News from Special Hobby 10/2025

Dear business friends,    the October newsletter is here to offer you three 72 scale models. The excellent Mirage IIIC in French colours returns in a reissue. The SH72153 Fairey Battle Mk.I and DH.94 Moth Minor kits are completely new. We have also prepared masks for the Moth Minor. Other new masks are intended for the 1/72 Barracuda kit. Among the resin and 3D printed models, you will find not only other sets intended to improve the 1/48 Tamiya M5 Stuart and M8 Howitzer kits, including a great half-scale figure of a British tank commander. This figure is also suitable for other kits. Our offer also includes wheels for the A-20 Havoc/Boston with slotted hubs and especially the 1/48 Renard R.31. The kit combines resin and 3D printed parts.    In November, we have for  you three 1/72 plastic kits. These will be the reissues of the Blackburn Skua and Fairey Barracuda Mk.II ‘Pacific Fleet’. They are going to be joined  by the Messerschmitt Bf 109E-4/7 with interesting camouflage schemes. Among the accessory sets there will certainly be very interesting items for the 1/48 Lysander and 1/72 Barracuda, including a propeller correction set.    In the future, we are preparing more sets for the 1/48 Lysander. We are also preparing sets for the Barracuda in 1/48 scale as made by Trumpeter. By the end of the year, we will definitely offer you plastic model kits of 1/32 Morane Saulnier MS-406 and maybe even 1/48 SMB-2 Super Mystere in French colours. We look forward to your orders. A.Riedel SPECIAL HOBBY PLASTIC MODEL KITS

Fairey Battle Mk.I ‘Bloodbath over France’ 1/72 Art.no. Scale Barcode 100-SH72153 1/72 8595593133201    The Fairey Battle was ordered by the British Air Ministry to replace the Hawker Hart biplanes. It was one of the first modern low-wing aircraft to enter service with the RAF that began receiving the Battle in 1937. The Battle was elegant and pleasant to fly, but it was underpowered. One Merlin  engine alone was simply lacking power for such a large aircraft. This was clear even before the start of World War II. But Battles were assigned to more than 40 RAF squadrons. 10 of them were moved to France as part of the AASF and were used against the German attack in 1940. The superiority of the Bf 109E and the high vulnerability of the Battles to anti-aircraft fire took a bloody toll. The Battles were withdrawn from the front line. However, they became an important element of the Commonwealth training system. They were used for training in many roles, in Great Britain, Canada, Australia and Africa until the end of the war. Three sprues of plastic parts are joined with a sprue of clear parts and decals. The decal sheet offers four RAF aircraft that were lost in Western Europe in May 1940 with interesting and colourful history of their crews. - detailed model kit - camouflage schemes of the aircraft with interesting stories - we also offer resin wheels and masks for the Battle kit Read more

DH.94 Moth Minor ‘Under the Southern Cross’ 1/72 Art.no. Scale Barcode 100-SH72494 1/72 8595593132938   In 1937, De Havilland designed the DH.94 Moth Minor as a modern replacement for the DH.82 Tiger Moth biplane. The DH.94 was produced for civilian customers until 1940, when the production was switched for the military. Civilian aircraft were confiscated for the needs of the RAF. They were used as couriers and liaison aircraft. One aircraft, delivered to Egypt, served with the USAAF during the war and flew with American markings. Five DH.94s flew with the RNZAF in New Zealand and two ex-civil aircraft were used to train SAAF pilots in South Africa. All production tools, unfinished aircraft and materials for the production of the DH.94 were shipped to Australia in 1940 to the subsidiary De Havilland Australia. There, DH.94 production was resumed, on order from the RAAF which eventually received forty DH.94 airframes. Then production was stopped in favour of the DH.82 Tiger Moth, which was chosen as the standard RAAF trainer. DH.94s were used to train RAAF pilots until the end of the war. The surviving machines were sold to civilian interested parties and were at the birth of sport aviation in Australia. Similarly, machines confiscated during the war for the RAF and FAA were returned to civilian users. At least two DH.94s were converted to Coupé versions after the war. Several machines still fly today, in Britain, Australia and the USA. The Moth Minor model kit consists of two grey styrene sprues and a clear windshield parts sprue. Decals are offered for two RAAF machines, an RNZAF machine and a civilian machine from South Africa. - nicely detailed kits - we also offer masks for the kit Read more

