PONY CAR REVIVAL: 1:25 SCALE AMT 1966 FORD MUSTANG FROM ROUND 2

MAT IRVINE WEEKENDER:
This 1:25 scale kit reissue from Round 2 Models originates from the time when AMT was producing its range of ‘Annual’ car kits, matching the output of the ‘full-size’ Detroit car companies.


The kit is reasonably straightforward to assemble, as were most models of this era, the box containing just over 90 parts moulded in white plastic, plus transparent components for the window glass and custom front lamps, with clear red for the tail lights.

Steel or plastic?

It can be built in the one of the classic ‘3 in 1’ ways - stock, drag or as a mild custom. It is an ‘old style’ AMT kit as you have metal axles on which the wheels rotate. This is somewhat non-scale, as it involves a hole in the sump/oil pan to allow the front axle to pass through, but it does mean that you have much stronger axles. These were replaced with plastic versions in later kits, but in this Round 2 reissue, metal axles have been reintroduced, though the plastic ones are still the box.

Seats and engine
There is a simplified one-piece chassis, so no separate axles or driveshaft, and a ‘tub’ interior, with the sides moulded in one with the floor. However, the front seats are separate, and you get two sets - stock and buckets - and the engine can be hopped-up with twin carbs and straight-through drag headers.

Slicks or stock?
You get ten tyres in all - four stock and four ‘Polyglas GT’ in two sizes for the front and rear, plus a pair of rear slicks if you are going the racing route.

Destination: bits box
There are a number of components that cannot be used with the kit - they are for convertible and fastback versions - but such parts make good additions to the bits-and-pieces box.

When assembled, the Round 2 AMT 1966 Ford Mustang measures some 180mm (7in) long.

Round 2 AMT Mustangs available here.

SPACE MODEL REFERENCE: LUNAR ROVER OWNERS’ WORKSHOP MANUAL

MAT IRVINE REPORTS:
This is the latest in the hugely popular Haynes car repair manual series, featuring the two-seater Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) that was driven on the Moon by astronauts of Apollo missions 15-17. It should come in useful as a valuable reference source for real-space model fans.


The book style is not quite the same as Haynes car owner’s manuals, as it doesn’t explain how to dismantle and repair an LRV. Instead, it tells the story of the vehicle, the trials and tribulations involved in its design, and the difficulties involved in creating a lightweight electric machine capable of working in an airless environment, and that had to fold up for transportation to the Moon’s surface on the side of a two-man Lunar Module (LM).

Large-scale models
As for models of the Lunar Rover, this is a very mixed bag. There has never been a definitive large-scale LRV model in conventional injection styrene, though in 1971, AMT announced a planned 1:25 scale kit via a promotion sheet (below), which even included a catalogue number.

But it was not to be - the AMT kit never appeared, being doomed to be a no-show item. However, Lunar Models made a 1:25 scale multi-material kit (below) primarily in resin, though it is now long out of production.

Multi-material kits
A similar multi-material kit was released in smaller 1:32 scale from EVA Models (above, below) which was a better kit, though did require some work, and I featured it in my Scale Spacecraft Modelling book. Unfortunately, EVA Models’ founder, Chris Chulamanis, died a few years ago, and the company ceased production.

Smaller and smaller
There are smaller LRVs out there though. The Airfix 1:76 scale Astronaut set includes two of them, though they are moulded in flexible plastic, rather than precision styrene. There is a better LRV included in the 1:72 scale Dragon Apollo 17 kit, but this is of course only a little larger than the Airfix offerings.

Inside the book
The Lunar Rover Workshop Manual is packed with background information, not least that the idea of a Moon car was not new, even when it was being designed. Designs in earlier years were mostly a lot larger, and pressurised, so crews could drive along in a classic ‘shirt-sleeve’ environment, without needing spacesuits.

BIS design
In fact, the Apollo Lunar Module (LM) was a lot smaller than, for example, the British Interplanetary Society (BIS) design for a lunar lander (below left) of almost three decades earlier, the real-life Apollo LM having only an odd, prism-shaped space available to carry the LRV. But the engineers persevered... and the rest, as they say, is history.

