News from Special Hobby 1/2023

Dear business friends,     With the beginning of the New Year we are happy to bring you the first 2024 Special Hobby Newsletter. On behalf of our company, let me wish you health, happiness and many successes in the new year, both in your work and personal life. Before we get to the news prepared for January, I need to mention our participation in the 2024 Toy Fair in Nuremberg. It gives big joy to be able to take part in this fair again this year and we are looking forward to meeting with all our customers and friends.  This time we will have a separate stand in Hall 7A. Unfortunately, I cannot tell you its position and number now. The organization of the fair is somewhat delayed this year and we still do not know the exact position of the stand. So you'll have to be looking for us a bit. But the more joyful the reunion will definitely be. At the fair, we will also unveil our upcoming news and you will be able to take a look at some of them at the stand.      In addition to the standard news, the January newsletter also includes a model from the new Vintage Treasure edition. This series will feature popular, yet older models, but the quality of which no longer matches the current level of Special Hobby models. It is therefore intended for experienced modelers and connoisseurs, because the number of these models is going to be severely limited. The first such kit is the 1/48 Latécoère 298, a short-run style kit with a vacu canopy and some resin parts. In addition, the newsletter brings three 1/72 plastic aircraft kits and one military vehicle kit. Among the accessories let us mention 3D-printed printed and cast sets for 1/72 Tempest (Airfix kit), a very detailed 1/35 Japanese machine gun and a correction set for 1/48 B-25 Mitchell models kits. There is really a lot to choose from, so we look forward to your orders. A. Riedel SPECIAL HOBBY PLASTIC MODEL KITS

Gloster Meteor TT Mk.20 1/72 Art.no. Scale Barcode 100-SH72487 1/72 8594071089634   The Meteor Mk.11 was the standard all-weather fighter throughout the 1950s. When the Javelin fighters came to replace the Meteors, new employment was needed for the still airworthy airframes. Eventually, the Meteors were converted to the TT.20 target tug variant    The Meteor TT.20 kit set covers four various scheme options, two of which carry British colours – a Royal Navy and a civilian RAF flight machines, plus two more serving overseas – one from Denmark and the final scheme represents a machine of a Swedish civilian company flying for the Swedish military. The winch conversion parts are 3D printed. Read more

Aero A-11HS ‘Finnish Export Version’ 1/72 Art.no. Scale Barcode 100-SH72464 1/72 9594071089688    In 1925, Finland bought a dozen of Aero A.11 observation and light bomber biplanes. This meant one of the first export success of the Czechoslovak aviation industry. The Finnish version differed from Czech Aero A.11s by having the more powerful Hispano Suiza engine fitted.    The kit comes on three styrene sprues, two clear ones and a few 3D-printed parts for the HS power unit. The decals cover four machines with fuselage codes in various colours. Read more

Heinkel He 59B 1/72 Art.no. Scale Barcode 100-SH72428 1/72 8594071089511   This re-release of the Heinkel He 59B is suitable for more experienced modellers. It contains four grey styrene sprues, newly designed resin cast parts, 3D-printed parts and a fret of etches. The new clear plastic injected parts replace the original vacuum-formed items. The Heinkel He59 was a large, twin-engined biplane fitted with a pair of floats. Its development took place in secret as it was meant for the newly built German naval air force. Production began in late 1933 and the aircraft were deployed in Spain and on both the Western and Eastern fronts during WW2.    Our kit set corrects the oft-published mistake about the armament of the Legion Kondor He 59s. It was thought that these machines had the armament consisting of MG FF machine guns. The truth is that in their nose gunner stations had the very little-known Solothurn ST-11 canon and as it seems that it was also the sole combat deployment of this weapon, which although being rather effective, was also quite heavy. The ST-11 had been produced in very small number only and later it was developed into the Solothurn S-18 anti-tank rifle, which by coincidence is also offered by Special Hobby as a 1/35 scale kit.    The decal sheet brings markings for a Legion Kondor machine flying over Spain during the civil war and a machine in the colours of the German Luftwaffe in 1940. The ST-11 canon and the machine guns are 3D printed. Read more

Latécoère 298 1/48 Art.no. Scale Barcode 100-VT48001 1/48 8594071089702    The Latécoère 298 was a French torpedo bomber and anti-submarine floatplane. It also was one of the most efficient French aeroplanes, built in 1939 and introduced to service a year later. Late 298 aircraft fought in the 1940 Battle of France, served with the Vichy regime, captured aiframes were even put to use with the German Luftwaffe and one of them was later captured back and used by the RAF. Following the Anglo-American landing operation, the French Lates again saw service against the common enemy. And finaly, the last of the type flew well until the 1950s as trainers.    This kit set was originally released in our Azur edition, now we bring it back in a new range called the Vintage Treasure. Such labelled kits are meant for those more experienced of modellers. The kit consists of injected styrene parts, resin parts, vacuum-formed canopy and a decal sheet catering for one 1940 French airframe and a 1944 Luftwaffe captured machine. Read more

