Paul H

Depends on how accurate you want to be & what year of Defender, as the detailing (e.g. grille, lights) & interiors were repeatedly modernised. Aside from the obvious change of the longer bonnet, there are a lot of differences under the skin - the Series 3 and earlier were leaf springs, whereas the Defenders were coil sprung. The wheelbases are slightly different, but whether that would be noticable at this scale is another matter. I reckon that a regular, non-Chelsea tractor spec Defender model wouldn't be that tricky (especially if not fussed about the suspension), but Land-Rover afficionados will no doubt point out a whole host of differences! However, someone has posted up pics of a transkit in progress (can't remember who / where, but think I might have seen it here) for a Defender, I'm guessing using the Revell kit as that is easily available. Possibly C1 Models or Motobitz?

Whilst Revell have released it previously, it is a Fujimi kit, not Revell's own tooling.

For Edwardian racing cars, the next nearest kit after the Italeri Fiat is probably the Bandai / Entex Mercer Raceabout, in 1:16. Worth noting that a lot of the 'Edwardian' stuff at Goodwood & in the VSCC is actually relatively recently assembled using mostly Edwardian era parts rather than being period survivors- for example, that Austin pictured above was built up only about twenty years ago using a 1910 Austin chassis & a Hall-Scott aero engine. The body is all new, but built to look in period & in such a way that it had patina. I've been a passenger in it out on the public road (yes, it's road legal!) as the builder was someone I used to know from uni. Very powerful (would go up a local very steep hill in top, still accelerating), but rear brakes only... I vaguely recall that it featured in one of the old car mags at the time too.

As much as a new tool Jag would be lovely, based on Revell's previous combo sets, it will almost certainly be stuff that they already have. The only injection moulded kits of Jaguars in 1:24 that I know of, and which are later than the E Type are Hasegawa's XJS & Italeri's XJ220*. Revell have reboxed Italeri kits before including the XJ220, but have they ever reboxed Hasegawa ones? Revell did do a 1:25 snap kit of the XJS in the '70s, but that hasn't been seen for decades. Based on that, I recko that the combo will probably be the XK120 & E OTS, both E OTS & FHC or the E FHC & XJ220. *If you can find one for sensible money, Tamiya's XJ220 captures the look much better.

On this day, in 1914... Three pilots in the RNAS, Squadron Commander Edward Briggs, Flight Commander John Babington and Flight Lieutenant Sydney Sippe flew modified Avro 504s from Belfort in France, to bomb the Zeppelin sheds at Friedrichshafen. Only two returned, as Briggs was shot down , however he later escaped captivity in 1917 by jumping from a train along with a captured army officer when they were being transfered between prisoner of war camps and making his way to the Dutch border. https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205215721 https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205318574 (incidentally, the tail number listings are mixed up - E. F. Briggs was flying 874, not 873)

The Cobra 427 is pesumably the decent ex Monogram 1:24 one, that Revell have issued several times in the past - if so, good to see it back as it is much more accurate than the 1:25 289 kit they currently have available. Not a surprise though that there aren't any new tool car kits listed this time, given the recent run with the new tool Jag E Type, VW T2 bay window and impact bumper Porsche 911, all of which are already available in two variants. However, I was expecting perhaps a T2 panel van, given what they have done with their split screen tooling and the Porsche looks like there are parts for future variants on the sprues (not including the USA federal spec headlights & bigger rear bumper overriders, which are presumably for the USA market boxing). It will be interesting to see what the VW & Porsche tooling may become in the future (the Jag is unlikely to have other variants, except perhaps a racing one, as the Series 2 & 3 are sufficiently different to require major surgery to the moulds). The chrome spray certainly looks intriguing, especially if it is as good as that article suggests. I've not used Alclad as I don't have a airbrush, but the previous spray cans I have tried have not been good, unlike Molotow pens, which have been excellent.

Agree, plenty of Fireflies, but my key point above is in bold - all those 1:35 ones are in a higher price bracket than Airfix's armour kits (at least in the UK anyway).

Whilst 1:32 was in the past Airfix's scale of choice for cars, it has long since been superseeded as the primary car scale by 1:24. It would be nice to see Airfix move into this area of the market (they have previously reboxed other companies kits in this scale, e.g. Heller & Aoshima), but the obvious choices of vehicles that would fit have already been tooled recently by other companies (e.g. Revell's Jag E Type & Mini). Unless they can get the licensing rights for something like an Aston Martin DB5 (as the only 1:24 kits currently available are old and not great and with the Bond tie in, would be a clear good seller), I doubt it will happen any time soon... As already mentioned, either of the RN's new carriers in 1:350 seems to be a likely future release. However an Ark Royal IV in the same scale would be fab though, to go with their 1:72 Buccaneer & Phantom. The 1:35 Austin Katy due soon is an intriguing release, and begs the question of what other UK-centric 1:35 WW2 vehicle(s) are planned for the future. Perhaps a Sherman Firefly, as from what I can make out, whilst there are plenty of other Shermans available in the Airfix price range (including their own rebox of Academy's one), there isn't a Firefly, and it would enable them to have a 1:35 pairing to go with their 1:72 Tiger and Firefly. In terms of 1:72 planes, the Avro 504 is long overdue a decent new tooling, and provides scope for plenty of variants, whether the regular K trainer, or an early bomber version such as those which raided Friedrichshafen in November 1914. They have recently released a few other new tools of WW1 planes, so this would fit in nicely along side.

