*Newsletter November 2017*

For the November instalment of our regular Special Hobby Newsletter, we have mixed up a special blend of 1/72 and 1/32 scale model kits. And as a kind of “afters” we are bringing you some nicely detailed CMK sets. This month, there are presented the first of our new sets for the recent released Airfix B-17G Flying Fortress. Further sets for this kit are to follow later. What you can find also now in this newsletter are our sets for the Airfix 1/72 Tucano, ICM 1/72 Focke Wulf Fw 189A and Hasegawa 1/72 Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate.
Special Hobby team are going to bring you a long awaited 1/72 kit of the Ajeet Mk.I “Indian Light Fighter”, a licence built version of the British Gnat. Let us also remind you about the fact that CMK have prepared several resin sets for this model. The 1/72 Northrop Delta 1D/E belongs to our latest generation of short run type models with their small components being injected into metal moulding blocks. In 1/32 scale, Special Hobby want to bring you another WW1 classic type in the shape of the Fokker D.II biplane fighter. Originally, we planned to bring also something for fans of the quarter scale, unfortunatelly, the Aero L-39ZA in this scale has to be postponed for some (little, we hope) time.
And some more news still – it is well known already that Special Hobby are to release also the CASA C-212, P-40 Warhawk and the Dornier Do-27 kits in 1/72 scale. Well if there is no unexpected obstacle ahead of us, we will be able to bring you the first of these kits this November, namely the CASA in Dash100 version and in two various boxings. The basic one, cat no. SH72344 contains decals for a Spanish, Chilean and a Columbian machine. The other, limited edition kit is meant to have a very special sheet of decals featuring two very nice Portuguese machines, both of which with colourful painting on their tails. The kit’s cat no is SH72376 CASA C-212-100 “Tail Art”. We plan to issue a special Newsletter dedicated to these two kits.
Now to make the P-40 fans happy, first two releases of this type are planned for December, these will be SH72374 P-40N Warhawk and SH72377 Kittyhawk Mk.IA.
Very early in 2018, we plan to make available another of our metal-moulds produced kits which will be the Dornier Do-27, Vampire Mk.I and also the Mirage F.1 with enlarged tail fin fillet.

The colleagues at the packaging department have succeeded in completing and packaging several long-time unavailable items which means that now you are welcomed to make your order for such models as:100-A096 Potez 63-11 Axis, 100-72529 Fw.189 Night fighter, 100-SH48171 L-39C. Kit 100-SH72265 B-18 Bolo is finally sold out.

