Richard Marmo's

SCALEWORLD

If, after last month's diatribe, you've cleared space in your closet and applied for an increase of your Mastercard's credit line in order to add a CBW suit to your model supplies ­ wait a minute. It ain't that bad. At least not if you don't let it. Remember my statement about common sense?

Keep in mind that most, if not all, of the warning label histrionics are mandated by various regulatory agencies - and exacerbated by 'consumers' looking for an easy way to make a buck - which results in the voluminous verbiage being crammed onto bottles, cans and tech sheets.

Case in point: A significant percentage of serious modelers work with urethane resins to one degree or another. Some are only interested in producing duplicate parts for their own hobby needs. At the other end of the spectrum are those of us who produce original castings commercially on either a part or full time basis. Wherever you fit in that spectrum, it's safe to say that most never read the tech -or product- sheet that comes with the resin. Good thing, too, because by the time you finished reading, you'd be ready to evacuate the neighborhood. But take the time to realize something and avoid what would be a false alarm.

All urethane resins are two part compounds. In most instances, both parts are equal consistency but occasionally you'll find one part in paste form and the other as a liquid. No matter. Urethane resins, particularly the catalyst, contain isocyanates of one kind or another. For example: methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI), diphenylmethane diisocyanate and/or polymethylene polyphenylene are common ingredients. Isocyanates were near-universal components in early rocket propellants. In other words, the stuff's explosive under the right conditions. HOWEVER, that requires large quantities and specific percentages.

What winds up being used in casting resins are miniscule quantities that have been modified to boot. Put another way, there's enough to create the exotherm (heat) that's needed to cause the resin to cure - AND THAT'S ALL.

As long as you have plenty of ventilation (including an exhaust fan if possible), take reasonable safety precautions and apply a liberal dose of common sense, there's no need to panic. This applies to anything we do in the modelbuilding field, from handbrushing enamel paint to producing large urethane castings.

Common sense is the greatest tool of all. Now if we could only find enough to go around!

As long as I've got you thinking about urethanes, consider a new item from SMOOTH-ON, INC. They can also be reached by phone at 800-762-0744.

Those of you who exert your talents in the direction of vignettes and dioramas should find a lot of use for their Plasti-Paste. This stuff is a two component fiber resin that's intended for vertical surface application without sagging. It's odorless, has a working life of some 8-10 minutes and can be handled in 90 minutes.

Considering that most of us are familiar with equal part ratio requirements, Plasti-Paste will take a bit of getting used to. The paste itself is thick. Not surprising, considering that it's described on the container as a trowelable plastic paste. Catalyst, on the other hand, is a water consistency liquid and the mixing ratio is 3 parts paste to 1 part liquid by volume. Application is with a spatula. Once mixed, it thickens rapidly, which means you're gonna have to work like a scalded dawg.

Different? Indeed. Does it have potential for the creative dioramacist? You bet. Is it expensive? Not really. $2.98 a pound or a two pound trial size for $20.00.

Egyptian mummies continue to hold a fascination for most of us. Whether it takes the form of joining an excavation team in Egypt or losing ourselves in books and movies that focus on fact, fiction or horror depends on the individual in question.

The latest movie that played to that fascination held sway in the theatres this year. Imaginatively (?) titled The Mummy, it evoked memories of Lon Chaney, jr's1940s movie of a similar name. But that's about all it had in common. Considering the special effects and the story line, it was more closely related to the Indiana Jones trilogy instead of the horror genre.

Still haven't sated your mummy mania? POLAR LIGHTS has heard your cry and released an excellent kit of The Mummy that's based on the latest movie.

The kit arrives in a 9 x 12 3/4 x 3 inch box that features a dark scene of the mummy stepping out of his sarcophagus just after waking from the dead. While it's an illustration as opposed to a photo of the finished model, it's nicely rendered by Chris White and will prove useful in the finishing stage. There's also a large promotional sticker on the box that offers a $5 mail-in rebate with proof of purchase of two POLAR LIGHTS kits.

So what about the kit? Open the box and you'll find 44 parts that are crisply molded in a cream colored styrene. In other words, typical POLAR LIGHTS. And in case you think the box is a little large for a mummy kit, think again. If anything, it's a little on the small side. Once opened, it's a challenge to fit everything back in so's you can get the lid on!

Anyhoo, 26 parts comprise the mummy himself (who is definitely showing the effects of a couple of thousand years in the tomb). A couple of tendons, stomach extension and a strategically placed connecting bandage allow continuity from the upper torso to lower torso. Definitely a good idea because without this approach, he not only couldn't stand, he'd be the epitome of that familiar expression, "parts is parts".