What I've always liked about the Heller kits that I have is the way that the majority have been engineered to be prototypically correct. That is what initially attracted me to their old classic & vintage stuff, and their recent R4 (which I also have) is done in a very similar way, as is the Estafette, rather than in the more toy-like manner that some recent 1:24 car kits are. Whilst the Estafette isn't really my cup of tea, it is fantastic to see Heller producing new tooled vehicles in 1:24 (as well as re-releasing more of the amazing stuff from their back catalogue), and I'm very interested to see what they will produce next. There is clearly a decent market for kits of old & quirky French cars, as has been shown by Ebbro's releases.

What's the deal with the differences (not livery!) between the two Alfa 155s? Is one BTCC and the other DTM?

It does indeed - I was about to post a link to that page! Typical Heller in how they have moulded the glass as part of the whole panel, but with careful painting, it should make for a better and more realistic model than the more conventional method. I've always liked their alternatice approach to designing model kits.

Kind of - I suspect that Renault had a much closer eye on the Citroen H van & equivalent Peugeot van than the VW though, given the configuration that they chose for the Estafette. They were already producing rear engined passenger cars at this time (4CV, Dauphine, 8, 10 & Caravelle / Floride) so that configuration would not have been a big step.

'Tis indeed a Maserati engine in these. Very cool looking cars although the one shown is a USA market example, which has the exposed sealed beam headlights to comply with the Federal regs - elsewhere, the glass centre cover was continued across the whole front of the car, with smaller rectangular lights under it. Given the engine's origins, I've often wondered if a later Biturbo engine would fit... Oh, and must resist the temptation to buy the amazing looking 1:24 resin kit of one which is available...

This UK retailer has stock of both versions: http://www.davecoleysemporium.co.uk/contents/en-uk/p11058_Heller-80742-1_24th-scale-Renault-Estafette-Gendarmerie,-1968-New-Moulds-.html http://www.davecoleysemporium.co.uk/contents/en-uk/p11075_All-NEW-for-2021-Heller-80743-1_24th-scale-Renault-Estafette-Van.html

That's actually rather intriguing. I'd much rather keep it with its cast iron pushrod lump & pair of big SUs (& I really love the column stalk operated overdrive - just one finger needs to leave the steering wheel), but if electric conversion means that I can still use my 1967 Volvo, rather than have to get rid of it, then I'm happy to go with that. Over 27 years in my family, the old heap has proven itself to be a highly useful and practical workhorse. However, given that about 10 years ago the MOT tester was on autopilot and ran the full emission checks on it, but it still passed the up to 1992 pre catalytic converter limits (I have the print out somewhere), I was pretty impressed for a high mileage engine that predates any emission regulations, and is actually subject to just the requirement of no visible smoke at idle. However there is the issue of whether electric vehicles are indeed the future, just one of the solutions or simply a developmental a cul-de-sac. I remain unconvinced that we will see the last of the internal combustion engine, at least for quite some time anyway, but I suspect that it won't be in its current petrol or diesel forms. I do find modern vehicles to be far too complex and overladen with (in many cases, totally unnecessary) gadgets for their own good. Even my 20 year old Peugeot has some control systems on it which are far more complex than they actually need to be, and which can make diagnostics much more of a black art than it should be - don't get me started on integrated systems like CAN-BUS... I also do not want to own a car like so many where virtually everything runs through a touch screen as the ergonomics of that set-up are utterly appalling and in my opinion, also highly dangerous as they require the driver to take their eyes off the road, whereas rotary or slider controls for instance on the heater can be operated entirely by feel. But then I sometimes think that the Monster Raving Loony Party's election policy from a while back of reintroducing the Morris Minor has a lot of merit...

With Citroen suspension, I've often wondered if the issue was garages etc not understanding it or knowing how to deal with it. Aside from the 205 GTi, PSA cars of this era seem pretty much forgotten, yet were often better than rivals which nowadays have big followings.

Can't rememember the last time I saw one of these. So much '80s & even '90s stuff has just disappeared off the roads.

