MONOGRAM BLACK WIDOW HOT ROD

Mat Irvine looks at a blast from the past:

Although the vast majority of modern car kits are fully detailed with many intricate parts, sometimes it’s nice just to do a straightforward easy build - and this can also involve a blast from the past, like this 1:24 scale Monogram Black Widow.

Bzzz... the insects are coming

Monogram made its first car kit in 1954 and within a decade had a wide range of automotive subjects for the modeller. These included what could be termed the ‘Insects in Color Series’, in that it included the Green Hornet, Yellow Jacket, Blue Beetle, and Black Widow. (Yes, we know Black Widow spiders aren’t insects, but it spoils the flow if the list goes, ‘Insects and Arachnids…’)

Tasty hot rod

The Monogram Black Widow is a generic vehicle that wasn’t based on a particular original, instead incorporating various hot rod features from the 1950s and ’60s. This is basically a mix of favourites - a 1927 Ford T with pick-up bed, a classic small block Chevy engine, and Moon Disc wheel embellishers. 

The extended decal sheet includes many markings, but you don’t have to use them all!   

The SSP Program

The Black Widow was around for many years, while kits got more sophisticated, but was eventually dropped, being considered too simple. But then Revell-Monogram introduced the Selected Subjects Program (SSP) which aimed for the reissue of many of these early kits. At that time the Black Widow wasn’t amongst them and the heydays of the SSPs, with up to 48 reissues a year passed, as frankly, most of what was available had been reissued. However the SSP concept continues, and individual kits do get issued from time to time. 

Improving a basic kit

The kit is very straightforward to assemble, but still has 54 parts, moulded in black, white, chrome-plated and clear. The engine block is simply two halves, with separate chrome-plated rocker covers and intake manifold. You can easily improve it by washing transparent red paint in the grooves of the rocker covers to bring out the detail. Although from an era when this wasn’t commonly modelled, there is a semblance of a distributor, so adding ignition wiring is a possible detailing job that will be rewarding. 

No more motor

One thing that has not been reissued is the original motorization option, which means there’s an odd triangular part that you may very wonder: “Where does that piece go?” It was actually part of the electric motor support that fitted under the bodywork!

Two of the other Monogram ‘four wheeled insects’ not reissued as yet, the Blue Beetle and Yellow Jacket.

Blue beetle wanted

Back to our ‘insects’ (and spiders), the Green Hornet has already been reissued as an SSP, so maybe we can hope for the others at some point - for me, the Blue Beetle is tempting, based as it was on a Ford Model A pickup, with a range of surfing and diving gear for the pickup bed.

Life-size Black Widow

Intriguingly, having started as a fictional 1:24 scale model kit, there is a 1:1 scale Black Widow on the show circuit, though it isn’t a precise replica. However, building a full-size car from what started as a model isn’t new, as I showed in my Zingers article, though admittedly even ‘full size’ they weren’t exactly drivable. However Monogram’s Red Baron did get built as a full-size show rod, that was driveable.

Thanks to Revell-Monogram for the review kit.

Visit Revell here.

View the full-size Black Widow here.

REVELL AIDA ‘DIVA’ CRUISE SHIP - TEST SHOTS OF UPCOMING KIT

David Jefferis looks at a new marine kit:

Revell plan the release of this 1:400 scale kit in November, and it looks an interesting and colourful choice for marine enthusiasts. The scale means you’ll end up with a decent size model - as planned the liner will be 629 mm (24.8 in) long, and the height from keel to mast top will measure 120 mm (4.7 in). It will be a fairly lengthy build, with some 300 components in the box - just the thing for those long winter nights ahead.

Colourful paintwork

Finishing the ship for display will make a real change from the standard grey of most warships. The Aida Diva is one of three sister ships (the others are the Bella and the Luna) that form part of the leisure fleet of an Anglo-American cruise line based in Germany, and what sets the Aida trio apart from similar cruise liners are their unusual liveries.

Luscious lips

Trademark emblem of the fleet is the bright red pair of lips at the sharp end, while a giant eye and blue stripes decorate either side of the hull. Set against white paint, the result is refreshingly different, both for the real thing, and doubtless for the models as well. Couple those markings with standard blue stripes on the upper superstructure, and tinted glass in the midships atrium and you have a handsome-looking ship. As for which of the three Aida vessels to model, it’ll be your choice - Revell will be supplying name decals for all three.

Entertainment afloat

Actually, in Aida-speak, that atrium section is titled the ‘theatrium’, marketing spiel for an onboard zone where passengers can choose from a choice of theatre, bars and market place. Seven restaurants, 11 bars, the biggest fitness gym and health spa afloat, mega-sundeck and three swimming pools are among the delights offered on each liner. Blimey! Am I tempted? Hmmm... I’m normally more of a small-ship man and mountain-biker, but a cheapo weekend offer could be tempting...

Visit Aida line (German language) here.

Various marine kits here.

