INCOMING - ‘SKYFALL’ JAMES BOND HELICOPTER FROM ITALERI

SMN REPORT

Here’s a well-timed kit release, a movie tie-in that’s bang up to the minute. It’s a variation on Italeri’s existing AW-101 kit to 1:72 scale, modded slightly to represent the triple-engined beast shown in the latest James Bond movie Skyfall.

We haven’t see the new James Bond movie yet (though an SMN  Crew cinema outing is slotted for Wednesday this week) so we can’t comment on the accuracy or otherwise of this special Skyfall edition. But it seems a good idea and we’re all for kits like this, not least because they help attract newcomers to scale models.

Smaller diecast

Matching the theme of the 1:72 plastic kit is a smaller diecast version, this time to 1:100 scale. It’s ready to fly out of the box and comes in Skyfall colours and markings.

Big boat

President John F. Kennedy’s World War II command, PT109, is a famous boat all right, and here is Italeri’s 1:35 scale model of it. As with other motor torpedo boats from Italeri, the PT109 is superb, and comes complete with multi-media bits and pieces - metal-etch components, wiring, decals - the lot. If you have room, build one. We've looked at PT boat kits before, so do have a look here.

British fighter

We visited the excellent RAF Museum, Hendon, UK, last week so we’re rather full of World War II information - which makes this 1:48 scale Sea Hurricane a well-timed model aircraft. The original was a stalwart machine rather than a graceful design, but a hugely successful warfighter nevertheless. 

Here Italeri has equipped the model with the standard drop-down tail hook for carrier landings, actually more of a belly hook, as it extended below the fuselage not far aft of the wing. The kit is an upgrade of existing Italeri moulds, but that’s good, especially as a metal-etch sheet is included, as are decals for no less than six different Sea Hurricanes. More Hurricanes at SMN here.

Long-range pilotless bomber

No wonder Hitler lost World War II, dissipating time and effort producing so-called wonder weapons like the Mistel series. Here we have Italeri’s very neat 1:72 kit of a Messerschmitt Bf109, mounted atop a Junkers Ju-88, modified to represent the Mistel 1 version, in which the crew cabin is replaced by a hefty chunk of high explosive. In real life, both these fine aircraft were wasted in this fruitless attempt to produce an accurate pilotless long-range bomber. 

Still, whatever the practical realities of actual combat, Italeri’s double-plane kit looks great when assembled. As a change, it might be quite intriguing to see a steampunk version of this, the finish modified with wood panels, copper trim, and maybe some leather sections.

Big truck

The prosperity of modern Germany was built on the production of fine machines like Mercedes-Benz trucks, and this 1:24 scale kit of the M-B 2238 reflects that heritage. The kit builds into an accurate replica, though maybe it lacks a little pizzazz - no wonder Italeri feels a need to flag out the supplied chromed bullbar. Perhaps the kit could do with something extra. Hmmm... what about some scale figures, a diorama setting, working lights, even a sound chip? Oh well, maybe we’re being picky - for 1:24 scale truck fans it’ll make a decent enough addition to the fleet.

Fast car

The Porsche 911 Turbo is another 1:24 scale kit, this time in Italeri’s ‘My First Model Kit’ range, a worthy attempt at introducing newbies to model making by including paints, cement, and various tools in the box. As for the car, it’s to scale with the Merc truck which is good (the two could pair in a diorama) and the subject matter is close to this writer’s heart as a one-time owner of the near-identical 911 SC. 

Mine also had the signature whale-tail spoiler, and was a nice car to drive, apart from an over-centre clutch action. The fascia was not so hot though, being manufactured with near-zero ergonomics, as if the designers had loaded a big shotgun with switches and dials - then firing the lot at the empty instrument panel, peppering the fascia with random bits and pieces. 

Summation

Terrific variety in this latest round of kit releases from Italeri. We’ll wait to see if we enjoy Skyfall on Wednesday - if so, then the EH101 immediately goes on the must-have list, though an evil satin-black finish is more tempting than standard-issue olive drab.  

AMAZING MERCS - CARVED IN WOOD, HONED IN METAL

SMN report:

We’re not sure whether this counts as ‘art’, ‘craft’, or ‘modelmaking’. Whatever, it’s an amazing piece of work, created by a skilled German, who has hand-carved a life-sized replica of the classic 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL ‘Gullwing’, the sports car with the flip-up doors.

All-wood construction

The rather bizarre model is made not partly, but entirely of wood, and features all the intricate detail you might expect, including the wheels, tyres, M-B star, steering wheel, cockpit instruments, even the headlights - though these won’t light up unless you set fire to the creation.