Re-release

Mirage IIIC ‘Armée de l'Air’ 1/72 Art.no. Scale Barcode 100-SH72476 1/72 8594071089191    The Mirage IIIC was the first Western European aircraft to exceed Mach 2 in level flight. It became the basis of the Mirage IIIC, IIIE and 5 family of aircraft, which are still flying today. It was a symbol of Israel's superiority in wars with its Arab neighbours. Israeli Mirage IIICs participated in the War of the Water, the Six-Day War, the War of Attrition and the Yom Kippur War, and many smaller conflicts. Many Israeli pilots became aces in the Mirage IIIC. Of course, the Mirage IIIC was also introduced to the Armée de l'Air's armament. The first French aircraft were equipped with a rocket engine booster in addition to the jet engine. Later aircraft did not carry the booster, which brought greater weapon load capacity and range too. Mirage IIICs were also delivered to the SAAF and ex-Israeli machines were sold to Argentina. As an aircraft for gaining air superiority, the Mirage III proved to be a perfect fit. Seven sprues of plastic parts and a clear parts sprue are joined by a decal sheet featuring four Armée de l'Air aircraft. Two of them flew in metal finish, one of them with the rocket engine. The other two aircraft flew camouflaged, one in blue and the other one in sand-brown scheme.   -    superbly detailed model -    atractive colour schemes and decals -    for this model kit we also offer mask set M72041 and detail sets Q72401Mirage IIIC Wheels, Q72402 Mirage IIIC Mirage IIIC Atar 9B Engine Nozzle and Q72403 Mirage IIIC Seat   Read more

SPECIAL MASK

DH.94 Moth Minor Mask 1/72 Art.no. Scale Barcode 100-M72065 1/72 8595593133119 Pre-cut paint masks for the windshields and undercarriage wheels of Special Hobby DH-94 Moth Minor kits. The windshields receive masks on either side (outside/inside). Read more

Fairey Barracuda Mask 1/72 Art.no. Scale Barcode 100-M72022 1/72 8594071088095 Pre-cut paint masks for the clear parts and undercarriage wheels of Special Hobby Fairey Barracuda kit. Read more

RESIN AND 3D MODEL KITS & SETS

A-20 Havoc/Boston/ P-70 Nighthawk Wheels/ Hubs without Covers 1/72 / for Special Hobby kits Art.no. Scale Barcode 129-7530 1/72 8595593133270  Resin cast wheels with 3D-printed slotted wheel hubs. The tyres feature cross type pattern. Read more

WWII British CW Tank Commander / Half Figure 1/48 Art.no. Scale Barcode 129-F48408 1/48 8595593133195 British tank commander half figure, late WW2 period. 3D printed, the detail level and natural pose stand out. Read more

M5 and M8 Welded Roadwheels 1/48 Art.no. Scale Barcode 129-P48031 1/48 8595593133157 Detail wheels with openings for the M5 Stuart and M8 Howitzer as made by Tamiya, that offer only full wheels. Read more

M5 and M8 Hedgerow Cutter (type 2) 1/48 Art.no. Scale Barcode 129-P48032 1/48 8595593133164 In the days following the invasion in June 1944, the Normandy countryside proved to be difficult for tanks to get across due to thick bushes separating the fields, known as ‘Bocage’. In the field workshops, American and some British tanks were therefore fitted with bush cutters that allowed them to pass through. These cutters were made and welded from the most readily available materials, German anti-tank obstacles, Czech-made so called hedgehogs in several different variants. We have prepared a 3D printed cutter for the Tamiya M5 Stuart and M8 Howitzer kits, as these cutters are missing from the Tamiya kit parts. Read more

M5 and M8 Head Light and Periscope Guards (4 pcs) 1/48 Art.no. Scale Barcode 129-P48033 1/48 8595593133171 The M5 Stuart tanks or the self-propelled M8 howitzers based on the same chassis very often had their periscopes protected by welded-rod guards. And as it is almost impossible to have such guards made from injected styrene and those from etches do no look quite right, we have for you3D printed ones now which can be used on your Tamiya kit. Read more

WWII British Tank Smoke Grenade Launchers 1/48 (4 pcs) Art.no. Scale Barcode 129-P48034 1/48 8595593133188 British Smoke Grenade Launchers of rather characteristic shape are now replicated using a 3D printer. These launchers were used on British tanks as well as on many other vehicles. Read more

Renard R.31 ‘Belgian Reconnaissance Plane’ 1/48 Art.no. Scale Barcode 129-PLT286 1/48 8595593133058 Belgian observation high-wing aircraft, whose service ended with the Wehrmacht attack on Belgium. It is the only type of aircraft of Belgian design that did fight in World War II. Virtually all the machines were destroyed in defensive battles. The main parts are resin cast and come with a set of 3D printed parts. Decals are offered for  machines of the 9th escadrille and the 11th escadrille. Both units used the Sioux head as their unit emblem, one against a blue background, while the other one had red background. Read more