LATEST BOEING 747-8 JUMBO JET TO 1:144 SCALE FROM REVELL

Jetliner fans can come up to date with this 1:144 scale model of the latest Dash-8 version of the venerable Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet.

The kit is a new-mould, and it shows in the detailing, with recessed panel lines, and a general attention to fit and finish that does the kit proud in this small scale. Not that size is an issue, since even at 1:144 scale this 747-8 measures some 525 mm (20.7 in) long. There are 172 components, and when the Lufthansa-liveried model is assembled, the wingspan is 476 mm (18.7 in).

Strong points
Engines and landing gear are strong points, with a good attempt at recreating the complex curves of the fan blades, and the delicate shapes of the ‘flower petal’ cutouts to the rear of the engine pods being correctly reproduced. The main gear is well done too, with the multiple wheel discs having enough detail to look convincing.

Flight deck details
At this scale, interior detail is pretty much hidden, unless the kit-maker has included a transparent fuselage half, as Revell has done with its excellent Airbus A380 see-thru kit. Even so, we thought you’d like Boeing’s pic of the flight deck, with its flat-panel electronic displays. A friend of mine who used to fly 777s with British Airways, reckons Boeing ergonomics are second to none.

The real thing
As for the real 747-8, it’s generally considered to be pretty much the last major evolution of the 747, which first flew way back in 1969, and is distinguished visually by the long high-top and engine pod shape. For airline accountants and eco-warriors the aircraft returns big improvements - the new GE engines drink about 20 percent less fuel, CO2 emissions are down some 15 percent, while noise has been reduced by an amazing 30 percent. As with most airliners, when the engines are shut down on the tarmac, internal power is supplied by an Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) and this is neatly visible at the tail, below the fin.

Summation
A nice model kit of the latest version of a grand old lady. The finished model will look good next to Revell’s model of the 747-8's main real-world competition, the double-decker Airbus A380. A nice touch is the supplied display stand, so useful to set off the fine lines of this big bird.

* New mould.
* Recessed panel lines.
* Cockpit detail.
* Detailed landing gear bays.
* Transparent windows.
* Detailed gear legs, brake discs.
* Detailed tail area with APU exhaust pipe.
* Wings include separate navigation and landing lights.
* Detailed engines, with rotating front fans.
* Pitot tubes and antennas.
* Display stand.

The Revell Boeing 747-8 is due soon, meantime various types of 747 are available here.

Pictures courtesy Boeing, Revell.

CHALLENGE-AND-A-HALF FOR AIRLINER LOVERS - ALASKA AIRLINES ‘KING SALMON’ PAINT JOB ON A BOEING 737

SMN REPORT

For lovers of exotic and complex markings, this one’s a winner, and ought to be the subject for a garage-kit decal job... please! Last week, a 41-tonne king salmon landed in Anchorage, Alaska, to a rousing welcome from crowds of workers with Alaska Airlines and the state seafood industry.

Actually of course, the ‘king salmon’ arrival was no overweight flying fish, but a newly-decorated Boeing 737-800 (above), now surely a contender for displaying the world’s most intricate commercial aircraft livery. The scheme celebrates the partnership of Alaska Airlines and the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, both organizations eager to promote the delights of the largest US state and its produce.

Bigger aircraft

The ‘Salmon-Thirty-Salmon II’ design is similar to the 2005 paint scheme that flew on a 737-400, an aircraft repainted with Alaska’s standard Eskimo livery in 2011. The new king salmon is longer than the earlier one, as the -800 is a bigger plane, and also features uptilted winglets, which are covered with fish scales.

Background

The design was produced by Seattle-based Mark Boyle, a talented wildlife artist, and no stranger to the task of creating one-offs for Alaska Airlines - he’s completed a dozen or so others. A camera-friendly flying billboard like this is a big promotional bonus for the airline, which is a major airfreighter of fresh produce - in 2011 alone, nearly 11,000 tonnes of seafood were carried to markets in the US, Canada and Mexico.

Summation

A beautifully executed scheme that updates the original Salmon-Thirty-Salmon-I nicely. Come on decal-makers: let’s have a set soon. Or perhaps better still, STS II could make a mean challenge for modelmakers to come up with an impressive hand-painted original. 

Pictures courtesy Alaska Airlines.

Assorted jetliner models here.