BUGATTI VEYRON COUPE PRODUCTION FINISHED - BUT PLENTY OF GS MODELS TO COME

SMN report:

Seven years after the first Bugatti Veyron Coupe was purchased by a car freak equipped with a brain-meltingly large wallet, the final one rolled off the dedicated production line at Bugatti just a few weeks ago.

Artoart Veyron about as good as metal-casting technology allows.

In total, 300 of the 987bhp hypercar were made by the time production stopped on June 27, so if you are after one now you are going to have to go to one of the existing owners and make them a decent offer - or maybe an offer they can’t refuse.

Neat detail and removable parts mark the Autoart Veyron.

End of an era

The final Bugatti Veyron was ordered by an unnamed European customer, marking an end to the triumphant reign of this supercar, making it a worthy successor to classic Bugattis of old, and definitely one of the most valuable cars ever created.

Retro-era two-tone paintwork a mark of the Veyron, real or miniature. 

Production continues

Still, the Veyron story isn’t over yet, as the Grand Sport GS convertible remains in production. So if you want to drive at 360 km/h (224 mph) with the wind streaming past your ears, now’s your chance, as Bugatti won’t stop making them until the 150-car sales target is reached.

Wide choice

In the model world, there is no similar shortage of availability - Veyrons are, if not exactly a dime a dozen, then not too pricey for most pockets either. Even so, the choice lies in the diecast arena, rather than with kits, and prices range from as high as $1000USD (£560GBP), all the way down to an easy on the pocket $4.90USD (£2.99GBP) for a finger-length Siku offering in black/red or silver/blue. 

Superdetail Veyron

That top-price Veyron is an Artoart 1:12 scale model, finished in a very handsome pearl and ice blue colour scheme. There are 518 components, including all the usual details such as photo-etch sections, wiring loom, extending air brake, exposed engine, plus various opening sections including the twin doors. As you might expect at this price, interior detail is truly excellent. Regarding that price, don’t forget to shop around, as there are cheaper suppliers out there. 

We featured the Veyron GS two summers ago here.

Autoart makes various diecast models of the Veyron, and in different scales too. Have a look here.

And a garage-full of choice from various makers here.

McFLY BOYBAND TAMIYA KIT - ROCK VIDEO POINTS WAY TO THE FUTURE?

SMN report:

Thanks to the SMN reader who pointed out this Tamiya-based video for the UK boyband McFly's 2006 song Room on the 3rd Floor. The band is named after Marty McFly, movie star of the 1985-90 Back to the Future sci-fi trilogy, and inspiration for all those kits and diecasts of the DeLorean flying car.

Animated sequences

Whether or not you like MacFly's music, the video is well worth watching to see the components take on a life of their own, with - somewhat spooky, it has to be said - animation sequences, both parts on their runners and art on the box. A singing plastic head may not be quite to everyone’s taste, but It’s very well done indeed, and gets even better when the instructions come to life too, line-drawings moving around with gusto to show various pieces self-assembling in a very clear and satisfying way.

Animated brochures

The McFly video pointed to a possible future direction for Tamiya and other kit manufacturers, to add visual interest to their product brochures on the iPad and other tablet computers - which, of course, did not exist in 2006 - plus iPhone and Android mobile phones.

SMN Mobile Edition
You can already read your daily SMN this way, and on the iPhone or iPod touch you get added picture-power as there is more zoom control than the browser version gives you. SMN-ME comes up automatically when you tap in the address on your smartphone.

Tamiya app

Tamiya Model Magazine International (TMMI) already has an iPad version of the hardcopy magazine. It costs $2.99 USD, which seems fair value. Just search for ‘Tamiya app’ and it should come up in a moment or two.

View Back to the Future stuff here.

ELVIS LIVES! TAMIYA POSTER CAMPAIGN RECKONS SO, ANYWAY

SMN report:

We mostly associate Tamiya with top-line traditional plastic kits - and quite rightly, for they are superb products, as we recently showed with the newly-released 1:32 scale P-51D Mustang. But Tamiya doesn’t stand still, and the company recently paid the advertising agency Ogilvy & Mather Vietnam to create an ad campaign based around the catchline, ‘Tamiya Put It Together’. 

Print ad series

Ogilvy & Mather’s solution to the brief was a series of print ads featuring fictional kits based on popular and continuing conspiracy themes - Elvis Presley lives, Roswell UFO aliens, Moon Landing hoax, Who killed JFK, and the death of Marilyn Monroe. Fictional the kits may be, but O&M put much hard work into the visuals, which look really convincing until you look hard, and notice a few pointers to the truth - for example, the Lunar Rover sports a 1950s-era auto steering wheel, a cute in-joke we reckon, as the originals had side-stick controllers.

Request to Tamiya

However, and this is a big request Tamiya - why don’t you make these for real? The subject matter is endlessly fascinating, and the subjects are all begging to be turned from advertising campaign to plastic in a box. Any Elvis fan would love to add him to their collection, as would movie-buffs for Marilyn, space nuts for Apollo, UFO believers for Roswell, and politicos for a JFK set. A shelf-top diorama featuring a 1:24 or 1:12 scale figure, surrounded by relevant memorabilia would look terrific.

