Models

Time for Machine makes amazing metal and wood models of vehicles. Among them is a tiny tank called the “Marvel.” TOMs Modeling in Motion assembled one of these mini mechanical marvels and captured the build as a time-lapse, stop-motion video. We also enjoyed watching him put together a metal Hindenburg from AEROBASE.

The supersonic Concorde jet planes have been retired, so the only way to witness the majesty of this marvel in flight is through replica models. RCScaleAirplanes shares footage of Otto Widlroither’s incredible 1/6-scale version of the jet. It measures 33 feet long, has a 13 foot wingspan, and is powered by four JetCat P300 Pro turbines.

YouTuber HMS2 is known for creating impressively accurate miniature versions of real-world objects. This build is a spot-on, Lilliputian replica of an aquarium complete with gravel, rocks, plant life, and a weensy little school of fish floating in its simulated water.

Flat pack model maker Ugears 48-piece kit is one of their easier builds, yet it’s simply fascinating to watch. The mechanical contraption converts air pressure to movement, which in turn spins a pointer which acts as a sort of decision maker for the next task for you to work on.

Here’s another nifty wood model kit from Nashville artist 1Man1Garage. This laser-cut wood kit comes with everything you need to build a 14″ long zeppelin model, inspired by a 1929 model flown by England’s Royal Air Force.

Miniature model maker HMS2 shows us how to make some ridiculously tiny and accurate replicas of fast food and their packaging from McDonald’s. We love the individual french fries, and how the Coke even has microscopic ice cubes.

To celebrate 80 years of Batman, here’s an epic LEGO kit of the Batmobile, based on its appearance in Tim Burton’s 1989 movie. The 3,306-piece model is 23″ long, and has a sliding cockpit and pop-up machine guns. Includes minifigs of The Dark Knight, The Joker, and Vicki Vale. Drops 11/29/19, with an exclusive mini replica through 12/5.

ROKR’s bass wood replica of a classic film projector is one of the coolest flat-pack model kits we’ve ever seen. Not only does it look awesome, it actually can project a short loop of film that’s included with the kit. The hand-cranked projector isn’t bright, but it requires no batteries to operate.

Artist Jason Freeny is best known for his see-through anatomical figures of pop culture characters. These version of his LEGO-inspired Brickman figure let you assemble his innards yourself. Choose from a 16-piece, 5″ tall model, or a 12″ tall model with over 40 pieces.

Flat-pack model makers Ugears offers this very cool kit that lets you build a mechanical monowheel that actually drives. It has retractable training wheels, but can roll without them on smooth surfaces. With 300 parts, it looks like a challenging 3-hour build. No glue required.

We’ve see the amazing tiny worlds of Hamburg, Germany’s Miniatur Wunderland before. The attraction will soon have over 51,558 feet – or nearly 10 miles of model railway track. Guinness World Records tallied up some other impressive facts and figures about the attraction.

Designer James Paulius extends his collection of colorful wooden architectural blocks with a miniature version of New York City. The full set features two iconic skyscrapers, a handful of shorter buildings, and a smattering of urban greenspace. The Empire State building and greenway models are available separately as well.

For those looking for a more realistic – and less expensive – snap-together version of Volkswagen’s iconic Type 2 van than LEGO’s kit, look no further than this Airfix Quickbuild model. It requires no glue or paint, and clicks together in minutes. Choose from sky blue or red paint jobs. They also make a matching VW Bug.

David Damek of Plasmo shows off an impressive (and depressing) build – an incredibly detailed 1/72-scale diorama of an abandoned house inspired by the scenes of devastation around Pripyat, Ukraine after the Chernobyl disaster. The tractor is based on a kit, but David’s artistry really elevates it.

LEGO CREATOR Expert set 10266 is an intricate 1,087-piece replica of the lunar lander module from the Apollo 11 mission. Designed in collaboration with NASA, it features separate ascent and descent stages, and a lunar surface with footprints and a U.S. flag. The Eagle lands on June 1, 2019 at LEGO Stores and shop.LEGO.com.

Eaglemoss offer this exquisite 1:8-scale die-cast model of James Bond’s Aston Martin DB5 from Goldfinger. It includes working lights, pop-out machine guns, flipping license plates, ejector seat, and more. The kit ships as 86 weekly issues ($10.90 ea), spread out over 22 months.

The Honda Civic Type R is the latest in the growing number of life-size LEGO car models. Honda Australia commissioned the project, which took over 1300 hours to make and has over 320,000 pieces. It has lots of functioning lights. More on Carscoops.

LEGO enthusiast Lachlan Cameron designed and built a remote-controlled Technic scale model of Ken Block’s Ford Mustang Hoonicorn. The all-wheel drive toy has working steering and suspension, doors and a hood that open, and lights.

These books are the perfect gift for any Star Wars fan. Each one comes with a laser-cut and engraved 3D wood model of an iconic vehicle, spaceship, or droid. Display them as-is, or paint them to your liking. The accompanying books provide background details.

While it’s not as fast as the life-size LEGO Bugatti, this LEGO replica of a Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LT Trail Boss is still quite the feat. It took 18 builders over 2,000 hours to construct from over 334,000 bricks. It’s on display at the 2019 NAIAS in Detroit.

Adam Savage and fellow modelmaker Kayte Sabicer show off one of the coolest replicas we’ve seen in a while – an insanely detailed recreation of the blimp that hovers overhead in Blade Runner, enticing Earthlings to head for the Off-World Colonies.

LEGO set 10264 is a 2500-piece, model of a 1950’s-style building loaded with details, including a fuel pump and vehicle lift, an animal hospital on the second floor, a furnished apartment on the top floor, and a roof deck for minifigs to sun themselves on. Drops 1/2019.

LEGO Ideas contributor Sleepy Cow created this 2,798 piece model of a grand piano which features 25 working keys, complete with strings, pedals, and dampers. It doesn’t actually play music, but it’s still a mechanical marvel. If you’d like to see it produced, vote here.

2001: A Space Odyssey gave us one of the longest spaceships in the history of science fiction. Now, thanks to Japanese toymaker Kayiodo, you can own an intricate 1/10th-scale replica of the 54-foot-long model that was used in the production of Kubrick’s masterpiece.

Cath of The Square to Spare shows off a fun little project for guitar players and anyone who appreciates a good musical instrument. In the first clip, she shows us how to make tiny electric guitars using popsicle clips, and in the second, she crafts a mini acoustic.

Art Insider takes us on a tour of the world’s largest architectural model. Located at the Queens Museum, this incredibly detailed miniature of New York City was first revealed at the 1964 World’s Fair, and was updated with new buildings all the way until 1992.

Tested’s Adam Savage has built some incredibly complex projects, but here he returns to his model-making roots, and shows us how to make a completely unique robot sculpture using parts cobbled together parts from Weta Workshop’s Giant Killer Robots board game.

Guinness World Records spoke with the creators of Miniatur Wunderland, the world’s largest model train set. Despite already having thousands of vehicles across different country sections, they are still expanding. Their latest addition is Italy, which took 2 years to build.

Artist Dutch exp shows us how he uses a 3D printing pen (in this case a Myriwell Pro) to create amazing full color replicas of characters from pop culture, including Spongebob Squarepants and Patrick Star, Q*Bert, Pac-Man, Sonic, Olaf, and Rick Sanchez.

CoasterDynamix is known for its miniature roller coaster models. But in this video, they show off working O-scale versions of a tumbler and spinning rocketship amusement park rides. They also make a teensy ferris wheel, and a LEGO-compatible roller coaster.