Fujimi’s “Spinner” (Blade Runner) Model Kit

“Blade Runner” is one of my favorite movies; magnificently acted and directed, with a deep and intriguing story – it is a fantastic film.  When I learned that there is a 13 inch 1/24 scale model of the Police Spinner flying car¹, I had to get one.  Fujimi was not a company I was familiar with, but I also have not worked on that many kits from Japan.  The reviews were excellent, so I took a chance and am glad that I did, because it was a fun kit to build and the model looks very nice.  Just the same, this kit has some interesting quirks that modelers should know about.

The most obvious quirk is that there is not a single mention of “Blade Runner” on the box or the instructions.  No, “As seen in…”, or anything that even remotely refers to the movie.  In small print, there is a notice that the kit was “Manufactured under license from OSC”, so perhaps Fujimi has a license from the design firm who created the Spinner, but not from the producers of the movie or the studio, or a sub-license.  Regardless, this is obviously THE Spinner from “Blade Runner“, with authentic decals from the film.

Another quirk is that the design of the model has outstanding details, but it also doesn’t seem well thought out in regards to the windows.  Basically, the windows on the top and bottom of the Spinner do not add anything to the model, other than existing.  If you are flying, I suppose it would be good for the pilot to be able to look down and up without obstructions.  On this model, only the right-side passenger has a small opening to look through the bottom window, but the pilot-side does not.  So, from the outside, you’ll look through these windows to see the underside of the passenger cabin.  Once the rear panel for the cabin is in place, it blocks off the top windows from the cabin.  From the outside, you’ll look through these windows into the empty inside of the back half of the model.  Perhaps this is all simply authentic to a hastily modified movie prop, but it’s a bit weird and a lost opportunity.  Of course, third-parties have moved on those opportunities and created ‘fix-it’ kits to account for the Spinners window quirks².  Those cost about as much as the kit itself, so I decided to stay true to the original design.

The third quirk with Fujimi’s Spinner model kit is really 2-in-1, and both have to do with the tires.  #1 – I strongly prefer car models to include rubberized tires and separate wheels.  With this kit, the tires and wheels are combined, and are two pieces of plastic cut right down the middle.  #2 – model cars should have, at least, some limited ability to roll.  Even though the Spinner kit recommends, and requires, no glue for the wheels to mount to the body, they are in so tightly they will not turn.  And, there isn’t any locking mechanism in the design, so the tires wouldn’t roll if they could.

The final quirk is the way the model can transition from driving-mode to flying-mode.  As with Bandai’s Variable Valkyrie model kit, this Fujimi Spinner kit has some tiny pieces, and some of the pieces have very thin pins for locking into other pieces.  Both the outer left and right front fender can come off and can set on top of the inner fender, to simulate flying-mode.  But, the fenders lock in  very tightly and I am not confident I won’t snap off the two small pins messing around with it.  With this in mind, the Spinner stays in flying-mode for me.  Flying is really the coolest thing about the Spinner, so this quirk works out just fine.

Technically speaking, Fujimi’s Spinner model is a very good, but not great, kit.  There are just too many quirks to the whole thing.  At the same time, it is – as far as I know – the only Spinner model available, and Fujimi put enough quality and detail into the kit that ‘the sum of the parts’ certainly outshines any of the quirks some individual parts have.

Fujumi’s “Spinner” Model Kit³ –

Pros:

1. Tremendous level of detail to the pieces and decals
2. Finally, a Spinner model car!
3. Looks outstanding

Cons:

1. Windows on the top and bottom are a lost opportunity that the modeler will need to account for in some way
2. Some of the parts, and some important parts, are fragile
3. Painting on clear plastic can be nervewracking

Vertict = Recommended!