Wire mesh wheels
Possibly the most difficult area of design was with the ingenious wire mesh tyres that were developed for the airless lunar environment. Intended to work in the Moon’s light, one-sixth Earth gravity, they would collapse if tested here on Earth, but in the end they performed magnificently, and there is an intriguing epilogue in the book. This explains the fact that in 2003, engineers tried to recreate the LRV’s mesh tyres, and realised what a task their colleagues from an earlier era had, without the benefit of modern techniques, materials and computers.

Lunar Rover Owners’ Workshop Manual was compiled and written by Christopher Riley (above), David Woods and Philip Dolling, with an introduction by David R. Scott, Commander of the Apollo 15 Moon mission.

Note: Chris and Phil are both colleagues of mine from earlier days working on BBC TV shows such as Tomorrow’s World. They also wrote the earlier Haynes book, the Apollo 11 Manual.

See the Lunar Rover Owners’ Workshop Manual at Amazon here.

Check out Mat’ s Scale Spacecraft Modelling book here.

DOUBLE-KIT CONCEPT: TWO MODELS IN THE BOX FROM HASEGAWA

SMN UPDATE:
Hasegawa has an interesting line of smaller-scale aircraft kits that come in twin-model form, from DC-3 twin-prop airlifters to single-engine fighter jets.


We’re fans of the double-kit concept, especially in smaller scales. It makes sense too, as building the first model gets all the how-to hiccups out of the way, making construction of the follow-on number two easier and quicker.

Taster planes
There are plenty of double-kits in the current Hasegawa line-up, so here’s a taster selection, starting with a World War II favourite in traditional 1:72 scale.

1:72 scale F4U-1 Corsair
Flagged by Hasegawa as a ‘Limited Edition’ (future editions will have different decal sets) the F-4U includes US Marine Corps markings for aircraft from three squadrons, VMF-111, 212, and 214. Each model has 34 components.

Interesting point: toward the end of the war, the Corsair’s kill ratio was in the region of 11:1, something of a turkey shoot against the enemy.

1:72 scale Nakajima A6M2-N Type 2 Seaplane
Another Limited Edition, the A6M2-N was developed from the famed Zero fighter, and was used to defend remote Japanese bases in the Aleutian and Solomon Islands.

Three sets of Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) decals are included in this double-kit, representing aircraft flown in the Aleutians in 1942, and a later machine flown in 1945. Each model has 45 components. The pic (below) shows a battered A6M2-N, raised from the sea bed in June, 1943, off the Solomon Islands.

1:72 scale F-20 Tigershark
Into the jet age with the Northrop F-20 Tigershark, this kit is ‘back by popular demand’ according to Hasegawa. The F-20 was developed in the 1960s as an affordable and efficient light fighter, but ran up against political opposition that supported the rival F-16. Result - the Tigershark became dead meat, that remains an interesting ‘what-if’ aircraft.

Decal options (below) for the 51-component kits are for the two prototypes.

1:200 scale Showa/Nakajima L2D Type 0 transport and Douglas C-47 Skytrain
Dropping down the size band, here is a brace of kits in Hasegawa's wide-ranging 1:200 scale range. The L2D is interesting, as it was a US type produced under license in Japan throughout World War II, and indeed was the single most important Japanese transport.

The L2D looked very similar to the DC-3, but had plenty of mods. The Kinsei 51/53 engines had enlarged nacelles and prop spinners, while the cockpit was larger, to allow all four crew on the flight deck. Three extra windows could be added behind the cockpit (see pic below) while various metal shortages during the course of the war meant that some parts were replaced with wood, including fin and rudder, stabilizer and elevators, ailerons, even entrance doors. None of these mods were incorporated at all times however, so there are plenty of model making options to play with.

At this small scale, the 22-part kits look very similar, though Hasegawa has included a 23rd component for the L2D, a resin part representing the dorsal antenna cover.

Decals are supplied for two L2Ds; the C-47 is a USAAF machine, with a neatly-printed decal representing ‘Classy Chassis’ nose-art draped (bottom) on the forward fuselage - and very nice she is, too.

Plenty of Hasegawa kits here.

