News from Special Hobby 03/2022

Last month and at this very spot, I was writing about the Nuremberg Model and Toy Fair not taking place again. I had the feeling that that was a really serious problem which affected the model business as well as the modelling community as a whole. Today, however, everything is completely different. Serious events have happened and suddenly the mere fact that some toy fair did not take place seems to be completely irrelevant. A war has broken offut  less than a thousand kilometers away. Putin's Russia, along with that its subordinate dictator Lukashenko, shamelessly invaded Ukraine, an independent and free state, under the bizarre pretext of de-nazification and demilitarization. In an effort to build a new empire within the borders of the former Soviet Union, Putin has treaded in the footsteps of past evil leaders destroying Russia. He and his oligarchs are only getting rich, ordinary Russians on the other hand are only poorer and poorer every single day. To divert attention from his deeds, Putin only blames both the enemies abroad the domestic opposition. His expansionism only seems to copy Hitler and Stalin. And on top of that, Putin also scars the world with his nukes. Even in my worst dreams, I was not able to imagine anything resembling the current situation.    The fact that the people of Ukraine have stood up to the agression and keeps fighting off the enemy hoards is incredible and admirable at the same moment. The whole of Europe backs Ukraine. I hope that Ukraine will keep resisting the enemy machinery, that justice will prevail and that the freedom of Ukraine and her people will win eventually. If not, we all will gradually lose our freedom too. And just believe me that the people here in Central Europe keep very well the memoriwa of what it was to lose their freedom to the Kremlin and the frost coming from the East.    The people of Czechoslovakia experienced such tragic events back in 1968. It is already clear now that the price we all will have to pay for the freedom of Ukraine as well as our freedom will be high. Perhaps all Europe will need to tighten their belts. But please keep in mind that the freedom is much more important and one must not give way to evil. So, support Ukraine and her brave people, please.    Sadly, and just becuase of insanity of one lunatic individual, our editorial may seem more like political information. However, Special Hobby is a model-making company and all we want is to keep making models never mind the outside situation. This month being no exception, of course. Everything goes on smoothly here. The 1/48 AH-1G Cobra is going to become one of the flagships in the Special Hobby range of kits and this month will see its premiere. We do believe the modellers will like the model, we have done our best to reach the latest standards both in the realistic levels of surface detail and in the straightforward and easy assembly. The second release for this March will be the 1/72 Junkers Ju 87D-5 Stuka, model no.SH72448. This is the first of several future limited releases based on the exceptional Academy Ju 87G kit. Our team have designed and injection moulded an extra sprue with conversion as well as correction parts, which when accompanied by a fret of etches are going to turn the Academy styrene parts into a couple of various Junkers Ju 87 versions, from the D-1 through to the D-8. The other two kits I am going to mention now are not insignificant either. The Sunderland Mk.I/II and the Messerschmitt Bf 109E-7 trop simply belong to the iconic WW2 models. Our regular monthly range of kits and accessory cannot fail to offer pre-cut masks, too, this time aptly for the AH-1G Cobra and the Junkers Ju 87D-5 Stuka kits.    From our resin cast products, let me point out the 1/72 Mosquito sets for the Airfix kit and the all-resin 1/72 Zetor 25 tractor – the military version  now. Our team have also finished a few new 3D sets in 1/35. A real gem is the Luftschutz helmet, a pair of which can be found in the set, joined by etches and a decal sheet.  Among the new kits due for this April release, let me draw your attention to the limited release of the 1/35 Panhard 178B. The styrene parts of the kit originate in  ICM’s kit and are joined now by a huge amount of resin cast conversion parts, turned metal barrel and a fret of etches. And the new set of modelling tool will be no less interesting, believe me.   A. Riedel SPECIAL HOBBY PLASTIC MODEL KITS

