BATMOBILE TUMBLER MEGA-MODEL FROM SIDESHOW COLLECTIBLES

SMN report:

More Batmobilia today, with this totally over the top 1:6 scale Tumbler model from Sideshow Collectibles. This really is about the biggest, baddest, and best Tumbler we’ve come across so far.

Wallet-buster
It's fair to say though, that this Tumbler does come with a price to match those three Bs - a gulping hazard-to-your-wallet $469.99 USD. However, if you’re into Batstuff, then you might think of this large - 737 mm (29 in) long - replica as a good investment, and in fact Sideshow offers an installment plan if a cash purchase is out of the question.

What do you get for your money?

So what does this Tumbler-extreme have to offer? Well, the general spec is pretty much up to what you would expect, with a cockpit packed with detail that includes a particularly convincing head-up display. The cockpit is also the right size for a separately available 1:6 scale Batman figure to take command in the sculptured seat. There’s room in the passenger seat for a second figure if you wish, and various elements in this Tumbler are moveable features, too. 

Brakes. Lights. Action...

Apart from the wheels, the roof panel pops up, as do the braking flaps. In addition, if you supply three AAA batteries (they’re not included, more’s the pity) then you also get an illuminated function... kill the room lights and you can see a mean machine, its owner looking for trouble. Mind you, we’d like to see a flickering tongue of hot blue fire roaring out of that tail exhaust - ah well, maybe that’ll come with the next edition.

Summation

All in all, an impressive achievement, though as ever with ready-built models like this, certain members of the SMN Crew itch to give it a spot of light weathering for that final dose of realism. It’s a pity Sideshow doesn’t supply a Batman figure with it though - the Tumbler isn’t really complete without a driver in the cockpit, though you’ll have to apply a weatherbeaten look to his face, as Sideshow’s figure looks very clean indeed - too clean, even for a caped crusader!

Most awaited new movie, according to those who know
And here's a pic of the Tumbler wearing camo-look paint, as seen in the upcoming Batman movie The Dark Knight Rises, scheduled for worldwide release, starting July 19, 2012.

Visit Sideshow Collectibles here.

Hot Toys 1:6 scale Batman figure here.

See all sorts of Batmobile here.

JAPANESE BATTLESHIP ‘YAMATO’ - NEW-TOOL KIT FROM TAMIYA NOW AVAILABLE

SMN report:

Announced a few weeks ago, and now freely available, the mighty battleship Yamato from Tamiya is released in 1:350 scale. According to Tamiya, this is an all-new tooling of the ship, not a rehash of the previous Tamiya 1:350 scale kit.

Big battleship

From press pictures we have seen, it looks like Tamiya has really done the biz on this new Yamato, once the biggest battleship afloat and for a few years the pride of the Japanese Navy. It’s a mighty ship where models are concerned too, with an assembled hull fully 752 mm (29.6 in) long.

Waterline or display model?

The Tamiya 1:350 scale Yamato can be built as a waterline model, suitable for dioramas, or for display on a stand with the full hull visible. A neat feature, and one that is unique so far as we know, is that the big guns have turrets that extend below decks, just as they did on the real thing. This was so that shells could be loaded vertically from the ship’s magazine, based deep in the hull for maximum protection from enemy attack.

Superdetail components

Tamiya has also included mixed-media components with this kit. There are two sheets of photo-etch superdetail parts for cranes, ladders, radars, and other small items. So far as the finished ship is concerned, Tamiya has chosen to feature the Yamato as it appeared during its last voyage, when it steamed on a one-way mission to defend Okinawa Island from Allied attack. 

Parts from the Czech Republic

Of course, while this Tamiya kit may be the best Yamato yet, it’s always possible to better the best where kits are concerned. For that, your first stop could be the Czech company Eduard, which already markets various photo-etch superdetail sets.