KIT-BASH CHALLENGE - CHINESE CONCEPT FOR A COLOSSAL CATAMARAN AIRCRAFT CARRIER

SMN REPORT:
Is this a subject for maritime modellers or aircraft builders? We don’t know the answer (though suspect it’s probably both) but either way, these Chinese Navy illustrations have surfaced on the internet and, concept or not, the cat-carrier is just made for an impressive what-if miniature display piece.

It’s not known if this is a genuine project for the expanding Chinese Navy, but the idea seems to be a quantum leap-and-a-half above anything being conceived elsewhere.

Multi-purpose design
A catamaran design isn’t so crazy, as it offers huge capacity and stability, plus twin flight decks that allow takeoff and landing ops to be carried out at the same time. The space between the hulls would come in useful, offering servicing facilities for submarines and amphibious landing craft.

Kriegsmarine cat
Not that the Chinese are unique in thinking about catamaran aircraft carriers, as scale modeller Halsted Morris conceived a what-if World War II German Navy version some time ago.

Luftwaffe vs. Kriegsmarine
In Halsted's scenario, the failure to produce a German transatlantic bomber must have frustrated those in the Luftwaffe high command, but their opposite numbers in the Kriegsmarine would have been thinking about long-distance warfare too, and could have come up with an unusual solution.

Revell Graf Zeppelin
Halsted’s concept model is based on a pair of Revell 1:720 scale Graf Zeppelin aircraft carrier kits. The aircraft were upgraded by using items from the Japanese Pit-Road and British White Ensign garage kit companies. They weren’t quite the same scale as the Graf, being 1:700 scale, but in a concept model like this, an exact match doesn’t matter too much.

Swastika afloat
On the flight decks are a wide mixture of types - two He 177A bombers and Bf 110 AWACS, three He 111H and Ar 123 bombers, and four each Ju-88A, Ju 87G, Me 262s. Perhaps the most interesting of the lot is Halsted’s scratch-built Fa 223 twin-rotor helicopter, complete with floats for waterborne ops.

As Halsted puts it: “Who knows, the German could have had their own version of the Doolittle raid on Washington DC.” To which we can add: “Good thing it didn’t happen!”

US cat-carrier plan
Back to the Chinese concept, and we reckon a good alternative model-build could be a US equivalent, using a more modern carrier, such as the Revell USS Enterprise (below) made to 1:720 scale, with 102 parts. The kit comes with 30 aircraft, so two of them would provide a squadron the size of many a small air force. You’d probably need only one superstructure (choose which hull you like, or use the centre-section) but with a length of some 480mm (18.9in) the result could be extremely impressive. And if that’s too large, there is a 1:1200 scale version of the kit available, too.

China’s new aircraft designs
Note all the aircraft shown in the Chinese cgi visuals. They include new-design stealth fighters, quad-jet cargo carriers and of course there’s plenty of room for helicopters of all sorts.

World-wide reach
One sabre-rattling expert reckons that six of these cat-carriers would make a good diplomatic ‘big stick’, if half a dozen were at sea - two in the Pacific, two in the Atlantic, plus one each in the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. The Chinese certainly have reasons for having some form of extended naval presence, as they are presently drilling for off-shore oil and gas in many areas.

Summation
An amazing piece of overkill technology for China if such a vessel is ever built. For model makers, the catamaran carrier is a fun idea that would make a terrific display and conversation piece.

Visit Halsted Morris at ARC here.

1:700 scale Pit-Road stuff here, including aircraft.

White Ensign Models here.

Revell USS Enterprise here.

1:32 SCALE FACTUAL-SPACE MODEL FROM AOSHIMA: JAPANESE HIMAWARI WEATHER SATELLITE

MAT IRVINE REPORTS:
Continuing the Aoshima factual Space Craft Series No 7 comes Japan’s Himawari (Sunflower) weather satellite, one of several placed in geostationary orbit from 1977-1995.

The 1:32 scale kit is fairly simple, with just 33 components, moulded in white and clear plastic. The spacecraft is supplied in two main sections, a solar-cell covered cylindrical ‘bus’, and an instrumented section, with dish antennas at the base.

