News from Special Hobby 08/2021

Originally, I was supposed to be writing about our preparations for the 2021 IPMS USA Convention which is to take place in Las Vegas. Unfortunately, the traveling conditions to the USA are of such nature that we have no other option than to give up on meeting up with our American friends there this summer. We regret it very much. But every cloud has a silver lining as we all very well know and so, instead of traveling across the pond, we simply decided to put all our effort and energy to preparing new model kits, resin sets and modelling tools. This autumn is no doubt going to be very interesting for modellers, and for those in love with helicopters in particular. Most likely sometimes in October, we will be releasing a 1/32 AH-1G Cobra kit which will comprise the ICM styrene parts joined by our own detail resin sets and photo etches. On top of that, the modeller will also get a comprehensive and interesting sheet of decals and pre-cut painting masks. And something a bit similar is going to happen here with ex-Academy 1/72 model of the Junkers Ju 87G Stuka dive bomber.    Another model of the AH-1G Cobra chopper, this time in the quarter scale and produced solely by Special Hobby, is planned for a release sometimes late this year, or at least we are working hard to manage it in time. Our team are also doing their best preparing the release of the 1/48 SIAI-Marchetti. The very type, but in smaller 1/72 scale is going to be released this September in the already well-established Duo Pack & Book range, containing plethora of really eye-catching colour schemes and packed, as the name suggest, with a monographic pubication dealing with the type, produced by guys at H.M.H. Publications. This autumn will also see the release of several sets improving the detail levels of the Tamiya’s 1/48 F-4 Phantom II model. There will also be some more 1/72 Bf 109E sets for Special Hobby kit, or its Eduard’s reboxing. Also do start looking forward to a couple of 1/35 Panhard 178 / AMD 35 sets.   A. Riedel SPECIAL HOBBY PLASTIC MODEL KITS

7,5 cm PaK 40 ‘German Anti-tank Gun’ Art.no. Scale Barcode 100-SA72025 1/72 8594071088262    The PaK 40 is arguably one of the most important German anti-tank weapons of the war. Our 1/72 model shows the gun in the wheeled version. Between 1939 and 1945 a total of more than 20,000 examples were built. They were used both with a wheeled chassis or mounted on a wide variety of Wehrmacht military vehicles. The gun was also exported to many German allies. It saw deployment on all fronts where the Wehrmacht fought. Its service with the military did not ceased with the end of the war though. Many of them were captures and found their way to a couple of countries. The very last war the gun saw was most possibly the conflict in Vietnam  where they were used against US vessels (the captured PaK 40s had been delivered to Vietnamese communists by the Soviet Union).  The kit offers the 7.5cm PaK 40 in colours of the Wehrmacht, Slovak Army, Finnish Army, Czechoslovak Army and the Vietnamese Army. The parts come on a single sprue and the kit can be built as if just being towed or in the firing position with the chassis arms wide apart. Finely detailed and yet very simple model Choice of colour schemes of several armies Read more

Dornier Do 27 / CASA C-127 Art.no. Scale Barcode 100-SH72327 1/72 8594071085841   Re-release of a model of the famous German STOL aircraft. The kit contains finely detailed styrene parts which come on four grey sprues and one with clear parts. Etched part are included too. The decal sheet brings markings for one Bundesluftwaffe machine, one as flown in Belgium and one licence-built Casa C-127 from Spain. Interesting-looking type Crisp-detailed model parts Photo-etches already contained in the kit. Separately available painting masks, detail sets and figures. Read more