Mighty model on display in Japan

Talking of big models, this is probably the biggest we’re ever likely to see, at least of the Yamato. The mega-model is to 1:10 scale and on show at the Yamato Museum in Japan. The link to this is listed below, and it’s well worth a visit. Thanks to photographer ‘Carpkazu’ for the picture.

Utility boat set

A useful extra you might think about is the Tamiya 1:350 scale utility boat set. This models 11 types of small boat, typically carried aboard Japanese vessels, or used to supply and support them. Some are duplicated, to provide a total of 28 items in the box.

Visit Eduard here.

Visit the Yamato Museum here.

Buy the Yamato here.

Yamato is also available from our friends at Hobby Link Japan here.

SWAP F-35 FOR RAFALE OR TYPHOON?

SMN report:

News last week of continuing delays on the Lockheed Martin F-35 aircaft meant that at least one defence planner was losing sleep. UK Admiral Sir Trevor Soar was reported - inaccurately, apparently - by The Times of London, as thinking about the French Dassault Rafale (Revell kit above) and US Boeing F-18 Hornet as backup aircraft in case of further delays.

Typhoon-N alternative

Other defence specialists reckon the Eurofighter Typhoon-N is worth looking at closely. And who are we to argue with that? SMN reported on Typhoon-N proposals some time ago, and we still reckon it makes a good alternative, not least because the twin-engine jet would need only a ski-jump for takeoff, not a full-house (and expensive) electromagnetic catapult system. The link to that piece is listed below.

Rafale in miniature

And what about models? The Rafale is a handsome looking machine that hasn’t has too many kits made of it, though the 1:48 scale Revell offering is pretty good. For a detailed look, we went to the website Model Kits Review (MKR), which says this of the Rafale B component breakdown: “...it is presented in seven sprues, six of them in light gray and one clear. Revell included a little piece of double-sided tape to protect the molded-in antenna from snapping off during shipping. The instruction manual has 72 steps on 16 pages and starting with the assembly of the ejection seats on step one and finishing with the marking options on step 72.”

Excellent details

There’s more, on the quality of production: “The details are exquisite.” That's kudos from Model Kits Review, and it ought to make Revell pleased. The kit comes with ordnance (above) that includes six GBU-12 bombs, six drop tanks in two sizes, one pair each of Magic and Mica missiles, plus two much larger Apache cruise missiles.

Decals a letdown

However highly the actual kit scores, the decals are not so great, and that’s also pointed out by MKR and Gary Wickham of the Aircraft Resource Center (ARC). So here’s a note to Revell - consider employing an specialist decal manufacturer such as Cartograf for the next production run.

Various Rafale kits here.

Scale Model News Typhoon-N article here.

Model Kits Review of Rafale here.

Aircraft Resource Center here.

Rafale model pix courtesy MKR, ARC, and ’Sisaphus’.

FORD FALCON RANCHERO - NEW LINE FROM CHINA'S TRUMPETER

Weekend read from Mat Irvine:

The fact that this major Chinese model manufacturer has taken on established kit-makers at their own game is perhaps not a great surprise. China is responsible for producing a great deal of Western kit output anyway, so it wasn’t long before original kits started to appear.

Many early attempts were not that good, and came from a number of small companies, many of whose names are almost forgotten. But Trumpeter is an exception, and is now regarded as the Chinese equivalent of Airfix, Revell, or Tamiya. The company has refined its products, with quality well up to expected standards.

Soviet and Chinese limos

Initially, Trumpeter concentrated on aircraft, AFVs and ships, though not cars, with the slight exception of a couple of typically Chinese limousines, the Red Flags. To make these 1950s-style monstrosities, themselves adapted from Soviet Zil limos, was perhaps understandable. More of a surprise - especially for US car modellers - was that Trumpeter then started an American car range. Not only were these made to the US-standard model car 1:25 scale (the Red Flags were in 1:24) - but they looked just like traditional AMT, MPC, or Jo-Han kits of the 1960s.    

