Got to love Wikipedia. The only reason I don’t visit it more often is a fear that I’d lose whole days to finding stuff out. Here’s the Scale Model page, with a little history, such as the origin of popular scales.

For aircraft recognition in the Second World War, the RAF selected making models to the scale of “one-sixth inch to the foot” (which was two British lines, a legal division of length which didn’t make it to America, besides being a standard shipyard scale). Although some consumer models were sold pre-war in Britain to this scale, the airmens’ models were pressed out of ground-up old rubber tires. This is of course the still-popular “one-seventy-second size”.

It wasn’t predestined to succeed; there were competitors. The US Navy, in contrast, had metal models made to the proportion 1:432, which is “nine-feet-to-the-quarter-inch”. At this scale, a model six feet away looked as the prototype would at about half a statute mile; and at seven feet, at about half a nautical mile.

After the war, firms that moulded models from polystyrene entered the consumer marketplace, the American firm Revell notably offering a model of the Royal Coach around the time of the 1953 coronation. In the early years, firms offered models of aircraft and ships in “fit-the-box” size. A box that would make an impressive gift was specified, and a mould was crafted to make a model that wouldn’t ludicrously slide around inside. Modellers could not compare models, nor switch parts from one kit to another. It was the British firm Airfix that brought the idea of the constant scale to the marketplace, and they picked the RAF’s scale.

Technorati tag: Scale Models

I’m resisting buying the classic car collection, but I’ll probably cave in soon in fear that they’ll all be gone and I’ll regret not having them.

In the mean time, a few links-

The Vauxhall Viva HA.
The Viva Outlaws Club (mostly HBs and HCs though).

Triumph Herald images (including an appearance in a Tintin comic).
Triumph Herald wikipedia entry.
A stretched Herald.

Ford Escort Mk1 pictures.
A lot of Ford Escort desktop images.
The Escort RS2000.
Escort Mk1 rally cars.
An Escort funny car.

Related- onethirtysecond, a resource for 1:32nd scale car kits.

Technorati tag: Scale Models, Vauxhall Viva, Triumph Herald, Ford Escort

Airfix teamed up with Scale Aviation Modeller International to produce a series called AirKraft, a part work guide to basic modelling techniques. If, like me, you’ve missed a few issues, you can download them as pdfs from the Airfix site.

via Blur Modeller

Technorati tag: Scale Models, Airfix

It’s taken me longer to edit and upload this video than it did to make the model.

Last November there was a rash of timelapse videos of artists at work. I thought they were cool, and I decided I should do the same with a model.

Obviously, I couldn’t do a really detailed model, and I’d be putting it together so quickly that I didn’t want to waste money on something grand. I settled on the Airfix Tiger tank.

Neither my new digital camera or video camera has a timelapse feature, so I had to improvise. I set the delay on the camera to ten seconds and had it take two pictures. This gave me enough time after pressing the shutter to pick up where I had left off and get some more painting or construction done before being photographed. The total build lasted about two hours. To put the model together in such a basic way would have taken an hour without the photography.

There were almost four hundred pictures in total and I stitched them together at two frames per image and uploaded the result to Revver. Enjoy.

Technorati tag: Time lapse, Scale Models, Airfix, Tiger Tank

Airfix has rejigged its website.

via Alan Bell

Technorati tag: Airfix, Scale Models

I wanted a T34 for photo reference for the webcomic I’ve just started working on. It’s actually in the centre of the very first frame, advancing up a shattered Berlin street, so I can’t go any further until I’ve built this. The plan was to get a cheap kit for a fast build- it’s an alternate reality tale, so historical accuracy isn’t so important- but this one (bonus) comes with a Berlin colour scheme.

I don’t know what the current state of the art for small scale armour is, but I’ve read reviews hinting at assembling tracks from individual chain links, a long way from the bendy soft plastic tracks I remember from my youth. Thankfully this kit manages to hit an acceptable middle ground, with the tracks formed from five or six separate pieces of varying lengths with long flat stretches under and atop the road wheels and shorter links going round the drive and end wheels.

Despite it being a fast build I’ll try to do the model justice, with an amount of painting if not major detailing. Expect pictures of the beast going together.

The Airfix Russian infantry were bought to go with the T34, but I could almost have gotten away with any 72nd scale figures milling around. They’re not awful, but the detail is soft and only the occassional pose is distinctive. I don’t know if any other companies do World War Two Russian figures in this scale. These guys could make up the massed ranks backing up the more detailed frontline troops or would be ideal for wargaming.

