Awesome Scale Models

Michiharu Kusunoki’s 1980’s manga series Aitsu to Lullaby is about a high school kid who gets into street racing on his Kawasaki Z2. YouTuber 12% on the desk recreated some of the riding scenes by building a scale model of the hero and his bike, and then painting and shooting the models to make them look like their comic book counterparts.

Ghostbusters turns 40 this year, so Hasbro hopes its fans have banked enough to splurge on a scale model of the Ectomobile. The base version is based on the car in the original movie. The deluxe takes after the car in the sequel and comes with action figures of the Ghostbusters themselves. Each toy measures 22.5″ long and has lights and sounds.

Dawid Szmandra made one of the best LEGO creations we’ve seen. It’s a fully functioning, detailed and remote-controlled 1:24 scale model of the Liebherr LR11000 crawler crane. It’s strong enough to lift objects as heavy as a dining chair.

LEGO and McLaren worked together to make a life-size model of the Senna supercar based on the Speed Champions’ color scheme. The model is made of 467,854 pieces and took 30 people 2,725 hours to build. It has functioning lights, doors, and infotainment system.

Taiwanese artist Hank Cheng makes incredibly realistic dioramas and scale models. Whether he’s making vehicles, store exteriors or bedroom interiors, the finished work will make your jaw drop. Check out more of his work on his Instagram and Facebook pages.

theKirkshop makes a laser-cut sixth-scale model kit based on Honda’s folding scooter, the Motocompo. The Lasercompo is made of maple and walnut plywood, walnut veneer and acrylic. It takes about 2 to 3 hours to assemble and has working steering and wheels.

LEGO Ideas member demon1408 made this kickass proposal for a 1/60th scale model of Gundam Barbatos Lupus from the hit anime Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans. It’s fully articulated and comes with a sword-mace and guns. DIY instruction video here.

Movie-based toy maker Blitzway outdoes itself with its sixth-scale model of the Ghostbusters’ ride. The Ecto-1 collectible is nearly 46″ long, has 45 LEDs, and an interlocked steering wheel and wheels. It also plays digital audio files via USB and microSD.

“No computers, no 3D printers. It’s completely made in the shed.” Tested recently visited the shop of model maker Glen English. A former professional motorcycle racer, Glen makes jaw-dropping motorcycle scale models almost entirely from scratch.

This 1:72 scale model kit of Star Wars’ Millennium Falcon is the ultimate collectible for fans of Han Solo’s ship. Bandai painstakingly inspected and scanned the movie prop used in A New Hope to create this model kit. It comes with LED lights and a display base.

“Don’t you see the danger, John, inherent in what you’re doing here?” Chronicle Collectibles‘ officially-licensed statue is a 1:5 scale model of Rexy, the female T-Rex from Jurassic Park. It measures 8′ x 4′ x 4′ and weighs 150lb. Instead of meat, it eats money. $4500 to be exact.

In Ukiah, California, there’s a sixth-scale train set quietly ambling over a vineyard. But it’s no mere toy. It’s a proof-of-concept for Flight Rail’s Vectorr – a rail system that uses vacuum to push or pull a magnetic carriage, which in turn takes the train above with it.

Adam, Will and Norm got their hands on the awesome LEGO Ideas NASA Apollo Saturn V scale model rocket a bit earlier than us mere mortals. Watch them unbox, methodically knoll parts, and build the set. Assembly and story time start at 2:25.

Based on a proposal by LEGO Ideas members Felix Stiessen and Valérie Roche, this model kit features a 3ft-tall (1:110 scale) model of the Saturn V, the most powerful rocketship ever built. It comes with a lunar lander and three astronaut microfigs.

Joshua Smith makes incredibly detailed scale models based on real world buildings, streets or objects that capture the grit and grime of urban life. He recreates everything including the caked dirt on roofs and walls, fallen leaves and even bits of trash. (Photos: Andrew Beveridge)

LEGO Ideas member Chiho Kim’s proposal for a kit based on the iconic off-roader. The model even comes with a net to secure things at the back as well as emergency cones. Chiho has since updated the model with larger tires, a light bar, fog lamps and a winch.