popular sci-fi series

In recent years, and especially since Hasegawa started producing injection kits, Ma.K has become something of a growth industry, a ‘more serious’ Star Wars if you will - it’s certainly grittier in flavour, with huge appeal to anyone who’s into militaria and AFVs. The pictures here show a selection of Ma.K stuff, including a cover splash on Daytona BROS magazine, a well regarded Japanese fashion publication, showing that the sci-fi combat-gear look is a definite style icon for sections of the design community.

HLJ sale ends soon

Our friends at HobbyLink Japan have the SAFS suit and other Ma.K subjects at good discounts, but you’ll have to order quickly if you want to lay some in, as the HLJ sale on these items ends on June 1. Stay awhile there while you’re at it, as there are many other discounts available.

Visit the fascinating HLJ site here.

See more on Maschinen Krieger here.

Visit Daytona BROS here.

Pix courtesy Hasegawa, HLJ, SMN Studio. 

Cordmaster Prince pictures were supplied to us without a link - if you have one we'd be pleased to add it here, as the models look terrific.

64002 1/20 Ma.K Figure Set A Mercenary Troops

2012 LONDON OLYMPICS TAXI TIE-IN FROM CORGI

SMN report

Here’s one for the keen London Olympics 2012  collectibles lover, a 40-strong range of London taxis, each one decorated with graphics representing a different sport. The taxis are small, about 1:64 scale, and are very basic in appearance and detail - you get wheels, windows, a simple interior, but that’s about it apart from painted lights, grille, and an attractive mini-box. 

Olympics 2012

The appeal is in the Olympic connection, which is fair enough, but it does rather raise the question:  why is it that ‘popular attraction’ collectible models are, almost without exception, produced down to a price, rather than being a life-affirming ‘best they can be’? Pocket money purchases and casual buying are probably the answers to the question, but how nice it would be if a few more items of tourist tat were tourist treasures instead.

Hey ho, rant over, a collection of these would indeed be quite good fun, or one or two in the sport of your choice could be good to decorate a shelf after the event. Even so, we can’t help feeling that a really decent 1:50 scale London taxi would be of immense appeal, and would look good next to Corgi’s well respected diecasts to this scale, such as the truck and traction engine ranges. And of course, a 1:43 version from Corgi, packed with the levels of gem-like detail that’s the norm with, say, specialist F1 racing car models, would be a must-have production. 

Tinplate Mettoy taxi

There is another option from Corgi though - how about a much bigger 1:24 tinplate FX4 black cab? For that’s what Corgi’s Mettoy brand has to offer, albeit in a limited edition of just 1510 examples. Like the tinplate double-decker bus to the same scale, the 193 mm (7.6 in) long  FX4 is nicely produced and comes with a big key to wind the included clockwork motor. It also has front-wheel steering, and good interior detail.

The Mettoy story

The Mettoy (‘Metal Toy’) name is an old and respected one that dates back to 1934, when it was established by Philipp Ullmann and Arthur Katz in Northampton, UK. Production concentrated on tinplate models with clockwork mechanisms, but in 1956, Mettoy launched its first range of smaller, detailed diecast models to rival the hugely popular Dinky Toys. Corgi Toys were known as ‘the ones with windows’ and marked the birth of this familiar brand. 

More to come?

Today the situation is reversed between the two brands - Corgi is now the major name, and is busily creating the next generation of Mettoy models, though still made from tinplate and powered by clockwork motors. In fact, there’s a strong whiff of nostalgia here, aiming to recapture the days of those early toy designs. Let’s hope that Mettoy brings out many future variations on the FX4. The cab was produced from 1958-97, so there are thousands of colour schemes to choose, with owners and cab companies based all over the world.

Custom cab with a serious engine

Proving that custom cars can be based on the most unlikely vehicle, the London-based black taxi specialist Pool Motors has a quite excellent promo vehicle in the form of this lemon-yellow lowered and chopped FX4, powered by an 8.2 litre General Motors V8 engine. Very nice too, especially those tasty wheels and fat tyres - and a really unusual subject for a kit-bash!

Visit Corgi taxis here.

See more taxis here.

Visit Pool Motors here.

AUDI R8 SPYDER - REVELL TEST SHOTS OF THE UPCOMING 1:24 SCALE KIT

SMN report

These pictures show a Revell’s-eye-view of its Audi R8 Spyder, a kit that’s due out this summer. To 1:24 scale, the model measures some 184 mm (7.25 in) long, with a component-count of 110. To judge from the test shots, the detail looks up to scratch, with a particularly well sorted engine under that lift-up cover. The cockpit too shows care and attention, with a steering wheel that has the correct flattened underside, and general layout that follows the real thing reasonably accurately.

For super-detail fans, we’ve included some official Audi promo pix, so you can add the extras that could turn a decent kit into a show-stopper. We’re not sure if it’ll be possible to reproduce that beautiful coloured stitching on the leather though - now there’s a challenge!

R8 Spyder textures

It’s good to see that a hardtop will be available - for display purposes this could be placed separately next to the car. Generally, it will be worth taking care with texture and finish on this kit - the real thing is something of a symphony of these, with brushed aluminium, gleaming chrome, metallic paint, satin fascia plastics, and soft leather upholstery all playing a part. Reproduce that lot well, and you’ll have people polishing their glasses to look closer. 

R8 Spyder - a performance-plus car

As for the real thing, the open-top R8 Spyder follows in the footsteps of the earlier, 2006 R8 coupe, though it eschews the use of the rather stylish ‘blade’ side panels, instead having fairly conventional cooling air intakes for the rear-mounted engine. No matter - the R8 Spyder is sex on a stick, and this writer would have one in a heartbeat, given a planet-sized wallet. As for performance, give one of these babies a firm push on the throttle and that 525 bhp engine will have you blasting up to a claimed 313 km/h (194 mph). Yes please!