Presumably it won't be on the shelves until 2045 then I'd forgotten that Revell has the XK120 tooling, having inherited it from Monogram. Their XKSS would be a welcome reissue too. Italeri have just reissued their XJ220, which Revell reboxed at one point, so I wonder if that may be one of the featured vehicles?

Very jealous of that Monogram Bugatti!

A Ferrari Testarossa on an E reg, rhd & red with tan interior, in the carpark at work... Sounded really rather nice when it was started up & driven out!

The earliest car kits I remember building would be a couple of Airfix 1:32s - something veteran (Darracq possibly?) and that awful E Type kit, when I was about 10 or 11. Prior to that, I vaguely recall some matchbox aircraft, but only that one was a small red passenger jet). No idea what happened to them... I aslo had a 1:32 Bugatti, which never got built, and a 1:24 Heller (possibly Humbrol boxing?) 1930s Alfa-Romeo 1750 Zagato, which got half built with assistance from my father. Later on, I attempted to build a Gunze Sangyo Frogeye and TR(3a?), and an Airfix boxing of Heller's racing E Type FHC, all 1:24, and none of which went well. I think I was about 13 by this point. I remember trying to brush paint the body on the Jag & making an utter mess of it, and also the polish on the wooden kitchen table when I spilt the enamel brush cleaner... When I was about 14, I was given an AMT Dodge Viper GTS for Xmas. That went a bit better, until it got to the painting, where having messed up the bodywork with Humbrol enamel, I then tried spraying it with an aerosol in the DT dept at school. Of course, there was a massive paint reaction... None of the above lasted. No idea what happened to them alhough there are some remnants of the Heller Alfa & Jag in my parts box. Next was a resin Starter 1:43 Alpine A110, which I was given for Xmas by my father when I was 15 or 16, along with an aerosol of specially mixed Alpine blue. This actually survives, and isn't too bad given firstly the nature of the kit and also my previous extremely poor track record with model kits. (I still have the can too, but not sure if that is still useable...) Heres a couple of pics that I took last year: Around this time, I also built a Tamya Volvo 850 BTCC during the summer when I was 16, which I still have - there are some recent pics at the end of this thread: I didn't paint the body, which suggests it may have actually been built before the 1:43 A110. The Volvo didn't turn out as well, which also makes me think it was earlier, but at the time I was really chuffed to actually finish one! After that, I built a Tamiya Jag Mk2 & Gunze Lotus Elan FHC when I was at uni - both were spray painted & turned out ok except for fogged lights & glass edges, as I didn't yet know about clearfix & had just used polycement for those too... The Elan survives, aside from a missing wiper but the Jag suffered at the hands of a much younger sibling who later found it in my bedroom at home when I was away at uni. The remnants are in my parts box, and I am using the body as a practice run for full opening panels for the unstarted Mk2 that I have in my stash (this way, I don't risk ruining that kit). I also started a Gunze TR3A, but didn't complete the final bits until very recently as I had put off doing the lights due to the fogging issue on the other kits. I bought a Tamiya Morgan at the same time, but that is still half built (chassis only) awaiting its turn.

I must admit that I was quite excited by this release, as I quite fancy building a Falklands Harrier. I have been very impressed by the Airfix GR1 starter set that one of my daughters has been building (she just needs to fnish painting, before applying the decals),so I was a bit confused by the comments above. However, having done a bit more research, I didn't realise until now that the GR1 (& GR3) are a completely different (& newer) tooling, and are much more highly regarded than this FRS1 moulding. One of the GR3 variants has a Falklands decal option, so I guess I will go with that instead. Out of interest though, how different in 1:72 would that be to a Sea Harrier?

It's a rebox of an MPC kit: https://www.scalemates.com/kits/mpc-1-3082-cobra-427--953599

Revell's 1:24 new tool impact bumper Porsche 911 coupe is now available! https://www.revell.de/en/products/modelmaking/cars/young-oldtimer/porsche-911-g-model-coup.html A German language review with sprue pics & instructions shown here: Numerous suppliers listed on scalemates: https://www.scalemates.com/kits/revell-07688-porsche-911-g-model-coupe--1324089 It is on Hannants too but they are already out of stock: https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/RV7688 However, Amazon prime currently has it for £25:34! I'm so far resisting (as I have enough models that I am yet to build) but it does look very tempting... Also, what I can see of the sprue shots also suggests that the very soon to be released Targa variant https://www.revell.de/en/products/modelmaking/cars/young-oldtimer/porsche-911-g-model-targa.html may not be the only version that Revell have planned as there seem to be parts included that are not used in either of these two kits.

Given how popular old Fords are, especially RS models, I am very surprised that Tamiya haven't reissued those Sierra kits (& also the Escort RS Cosworth ones). Even the road one would be popular, but the racing / rally ones would surely be a license to print money...