Original release from Trumpeter

Having already made a 1960s Pontiac Bonneville and Chevy Nova, and taken an incursion into the 1970s with a Chevrolet Monte Carlo, Trumpeter is now concentrating on the 1964/5 Ford Falcon. The 1964 Ford Falcon Sprint has been made before by AMT, but it's long out of the catalogues, the tooling having been modified as the 1965 version. Consequently it's highly collectible, and the only way to get one is to pay big bucks, even assuming you can find one. Now Trumpeter is cleverly releasing a Falcon that has never been made before - the 1965 Ford Falcon Ranchero pickup. 

What's in the box?

Trumpeter's package is flatter than the 'boxy' boxes from most US kit companies. Full instructions are included, as is a colour brochure featuring details of various new Trumpeter kits. Kit construction follows the style set by the US manufactures in more recent years, especially when they have made new kits of 60s-era cars. The body remains the classic ‘one-piece’, but interiors have several components, which certainly makes painting much easier. The engines has more detailed parts, as does the chassis, and both are better results than the original one-piece approach. Consequently, if you blank out the Chinese script in the plans - you get English instructions as well - you could be looking at almost any modern AMT, Lindberg or Revell kit of a similar subject.

New and old compared

The Trumpeter Ford Falcon Ranchero pickup bodywork (left) compared to a 1966 AMT Falcon Futura Sprint. The engine bay is separately moulded in the Trumpeter, but American companies do that as well these days.

Parts count

This is a kit that I will hopefully get built in the near future, so keep watching SMN for my take on actual construction issues. In the meantime, you get 160-plus parts, mostly in white styrene, but with clear, transparent red for the tail lights, and bright parts finished in chrome. Six vinyl tyres are supplied as hollow, rather than solid mouldings, a Trumpeter feature that's unusual in US kits. 

Stock plus

On the box, Trumpeter calls the kit 'stock plus', which means that two versions of the Ranchero can be built - stock or mild custom - the latter limited to engine options, with a choice of stock wheel covers or mag-alloy wheels. The chrome trim on the bodywork does not feature on the kit, so will need to be added, using an aftermarket product such as Bare-Metal Foil. However, nameplates such as the name 'Ranchero’, are included on the decal sheet. When assembled, the Falcon Ranchero is just over 190 mm (7.5 in) long. 

Summation

There are some criticisms of this kit, the biggest of which is the grille. It's not quite accurate, and of course being the grille, is rather noticeable. But I suspect one of the garage companies will come up with an aftermarket replacement, if you are really worried about this. Overall though, the Trumpeter Ford Falcon Ranchero pickup is an excellent attempt, and well worth having if you're into 1960s automobiles. 

Trumpeter Ford Falcon Ranchero pickup available here.

Trumpeter Ford Falcon Sprint pickup here.

More Ford Falcons here.

Visit Bare-Metal Foil here.

FAMOUS BUILDINGS OF THE WORLD IN MINIATURE

SMN report:

Earlier this week, we looked at matchstick-modeller Phil Warren's tabletop navy, and now we've been impressed by another modelmaker's dedication to duty. This time it's the work of Brian Bartlett, who has amassed a vast collection of card buildings, ranging from a miniature White House (above) to St Basil's Cathedral in Moscow. 

Building a collection over the years
Brian started in 1988, with a model of Canterbury Cathedral, and through the following 17 years built the collection to more than 200 famous, and some not so famous, buildings of the world. Now 79, Brian is still making models, so the collection has room to grow yet.

Prinknash Abbey connection

Like most modelmakers, Brian's biggest problem soon became the question of: "Where on Earth can I store them all?!" The answer came in the form of a large suite of basement rooms, set in the grounds of Prinknash Abbey, near Cheltenham, UK. The monks of Prinknash (pronounced: "Prin-ish") are known for their pewter ware, a modern version of medieval pottery, but as Brian's collection features so many churches and cathedrals, his collection sits very comfortably within the calm, religious atmosphere of this handsome part of rural Gloucestershire.