R8 Coupe and F-4 Phantom II

 Here we have the Audi R8 Coupe, posed here in front of the bright orange Luftwaffe ‘50 Years of Flight Testing’ (‘50 Jahre Flugerprobung’) F-4 Phantom II, modelled by Revell in its 1:100 scale Easy-Kit range. It’s a neat little model, with a wingspan of 118 mm (4.6 in), and a full range of stores - four Sidewinders, four Sparrows, plus fuel tanks under the wings and fuselage. The crew are shrunken dwarfs, wearing helmets that just about peek above the canopy sill, but they do exist, and from a distance look OK. 

More importantly the one-off ’50 Years’ finish is nicely applied, though lacking much of the smaller lettering applied to the original. But that’s acceptable at this scale, which is more than we can say for the excuse of an undercarriage, which is fit only for the bin. The Phantom is best displayed in flight mode, though you will have to supply your own stand if you want one. 

SMN score

Too soon for a final tally on the R8 Spyder, but on potential alone, we’ll give it 8.5/10. As for the F-4 Phantom II, we’ll give the airframe and pre-painted finish an Easy-Kit score of 8/10, but the landing gear gets 'nil points'. No, on second thoughts, that's a minus-score as it doesn’t  relate to anything seen on any aircraft, ever.  

See the Revell Audi R8 Coupe kit here.

See other car kits here.

Test shot pictures courtesy Revell.

Phantom II model SMN Studio.

BIN LADEN STEALTH AGAIN - THIS TIME A SCIMITAR-BLADE MH-47 CHINOOK

SMN report

The expert Italian aviation team of David Cenciotti and Ugo Crisponi have got together again to visualise a type of helicopter that Cenciotti thinks could also have taken part in the bin Laden raid in Pakistan.

Modifications to the Chinook

Like Crisponi’s visual of the MH-60, this Stealth-Chinook depicts many similar features of such a machine, including smoothed and faceted nose and air intakes, but the Chinook's signature fuselage sponsons are shown here modified with a similar treatment. The rotor heads have discs to cover the complex connection assemblies, and the blades themselves are spectacular hooked scimitars. 

Good starting point for a stealthy build.

 

Boarding a standard-issue Chinook.

Refuelling options

Once again, Cenciotti and Crisponi have included a retractable landing gear and cleaned-up fuselage surfaces, free of all the usual humps and bumps that increase the radar cross-section. A notable omission is the in-flight refuelling probe sported by Special Ops Chinooks - maybe this Stealth-Chinook could carry fuel in an underbelly drop-tank for the first part of a mission, before ejecting the empty tank to go into full-stealth mode for target approach. 

Final approach to a US Navy carrier.

Note the refuelling probe and fuselage antenna on this kit build.

Model choices

For kit-bashing purposes there’s a wealth of choice available, from 1:72 scale, through 1:48 to Trumpeter’s gorgeously humongous 1:35 scale beast. Take your pic!

Attention to detail and good finish mark this build out.

Graphics courtesy David Cenciotti here and Ugo Crisponi here.

SMN’s EuroStealth helo ‘Gaddafi Grabber’, based on the NH Industries NH-90 here.

Model pix courtesy Scale Rotors here.

A selection of MH-47 kits here, though if a Woodcraft version appears on your screen, it’s definitely an interloper!

EUROCARS FROM OTTOMOBILE ARRIVING JUNE

David Jefferis looks at a model car quartet

Here are four new 1:18 scale resin-based models from the French OttOmobile company, all to 1:18 scale. They are all well up to OttO’s usual standards, even if the subjects are hardly mainstream, especially to anyone (like me) more attracted to the speed and power of Mustangs, Ferraris or Batmobiles. However, that’s OttO’s successful philosophy: producing subjects that mainstream manufacturers won’t touch. They are all the same price at 39 Euro, and don’t forget that OttO’s pre-order system means models are often sold out soon after they have been announced.

A Spanish 124

This boxy Italian car was designed and produced by Fiat from 1966 to 1974, but perhaps more importantly has also been manufactured in clone variations around the world - and is still being churned out in Russia. All in all, the 124 design will have notched up more than 15 million units by the time production finally stops in 2012. The OttO model is actually the Spanish SEAT 2000 version, and is nicely produced, with the prominent rear window demister grid particularly well represented, as are the sport-style wheels.    

Citroen Visa Pistes

The stripes on this French five-door hatchback were about the only sporty thing about it, though there were some neat details to the rather dreary design, such as a sloping front end that reduced the amount of dirt and insect-life sticking to the headlights. If you had a piece of furniture to shift, a high-end Visa was useful, as the back seats came out, leaving a cathedral-like void in the rear. If you have nostalgic feelings toward Gallic tin like this, OttO’s model is a good representation.

Renault 25 Baccara

Another French machine, the 1980s-era Renault 25 was the one to be seen in if you were a mid-ranking politician or business-person. The external styling was neat if unexceptional, though the interior was penned by Italian designer Marcello Gandini, better known for the classic Lamborghini Countach. And OttO’s model shines in this department, as the super-squashy soft leather interior is extremely well done - in fact one of the best we’ve seen.

VW Golf VR6

Aaah, that’s better! I can relate to this one, having had a number of performance Golfs over the years. This is the Mk III version, produced through the 1990s, and the VR6 engine really made performance-plus a reality for Golf drivers - a great car. Like the other three models, OttO’s version is nicely done, even if the dark purple is not to my taste. No matter, if you drove one like this, then you’ll want the model.  

For more information and order instructions, visit OttOmobile here.

Model pix courtesy OttOmobile.