AH-1G ‘Spanish & IDF/AF Cobras’ Art.no. Scale Barcode 100-SH48202 1/48 8594071088545    The AH-1G Cobra was the very first helicopter primarily developed for anti ground missions. AH-1G Cobras saw their combat premiere in Vietnam in 1967. The early machines can be recognized by the tail with port-side mounted tail rotor, later ones had the usual configuration of the tail rotor on the starboard side. The AH-1G became the first member of a really wide family of ground attack helicopters which keep on serving until these days. The G version fought in the Vietnam war, saw service in the skies of the USA, Westen Europe and was also succesfully exported abroad – the G models could be seen flying both in Spain and Israel.    And this is what you will find in our first boxing of the quarter scale Cobra kit – superbly detailed kit coming on as many as ten styrene sprues joined by one of clear parts, plus colour options for two machines of the Spanish Navy in fancy dark blue guise and another two, though in drab olive, which can boast themselves by taking part in introducing the idea of armed combat helicopters to the Israeli air force. Let us also mention that all these four airframes were fitted with the Vulcan cannon-based M35 weapon system carried along the sides of the fuselage (ammunition boxes) and under the port-side stub wing (the cannon itself) The model of the historicaly very first combat helicopter Top-notch quarter scale AH-1G model kit made to the current standards. Any other model in this scale is hugely outdated. Decal sheet with a full set of stencils and markings for four machines Read more

Short Sunderland Mk.I/II ‘Flying Porcupine’ Art.no. Scale Barcode 100-SH72438 1/72 8594071088576 Our kit features one of the arguably most famous flying boats of the aviation history. The   The Sunderland is arguably one of the most famous and most well known flying boats in the history of aviation. Its initial version, the Mk.I was introduced to service before the outbreak of the war while the Mk.II version was the first Sunderland variety to start serving with the British military in the war years. Both these versions differed from the later ones by having sharp-shaped hull step and also featured twin dorsal fuselage gunner positions. Only the latest batches of the Mk.II featured the single dorsal gun turret so very much typical for Mk.III and later airframes. The very long range and heavy armament made the Sunderland feared adversary and a very successful Nazi-submarine hunter which was very much capable of defending itself against the long range Luftwaffe fighter aircraft. A model of the British anti-submarine flying boat. The decal sheet brings markings for a 10 Sqn RAAF machine plus three more operated by the RAF. Highly detailed interior parts Panel lines made to scale, not over accentuated Read more

Junkers Ju 87D-5 Stuka ‘Axis Satellites’ Art.no. Scale Barcode 100-SH72448 1/72 8594071088484 Academy’s  top quality styrene injected parts of their Junkers Ju 87G-2 kit has been joined now by Special Hobby’s own new conversion parts enabling the modeller to build the original kit in the D-5 variety. On top of that, we have to say that our parts also tackle a few of the trouble spots the Academy kit unfortunately possesses. This version actualy was the final one of all Stuka bomber versions and was operated not just by the Luftwaffe but by other German allies too. So, the decal sheet and colour schemes included in the kit portray machines flown in Rumania, Hungary, Slovakia and Bulgaria.The Rumanian machine was adorned with lettering on either side of the fuselage while the Hungarian one carries a name. Unusual and attractive-looking version Eye-catching decals coming with a complete set of stencils Available in limited quantity only Read more

Messerschmitt Bf 109E-Trop/E-7 Trop ‘Braving Sand and Snow’ Art.no. Scale Barcode 100-SH72462 1/72 8594071088514        If you hear ‘Messerschmitt Bf 109’ it no doubt is a synonym for a fighter aeroplane. And what an aeroplane the one-oh-nine was. In active service from 1936 until 1954 in a number of countries, in front line duty since the Spanish Civil War and remained till the end of the Second World War, and some machines even in a couple of post war years. The so-called Emil, which name stands for the 109 E version, was the first version of the type to have been equiped with the DB601 powerplant. It is arguably unmistakably connected with the outbreak of the hostilities, the attack on Poland, Western Europe and Scandinavia. The Battle of Britain was the pinnacle of Emil’s career though, and the type went on to serve with no less success also over the Balkans, Africa or Malta. Until 1941, alongside the most iconic aircraft of all times, the Spritfire, the Emil was the very best the fighter pilots of those time could fly.     Our model brings no less than four schemes of machines flying over north Africa. Various schemes have been picked up to show how colourful and eye-catching the machines in desert colour might be. And to make the matter even more interesting to the modeller, one of the schemes feature the machine with one of its wings replaced with a new one in European style colours. The parts of the kit are laid out to two styrene sprues and a small one with clear parts. You can build the model with engine cowl and wing gun panels removed, with the wing flaps down and slats in the open position.   superbly accurate and very finely detailed model easy assembly can be built with the engine cowl removed can be displayed with open slats and flaps down accurately designed decals featuring markings for four machines, including full set of stencils paint masks for wheels and clear parts available too wide range of separate detail sets available Read more