Suitcase in the rear

There’s no motor in the car, and it’s definitely a non-runner. But if you want a weekend away, then there’s a wooden suitcase behind the wooden seats, just in case. The car may not be fit for driving along the highway, but it is a pretty good take on the original’s size, shape and proportions. The wooden Merc was listed on eBay recently by a seller in Germany, with an asking price of €5,850 EUR ($7640 USD), and it seems to have hit the mark.

Metal Merc

If you’re not into wood, how about a Merc made of recycled scrap metal? Three German sculptors, Armin Ciesielski, Peter Brakel and Walter Willer of ‘Giganten aus Stahl’ (Giants of Steel) decided to recreate one of the greatest cars ever made from scrap.

Months to make

The Giants of Steel used more than 10,000 pieces of metal for their piece of rolling sculpture, which took seven months of hard work to complete. According to the Giants, the car was a difficult model to make because of all the intricate details and the engine, which had to look as close as possible to that of the original. When finished, the car weighed nearly a tonne.

Dig deep to buy

The scrap-iron Mercedes Benz is not currently for sale, but would probably fetch around £60,000 GBP ($95,000 USD) at a specialist auction.

Summation

Brilliant works in wood and metal - take your pick. For the rest of us, plastic will remain the most popular building material, as will a scale that can sit neatly on the display shelf. Luckily, there are many, many Mercedes-Benz models available, as you can see by following the link below.

Visit Giants of Steel here.

Mercedes-Benz models by the score here.

GULLWINGS OLD AND NEW - REVELL BRINGS US A 1:24 SCALE MERCEDES-BENZ 300 SLS

SMN reports on the 1:24 scale Revell Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG kit

Until the New York Motor Show of 1954, Mercedes-Benz street cars were seen mostly as somewhat ordinary, if safe and sensible, four- and five-seaters. Then things changed dramatically, when M-B wowed the hordes of show visitors with its new 300 SLR (picture below the jump), a roadgoing version of its SL ‘Sports Light’ competition car. But what set the SLR apart from anything else on wheels was the pair of upward-opening ‘gullwing’ doors. The 300 SLR became an instant icon, and in one fell swoop, turned Mercedes-Benz into a desirable brand.

Gullwing up to date

The modern version of the car is the Mercedes-Benz SLS of 2009, a hugely desirable performance machine, capable of an official 317 km/h (197 mph) though we’re told that a keen driver could reckon on blowing well past the 200-mark with the right road and weather. The SLS also has those gullwing doors, and the top-spec edition is made by AMG, M-B’s performance subsidiary - and this is the car that Revell has chosen to model in 1:24 scale. 

What’s the kit like?

It’s a neat kit of the 2009 machine, made up of 136 components, quite a high parts-count for a model just 193 mm (7.6 in) long. Still, that’s no bad thing for model makers, and Revell has really packed in the detail, as you can see from the pix we show here. Apart from those ace up-and-down doors, the interior is nicely handled with a full set of gauges and dials, even a satnav in the middle of the fascia panel. The engine cover lifts up to reveal a beautifully crafted eight-cylinder powerplant. The wheels rotate and the front pair steer left and right, to make the displayed model look that much more realistic.

Killer looks in red

The bodywork is moulded in red, which is fine, but ideally you’ll give it a spray finish to get the depth of colour necessary to make it look convincing. If you are into registration numbers, then Revell should make you reasonably pleased by supplying a decal set of five international plates.

SMN score

For auto enthusiasts, this model of a modern classic is well worth adding to the collection, especially if you have the ‘original classic’ already on your display shelf. Don’t forget that Revell also does a fair kit of the 300 SLR’s direct ancestor, the competition 300 SL, with faired-in headlights and smaller grille. As you can see below, it could make an ideal coupling for display with the SLS. 

See the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG here.

See other M-B models here.

Pictures courtesy Revell.

TRUCKING HEAVEN AT TRUCKFEST

For any truck lover - and there are lots of us - a visit to one of the many truckmeets is a must. In the UK, Truckfests (top picture) are the biggies on the scene; they are packed with hundreds of trucks, together with stunts which all feature NOISE and lots of it! This weekend Truckfest South-West at Shepton Mallett is being held, and with weather set fair, it’s highly recommended.

In the model world, trucks abound, especially in the diecast arena. Here the black Mercedes-Benz (middle pictures) is a neat conversion from a Corgi original. The truck's body was disassembled (screws helped) and the original paint taken off with NitroMors paint stripper. Once down to bare metal and given a thorough wash-and-dry, automotive satin black spray gave it a neat minimal finish, and gloss Volkswagen Mars red was used for contrasting highlights. As a final touch before reassembly, the metal walkways were given a mild abrasive rubdown to remove the overbright shine.

There are plenty of plastic trucking kits around, including the Volvo F12 from Italeri (bottom). It’s a biggie in 1:24 scale, and represents one of the most popular Volvo transcontinental haulers. It’s available from most model stores and online suppliers.

You can visit Truckfest here, and Italeri here.