VICIOUS DA VINCI WEAPONS: MULTI-BARREL GUN AND 18-GUN PANZERWAGEN FROM REVELL

MAT IRVINE:
Here are two more kits in the Revell-Germany Leonardo da Vinci range.

These kits reflect Leonardo’s fascination with the ‘machineries of war’ as they are the Multiple Barrel Gun or ‘Mehrfachgeschutz’  (‘Multiple Protection’ in German, according to Google Translate) and what is almost certainly one of Leonardo’s most famous and most recognizable designs, a circular tank-like vehicle that runs on wheels. On the box-top Revell calls it an Armoured Vehicle (‘Panzerwagen’).

Multi-material kits
As with other Revell Leonardo kits, and unlike those currently available from other model companies, ‘contemporary materials’ are used, not plastic. These are mostly in wood, though both kits also employ cast-metal parts for their gun barrels.

Metal guns
The 1:16 scale Multiple Barrel Gun (above) is the simpler of the two models. It has 34 laser-cut wooden parts, (29 for the gun, five for the base), and ten metal gun barrels, plus one metal ‘adjusting screw’. All these kits are scaled, although some seem more speculative than others!

Complex kit
The 1:24 scale circular Leonardo tank (above) is one of the most complex kits in the whole Revell series, with 125 components in laser-cut wood, plus 18 cast-metal gun barrels. The superstructure can be left loose if you wish to view the interior, and the four drive-wheels rotate if you want to run it along the ground. Incidentally, there is no engine in there - had it been built, Leonardo's design would have moved under muscle power alone, with two crewmen turning crankshaft-linked handles.

Comparisons
Intriguingly, the kit’s 1:24 scale means that you immediately have a size comparison with other 1:24/25 scale vehicles. The most common military scale is 1:35, but Tamiya, for example, makes a few tanks in 1:25, plus there are various 1:24 scale Jeeps and other military soft-skinned vehicles. See the recent SMN article on Italeri releases.

Extras included
As with previous Revell Leonardo kits, you get full-colour instructions, an explanatory booklet, and a reproduction of Leonardo’s original design on cloth. It’s ‘suitable for framing’ according to Revell.

End of the range?
With this pair, Revell’s Leonardo series appears to be complete, a dozen kits in all. Still, there may be more sometime in the future, for Leonardo’s ideas leave no shortage of design inspiration.

Summation
A fine pair of semi-educational kits. The tank is perhaps the most interesting for its production to a common scale.

Revell Leonardo da Vinci kits available here.

Italeri 1:24 scale soft-skin vehicles here.

Review kits courtesy Revell-Germany.

STEAMPUNK-MEETS-DECO SCI-FI FROM HASEGAWA: 1:72 SCALE ‘LAST EXILE’ VANSHIP DOUBLE-KIT

SMN REPORT:
“Command the skies of a dark, futuristic Earth” is the tagline to this interesting steampunk-meets-deco science-fiction kit from Hasegawa. It’s based on the Japanese anime series ‘Last Exile’, a drama that is set on (despite that tagline) a fictional alien planet called Prester.


Last Exile's flying machines are intriguing designs, based on reworked early 20th century technology, coupled with a dose of steampunk and pure fantasy.

Two machines in the box
Hasegawa’s new-tool kit features two vehicles, both two-seaters. The streamlined, 82-component Vanship is the bigger of the two, and looks much like a cross between an old Mercedes-Benz roadster and a 1920s-era corrugated-metal Junkers aircraft. We’d venture that, conceptually, the ridges in the stub wings act as radiators for the anti-grav motors that keep the Vanship airborne.

Air-scooter
The 32-part Vespa kit (above) - named, we’d guess, after the famed Italian scooter - is also neatly done, though lacking the curving bodywork of its Latin namesake. Both craft feature egg-beater antennas at the rear, giveaways for the anti-gravity motors they use for lift instead of traditional aircraft wings.

Crews and stands
Both kits have neatly-printed decals and Hasegawa supplies four crew figures, named in the show as Tatiana, Alister, Fam and Giselle. Transparent plastic display stands are included.

About the show
Last Exile is set on the fictional world of Prester, a planet with two nations at war. The two sides, Anatoray and Disith, are separated by a turbulent region of Prester’s atmosphere called the Grand Stream. Chivalry plays a big part in the plot, and an honourable code is enforced by a superior third party, the Guild - think Jedi Knights from Star Wars, and you’ve got something of the idea.

