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Short Sunderland Mk.V 'Fighting Commies in Europe and the Far East' (SH72162) 1:72 Special Hobby The Sunderland was developed by Short Brothers to an RAF requirement R.2/33 for a long range general purpose flying boat. It is thought Shorts took their work on Imperial Flying Boats to design the Sunderland, however the RAF requirement was released before the Imperial Airways requirements, and Short's decided to pursue both at the same time. The Sunderland would be a large four engined flying boat with both defensive and offensive armaments. The large wings with would mount 4 Bristol Pegasus engine were able to hold 200 Gallons of fuel giving the aircraft a 14 hour range. For defence initially four guns were mounted in a rear turret, two guns in the nose turret, and two guns on each beam. Later a dorsal turret would be added. Offensive weapons were carried internally and winched out under the wings through doors in the aircrafts sides. Later aircraft would also gain 4 fixed forward firing machine guns. German pilots nicknames the Sunderland the flying porcupine and there are numerous cases of Sunderland fighting off superior numbers off attacking aircraft. Radar fitted to these flying boats enabled them to become accomplished submarine hunters. Production shifted to the Mark III in December of 1941. This had a changed hull to improve seaworthiness. With 461 built this was the most numerous mark. Due to concern about increasing weights and the subsequent lack of engine power the Mk.V. In Australia Sunderland crews suggested that the Pegasus engines be replaced by Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp engines. as these were already in use on Catalinas and Dakotas. Initally Two Mark IIIs were taken off the production lines in early 1944 and fitted with the American engines. Trials were conducted in early 1944 and the conversion proved all that was expected. Along with the new engines Hamilton Hydromatic constant-speed fully feathering propellers provided greater performance. Also a Twin Wasp Sunderland could stay airborne if two engines were knocked out on the same wing while. Production was switched to the Twin Wasp version and the first Mark V reached operational units in February 1945. Defensive armament fits were similar to those of the Mark III, but the Mark V was equipped with new centimetric ASV Mark VI C radar that had been used on some of the last production Mark IIIs as well. A total of 155 Sunderland Mark Vs were built with another 33 Mark IIIs converted to Mark, more were planned but the end of the war led to the cancellation of these orders. The Kit This is a new boxing of Special Hobby's new tool Mark V from 2019, now re-released. The parts breakdown on the spures would also indicate other earlier marks are planed as well. This is an impressive kit with good quality large mouldings and a full interior. Construction starts in the cockpit. The instrument panel and pilots seats are built up onto the deck with the control columns being added. The cockpit bulkhead goes in and there is an additional seat to fit on the bulkhead. At the other side what appears to be the navigators position goes in. The lower deck under the cockpit then is assembled with its bunk areas for crew rest on those long flights. The next stage is to build up the weapons carriers and the rails which winch them out under the wings. 8 bombs are provided. The top and main decks can then be joined and the weapons section added to the rear of this sub-assembly. To the front is added the mooring deck/access to the front turret with a realistic grating effect to the floor, Additional parts can now be added inside both main fuselage halves before you can think about closing them up around the main internal section. The modeller can have the weapons windows open or closed but this needs to be done now as they swing inwards. At the rear of the main cabin the gunners position and access to the top turret parts need then to be added. At the bow the anchor needs to go in. Only once all this is done can the fuselage be closed up. The exterior now needs to be looked at, The main top insert for the turret goes in, then underneath the hull step part is added. Both of these being inserts to allow for the different marks to be kitted. At the rear the vertical fin and separate rudder go on, then the tailplanes, here the moving surfaces are moulded in. The main wings go on next. These are conventional left/right upper/lower surfaces; again the moveable surfaces are moulded in. The wings have large tabs which slot into the fuselage which should help then fit on correctly and not droop over time. If you opted for the bombs slung out under the wings now is the time to add the racks there. We are now on the finishing straight. Still on the main wing the four engines are assembled, and added on. The two main wing floats then go on. Next up its the gun turrets. All these are fitted from the outside which is a great help when it comes to masking and painting them as separate items. The front turret can be mounted slid back for mooring or in its forward position. The front boarding door can also be open as all the structure behind it is in place. The props and exhausts go on here. The last step is to attach all of the external aerials. Given there are four on the top, eight on each side; and two on the wings it's probably better left until after painting! If wanted by the modeller then beaching gear is provided for the aircraft. Clear Parts These are of the same excellent quality as the other kit parts, and again it can be seen there are parts for other marks on the clear spure. Markings The decals are printed by Cartograf so that guarantees there will be no issues with them. A generous four aircraft can be modelled using the kit decals, SV566/Z - No. 209 Sqn RAF, Seletar, Singapore 1951-53 Flown by Distinguished Czech Pilot Vaclav Bergman. S.50.4 French Naval Aviation, Lanveco-Poulmic 1951 NJ177/V - No. 209 Sqn RAF, Seletar, Singapore 1953 PP117/4X-W - No.203 Sqn RAF, Detached to Finenwerde, Hamburgh British Zone Of Germany, 1948. This aircraft participated in the Berlin Airlift carrying mainly coal and salt. Conclusion This is great new tool of an important though often overlooked aircraft for the RAF. The kit is very detailed indie and out. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Tempest Bomb Racks with 500lb & 1000lb Bombs (4442 & 4443 for Eduard/Special Hobby) 1:48 CMK by Special Hobby The WWII Hawker Tempest was a capable fighter with power to spare, so that it could become a fighter bomber by the addition of a pair of stubby pylons, one under each wing to which the bombs were lashed, with sway-braces keeping the bombs steady during flight. It was able to carry either two 500lb or 1000lb bombs, which is the aim of this pair of sets from CMK. Arriving in their usual blister pack with instructions and card header keeping the parts inside, each set contains resin parts for two bombs, plus a small fret of Photo-Etch (PE) separated from the resin by a sheet of clear acetate. Both sets are broadly similar to build, with one exception. The larger bombs have separate fuses in their nose. Otherwise, it’s a case of removing all the parts from their casting blocks, adding the sway braces to the pylons, which are handed with L & R next to each other on the block, then adding the four PE stabilising vanes, spinner on the rear, and surrounding the PE vanes with the tubular outer fin. A scrap diagram shows the correct location for the pylons, and as mentioned the larger bombs have a short fuse inserted into a depression in the nose. Bomb Racks & 500lb Bombs (4442) Bomb Racks & 1000lb Bombs (4443) Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

15cm TbtsK C/36 WWII German Atlantic Wall Gun (MV126) 1:72 CMK by Special Hobby This 15cm gun was originally designed for a range of new destroyers commissioned by the German Navy, but their weight caused some issues that often led to a turret being removed and another replaced by the C/38 twin gun in order to keep the barrel count the same. This left a number of “spare” turrets that eventually found their way to form part of the supposedly impenetrable Atlantic Wall that was the purview of Erwin Rommel in the run up to the inevitable invasion by the Allied forces. Because they didn’t yet know the location of the impending attack, the wall was stretched thin along most of the northern French coat, and up as far as Norway. These guns were mounted upon a concrete casemate that kept them stable and able to rotate as necessary to engage targets. The gun has a splinter shield on the front, sides and roof, but with an open rear that could mean a cold post if you were unlucky enough to be assigned to one during the winter. There were two sighting hatches at the front, and four inspect covers around the bottom of the shield to inspect the powerful electric motors used for traversing the assembly. Needless to say, many of these guns were pummelled into extinction by the Allied invasion force from offshore, overhead, and from behind once the troops reached the shores. The Kit This is a rebox from Special Hobby via their Planet Models brand, and it arrives in a small white cardboard box with the front adorned with a large sticker that shows you what’s inside in the shape of a number of 3D renderings. Inside are seventy-one resin parts on a number of casting blocks, a small fret of Photo-Etch (PE) parts, and the A5 folded instruction booklet. Detail is excellent, although a few parts had come off their blocks in transit on my example, and a tiny bicycle-style seat had gone missing somewhere along the line. Check your kit when it arrives, just in case. Construction begins with the breech, which is exceptionally well detailed, fitting a toothed wheel at the base, and then adding the working floor, aiming and elevation gear to the sides, and a set of two triangular supports for the foot-plates. The turret shroud has the majority of its apertures flashed over, and the trailing edge needs the moulding attachment points sanding away, after which the various doors and hatches are installed along with their supports. The shroud is then slid over the internals and glued in place. The cylindrical base attaches to the underside, and the big barrel tube can then be super glued into the breech through the front to complete the job. A number of scrap diagrams show how the model inside the shroud should look once built, so you have one last chance to check your work before you get too far. The back two pages of the instructions are covered with adverts for recent releases. Conclusion A very unusual model that might not otherwise have been made in this scale, although the contents of the box could have been protected a little better to prevent damage to parts. My sample had a few styrene peanuts in the box, but maybe a few more were needed. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Hi This is my finished Tempest MkII from Special Hobby at 1/48th I choosed the Pakistani scheme for his colorful who change from the classical temperate scheme I painted the serial and nationality marks The kit is a pleasure to build and has no problem except the light transparent piece who are too big and need to sand it. Some others pics at this address Hawker Tempest MkII

P-39 Airacobra Wheels (4441 for Hasegawa or Eduard) 1:48 CMK by Special Hobby Kit wheels are generally moulded in two halves, which means you have the resultant joins to deal with, possible mould-slip issues on single part wheels, and sometimes less than stellar detail due to the moulding limitations of styrene injection technology, especially in the tread department. That's where replacement resin wheels come in, with their lack of seamline and superior detail making a compelling argument. They are also usually available at a reasonable price, and can be an easy introduction to aftermarket and resin handling, as they are usually a drop-in replacement. This set arrives in Special Hobby’s yellow themed blister pack, with a header card and the instructions forming the slot-in back to the package, and holding the resin in place within the blister, using a sheet of clear acetate to separate the Photo-Etch (PE) parts to the rear. Inside are two main wheels and a choice of two types of nose wheels, plus two front hubs for the main wheels, with all but the hubs on separate casting blocks. The PE parts are caps for the narrow-tyred nose wheel, covering up all that nice detail. All the wheels are attached to their casting blocks at their flat-spots where the tyre is slightly deformed to give the impression of the weight of the aircraft on its undercarriage, so clean-up will be simple, and after a wash in warm soapy water, they’re drop-in replacements for the kit parts. The interior of the main wheels and the outer hubs should be painted first, then the hubs can be glued in place after a little bit of weathering to bring out the details that will be seen through the spokes, which should have the flash removed with a sharp blade or awl before use. The balloon tyre equipped tyre is simply dropped in between the two arms of the yoke, while the shallow tyre just needs the PE covers adding with a dab of super glue (CA). Conclusion Once painted, they will give a much better impression of realism than any kit wheels, raising the level of detail for a comparatively small outlay in time and beer tokens. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Hi All, My next project will be Special Hobby's Albacore Mk.II. I built Tamiya's mighty Swordfish last year and had another biplane itch, so what better than the Stringbag's replacement to scratch it ?! (ICM's 1:32 Gladiator almost got the gig, but I fancied an FAA build!) Here's the box art: You can see that an Operation Torch aircraft is one of the schemes included - here's all three options: I'm not sure that any of those schemes really float my boat - more on that later. Here's the sprue shots: All usual SH fare, with their hard mid-grey plastic and what looks to be good surface detail. Here's the decals, PE and instrument panel film: All look to be nicely done. Here's the resin components for the engine, machine gun and other assorted bits & pieces: Finally to the ordnance. This kit is supplied without a torpedo, but fortunately I did not use the tin fish from my Swordfish build, so here it is in all its glory: That will do nicely! As to the scheme, I'm rather tempted to have a go at a TSS/Night combination such as this one, X8942 of 828 Sqn FAA, based at Hal Far in 1942. There are a few nice photos of aircraft in similar schemes: All show a significant amount of wear, which I shall attempt to replicate. So, on with the build! Thanks for looking, Roger

Hello friends, The Aichi E16A1 was a seaplane that the Imperial Japanese Navy used on their battleships in a reconnaissance role in 1944-45 and were also active in the Japanese defense of the Philippines from their seaplane bases. The design included the unusual feature of dive brakes on the forward float struts, allowing it to double as a dive bomber. This kit had very light surface detail, some of which I could not preserve, but I think there is enough to keep visual interest. I used the good old sponge chipping method to portray the late war Japanese paint that was so susceptible to flaking from exposure to the sun and salt air. The resin engine was a little work of art and it's a shame it is not really visible. I used a lot of filler on the seams - a typical short run kit from 1999. Thanks for looking, and enjoy!

I thought it might be better to start a new forum topic rather than keep cluttering up the original post regarding converting the 1/72 Monogram/Revell F-82G into a P-82B. I recall reading and saving an article several years ago that compared both kits and illustrated the corrections need to make the Monogram kit into an accurate P-82B. For the life of me, I couldn't find it, and after a frantic and exhaustive search thru the bazillion kit review/build article file folders on my hard drive, I located it! Eureka! (That's french for "I'll be d---ed!") The builder seems to have his information correct. I hope this article will be useful to thsoe of you wanted a Merlin-powered P-82B in 1/72 scale. Mike https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/72nd_aircraft/f-82g-t8972.html

Hi there Here are some pictures of my 1/72 Seafang recently completed. A number of changes were made to the AZ plastic parts in the kit. The following parts were stolen from. Special Hobby Seafire FR 47: Spinner and propellers, spinner tip shortened by 2 mm Cylinder head covers Carburetter intake Complete tail section and tail wheel SBS exhausts and cannons were used as well as Barracuda Resin wheels Plastic card undercarriage doors were made. Decals came from Modeldecal. And here are 2 pictures with the Seafang and an Airfix Mk 1 Spitfire I built at the same time. Regards Toby PS There is a build thread as well but my linking skills are not too good.

Supermarine Sea Otter Mk.I, FAA, Maryborough, Australia, June 1945 Sea Otter was the successor to Walrus and entered service late in WW2. It was the last bi-plane type to enter service in RAF or FAA - but it still rescued airmen in the 1950 for example in the Korean war. Kit: Special Hobby 1/72 Supermarine Sea Otter Mk.I 'WWII Service' (SH72429) Scale: 1/72 Paints: Hataka Red Line Weathering: Flory Models, Vallejo, Tamiya & Ammo Mig Rewarding but challenging little kit by Special Hobby (originally Azur). Wing construction was the challenging part, other than that it was very nice kit - but packed with lots of tiny PE and resin bits which could be quite fiddly. I also added some details of my own like the railings and rope which are lead wire. Rigging (my first) done with rubber wire found from an undisclosed source. Painted with Hataka acrylics and weathered using Flory wash and different enamel and acrylic based weathering products. WIP:

This is such a great GB topic with so many subjects to choose from, and so many fascinating builds to watch! For a long time I was going to build the Airfix Blackburn Buccaneer S.2C, there were a couple of other options in my small (but growing!) stash that were great candidates, in particular my prized Hasegawa F-111C (which was a gift from my brother), then there was more than few hours browsing online (ooh, Hasegawa B-47, argh Italeri B-58, hmm Airfix Wellington...). But today, I have landed on this - the Special Hobby A-20/DB-7 Havoc/Boston "Early Gunships". I am currently in Melbourne with the family on holiday (bit weird to be travelling during the peak of the Omircon COVID wave, but that's a topic of discussion for another day!). Only 10 minutes from where we are staying there is a little hobby shop called "Gundams Plus" - turns out the "Plus" is a quite extensive collection of aircraft model kits, and amongst its many treasures was this. My aviation interests are pretty broad but I've always had a particular soft spot for WW2 twin-engine attack and light bomber aircraft, the Havoc/Boston among them. So here's my project for this GB, a rather detailed looking little beast, complete with included resin engine cowls and machine gun barrels for the nose. For my experience and skill level this looks like a good challenge - look at that tiny control yoke! And look at those spindly main undercarriage support struts (?)... Will build it up as RAAF Boston III A28-9 'She's Apples" using the kit decals. Hat tip to BMer @Sydhuey who has posted a number of times on the colour schemes and history of operations of RAAF Bostons, proving an excellent source of reference information. I won't make a proper start on this until March I don't think. I need to finish my Hornet plus I've picked up a few Matchboxes to build too. But I did want to set out my stall in this GB as I'm keen to be involved! And hopefully, she'll be apples! Cheers, Gerard

Hello all, here’s the first one finished from the shed this year, the Special Hobby (Ex MPM) boxing of the HA-220 Super Saeta. