Pocher models aren’t toys, they’re a lifestyle

LeGrand 1:8 Mercedes 300 SLR Coupe kit

Here is the latest news straight from LeGrand 1/8 Collection:

"Dear customers, today we would like to give you an update on our highlight, the LEGRAND MB 300 SLR "Uhlenhaut" Coupé kit, scale 1/8 from LEMKE. We regret the long delivery time, which is due to the difficult situation worldwide in recent years. The toolmaking for the approximately 1,000 high-quality components is now complete. We are expecting the final prototype, which will serve as a model for series production. We will then send another update with pictures in a newsletter. The first edition of item no. LE102 is already 3/4 pre-sold worldwide. The expected delivery date is Q2/2023, the expected price $1300.00. (We reserve the right to make any adjustments to the delivery date and price depending on the upcoming production situation and currency fluctuations.)" View the complete update PDF including new parts photos here.

Part No. Z055L $50.00 Real Leather (large)

Part No. Z055S $40.00 Real Leather (small)

Clearance drill for 1 mm threaded rod or bolts, and also as a pre-drill for 00-90 tap or screw

Part No. Z010 $2.00

Pre-drilling for #301, #302 or #303 Pocher screws. Clearance drill for 0-80 bolts and pre-drill for 2.0mm tap

Part No. Z01.6 $2.00

Clearance drill for 2.0 mm threaded rods, bolts or screws

Part No. Z02.0 $2.00

Pre-drilling for #301, #302 or #303 Pocher screws. Clearance drill for 0-80 bolts.

Part No. Z052 $2.00

Clearance drill for 00-90 bolts

Part No. Z055 $2.00

Pre-drilling for 00-90 taps

Part No. Z060 $2.00

AN IMPORTANT NOTICE TO OUR VALUED CUSTOMERS:

Shipments of new orders may experience temporary delays. You may continue to browse and place orders on our site, but please be advised that it may take longer than usual to ship your order. We sincerely appreciate your patience. Thank you for continuing to support our small business in these challenging times!

January's Feature Exhibit

John Haddock's

Napier-Railton 1:8 Scale Model

In 1935 the Brooklands race track, just outside London, was the venue for very popular motor races. It’s banked track allowed for phenomenal speeds at a time when most ordinary cars could barely reach 60 mph. That year a Napier-Railton racecar, designed by Reid Railton and powered by a W-12 Napier aircraft engine set the fastest lap time ever with an average speed of 143.4 mph. All this on a notoriously bumpy track in an open seater with just a bucket seat for the driver and no safety belt!

Sadly, the Brooklands race track was closed during WWII so the Napier-Railton track record still stands.

The 1930s were tumultuous times, both politically and economically. Despite that, the transformation of motor cars, from the staid upright carriage-like designs of the 20’s to the streamlined designs of the late 30’s was amazing. The fascination with that transformation led me to model a couple of Rolls-Royce Phantom IIs, based heavily on Pocher kits, but with lots of modifications including adding missing detail and correcting mistakes. Subsequently I scratch-built a 1:8 scale 1935 Austin Seven. After that the Napier-Railton seemed like a fun project.

Necessarily, the Napier-Railton would have to be completely scratch built. But I had already taught myself CAD and 3D printing was readily available, so the biggest task was creating a reasonably accurate set of drawings. The prototype exists, at the Brooklands museum, but because of COVID visits there proved impossible. Very few drawings of the chassis exist, but the engine is well-documented since it had been the mainstay of the RAF since 1919. Fortunately, I did find a lot of photographs of the car online and I was also blessed with the generous gift of some private photos that showed much of the detail of the car. The rest was triangulation based on the few measurements (wheelbase, track, tire size, etc.) that were documented.

The chassis is largely of brass construction but the engine, drivetrain and radiator assembly are largely built from 3D printed acrylic parts. The body panels were also 3D printed, in 0.8mm thick nylon, since my skills in brass forming would not be up to the task.

Like all highly detailed models, construction takes time. But I think the result was worth it!

Click here for more photos.