Aero mixture
Last Exile may be set in a notional future, but the setting involves Prester’s aviators in charge of vehicles that mix unsophisticated retro-tech (sextants anyone?) with advanced anti-gravity thrusters (we don't need wings!).

Inspirations
Real-world historical designs (concept sketches above) were drafted in as inspiration - Japanese dreadnoughts and German airships for machines, with Napoleonic, Red Army and American Civil War for uniforms. The historical referencing has given Last Exile a richly dense visual backdrop.

Cute or serious?
It’s a fun mish-mash of ideas that has been a success, with the drama appearing both in print and on TV. As drawn, the anime characters (DCD sleeve below) are somewhat on the cute side for the SMN Crew's taste buds. Hasegawa's models manage a more serious take, as might a live-action movie that's rumoured to be in the works.

Hasegawa 1:72 scale Vanship double-kit available here.

Here’s a nifty homemade paper version, made to 1:24 scale.

SUPER-HOT FORD CAPRI: 1:24 SCALE GROUP 5 RACE CAR FROM TAMIYA

MAT IRVINE:
This is one of Tamiya’s latest kits in its 1:24 scale Sports Car Series. The car is a highly modified Ford Capri in Group 5 racing guise, as seen in the 1981 German DRM (Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft) auto racing series.


That 1981 date might give you a clue that this is not a brand-new kit, the original version going back to 1980, in the early days of this Tamiya 1:24 scale range. Then the kit was number 14 in the range, this latest is number 329.

Parts layout for the new release (above) with the rear chassis (below), where the motor used to be located. It sat between the rear wheels, battery at the back.

Electric power
The age of the kit is also signified in that it was originally intended to be motorised. Even in the 1980s, many Japanese car kits still had this feature, originally intended to be a compromise between a full ‘scale model’, and something that still had an element of ‘play value’. The first issue was motorised, but by the second issue, in 2004, this element had all but gone, Tamiya instead turning its attention to motorised radio-controlled large-scale model cars. The box-top (below) shows the second issue, number 274, with the car in blue and black.

Chassis mods
Scale model purists need not worry too much, as the motorisation was done with skill and care. When viewed from above, the mods to the chassis pan that originally took a motor and battery cannot be seen. Admittedly there is some compromise if you turn the chassis over, as some details are lost, but this does not show if the model is displayed in the usual upright position!

Box (above) and side-panel (below) of the first Tamiya Group 5 Capri, issued in 1980.

Driver included
The age of the original tooling also means it’s a somewhat simple kit, but there’s no harm in that; sometimes it’s nice just to be able to assemble a model without having to deal with too many intricacies! You also get a neatly-sculpted driver figure in the kit, which always helps with such a model.

The original kit built up (above, below). The new one is identical, apart from colours, markings and lack of motor.

Decals
Although simple in construction, racing cars such as this are made by the final finish. Here the main colour is white, the moulding colour of the majority of parts - but, as is common with these types of Tamiya kit, there is a very comprehensive decal sheet. This features the black and red panels, and all other sponsor markings of Wurth, the German auto-parts manufacturer, whose name is displayed prominently on the front spoiler and on the doors.

Early box-tops
The kit’s first issue had the black, red and yellow markings for Mampe, the Berlin-based drinks company with its distinctive ‘elephant’ logo. The reissue in 2004 was in the striking black and blue markings of D&W, the German motor accessory company.


Hiding the motor
The underside of the original kit (below), shows that the underbody pan hides most of the modifications required for motorisation.

Model specs
* Model: Tamiya Ford Zakspeed Turbo Capri, Group 5 ‘Wurth’
* Scale: 1:24
* Length when assembled: 210mm (8.25in)
* Parts: 50 (plus five parts not used), moulded in black, white and clear styrene, four vinyl tyres and metal axles.
* Manufacturer’s reference: 24329

Racing silhouettes
Incidentally, the DRM championships lasted from 1970 to the mid-1980s, and were dominated by these Group 5 cars, nicknamed ‘the silhouette formula’. There were two divisions within Group 5: one for engines over two litres and one for under, so the Capri, with a 1500cc engine ran in the latter. However, with tuning from Zakspeed, the four-cylinder engine, originally developed for Formula 2 racing, could generate 375hp.

Review kit courtesy The Hobby Company.

Tamiya Capri racing car kit here.