SPECIAL MASK

Junkers Ju 87D/G Stuka Mask /Special Hobby and Academy kit Art.no. Scale Barcode 100-M72038 1/72 8594071088538 Pre-cut painting mask for the undercarriage wheels and clear parts of the Academy Junkers Ju 87G kit and Special Hobby reboxing of the same model that comes with resin converison parts and portrays the Ju 87D version. Read more

AH-1G Cobra Mask Art.no. Scale Barcode 100-M48005 1/48 8594071088101 Pre-cut masks for both the outside and inside of the canopy clear parts of the 1/48 Specia Hobby AH-1G Cobra model. Read more

RESIN KITS & SETS

Canadair CL-13 Sabre Mk.4 Cockpit Art.no. Scale Barcode 129-4445 1/48 8595593129365    Resin cast cockpit set with fine levels of detail, comes with photo etches too, a straightforward replacement of the rather simply-looking Airfix kit parts. Read more

Canadair CL-13 Sabre  Mk.4 Airbrakes Art.no. Scale Barcode 129-4448 1/48 8595593129372    The air brakes are rather important feature of the CL-13 Sabre rear fuselage. Our new, resin made air brakes offer much better details than the original kit styrene parts. Read more

Zetor 25 ‘Military w/Towbar for MiG 15/17s’ Art.no. Scale Barcode 129-MV128 1/72 8595593129327    The Zetor 25 tractor was among the first products of the post-war Czechoslovak industry and also the very first tractor to have been manufactured by the Zetor company. Up until 1961 when the production line stopped, almost 160 000 of them had been produced and nearly 100 000 examples also sold both in Europe and Asia. This tractor not only saw use in the civil field, it was also widely used by the army, and very often for towing military jets on the tarmac of the air bases. Which means that at that time, you might have seen it taking care of a MiG 15 or 17 fighter. Our finely detailed resin cast model also comes with a set of etches, decal sheet and a 3D-printed tow bar via which you can mate the tractor with one of your early MiG jets. Read more

Mosquito B Mk.XVI Undercarriage Wheels Art.no. Scale Barcode 129-7494 1/72 8595593129334    Undercarriage main wheels with separate cast hubs, a tail wheel leg made from special very tough PX resin, plus a separate cast tail wheel, all of which is designed to fit Airfix’s Mosquito B Mk.XVI. As these Airfix kits feature a rather serious flaw – the undercarriage legs are very close to each other resulting in a very narrow wheel tyre, this set cannot be used with any other Mosquito kits (Tamiya, Hasegawa) Read more

Mosquito B Mk.XVI Exhausts Art.no. Scale Barcode 129-7495 1/72 8595593129341 Resin cast exhausts featuring fine levels of detail, 3D designed and readily replace the original styrene ones which lack most of the details, the hollowed out openings and come in wrong shape. Read more

3D Printed Parts Small  Arms for the Volkssturm Set III. Art.no. Scale Barcode 129-P35003 1/35 8595593129310 One more set in our new 3D-printed range of products. As you will already know, all the parts of these kits are produced on a top-notch 3D printer, no resin cast copies. The modeller needs nothing more than their usual skills already employed on working with our previous resin kits. This set brings very finely rendered fire arms of the German Volkssturm in 1944-45, i.e. the RMP44 submachine gun, the MP3008 submachine gun of the initial type produced by Mauser and featuring a metal arm rest, a Volkssturmgewehr VG1 rifle and a MG81 machine gun, originally an anti-aircraft weapon later adapted for ground use. Read more

3D Printed Parts Luftschutz Helmet (2pcs) Art.no. Scale Barcode 129-P35004 1/35 8595593129358    The civil anti-aircraft defence in Germany was arranged by the 1935 law. Its massive development started with the outbreak of the war, its operation extended to occupied territories too. To take parts in anti-aircraft patrols, blackout watches, fire fighting etc, the members of the Luftschutz (or Air Defence) were equipped with distinctively-shaped helmets. Late in the war, these helmets were used as a stop-gap measure by the Volkssturm, what is even more interesting, the helmets were also seen used by anti-German insurgents for example during the Warsaw Uprising or at the end of war in Prague or other Czech towns. Our 3D-printed helmes have photo-etched straps and the set also offers a decal sheet with Luftschutz badges and markings of the insurgent warriors. Read more