SPECIAL HOBBY PLASTIC KITS

Ajeet Mk.I “Indian Light Fighter” 1/72

Art.No.		scale		barcode
100-SH72370		1/72		8594071086190

In 1950, WE Petter, who was famous for designs such as the Lysander, Whirlwind and Canberra joined Folland company. By this time modern jet aircraft were becoming bigger, more complex and expensive as their performance increased and as a result the development and operating costs were rising too. WE Petter decided to pursue a different approach to the modern jet-fighter philosophy by designing a light-weight fighter aircraft which was to have been powered by a pair of low thrust turbojet engines although this was later changed to a single power unit as their power output of jet engines increased. By choosing to build this new jet aircraft to the smallest overall dimensions possible and with only the very basic equipment required for the job this kept the total overall price down to only a third of the price of a standard jet fighter bomber of the day yet it would offer similar performance to these much bigger and more expensive jets. The initial design incorporated a pilot lying in a prone position in the nose of the aircraft and a twin engined configuration which was used in the Fo.139 Midge test aircraft which had been designed and built to assess the aerodynamical features of the future Gnat.
The Air Ministry ordered six trials aircraft off the drawing board during March 1955 all of which were delivered by 1956 and they underwent a very thorough set of flight tests, during which the design displayed excellent performance. The Gnat was found to be capable of high sub-sonic speeds, it was exceptionally manoeuvrable at high altitudes and due to its low weight and powerful engine the acceleration was phenomenal.
Two countries, Finland and India, found the results of these trials so very interesting that they decided to acquire the type for their air forces. Finland ordered twelve aircraft, ten of which were in a standard fighter configuration while two machines were adapted to carry out reconnaissance missions with cameras fitted in their nose. India acquired twenty-five complete machines of British origin while another twenty were provided in kit form to be assembled in India by HAL and HAL also acquired a licence to manufacture the Gnat in India. The Indian production line turned out at least one hundred and ninety-five airframe although the last two Indian Gnats were in fact prototypes of the improved Ajeet Mk.1 version. Production of this improved design began in 1976 and reached a total of seventy-nine Ajeets, with another ten Ajeets being created using modified Gnat airframes.
While the Finnish Gnats protected the neutrality status of their country, the Indian machines took part in hot conflict during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. Rather surprisingly, they became the most effective combat type of this war as they were capable of not only out-manoeuvring the F-86 Sabre but also the more modern and much faster F-104A Starfighter. Due to their diminutive size and excellent manoeuvrability, the tiny Gnat was able to “shake-off” Sidewinder air-to-air missiles and it was also very hard for Pakistani fighter pilots to catch a sight of, let alone shoot down. Indian Gnats also proved just as successful during the later conflict against Pakistan which ended in 1971. The improved Ajeet remained in Indian service long after the Gnat was retired and these served until at least 1991.

The Gnat kit was designed using 3D software, is injected into steel moulding blocks and comes on three sprues of grey styrene and one with clear parts. The kit also provides the modeller with a real plethora of external stores. The decal sheet caters for four Indian machines with colourful markings and interesting history. Several resin sets for this model are also available from CMK, these are: 129-Q72237, 129-7332 and 129-7333.
Special Hobby produces also the original British Gnat in two reboxings, 100-SH72137 and 100-SH72322.

Art.No.		scale		barcode
100-SH72329		1/72		8594071085711

In 1932 Jack K.Northrop, a famous american aircraft designer, followed his earlier and successful cargo and mail types the Alfa and Gamma and designed a new one, named the Delta. It was a all-metal, single engined low-wing monoplane with fixed undercarriage covered in spats. The type was intended to be used on short domestic routes and was built in several versions, differing by their powerplant and also the shape of the pilot’s cockpit canopy. First versions known as the Delta 1A, 1B and 1C featured narrow canopy housing only one pilot. Following versions, the 1D and 1E already had a wider cockpit enabling a crew of two to sit there and they also had a much massive dorsal section of the fuselage. Unfortunatelly, one of the first Delta 1A machines crashed in Mexicowhile being delivered to the customer. This accident was also one of the reasons for the US government to ban the usage of single engined types for regular passenger transport. Aircraft already produced were bought by private subjects or used by companies for business trip purposes. One of the Delta 1Ds, with construction number 74, was used by the US Coast Guard and later it was handed over to the US Corps of Engineers and flown in Ethiopia (Africa) during the Second World War. Delta 1D c/n42 first saw service with Ellsworth’s Antarctica Flight, then was bought by the Australian govenrment and following the outbreak of WW2 it was transferred to the RAAF. Some other Deltas were lucky to see war service even earlier as three of them were acquired by the Spanish government, though two of them fell into the hands of Spanish Nationalist Forces making the Delta the type to fight or be used on both sides of the conflict. In 1936, Canada bought licence rights, partially compensating for Northrop’s business failure with the type. The Canadian machines were produced by Vickers company in versions Mk.I to Mk.III