Technorati tag: Scale Models, T34, Airfix, Revell

Alan Bell, responding to a comment I left on one of his posts, pointed me towards a couple of Airfix related links.

Airfix Collector

Airfix Collector’s Club

Cool.

Technorati tag: Scale Models, Airfix

Model maker Airfix is looking to the future of its business – 2,400 years into the future to be precise.

The company, famous for its fiddly plastic reproductions of World War II planes, tanks and battleships, is launching a range of robot fighters from the 45th Century.

It seems that the Spitfire and Lancaster Bomber no longer cut it with today’s younger generation, brought up on a diet of Power Rangers and Pokemon.

And in a move that will appal purists, the new models will be snapped together instead of requiring painstaking, and often frustrating, gluing.

Technorati tag: Scale Models, Airfix

I found out yesterday that Airfix have released a model of the U-2 spyplane in 1:72nd scale. If a suitable model of a Chevrolet Camaro could be found (do Cararama do one?), the scene above could be modelled as a diorama. The Camaro is a chase car, relaying information to the U-2 pilot to keep them out of trouble.

Original image from Air Force Link, a great source of reference photos for modellers. Larger image here. Related images here and here.

Technorati tag: Scale Models, U-2, Camaro

A very irregular theme this, but it’s Sunday and I’m in the mood. Interesting stuff I’ve found on EBay.

SR-N1 Hovercraft in 1:72nd.

Aoshima drift parts set, for your tuner cars.

Airfix HO/OO zoo animals.

Roswell UFO (or this Area 51 UFO may be more accurate, both from the same seller).

1:12th female figure for motorbike, doesn’t fit the Tamiya Ducati 916.

“PAINTED SEXY NUDE EROTIC RESIN FIGURE”, in case the last one isn’t revealing enough flesh.

Technorati tag: Scale Models, EBay

Some time soon I want to do some figure modelling. 54mm seems the best size to start at, neither too large nor too small and not too expensive. It also equates to 1/32nd scale and, thanks to Ebay and good deals in the local model shop, I have a few cars to pose figures beside.

The Aston Martin DB5 I just won will be a great backdrop for Andrea’s Secret Agent. I can imagine the champagne bucket and glasses on the back seat and maybe a few super-spy style gadgets (does anyone do 1/32nd ejector seats?)

The Airfix 1930 Bentley is going to be a bizarre battle car, with Lewis guns mounted on it and various other outrageous elements. Who better to be driving it than a First World War fighter ace.

Historex is a great big treasure trove of, mostly, figure modelling coolness but so far I haven’t found an Al Capone or other ’30s gangster to go with the Packard Victoria that should be on its way to me. I must continue looking.

And finally, two figures I don’t have cars for yet. The Virtual Fighter and Cyborg 2020. These two could just fight each other, I guess.

Technorati tag: Scale Models, Model Figures

Something I’m going to do from time to time- a short list of kits for sale on EBay that I think are cool or interesting.

NB These are not things that I am selling on EBay. If I’m trying to pimp up my own stuff I will say so. Also, I am not responsible for any problems arising from the sales.

Here’s a few to start with-

Airfix SnapFix Flying Saucer. As the seller says, Airfix’s attempt to jump on the post Star Wars sales bandwagon. I doubt that this is one of those kits whose rarity is going to lead to increased value down the line. It might look good with a bit of kit bashing and weathering.

Airfix 1914 Old Bill bus 32nd scale. You might just be able to get away with mix’n’matching this bus with Emhar’s (35th scale) WW1 tanks and infantry.

Monkee mobile 1:25 “Here we come, walkin’ down the street.”

German tanks Captured by the Red army 1/72 Decal set and/ or Russian Lend-lease Tank Decals. 1/72 Useful for spicing up Eastern Front dioramas. They’re being sold by the same merchant, so buy both and you could get a good postage deal.

1/72 SCALE VACFORM SUPERMARINE 224 The 224 was an early variant toward the Spitfire, so this is an essential kit for any Spit completist.

Monty’s Caravan & Armoured car 1/76 kit by Matchbox WW2 I made this kit once and loved the little Daimler scout car. £8 is a bit steep for my nostalgia at the moment though.

Revell Snark S-M -62 missile Revell made a load of missile models in the 50s and 60s. Sadly 1- they’re very hard to find 2- they were “box scale”, sized to fit the box and therefore all different scales.

Artificial resin eyes Just a little creepy.

Technorati tag: Scale Models, EBay