* Mr J note: blast from the past
Deep in the SMN Portal of the Past (aka the garage) lurks this original motorized Capri. It’s looking a bit worse for wear and the carefully sprayed non-standard white finish is peeling away from the black bodywork. But the motor - neatly hidden by Tamiya’s talented kit engineers - still works at the slide of a switch.

Added weight
In fact, the motor and single AA-size battery add a nice heft to what is otherwise a featherweight model. Whether the model is worth a cleanup and respray is a moot point though. As it is, the car makes for a somewhat careworn, but interesting museum piece.

STUDEBAKER MUSEUM: MODELS IN MINIATURE AND FULL SIZE

MAT IRVINE:
The new 16-page colour booklet that comes with the AMT Avanti kit was produced to celebrate the Avanti’s 50th anniversary in 2013, in conjunction with the Studebaker National Museum in South Bend, Indiana, also the home town of Round 2 LLC, who make the kit.

I went to the Studebaker Museum not long ago, so here is a selection of pictures to give you an idea of what gems lie inside its walls: the place certainly well worth a visit if you are in the area.

Once inside, you can see  clearly that the Avanti remains one of the most striking designs to to be penned and built in the US.

Original 1:10 scale clay design for the Avanti, completed by Loewy Associates.

A very different automobile
For a start, the Avanti was built with a glass-fibre body, itself not unique (the Corvette has one too) but the Avanti was a four-seater. The car also came with an optional Paxton supercharger, had less chrome that was usual for the period, and was shaped by famed industrial designer, Raymond Loewy, who also designed the earlier 1953 Commander Starlight coupe, which features as an AMT kit.

Ready-built model Avanti in the Studebaker Museum’s club room.

Designer credits
Loewy was not ‘just’ a car designer either. Some of his other credits include the super-streamlined Pennsylvania Railroad S1 locomotive, livery for the US Presidential jet, Air Force One, the US Postal Service eagle logo, even elements for the interior of the 1973-79 US space station, Skylab.

Visit the Studebaker Museum here.

Studebaker models and miniatures here.

INCOMING: IRON MAN 3 FIGURES FLY IN FROM DRAGON

SMN REPORT:
Hong Kong’s Dragon Models (DML) is hot on the Hollywood trail with these two releases, both 1:9 scale kits, featuring action-figures from the newly released movie, Iron Man 3, starring Robert Downey Jr.


Both kits are due out in May 2013, and represent two figures from the Iron Man 3 movie: the red-and-gold Mark XLII (Mk 42) and the black-and-steel War Machine version.

There are not too many details available yet, so we’ll stick to Dragon’s basic information about the 1:9 scale kits’ special features:

* …faithfully reproduced in model kit form, allowing collectors to assemble their figures individually.
* …end product of exhaustive CAD design, and the heroes are made with an eye to perfect accuracy and authenticity.
* …separated into as few parts as possible to ensure they're extremely easy to assemble.

Too simple?
For those of us that like at least 100 parts (and preferably more!) it sounds like Dragon has come up with what could be two easy-but-boring kits. But maybe not - if assembly is speedy and relatively simple, then that leaves more time to devote to super-detailing, weathering, even a decent diorama setting. So the final result will probably balance out, timewise.

Summation
Great pair of kits for superhero and sci-fi fans alike. Yes please, and the kits fit with other Dragon superhero figures nicely. Even so, at one-third smaller than standard 1:6 scale, these Iron Men might just look a little feeble in a lineup with the bigger scale. Answer: display Dragon superheroes on their own and they'll look excellent.

About DML
DML was established in 1987 to manufacture plastic kits, with world-wide exports as a prime aim. Since its founding, DML has released more than 1000 items, and its high-quality products have won many awards from magazines and model societies around the globe.

DML today
Currently, DML's business scope includes plastic models, action figures and diecast collectibles, as well as resin, PVC, vinyl, and radio-control. According to Dragon, the company, “…sets the industry standard in many areas, and is a market leader in many of its lines. Its fine products are much sought after by collectors on ebay and suchlike, and truly, DML has set an example for other manufacturers to emulate.” So now you know.

Iron Man 3 collectibles here.

Dragon superheroes and other kits here.

SOVIET LK LUNAR LANDER: NIFTY LEGO VERSION

We recently mentioned the upcoming 1:48 scale Soviet lunar lander from Fantastic Plastic, and now here’s another blast from the past, with the same spacecraft made out of Lego bricks.