A.W. Meteor NF Mk.14 ‘The Last of Night Fighters’ Art.no. Scale Barcode 100-SH72364 1/72 8594071087890    The Meteor NF Mk.14 night / all weather jet fighters were desingned as a rather urgently needed replacement of the piston-engine powered Mosquitoes. In the 1950s, the Soviet, nuclear weapons armed bombers posed a very real threat. The last versions of this all-wweather fighter, the Mk.14 introduced many improvements of its airframe based on experience gained by oprating the earlier Meteor versions. Comparing with them, the Mk.14 featured much simplified, rear-slid canopy hood with almost no framing. The RAF operated this final Meteor verison both from the home and overseas bases.    The kit offers five grey styrene sprues and a single clear parts sprue with two styles of the windshield. The decal sheet contains markings for four machines including a full set of the airframe stencilling. There are marking schemes for three RAF machines, one of which flew from Malaya-located bases, the other two were based in Britain. For local customers might be of great significance that onr of the British-based aiframes was flown by a Czech pilot S/L Miro Liškutín. The fourth colour option is a French machine used by the CEV test centre. Superbly detailed model No other kit of this version on the market, except for the rather ancient Matchbox Camouflage options you will find difficult to chose only one from.    Read more

SPECIAL MASK

A.W. Meteor NF Mk.14 Mask Art.no. Scale Barcode 100-M72027 1/72 8594071088330    Pre-cut set of masks which makes painting the clear parts and wheel hubs of the Special Hobby’s 1/72 A.W.Meteor NF Mk.14 rather simple and quick experience. Read more

Dornier Do 27 Mask Art.no. Scale Barcode 100-M72028 1/72 8594071088347    Pre-cut painting masks for clear parts and undercarriage wheel hubs of the Special Hobby’s 1/72 Dornier Do 27 kit. The set also offers masks for the inside of the open doors and windows. Read more

RESIN KITS & SETS

DH.82 Tiger Moth Luggage Box (ICM kit) Art.no. Scale Barcode 129-5137 1/32 8595593128771    The set portrays the open luggage box in the fuselage behind the cockpit. Designed for the ICM’s new Tiger Moth kit. The resin parts show the internal structure of the fuselage, open cockpit hatches  and a nice leather bag – yes a vital part of any weekend out enjoyed by a flying instructor and his girlfriend. Read more

DH.82 Tiger Moth Correction Propeller (ICM kit) Art.no. Scale Barcode 129-5138 1/32 8595593128788    The set offers new Tiger Moth propeller with corrected shape. Simple replacement of the wrong item of the ICM’s new DH.82 kit. Read more

DH.82 Tiger Moth Mainwheels and Tailskid (ICM kit) Art.no. Scale Barcode 129-5139 1/32 8595593128795    The resin cast main undercarriage wheels feature finely rendered and crisp detail as well as the manufacturer’s logo. On top of that all, the resin set also brings three styles of the wheel hubs, both on the outboard and inboard side of the wheel. The three styles are as follows – a simple hub without any cover, a hub with a plain cover and a hub cover with the manufacturer’s initials. The tail skid is made of special heat treated resin for increased strength. Read more

DH.82 Tiger Moth Instrument Panels with Compasses and Coaming, Correction Set (ICM kit) Art.no. Scale Barcode 129-5140 1/32 8595593128801 This correction set brings two new instrument panels and a pair o compasses for the ICM’s new Tiger Moth model. Etches and decals included too. Read more

Fiat CR.42 Main Wheels (ICM kit) Art.no. Scale Barcode 129-5141 1/32 8595593128818    New weighed undercarriage wheels with better detail than the ICM’s new Fiat CR.42 kit has. Read more

Junkers Ju 88A/C Wheels Early Type (Revell kits) Art.no. Scale Barcode 129-7478 1/72 8595593128825    The set offers new main undercarriage wheels  with detailed tyre tread as well as a new tail wheel. The wheel tyres are weighed and the wheel hub is of the correct A-1 version style, unlike the incorrect item of the kit. Read more

A-20/DB-7C Boston RAAF Crew 1/72 / for Special Hobby kit Art.no. Scale Barcode 129-F72374 1/72 8595593128726    Two RAAF crew members about to get into their A-20 Boston. The pilot is standing on the fuselage while the gunner is bending down so that he could board the plane via the belly entrance. These fugures are sculpted to fit the Special Hobby A-20/DB-7C models or some other RAAF aeroplanes of the era. Read more