Construction is the easy part. It's the painting that'll separate the men from the boys. The reason for this is that the deteriorated, rotted wrappings are molded as an integral part of the figure. Considering the dissicated condition of the body, combined with the prominent musculature, that was about the only practical approach. Whoever sculpted the original pattern did an excellent job. Now it's up to you to demonstrate an equal level of skill with paint.

The sarcophagus and base use the remaining 18 parts to good advantage. Most of the parts are used on the lower part of the open sarcophagus, to the point that it has both an inner and outer wall with space in between. The lid is a separate one piece molding with its own inner lid. And the large, one piece base just begs for a quality drybrushed stone finish.

Instructions are the familiar retro style that POLAR LIGHTS has become known for. You'll also find 1/4 page of text that will get you started on properly painting this creature. Granted, the advanced modeler can do far more to this kit than what is suggested here, but it's an excellent starting point. Just built box stock, the results will be very satisfying. And lest you think this kit will put a major dent in your credit card, it won't. MSRP is $26.99.

POLAR LIGHTS has released another kit, one that has been anticipated for some time by fans of the Lost In Space TV series. The one character from the show that everyone has wanted and been unable to get is a recognizable figure of Dr. Zachary Smith. Now you can.

Their earlier repop of The Robot from Lost In Space has been combined with a new, original, sculpture of Dr. Zachary Smith and released as a double kit. Both are mounted on a desert terrain style base with Dr. Smith standing beside the B-9 Robot. Dr. Smith's head is turned slightly to the right, looking for a possible threat, a pistol at the ready in his right hand.

While I hate to repeat myself, the kit is everything you've come to expect from POLAR LIGHTS. As with The Mummy, the retro style instruction sheet includes excellent painting instructions. They even go so far as to include both a front and side view drawing of the Robot, complete with detailed color callouts. And the boxtop illustration by Chris White can be used for additional detail information.

As for the kit parts themselves, they're nicely molded in an off-cream styrene that seems to have a very slight pale greenish cast to it. Of course, the color of the styrene doesnít really matter since you're gonna paint everything anyway. Right? Right!

One thing that's particularly interesting is the fact that the new Dr. Smith kit was done in such a way that it fits perfectly with the style and parts breakdown of the Robot. If I didn't know that Dr. Smith was a totally new kit and the Robot was a repop, I wouldn't be able to tell the difference. That, folks, is skill. And you get all this for $26.99.

You figure fanatics who are waxing nostalgic for the original line of movie monsters that AURORA produced can find them in all their glory at Toys R Us. The Wolfman, Dracula, The Mummy and Frankenstein are all available exclusively from Toys R Us.

I built the first three in the line some 35 years ago (and I still have them), but I never managed to acquire a Frankenstein kit. That little oversight has now been remedied.

If you remember how the original AURORA kits looked, then you know what to expect. The reason for that is that the kit is produced from the original AURORA molds that are currently owned by REVELL-MONOGRAM, made for CINE-MODELS, distributed by POLAR LIGHTS and marketed exclusively thru TOYS R US. They've even used the original AURORA style box, complete with the AURORA logo, and have gone so far as to leave the original kit code of 'Kit No. 423-98' on the end flap. Not old enough to realize the significance of that? Keep in mind that this kit was first produced in the days when everything was pre-priced - and the price was printed on the box by the manufacturer. And yes, Frankenstein originally sold for 98 cents! Today it's $14.99

Never seen an AURORA kit and you're wondering what you're getting into? Well, nothing all that frightening. Frankenstein is a good, basic kit that can be built straight from the box and give satisfactory results for those of you who are just getting into modelbuilding. Parts are crisply molded in a cream colored styrene with very little flash to worry about. There are some 23 parts and parts breakdown is such that cleaning up seams shouldn't be a problem. The advanced modeler, on the other hand, can have a field day applying sophisticated finishing techniques.

I would offer one suggestion. The original AURORA instructions suggest painting the face and hands a very pale flat green. If you want to replicate an accurate (?) Frankenstein, you need to change that to a sort of pale dead grey with a hint of white and a tad of blue. This more accurately represents a dead body (after all, he was assembled from parts). The reason for the pale green is that it was necessary to create a proper appearance in the film, which was in black and white. So, which color you use will be determined by whether you're trying to represent Boris Karloff in costume on the film set – or the Frankenstein creature as it appeared in the film. Your choice.

