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Hi all, quite recently Airfix Model World asked me to build something a bit 'left of field' to add more of a sci-fi/fantasy theme to the magazine and then sent me this little gem. It's the 2016 issue of the Hasegawa Vanship (with steam torpedo) from the Japanese anime series Last Exile. I'll be doing more along the same vein in the near future and must say it made a refreshing change from all the aircraft and ships.... Here's a review of the kit from this very site. Vanship with steam torpedo review A great little kit with bags of character, sort of Steam Punk trike meets 1930's Auburn Speedster. The mouldings and fit were superb as is to be expected of Hasegawa though it was still fun to spice it up a bit. The original 2012 packaging came with the Vespa as a separate vehicle as well as a nice diagram depicting a servicing scene with bonnet open and all the engine paraphernalia on show however with this re-issue you get a resin steam torpedo as well as pilot and navi crew and an updated decal sheet instead. As I had the original diagram I thought I'd do something a little different and open up the bonnet on one side and scratch-build the inner workings. Various kits and lead wire, brass rod, plastic tubing, etc were harmed in the making of this area of the kit though the 'engine block' itself was a large piece of scrap resin shaped to fit onto which everything else was attached. I also added a few little extras like reflective lenses, acetate windscreens, detailed airbrake interior parts, wooden flooring, PE bodywork panelling and portholes, scratch-built instrument panels, replacement resin seats and cloth seat harnesses.... Airbrushed using various Alclad metallics along with a few of their Hotmetal lacquers and AK Xtreme Metals enamel paints, Gunze acrylics for the interior and Abteilung 502 oil washes to weather. The diagram that came with the original issue.... Hopefully Hasegawa will release more Vanships from the series....All in all good fun, hope you like it. Cheers Melchie . And finally a bit of fantasy bloom and sheen....