Sd.Kfz 10 Zugkraftwagen 1t (Demag D7) 1/72 - reissue Art.no. Scale Barcode 100-SA72021 1/72 8594071087777    The smallest German WW2 half-track vehicle is here now in the form 1/72 scale tiny gem. The moulds were bought acquired from the MK72 firm and when the model had been first released, it got the Model of the Year award.     The Sd.Kfz 10 was a half-track multi-purpose troop carrier. The original version was also used to tow light artillery weapons such as the Nebelwerfer rocket launchers or anti-aircraft cannons. Later with more powerful towing mechanism also heavier anti-tank cannons of up to 75mm calibre could be towed or even the SiG 33 field  howitzer. From our production, these weapons can be coupled with your Sd.Kfz 10 model: 3,7cm PaK 36 (SA72024) gun, 7,5cm PaK 40 (SA72025) gun or the 15cm Nebelwerfer 41 (SA72026) rocket launcher. The Sd.Kfz 10 vehicles were in service throughout the war beginning with the attack on Poland and until the German capitulation in May 1945. The decal sheet brings markings for two Panzergrau vehicles and two in camouflage colours. -    the very top model kit of the Sd.Kfz10 type in 1/72 scale -    4 decal options – Poland 1939, Yugoslavia 1942, the Soviet Union 1942, Czechoslovakia 1945 -    also available for this kit are the wheel, track and figures resin sets. Do not forget to get also our cannon kits SA72024, SA72025 and SA72026 as these weapons were often towed by the half track vehicle. Read more

RESIN MODEL KITS & SETS

Tempest/Typhoon Early type Wheels 1/72 / for Airfix kit Art.no. Scale Barcode 129-Q72413 1/72 8595593131085   Nicely detailed resin wheels with weighted tyres. Designed for the Typhoon and early Tempest Mk.V kits. Read more

Tempest Late Type Wheels 1/72 / for Airfix kit Art.no. Scale Barcode 129-Q72414 1/72 8595593131092    Nicely detailed resin wheels with weighted tyres. Designed for the late type Tempest Mk.V kits. Read more

3D printed Parts Tempest Mk.V Early Gun Barrels 1/72 / for Airfix kit Art.no. Scale Barcode 129-P72009 1/72 8595593131061    3D-printed cannon barrels of the early variety for the Tempest Mk.V series I. kits. With much better detail overal than of the Airfix kit parts. Read more

Tempest Mk.V Gun Sight and Seat Correction Set 1/72 / for Airfix kit Art.no. Scale Barcode 129-P72010 1/72 8595593131078    One of the Airfix kit flaws is also the very narrow pilot’s seat of doubtful shape. Our 3D-printed correction set offers much better detail overall and the correct dimensions, too. Also contains  a printed clear gun sight. Read more

Tempest Mk.V Exhausts 1/72 / for Airfix kit Art.no. Scale Barcode 129-P72011 1/72 8595593131108    Top quality 3D-printed exhaust for Airfix’s Tempest Mk.V kit. Read more

B-25B/C/D/G Mitchell Wings Air Intakes Correction Set 1/48 / for Ac. Miniatures, Academy, Revell and Italery kits Art.no. Scale Barcode 129-P48009 1/48 8595593131139    This correction set fixes one of the most visible flaws of the very well selling model kit. The wing air intakes of the real B-25 Mitchell are different in each of the wing and are of a quite distinctive shape. The model, on the other hand, has the intakes with rather poor shape. This also applies to the oil cooler air exits also offered in the set. Read more

Type 92 Japanese Heavy Machine Gun 1/35 Art.no. Scale Barcode 129-P35028 1/35 8595593131122    The Type 62 was a standard WW2 Japanese Army machine gun and now we bring it to you in the form of a 1/35 scale 3D-printed set. The Type 92 was developed from the Hotchkiss gun and the charecteristic sound it gave out when fired the US troops nicknamed it the Woodpecker. The gun had been first introduced to service in 1932 and so it was used as early as in the China war and various clashes with the Soviet Union. After WW2 ended, the gun was used by communists in the Korea War and also by various national liberation groups such as the Viet Cong. Our P35028 Type 92 Japanese Heavy Machine Gun offers the gun including the spare magazines, ammunition boxes and the characteristic tripod which can be assembled either in the firing or transport configuration. Read more

SS-100 Gigant Front Radiator Mask 1/48 / for Tamiya kits Art.no. Scale Barcode 129-P48010 1/48 8595593131146    Highly detailed front radiator grille directly replacing the kit's styrene item, which lacks much of the detail and even the radiator itself. You will find it in this set though. Read more

Hawker Hurricane Gun Sight Mk.II Type (2 pcs.) / for Revell and other kits Art.no. Scale Barcode 129-P32001 1/32 8595593131153    Nicely detailed gun sight for the new Revell Hurricane kit set. Printed using clear material. Read more