Jug lovers (P-47 Thunderbolt to younger readers) will delight in one of the latest additions to the Warbird Tech Series. Volume 23, Republic P-47 Thunderbolt by Frederick A. Johnsen, is a superb choice to expand your reference shelf.

Those of you familiar with Warbird Tech know what to expect. 100 pages, semi-stiff covers, nearly 160 photos and illustrations that includes 12 georgous WW-II vintage, high quality color photographs.

Big, heavy, tough and definitely lacking in the beauty department, she was a true workhorse. The 56th FG rode her to over 1,000 victories while compiling an 8 to 1 kill/loss ratio. Not bad for a single seat behemoth that could top 20,000 lbs gross weight. Johnsen's book gives the Jug her due. You'll find the entire story, from her birth to her final days with the Air National Guard and foreign service. Tech manual illustrations are particularly valuable. Especially the ones showing seat installation, instrument panels and ducting layouts. If you're interested in doing structural detailing, you need this book. And how about a lend lease Jug wearing a Russian star with a white disc under it?

There's also cockpit photos that are dated, battle damage and more. Bottom line? This volume is a must for Jug lovers. Put another way, don't touch that new P-47 kit on your shelf without it.

Available from
Specialty Press,
11605 Kost Dam Road,
North Branch, MN 55056
USA
(ph. 800-895-4585)

Each Warbird Tech volume is $16.95 plus $4.50 per order for shipping if you order direct from Specialty Press.

Warbird Tech Series Volume 25 is another superlative effort by Dennis R. Jenkins, the subject this time being the Lockheed Martin F-117 Nighthawk. Of course, we modelers originally knew it as the Lockheed F-117 before some of the more recent aerospace mergers.

While there have been several publications on the F-117, each generally accurate for there time, successive titles offer evermore information. In this vein, Dennis has done very well. Within the standard 100 page, 160 photo Warbird Tech format, Dennis has done justice to the Nighthawk. He goes all the way back to the beginnings of the stealth concept (which, believe it or not, was in 1935) and even includes an explanation of Radar. From here we move on to the U-2, A-12 and the McDonnell Douglas Quiet Attack concept. Closing in on the F-117, you'll find sketches showing concept progression from the Hopeless Diamond to Have Blue and Senior Trend (which would become the F-117 Nighthawk).

A significant number of photos are credited to the Lockheed Skunk Works, including several of the Senior Trend FSD birds on their assembly line. And the final chapter does a good job of detailing its operational service, particularly during Desert Storm. The first combat loss of an F-117 that occurred in Yugoslavia is also detailed.

Color photos are particularly interesting for two reasons. First, there are two photos of the Senior Trend FSD birds in two different multi-tone disruptive camouflage patterns. Secondly, you'll find two very good shots of the instrument panel - one in daytime and one at night with the instruments illuminated. There's also a reference to a very rare and apparently spectacular Red-White-And-Blue "American Flag" scheme that was not widely photographed (Sigh! If only someone would surface with a copy!). Finally, there's a page of significant dates.

Priced at the usual $16.95, see the P-47 review for full ordering particulars.

Yet another Warbird Tech Series is Volume 26. This one is especially welcome because the subject is both important and rarely covered. If you have a fondness for British jet bombers, this one will get your attention. The aircraft in question is the Avro Vulcan and is written by Kev Darling.

In much the same way as the Stealth fighter, the basic idea of the Vulcan and its two V-Bomber relatives thatw ould eventually form a nuclear deterrant for Britain, actually began prior to WWII. Kev Darling takes us back to that premise and walks us forward to the present.

Along the way, we find illustrations of the original concept and how it evolved into the familiar Vulcan shape. There's in depth discussing of its birthing pains, operational history adn more. For example, the development and operation of the Blue Steel missile, and the stillborn Skybolt. Particularily interesting is a 3-viw that shows a Vulcan with an enlarged wing that was intended to carry six operational Skybolt missiles, three under each wing. And after the Skybolt program was cancelled, there was themore or less insane proposal to hang three piloted Gnats under a Vulcan, each one carrying a nuke. What the Gnats were supposed to do after launch is fully described in the book.

Of course, there's the usual Warbird Tech collection of some 160 photos and illustrations, 100 pages and semi-stiff covers, along with the usual $16.95 price. Color photos show the Vulcan in bare metal, white and two-tone camouflage.

Again, see the P-47 review for full ordering information

See you next month. Happy Millennium.