So come on Tamiya, please let’s have them soon!

While we’re at it, note the business card created by the team at Tamiya Siam - a card-sized runner, with detachable letters. Great idea!

SECRET AGENT OPERATION - LYSANDER SPY PLANE ARRIVES IN FRANCE

Mat Irvine discusses:

Back in June, I gave details of the Airfix resin-moulded range of ruined buildings, aimed mainly at military diorama builders. The example I highlighted was the ruined workshop, and I hinted that the figures in the scene - French resistance fighters, with a Citroen Traction Avant - were waiting for a spy drop from a Lysander delivery plane. 

Box back includes Humbrol paint details plus aircraft details in four languages.

World War II spy plane

Well, since then the drop appears to have happened, so here is an extension to that article. It revolves around the British Westland Lysander high-wing monoplane, a mainstay of RAF undercover work during World War II. The Lysander was ideal for the task, as it could fly in what we might today call ‘stealth mode’, and could land on unprepared surfaces in the dead of night. 

Built-up model and instruction sheet.

Secret operations

The original Airfix 1:72 scale Lysander was one of the company’s first aircraft kits, being released as early as 1956. It was very basic, and did not include a ‘spy’ option, but in 1974 a new kit was produced, and this time you did get undercover equipment. The subject was a Lysander of 161 (Special) Squadron, an RAF unit tasked with flying missions for the Special Operations Executive (SOE), mostly flying secret agents into and out of Nazi-occupied Europe. The kit included the minor changes needed for this role, such as a belly pod, side-ladder, and a spy figure with briefcase, ready for drop-off ‘somewhere in France’. 

Note the acetate 'spinning prop' on the aircraft.

New and improved Lysander kit

The kit was a vast improvement on the original, in that it now featured wings in top and bottom halves (the original kit used one-piece mouldings), separate wheels in their distinctive spats, clear landing lights, and a multi-piece cockpit canopy. All in all, there were now almost 50 parts, the original probably having less than 20. But of course, even this ‘new’ kit is now 37 years old, and it too is beginning to show its age. But with a bit of work, you can make it look very presentable. 

The Lysander in its element, a midnight rendezvous in enemy-occupied territory.

Mods for the diorama

The only change I made to the kit for this diorama was to replace the propeller with a clear acetate ‘spinning mode’ disc, as the engine would not have been stopped on such a mission - the aim was to make the delivery or pickup, then get back into the air as quickly as possible. The scene also includes some cows, these from the Airfix Farm set. The at-night picture shows a dimly lit scene, for which I used a blue light to simulate moonlight, then underexposed the shot. The daylight pictures are included so you can get a better view.

Finding a kit

The Westland Lysander is not currently listed in the Airfix catalogue, but a quick search on ebay should unearth one without too much trouble. A look this morning revealed three for sale - two ‘spy’ versions like the one above, and an original release, still in its transparent plastic bag with illustrated paper header.

Streamlined spats, but no wheel covers on this example. Note mission markings under the cockpit.

The real thing

Here a Westland Lysander stands on the grass at the Shuttleworth Collection, Old Warden, Bedfordshire, UK. If you like old aircraft, an evening airshow there is an unforgettable experience. Note the leading-edge slats on the wing, a design feature that helped give the Lysander its remarkable short-field abilities. Picture courtesy ‘Muckypup1807’, taken in 2009.

See my June 26 French Resistance article here.

Visit the Shuttleworth Collection here.

  

TAMIYA 1:32 P-51D MUSTANG - JUST SUPERB

SMN report:

The new Tamiya 1:32 scale P-51D is gathering plaudits all over, and we’re not surprised. It’s easily a match for the firm’s Spitfire models in this scale, and utilises the same super-small magnet technology to keep the ultra-thin engine cowlings in place.

Scene from the Red Tails movie, featuring P-40s and P-51Ds.

Is it worth buying?

Should you pony up the money to buy this Mustang? The answer is quite simple - if you have the slightest interest in this World War II thoroughbred, and enjoy model making, it has to be an unqualified yes.

Usual high quality box art from Tamiya.

Enjoy the Tamiya pix (don’t forget to click for the full-size images) to see what we mean.

Neat wheel-well and drop-tank detail.

Merlin engine a miniature marvel.

Note red tail markings and (below) neat stand.

Magnets allow full engine reveal. Note separate prop spinner.

Metal-etch parts for fine details.

Finished cockpit assembly, and (below) triple 'whole nine yard' ammo belts.

Red Tails movie to come

Don’t forget to take in the trailer for the upcoming movie Red Tails, the dramatised story of the Tuskegee flyers, black airmen who made their name defending Allied bomber fleets during World War II. We’ve already seen criticisms regarding details of both planes and story, but it looks like a rip-roaring tale that remains true to the flavour of the real thing.

High-action trailer for the movie. Turn your speakers up for max effect!

Tuskegee airmen in front of a P-40, flown before the more advanced P-51D.

The real thing, flown regularly at air displays - just gorgeous, though note it is not the 'D' version.

Instrument panel has plenty of detail.

See the Tamiya P-51D here.