KIT:	Scale Paper International 1/48 Westand Wyvern
KIT #:	?
PRICE:	$?
DECALS:	No options
REVIEWER:	Scott Van Aken
NOTES:	downloadable  paper kit.

When was the last time you downloaded a kit into your computer? For many of us, the answer is 'Never'. Well, if you are open to new ideas and new ways of doing models, you can do so and the cost is much lower than what you would expect to pay for a standard plastic kit.

I know you have all heard about paper modeling. It is an area of scale modeling that is practiced by a larger segment of the modeling population than most of us believe. It offers two major benefits over what most of us do in this regard. One is that the kits are inexpensive. By their very design it is much less expensive to print something than to tool up molds. Secondly, the materials used in construction are a lot less hazardous to what is around us. No need for paints, exotic glues, or even expensive fillers and tools. Basically, one just needs access to heavy bond paper, wire and white glue. The most expensive tool is a good pair of scissors.

I know you have all seen the results of a well built paper model and have been amazed that these are not plastic kits.

Scale Paper International goes one more step and lets you get your 'kits' on-line. Simply by visiting their website and choosing from a selection of downloadable files, you can then buy the one you want and transfer the plans and skins to your computer. There, you can alter the images to suit the colors and markings you wish. You can print out the plans and the skins and make as many or as few models of the subject in question as you wish. The two sheets I've shown are for their 1/48 Westland Wyvern. As you can see, the printing is excellent and they offer complete building instructions.

Scale Paper International provided one of their Wyvern models for me to download. It requires that you have Adobe Acrobat in order to open and read the .pdf file that is used for these kits. You get everything you'd normally find in one of their standard kits except for a vac canopy. The instructions tell you exactly what bond of paper to get for the main parts as well as any wire or other materials needed You simply print them out on your printer. There is nothing left out.

I was particularly taken by the quality of the printed materials and though learning to do paper kits is a bit of an art and requires some new techniques, it is one that can be grasped by any of us who are willing to give it a go. I've seen these built at shows, and until one gets right up to them, one cannot tell they are not plastic.

If you want to try something different, I highly recommend visiting Scale Paper International to see what else they have to offer.

Thanks to Scale Paper International for the downloadable review copy.