Special Hobby EN

Today we have begun packaging the SB2C-5 Helldiver "The Final Version" (kit cat.no. SH72350) so that the distribution of the model may begin shortly. The Helldiver kits will also accompany the other models already prepared for the 2017 Modellbrno event (taking place 16-17 June 2017). The photos below show you not only the kit’s box content but also several behind-the-scene looks from our packaging department, the colleagues there obviously suffering from kind of Helldiver-fever. Having the camera with me, I crossed over our yard and headed to the toolworks where the tooling blocks of 1/48 L-39 Albatros clear parts and 1/48 Si 204 fuselages are being worked on. Unlike the 1/72 Helldiver, Fulmar, Š.328v and 1/32 Tempest kits, we are not able now to promise that the L-39 clear canopy parts become available in time for the Modellbrno.                     starting point...   ...

Earlier today our tool making colleagues trialed a moulding tool for 1/72 Helldiver and 1/72 and 1/48 Lloyds. There are still some finishing touches to be done to the mould so as to prevent short shot on some parts (eg Lloyd struts) and flash on others. We also began producing the very last sprue to come to the Gamma 2E kit which is designed for our partner, Azur/Frrom from France. This model will offer three Chinese scheme options and one British. We will have only very limited amount of this release available for our local customers.          

Our upcoming Helldiver release will contain four different marking options, one French machine that saw action over Dien Bien Phu in Viet Nam, an American machine fighting during the closing stages of WW2, a Greek machine used agains ELAS (Greek communist insurgents) and also one Italian aircraft. The decal sheet caters rather meticulously also for the plentiful stencils seen on the Helldiver. Some modellers may welcome the option of a separate French anchor marking printed in the smaller sheet enabling them to spray paint the Helldiver rudder rather than apply a huge tricolour decal. For this Dash Five version, a special clear sprue has also been prepared here at SH containing a different style of the sliding canopy section. Do not pay attention to those two smaller flat windows meant to be used with different version.  

The Dash Five version of the famous WW2 dive bomber, the Helldiver is to be one of our Spring 2017 new releases. The kit is based on ex-Academy plastic parts being accompanied by a set of new plastic and resin parts enabling the modeller to build the final production version. The resin parts have already been finished, now we are focusing on the metal mould for the plastic details mould common also for Lloyd C.V kits in both scales most complex parts - bomb bay doors, enlarged on SB2C-5