Solar cells
The kit supplies the bus as top and bottom discs, plus six sections of solar cells. These should be finished in the usual iridescent blue-purple, for which the kit instructions indicate a mix of Gunze Sangyo metallic-blue and metallic-red. Personally, I tend to go for the bluer end of this purple mix for such cells, so for this review kit I used a House of Kolor True Blue Pearl spray. It’s intended more for custom cars, but seems to match the look of photovoltaic panels very well.

Gold foil
The real-life instrument section is covered mostly with gold-finish foil, used as a thermal blanket and for micrometeorite protection. You can match this by using gold paint, or you could try salvaging some gold foil (above) from confectionery wrappers. Alternatively, suppliers such as the UK Hobbycraft chain, or the US Hobby Lobby usually stock sheets of suitably gold-coloured material.

Clear antennas
The two main antennas (see below) are reproduced by Aoshima as clear components. Given that they are delicate structures, this is perhaps a good choice, though their form will need emphasizing with either paint or thin strips of gold foil.

Which version Himawari?
Five Himawaris of this type were launched in all, and the kit can be built as Himawari 4 (above, below) or 5. Earlier ones look similar, but had a smaller diameter bus section.

Careful removal
Himawari 4’s design is distinguished by having eight very thin antennas hanging from the bus. For the kit, small location holes need drilling out and the eight plastic parts removed very carefully from the moulding tree (below). An ultra-fine razor is recommended for this task, with the final removal of any left-over tags carried out with a scalpel blade.

Display stand
The stand is made from four parts, and allows the finished model to be displayed in a variety of angles. Two nameplates, in Japanese and English, are supplied.

The final result
When assembled, the Aoshima Himawari satellite measures some 150mm (6in) high when mounted on its stand. The spacecraft bus is 65mm (2.5in) in diameter.

Japan’s satellites
Japan’s Geostationary Meteorological Satellite (GMS) Himawari satellites have been replaced by bigger Multi-functional Transport SATellite (MTSAT), though the original name lives on with the current Himawari 6 and 7 MTSATs.

Launch rockets
Himawari 1 was launched by a Delta in the US, the others flown from Japan’s own Tanegashima Space Centre. Himawari 5 was launched by a H-II rocket in 1995.

The H-II is a model that Aoshima also makes and is reviewed in Scale Model News here. 

Plenty of Aoshima stuff here.

The box side panel is illustrated with a group of useful reference pictures.

The mirror inside the housing is, well, a mirror finish, here applied with Testors Chrome spray paint.

Masking and removing the plate from the upper sections of the bus. Tamiya masking tape is used as it has the best adhesive quality, and if applied correctly, really does mask right up to the edges.

 Thanks to Hobby Link Japan for the review kit.

FREE MODELS ON OFFER FROM ECARD MODELS

SMN REPORT:
We’re great fans of paper and card models here at SMN, so when we came across the ecardmodels website, we had a quick “Aha!” moment, followed by another when we noted some free models to download.

There are many subjects on offer at ecardmodels, far too many to list here. Simply put, if you like anything from sci-fi to ships, via aircraft, structures, or AFVs, then you have to go and look. Even wargamers are covered, with such items as 30mm scale field tents and cobblestone streets, though the fantasy-style ‘Crane House of Rake’s Corner’ is perhaps our top choice.

Desktop downloads
The Crane House comes from Dave Graffam Models, and like all else, arrives on your desktop as a downloadable pdf, ready to print out on your own printer. Dave also has free taster models ready to download.

A question of scale
Scale is a moot point with card and paper models, as you can vary it somewhat, simply by changing the percentage command on your printer. The Crane House is suitable for 15-30mm scale, but of course you choose what you wish, provided you have a suitable printer. The high-wing aircraft (below) is sized to make a 1:72 scale model, but again you can vary this according to output instructions.

Print in colour
The samples in the pix are typical ecardmodels output and print nicely on the office HP printer, and there’s shouldn’t be an problem with any half-decent colour printer from the bigger makers.

Summation
Makes a nice change from plastic, and the results are worth the effort - and how nice to have the ‘parts’ in such a convenient downloadable form.

Visit ecardmodels here.

Dave’s Games here.

Assorted paper and card models at SMN here.

This nifty racing boat made into a highly convincing model.