SPIT AND POLISH SHINES UP A MUCH-LOVED WARBIRD

SMN report
Seeing that Shigeo Koike P-51 Mustang painting coincided with the pic above arriving at SMN Towers. It came unannounced, so if you're the owner or the photographer, do let us know so we can give you a credit. The aircraft - a P-51D Mustang - just has to be the shiniest 'Stang we've ever seen. Click the pic to enlarge and you'll be blown away by the sheer lustrous beauty of shiny metal, which makes my Sunday afternoon cutlery-cleaning sessions with Silvo look somewhat pathetic. The gleaming Mustang is also a reminder that the type has to be just about the most-modelled aviation subject ever, even if the Supermarine Spitfire takes the podium in some markets.

Museum grade replica
The Mustang is not a just popular subject with serious IPMS types and more casual model makers - the folks at P51 Mustang Models will make you a museum-grade replica for a fee. On the kit front, which one is best? Well, that's an argument that could run and run, with pros and cons for every entrant in the market. Still, it's fair to say that there is not a real rip-yer-hair-out dud out there.

A big one from Airfix
Our own favourite is the old 1:24 scale Airfix model, not so much for its overall accurancy, but for the boldness of Airfix in bringing out a mammoth kit at a time when even 1:48 was considered on the big side. Ah, nostalgia!

Visit P51 Mustang Models here.

FLYING COLORS 3: SUPERB BOOK BY SHIGEO KOIKE, A MASTER OF KIT BOX ART

Even if you’re not familiar with the name, you’ve almost certainly seen Shigeo Koike’s work before, as his superb art has graced many a Hasegawa box-top.

In the world of aviation art, Shigeo Koike is recognized as one of the greats, with a master’s eye and feel for his subjects that go far beyond simply recording an accurate image. This is the third in his Flying Colors book series, and shows 60 aircraft from all periods in aviation history.

It’s a big hardback that measures 380 x 285 mm, a dust jacket plus a protective sleeve, with Japanese and English texts by Toshio Fujita and Scott T. Hards. It’s available from the excellent Hobby Link Japan (HLJ) here. The book’s not cheap at 6600 yen (£44.56 GBP) but for connoisseurs, it would make a satisfying addition to the library.

BOX ART: IS ACADEMY THE BEST?

Here at SMN we’re huge fans of beautiful boxes – kit boxes, that is. Way back in the 1960s and ’70s, Airfix led the way with the remarkable work of the renowned British artist, Roy Cross. Then Japanese companies like Tamiya came on the scene with their take on what a box should look like. Hasegawa’s Shigeo Koike also has compilation art books that are hot favourites with connoisseurs of the genre.

So which kit company leads the pack today? As ever, art style is a matter of personal taste, but we reckon that Academy’s boxes are well up to the pace, with gorgeous paintings that glow with colour and, more importantly, show detail and markings particularly clearly. They are not so much hard-sell images, more frameable paintings, with dynamic views and angles that work especially well with subjects like combat aircraft in action.

And talking of Academy, its new 1:48 F-15 Eagle in Republic of Korea (ROK) markings, looks like a winner. The pictures here show stunning levels of detail for your delectation. It’s really apparent how much work has gone into this F-15, when you study the weapons fit, and the sparkling precision of the tailpipes. A real gem for F-15 fans, it will be available shortly from various retailers and online sellers, including Model Hobbies.