GIANT AIRBORNE COMMAND POST - REVELL BOEING E-4B

MAT IRVINE REPORTS

Perhaps not too surprisingly, the major cost of any model kit is in the tooling. So once the main mould has been made, companies want to get the most out of their investment by creating as many variations on a theme as possible. And so we see a new version of Revell’s venerable 1:144 scale Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet, this time as the E-4B Airborne Command Post.

Attack-proofing a jumbo

The E-4B is a military version of the civilian 747 airliner. It’s been in service since 1974, can be air-to-air refuelled, and is packed with electronics to shield against electromagnetic pulse, nuclear, and thermal attacks. And of course, the aircraft is loaded with advanced satellite communications equipment.

Extra part set

For this E-4B, Revell has taken its basic 70-part Boeing 747 kit, and tooled up the necessary Airborne Command Post equipment on a new runner (above). This adds just over 30 new parts, mostly antennas and sensors, plus the large radome above the upper deck and nose refuelling hump. Which E-4B you choose to model is up to you - decals are supplied for all four of these distinctive aircraft. 

Window work

You can also choose whether to build a version with the original windows, or the later models with them painted over. Two E-4Bs had this work done in 2009, the remaining two in 2012. The procedure to do this in the kit is slightly convoluted however, as you get the sidestripes of USAF blue with windows - there is no clear ‘glass’ - instead the windows are simulated by the non-blue sections of decal film.

More and more

Or... for the painted-window scheme, you can liberally apply more decals. Here, the individual windows are supplied (above), in strips and individually. Yikes, that’s quite an alignment job. On reflection, it might have been better for Revell to have supplied a second set of sidestripes with the windows already filled in, but at least this way the original window outlines ought to show up.

A finished 1:144 scale E-4B on the Revell stand at the 2012 London Toy Fair 

Big kit

Either way, it’s your choice, as is the actual aircraft modelled - and whichever finish you choose, the kit itself assembles to make an impressive and colourful aircraft model that measures some 485 mm (19.1 in) long. 

Plenty of Revell Boeings here.

And here's the real thing...

EVEN BIGGER BOMBER - 1:32 SCALE B-17 FLYING FORTRESS FROM HK MODELS

SMN Report:

We make no apologies for featuring another World War II bomber from Hong Kong Models - this one adds two more engines, and a lot more size, to represent the famed Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress. Manufactured to 1:32 scale, it’s a biggie all right.

Coming soon

The HK Models Boeing B-17 is not available yet, and the pictures here show the assembled prototype, not an on-sale model. But we expect the big beast, which will be available to complete in either ‘F’ or ‘G’ version, sometime soon. When assembled, the Hong Kong Models B-17 will have a wingspan of some 788 mm (31 in) and a length of 988 mm (38.9 in).

Legendary defences

The B-17's multi-gun capacity to repel fighter attacks, while flying on to inflict heavy damage to enemy targets was legendary, making its title ‘Flying Fortress’ a well-earned label. This Flying Fort cartoon was painted in 1944, by Lt Col Ross Greening, while a prisoner of war in Germany at Stalag Luft 1. The splendid drawing was published later in his book Not As Briefed.

Still in the planning stages

HK are really going for it with new and planned kits. There are two more B-25 Mitchells nearly ready, a B-25J ‘strafer’ version, and a B-25H ‘gunship’. Further down the line there’ll be a British Gloster Meteor, famed for being the first Allied jet to see operational service, and a speed record holder at various times, too. We’ll be expecting all sorts of interesting versions of this machine.

Avro Lancaster ahead

The Avro Lancaster is also in the planning stages. This British equivalent to the B-17 actually toted a far heavier warload, and became a household name for carrying out ‘Dambuster’ raids and ‘Grand Slam’ bombs. HK Models, we hope you’re listening - do make sure the fuselage sides of your Lanc are correct. Appearance to the contrary, the sides are not quite parallel vertically - they bulge very slightly toward the bottom. As planned, the HK Models Avro Lancaster will have a wingspan of some 972 mm (38.3 in).

ON A ROLL - HOT STUFF FROM HASEGAWA

SMN report:

Hasegawa of Japan is bringing us hot new and revised products at a pace-and-a-half. Here a taste of what’s in store - space, sci-fi, aviation, and... girls!

Dreamliner

The 1:200 scale Boeing 787 Dreamliner comes in two flavours, JAL (Japan Airlines) and ANA (All Nippon Airways), differentiated in several ways, such as the differing engines used by the two airlines. At this scale, the changes are visually minor, but Hasegawa has detailed everything you need for an accurate finished model.