There’s not a lot to say about the construction of, or the parts required to build the lunar lander model, as Lego artist ‘Kei_Kei_Flic’ hasn’t left any details at the Flickr Photostream site. Still, it looks good, which is what counts, and is more proof (if any were needed) that Lego has to be the world’s most useful and diverse toy building-brick system.

Enjoy these pix, and note the excellent N1 booster that KKF has made (above right), even if it isn’t to the same scale as the convincing lunar lander model. There’s also a neat-looking Vostok to look at on Flickr, though we think the LK lunar lander outpoints it, all helped by the well-lit and sharp photography throughout.

Kei_Kei_Flic Flickr Photostream here.

Lego space systems here.

Lego Technic here.

INCOMING: POCHER KITS RETURN WITH THE LAMBORGHINI AVENTADOR TO 1:8 SCALE

DAVID JEFFERIS REPORTS:
The tie-up between Hornby and the classic Pocher car kit brand has finally turned to modelmaking gold with the upcoming 1:8 scale kit of Italy’s finest - the Lamborghina Aventador LP700-4.

As you might expect from Pocher’s previous kits, the body of this hefty 7kg (15.4lb) 1:8 scale model is made of high quality diecast metal and comes ready painted. The Aventador has more than 600 components, made of materials that include metal, plastic, rubber and various textiles.

Functional parts
Steering, suspension and spoiler mechanisms are functional as are the swing-up doors. Despite that, the car is claimed to be easy to build, and can be assembled in either left- and right-hand drive versions. Despite the large scale, the low-slung Lambo is hardly a massive shelf-filler, as it barely tops 142mm (5.6in) high. Still, size isn’t everything, though looks are, and this one has it in spades.

About Pocher
Arnaldo Pocher was born in 1911 in Trento, Italy. He trained as a goldsmith engraver and went to work in Turin. After World War II, he formed Pocher Micromeccanica, and later Corrado Muratore and Arnaldo Pocher, all producing various items of equipment for model rail buyers.

Fantastic Fiat
In 1966, Pocher revealed the kit that made its name: a 1:8 scale Fiat F2, race-winning car of the 1907 French Grand Prix. The model had a galaxy of components - 144 in plastic, 173 brass, 506 more in steel, copper, leather, rubber and aluminium. The Fiat set the scene for many more Pocher kits, including classics from Alfa Romeo, Mercedes-Benz and Rolls-Royce (below), all based on official manufacturers’ plans and specifications. For the auto model world, Pocher kits represented - and still do - the peak of achievement.

Rivarossi bows in
Things changed with the 1970s sale of the Pocher company to another famed Italian model company, Rivarossi, itself a brand now owned by Hornby. Arnaldo Pocher, meantime, left the company; he died in 1989.

New owner Hornby
Pocher was bought by Hornby in 2004, after its then-owner, the Italian Lima group, had gone bankrupt. The next stages have taken awhile, but at last things are moving forward on the Hornby-Pocher front, with an announcement in December 2012 of a Pocher relaunch, under the promo label, ‘Resurgence of a Myth.’

Presentation
The Nuremburg Toy Fair in January 2013 saw the official presentation, where two lovelies (below) showed off what we hope will be the first of many new Pocher kits to come: the 1:8 scale Lamborghini Aventador.

Movie linkage
In line with Hornby’s media tie-in policy, the Aventador was also trailed as, ‘…coming directly from the set of the new Batman movie.’ They’re talking about ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ and here’s a nifty promo video from Lambo linking the car with the movie soundtrack - speakers to LOUD, people!

The real thing
The video shows the car off as German-owned Lamborghini would like you to see it, blasting along a deserted highway, with moody music as a backdrop. Real life may provide traffic and jams as extras, but I’d have one anytime for Sunday morning fun runs!

Performance specs
It’s not all show either - the Aventador LP 700-4 has a 700hp 12-cylinder engine, delivering a tyre-shredding 0-100km/h time of 2.9 seconds. According to Lambo, the shifter snaps through the gears quicker than you can blink. The Aventador has been timed at 249km/h (217mph) - not bad for a supercar measuring just 1140mm (3.7ft) high!

Visit Pocher’s website here.

If you can’t wait for (or afford) the Pocher kit, but find the Aventador extremely tasty, have a look at gazillions of other models at Amazon here.