Fokker D.II “Black & White Tail” 1/32

Art.No.		scale		barcode
100-SH32065		1/32		8594071086206

In 1915, Fokker E.I, E.II and E.III monoplanes ruled skies over the Western Front. But their supremacy did not last long, they got obsolete quite soon afterwards and stood no chance against new biplane fighter aeroplanes of the Allies which possessed much better performance. German designers were thus forced to try and find a suitable replacement type quickly. Martin Kreutzer, a Fokker’s designer, came with several varieties of a biplane fighter design designated as the M.17, one of which later reached production status and was known as the Fokker D.II. It was armed with one synchronized machine gun and the first machines of a total of 181 produced got to the front in the summer of 1916 and went on fighting until August 1917. However, beginning with very late 1916, they became to be employed on less exposed sections of the front or just to defend industrial centers against bombing raids of the Allies.
The kit contains three styrene sprues, two of them in short run standard, the third one is produced using metal moulds and brings the smallest items of the kit. A photo etched set and a windshield pre-printed on a piece of clear film are also offered in the kit. The decal sheet caters for two machines, the first had black-and-white stripped tail section and carried the name Dodo, the other was flown and also accidentally landed in neutral Switzerland by lieutenant Otto Dessloch (who later during WW2 reached the rank of General Colonel /Generaloberst and was awarded Knight Cross and Iron Cross with Oak Leaves.

UPCOMING MODELS 12/2017

CASA C.212-100

Art.No.		scale		barcode
100-SH72344		1/72		8594071086183

CASA C.212-100 "Tail Art"

Art.No.		scale		barcode
100-SH72376		1/72		8594071086213

P-40N Warhawk 1/72

Art.No.		scale		barcode
100-SH72374		1/72		8594071086237

Kittyhawk Mk.I 1/72

Art.No.		scale		barcode
100-SH72377		1/72		8594071086244

British WWII Rockets 1/32

Art.No.		scale		barcode
100-SH32075		1/32		8594071086251

Biber Trailer 1/72

Art.No.		scale		barcode
100-SA72018		1/72		8594071086305

Boeing B-17G – Cockpit Set for 1/72 Airfix kit

Art.No.		scale		barcode
129-7380		1/72		8595593125251

This complete resin cockpit designed for the new Airfix B-17G kit offers detailed seats with the seat belts, cockpit side walls, control columns, fuselage bulkhead and the instrument panel. The instrument faces are pre-printed on a piece of clear film.

Boeing B-17G – Radio Operator’s Station Set for 1/72 Airfix kit

Art.No.		scale		barcode
129-7381		1/72		8595593125268

Nicely detailed B-17 radio operator’s compartment that is located in the fuselage behind the bomb bay. It offers new resin floor parts, two seats with belts and two fuselage bulkheads with the wireless equipment and door.

1/72 Meillerwagen "V-2 Transporter" – Wheels Set for Special Armour kit

Art.No.		scale		barcode
129-B72100		1/72		8595593125275

Nine new and detailed wheels (eight + one spare) that offer more details and have tyres with sharply rendered tread pattern. To be used with your Meillerwagen A4/V2 missiles transporter.

Tucano T.1 – Correction Propeller and Spinner for 1/72 Airfix kit

Art.No.		scale		barcode
129-Q72287		1/72		8595593125282

This set contains a corrected four-bladed propeller for Airfix Short Tucano kit. The blades are separate items that are to be attached to our correctly shaped spinner.

Art.No.		scale		barcode
129-Q72288		1/72		8595593125299

A detailed resin pilot’s seat with seat belts that is tailored to fit a bit old but still very nice Hasegawa kit. Easy to be used with any other Hayate model.

Art.No.		scale		barcode
129-Q72289		1/72		8595593125305

Even such a nice kit as the new ICM Fw 189A no doubt is has its small flaws. One of them obviously is the incorrectly shaped engine nacelle air intakes. Our set offers you new front sections of the nacelles into which just fit another resin parts portraying the front pairs of Argus As 410 engine cylinders. This set enables the modeller to look through the air intakes and clearly see the engines inside.

Art.No.		scale		barcode
129-Q72290		1/72		8595593125312

The new ICM Fw 189A kit has wrong-shaped propeller blades and the spinners with “windmills”, ie pitch control vanes. Now we offer a set of new blades with correct dimensons and also the spinners with better windmills.