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Archive for the ‘Customizing & Modeling’ Category

So here’s a look at the current mock-up of the 1/25 snap-kit box art. This is the highly anticipated Alex Ross art, though from what we hear, they’re using elements styled in different formats for the new products. So, maybe we’ll get a more elaborate setting or treatment in the 1:25 glue kit or the slot cars etc. Obviously not the final packaging, since they’re still showing the aurora reissue car body as a placeholder in the background, but  – we’re starting to get excited here.

We’ve been wondering about the new Round 2 Batboat model and how different or similar it is from Polar Lights‘ first 1/25 Batboat release from 2003. (which was in turn based on but scaled up and otherwise modified from the 1967 1/32 Aurora Batboat) Well, Tim from TPM Customs picked up the model last week and sent us a report that it is identical in every way to the 2003 release with the exception of an expanded decal sheet.

Now that may not seem like a big deal, but the original 2003 Batboat kit only included a scaled up version of the Aurura decals, which while being fun and nostalgic – were actually very inaccurate. For some reason the oval bat signal emblem that goes on the fin was too small, cartoony and much darker than it should have been, making it hard to see on the model. Additionally, the hull flames were incorrect and Aurora never included anything to help the builder get the white parts of the hull or fins detailed.

Round 2 has changed that with this model. The decal set includes most of the original 1967/2003 art but adds corrected fin bats, white fin scallops, and much nicer flames, with or without the white hull sections. Plus, a few extras like a brand new oval base nameplate option that is pretty cool. R2 has again added pinstriping, like they did with their 1/32 Batmobile release which seems impractical as a wetslide option – but I applaud their efforts and for including the option.

I’ve always thought that one of the genius moves that R2 made was to scale up the original Batboat kit from 1/32 to 1/25 . This is particularly noteworthy this year, as they get their 1/25 Batmobile ready for production. If you’ve never built that 2003 PL Batboat kit you’ve got in your to-be-built model stack in the closet, or if you never picked it up the first time – this model is worth the $19 for these decal upgrades alone! Now, who’s got a good, retro 1/25 scale trailer?

(Thanks again to Tim from TPM for the decal scan)

If you were having trouble finding Polar Light’s original Batboat release from 2003 (they’re still pretty available on ebay etc) or you were just looking for another box version to put on your display shelf – here’s an option for you.

Re-Released without too much hoopla or fanfare for 2010 – the Polar Lights Batboat kit in 1/25 is out now. “Based” on the original Aurora Batboat kit from 1967  it differs in some significant ways. First, they scaled it up from the 60’s 1/32 to 1/25 so it’s a much bigger Batboat. Also, the interior cabin and dash details have been tweaked to reflect a better level of detail.

No news yet what differs about this 2010 release compared to the 2003 version. But for sure, the box is a different format. Instead of the long, retro box that came out in 2003, it looks to be more like the AMT squareish box. And tere are subtle changes to the printing and art as well.

Full review when we snag one!

Editor’s Note: The following post has been migrated over from our now defunct Batcave Blog and dates originally from September, 2008:

Our goal is to mix elements of the 1966 TV Batcave with some of our favorite comics stuff and some of our own inventions as well. So -

The TV Batboat is super cool but never lived in the Batcave on TV. They had to drive to the marina to get to it. That seems unlikely and awkward to us. Just slightly less goofy than having the Batmobile actually trailer it. (a la the Corgi gift pack) I always loved the idea that the cave housed EVERYTHING. So we are borrowing from the comics the idea of an underground Grotto that is a tributary to Gotham harbor. Our back-story is that perhaps Batman expanded an already existing grotto to his needs.

In the diorama – I wanted this far enough away from the center TV Atomic Pile area so we are placing it to the far right. And since that’s our cave exit, we needed a bridge for the Batmobile. And a grotto or cave lake for the Batboat that could actually handle real depth.

We started by creating a light but rigid base for the lake out of slices of pink insulating styrofoam (home depot) and used Project Glue for Foam to put them together.

Then we needed to seal it up to be able to actually support our “water.” We used these great products to seal up the seams and then provide some underwater lake effects.

We decided that the Batcave grotto would be a typical East Coast limestone based cave lake and so most of the ballast (rocks) got the grey/green mossy treatment that we see around PA a lot. It was a challenge to remember and plan for all this to be sealed underwater. We also decided that perhaps the Atomic Pile would need a cooling system so there are intake and outake pipes in the lake walls. Made from trimmed pieces of silver cable hiding hoses and then weathered and decals added.

Grotto/Lake bottom with coolant pipes and drainpipe

We built the bridge after a design that Alexander drew. I liked it because it was a little Burton-esque yet not unrealistic. We made it out of balsa, painted it silver with hammered aluminum for the texture and then weathered it and added the big rivet bolts and the non-skid surface. We dropped it into place and then foam-puttied around the struts.

We planned to fill the lake bed with clear railroad water effect resin. I wanted the Batboat to be immersed realistically in “water” but I also did not want to permanently embed my Jim Apitz-made batboat model in clear resin. So we decided to grab a spare Polar Lights Batboat hull, and mount it in the lake bottom, seal it with plastic wrap for easier removal later, then pour the resin in around it. The theory was that when we had the right water level and it had hardened – we just pop out the spare hull and put the Batboat model in its place. Well it was a great idea that we didn’t think through completely. More on that later.

For years I’ve been searching for a suitable 1:25 scale Bell 47G helicopter model or toy to modify into a Batcopter that would go with the car and boat models in the scale I favor.
The classic Revell M*A*S*H helicopter kit that everyone (including me) uses to convert into the Batcopter is 1:35 scale – way too small. I have modeled the Batcopter in 1:8 (Mego Scale), 1:35 (near aurora batmobilel scale), 1:64 (Matchbox, Corgi Jr., Hot Wheels scale), and 1:48 (roughly 1:43 Corgi scale) based on various kits that have been offered over the years. But I could never locate a suitable 1:25 scale starter. It wouldn’t be impossible to model from scratch but – it would be a lot more work than a conversion.

I had pretty much decided to order one of the wooden Bell 47G models that many of these aircraft model makers sell on eBay and the web. They seemed like the right size. They’re usually about $85 – $100 but they are all wooden including the cockpit so I would have to vacuform a clear cockpit from their existing shape and I wasn’t sure how it would hold up to the process. I’ve seen vacuforming destroy a hard resin buck before and I didn’t want to spend that money and then still not have a usable copter model.

RC Bell 47G in approximately 1:25 Scale

Then I found a newer RC Bell copter that several Hong Kong vendors were selling on eBay. Called The Twister by Imex, it is a cheaper RC style helicopter. It sells for between $95 and $128 but I got a sale deal on mine and paid $90 to a US vendor. My big concern was the scale. Toys aren’t known for their accuracy in advertising lengths. The real Bell 47G fuselage is 374 inches long which would equate to 14.96 inches in 1:25 scale. This one was listed as being 16″ long so that was too close to not take a chance on. Plus it had a clear cockpit so we’d be further along already.

I was very pleased with the copter when I got it. It is almost perfectly in scale for the project. The motorworks will come out easily. And the customization is all very doable and minimal: Make some motor parts like exhaust pipes, Remove and replace the fuel tanks, add a tailfin, cut out the doors, model an interior, rework the landing struts and add a step, add the batwings and a paintjob and voila – Batcopter.

Here it is nose to nose with a Revell 1:35 conversion to illustrate size difference.

Imex copter nose to nose with 1:35 Revell Batcopter conversion

Closer up nose to nose.