A life dedicated to prayer and craft

The monks of Prinknash are more than worth a mention, as they have long had highly-rated craft connections. Apart from the pottery, they make stained glass, organs, incense, and for market gardening. Mind you, the Abbey building (above) won't win any prizes for elegance, so it's just as well that other areas of the monks' work are more rewarding visually.   

A talented painter
These other visual areas include Father Stephen Horton's handsome artworks. He takes commissions for his excellent watercolour paintings (above). It's fair to say that the life of a monk doesn't have much appeal for the SMN Crew, but it's good to know that the community at Prinknash is so dedicated and productive. And polite too - the teashop ladies were friendly and helpful when it came to ushering us down to Brian's subterranean treasure-trove.

Card model kits

Back to the models. They are built from commercial card kits, from three main sources. In the UK, Papercrafts of London and Marcle Models of Amersham. Holstentor Buchhandlung of Lubeck, Germany are another supplier. Of these, the only one we found with a current website is Marcle Models, and it's well worth a visit if you're into card kits. Marcle's architectural offerings are wide-ranging - for example, if you have a thing for 1:350 scale nuclear power stations, you'll find one - but many other subject areas are covered too. 

Marcle can also supply reprints of the long out-of-production Micromodels range (above). These delightful kits were widely available in the 1940s and 1950s, so it's good to see them still around, even if in reprint form, rather than original production.   

Card kits at Marcle Models here.

More on Micromodels here.

L'Instant Durable kits from France here.

Schreiber Bogen kits from Germany here.

More buildings to view
And here's a set of pix we took during our trip to Prinknash Abbey. Starting with Barcelona's Sagrada Familia, there are plenty of famous faces, and some that you might have to hunt down in Wikipedia.

SUPERB HOT WHEELS 'GHOSTBUSTERS' CADILLAC

SMN update:

Over the years, there's been a never-ending waterfall of miniatures featuring the classic 1984 fantasy movie Ghostbusters. And here we go again with two more releases, though they are of the same subject, the Ecto-1 Cadillac ambulance, released in two scales.

Cadillacs little and large

This Ghostbusters research vehicle - based on a 1959-model Cadillac ambulance - is a highly-detailed diecast from the upmarket super-detail Hot Wheels Elite range. It's available in the two popular scales of  1:43 and 1:18, and while neither of these Elites are cheap, they would seem to be worthwhile, as in either scale, this Ecto-1 appears to be far and away the best we've seen so far. Hot Wheels tell us that the Ecto-1 models are in limited editions of 10,000 worldwide in each size. 

Details, details…

The delightfully-named ('Ecto' as in ectoplasm) Cadillac ambulance is simply loaded with detail - whether it's on the roof, inside the cabin, or under the lift-up hood, the model's designers and engineers have done their best to pack in the detail. And they have succeeded, as there's really not a lot more you could ask for as miniatures go - in fact, the only extras we might imagine could be a sound chip installation and perhaps LED lighting, but those items will add cost and complexity, so we won't turn a wish-list into a mark-down.

Good vehicle, but where are the Ghostbusters?

The Hot Wheels Ecto-1 in both scales is well up to scratch, but we would love to see miniatures of the Ghostbusters themselves. Such things can be done - Corgi has produced many James Bond diecasts with figures included, and over in Europe, Tintin miniatures automatically come with appropriate characters - even Snowy the dog features in 1:43 scale.

Summation

Both versions of this ready-built subject are worth adding to your collection, assuming you are a fan of the movie, of course. By the same token, either car, in either scale, would look spectacular with the addition of figures and diorama scenes. So, even though they are ready built miniatures, there's plenty of scope for model makers to elevate them to new levels of small-scale realism. A very subtle blow with an airbrush to add a little weathering would help take away that fresh-from-the-carwash look, too. In the UK, the ModelZone store chain is handling them with free postage.

1:43 scale Ghostbusters from ModelZone here.

Pre-order the 1:18 scale Ghostbusters from ModelZone here.

Amazon have decent deals here.