Voyager

Real-space fans have a treat in store with the 1:48 scale Voyager space probe. Two were launched back in 1977, their mission to record data and information about the outer planets. After swooping past Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, they are now drifting into interstellar space, beyond the Solar System. 

Golden Record

The Hasegawa kit includes a scale representation of the ‘Golden Record’, a video disc containing the sights and sounds of Earth. There’s one aboard each spacecraft, a time capsule message, just in case they bump into intelligent aliens, sometime in the distant future.

Flood of science-fiction

Sci-fi fans have their hands full with a bunch of Hasegawa releases. Perhaps the most interesting is the forward-sweep combat fighter to 1:72 scale, representing an aircraft featured in the PS3/XBox 360 video game ‘Ace Combat’. The machine is packed with  advanced design features, such as canted tail fins and swivelling engine exhaust. Convincing stuff this, even if it is pure fiction.

More sci-fi

Two more jets feature in the Hasegawa release list: a 1:48 scale Macrosse robocraft, and a 1:72 scale Macrosse Plus, in UN Spacy markings. Both are neat models, reissues of kits dating back to the 1980s. 

Robot attacker

Meantime Maschinen Krieger comes out shooting, with another 1:20 scale robotic fighting kit, the Grosse Hund, and very convincing it is too. 

Space fighter

The Creator Works single-seat space fighter is perhaps a little less so, if only because Star Wars and its X- and Y-Wings have trodden the same path so well. Still, this one’s not Star Wars, so brownie points for that, as well as for being to model aircraft-standard 1:72 scale.

Girl power

Last but not least, we have a series of combat jets painted in girlie shades, courtesy the Japanese anime series Idolmaster, which is hugely popular with young teens. Hmmm... an F-15 Eagle, F-22 Raptor and Sukhoi F-33 dolled up in pinks, greens and blues, plus pretty girls painted on the wings is a different take on the term 'warpaint', and makes a refreshing change from the oh-so-serious camo schemes that are the usual paint jobs on these jets.

Summation

We’d build them all if we had time - but given a choice of one, it has to be the Maschinen Krieger release for the sci-fi freaks at SMN Towers. Yes please: Ma.K just has to be the best non-Hollywood sci-fi kit series ever released.

All sorts of Hasegawa kits here.

Kit images courtesy: Hasegawa, Boeing 787: Eric Prado

BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL - NEW ZEALAND ALL BLACKS BOEING 777 UNVEILED FOR 2012 FLIGHT

SMN report:

Here’s a challenge for the kit-basher kings and paint-masters among you - it’s Boeing’s latest 777 twin-jet for ANZ (Air New Zealand), painted in midnight black to toast the World Champion All Blacks rugby team. Not only does the special scheme look great, but it makes the 777 the world’s largest airliner ever painted in an overall black finish. You can see the rollout on video, together with two All Blacks players, after the jump.

All Black player

Making the trip to Boeing’s Seattle plant to see the 777 emerge from the paint shop were two All Blacks players, including the No 8 loose forward, Kieran Read, who reckoned that: “It’s a sensational looking aircraft and will really turn heads at airports around the world.” He added: “I reckon they should paint all their planes like this!”

More All Black planes on the way

In fact, Kieran’s going to have at least some of that wish granted, as by mid-2012, ANZ is aiming to have half a dozen planes painted in the in the same scheme, including a pair of Airbus A320s and three Beech 1900D turboprops.

  

Long job

The special paint job took Boeing just over a week to complete - two days longer than a standard 777 airline scheme - and it took 14 painters to finish, working 24-hour shifts. Boeing VP Jeff Klemann decided that it was: “Without a doubt, one of the most challenging paint jobs we’ve ever done.” Hey, but they did good!

Hot or not?

Most jetliners are painted in white, to reflect the sun’s heat in the air. By that standard, you’d think the All Blacks 777 would be a hothouse for those inside, but testing has proved that the hundreds of onboard TVs for the passenger entertainment system create more heat than the black paint.

Scale model 777

What about models? Well, so far as kits go, the 777 has not been widely modelled, and of those, the SMN fave is probably the 1:200 scale Hasegawa release. Not that we particularly like that scale - it’s just a bit small really, and doesn’t allow the sort of detail that sits well under the SMN microscope. Mind you, if you plan a one-off All Blacks scheme of your own, 1:200 is perhaps less of a challenge than bigger scales.

Decal sheet demand

Let’s hope an aftermarket supplier has a go at producing a decal sheet though, as this one would look excellent on the display shelf.

All Black video

Meantime enjoy this video, featuring the two All Blacks players, Kieran Read (the tall one) and Andy Ellis (watch for those catches in the hangar) and crank up your sound system for the backing track, featuring the cool sounds of luscious New Zealand singer-songwriter Annah Mac. She can sing in SMN Towers just about any time she likes...   

Hasegawa models here.

777 models here.

ARE YOU A COLLECTOR OR A CRAFTSMAN? OR MAYBE BOTH!

David Jefferis reports
It’s an old argument between model fans - should you buy ready-built models, and collect your kicks from the collecting habit? Or should you make your miniatures, and get your groove from the craftsmanship involved?

As ever, there are two sides to every story - and in this case, more than that. For example, it’s possible to buy a ready-built model and improve it with weathering or extra detail. Or buy a snap-kit to cut down assembly time, a good half-way house for those us us who don’t have time for a full-on model making hobby.

Balsa v Plastic
And even if you reckon the ‘true way’ is assembly with loving care, things are not clear-cut - after all, balsa-and-tissue craftsmen once dismissed plastic kits for making things too easy!

But where the line has really blurred is with the results of competition between diecast makers in providing ever-higher levels of detail. And nowhere is this more apparent than in models of older subjects, especially aircraft of the pre-World War II era.

Hobby Master P-26A Peashooter
Just have a look at Hobby Master’s beautiful 1:48 scale Boeing P-26A monoplane of 1932, shown above in model form and the full-size replica on display at the US Air Force Museum, Ohio. This is one my all-time fave aircraft, and was the world’s first all-metal production fighter, sporting such advanced features as enclosed wheels for streamlining and extra speed.

Rigging wires
Even so, the ‘Peashooter’ was something of an in-between design, with an open cockpit and tensioning wires, both standard fittings on this class of aircraft up to that point - and that’s where Hobby Master (and other manufacturers, such as Corgi) hit a home-run in the detail stakes. For these rigging wires are so beautifully fitted that even old-stager model makers like me cannot compete.

So even if we’re only talking rigging wires, in this case very few model makers are even in the same ballpark - and I take my hat off to those of that are!
 
The pictures show, top to bottom:
1  Three views of Hobby Master's 1:48 Boeing P-26A.
2  Full size replica P-26A at the USAF MUseum.

UK online store JohnJohn has some P-26 Peashooters to look at here.

Visit the USAF Museum here.

And here are some more Peashooters in various scales.

SO, JUST WHAT IS A 'BOILERPLATE'?

The term ‘boilerplate’ came up in the recent post about the reissued Airfix Lunar Module, and the fact that early test spacecraft and mockups are usually called boilerplate versions. It's a bit of an odd word, so we asked ourselves: “Why are they called that?”

The name stems from the earliest US crewed spacecraft, the single-seat Mercury capsule. Although flight versions were built by what was then the McDonnell Aircraft Company (later McDonnell-Douglas, now part of Boeing), early mockups were built at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, (currently NASA’s Langley Research Center). The ‘boilerplate’ moniker appears to stem from the very first of these, when a Mercury capsule’s conical section was made at the Norfolk Navy Shipyard, from the type of steel plate used for ship-building, or for that matter, pressurized engine boilers.

This first boilerplate did fly a short distance on top of a Little Joe rocket, and the name has stuck, whatever materials have been used. Note though, it can be written as ‘boilerplate’, ‘boiler plate’, even ‘boiler-plate’!

Since that first boilerplate Mercury, the word has been used to describe all US test spacecraft, especially the capsule designs used for Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, and the latest Orion. In theory, the prototype Space Shuttle Orbiter Enterprise could be called a boilerplate, though it is rarely referred to as such.

The pictures show, top to bottom:

Little Joe rocket and Mercury boilerplate at Wallops Island.
Mercury boilerplate at the Air Power Park, Hampton, Virginia.
The delightfully named Gemini El Kabong boilerplate at the Air Zoo, Michigan.
Apollo boilerplate 29 on display at Meteor Crater, Arizona.

Little Joe picture courtesy NASA, others by Mat Irvine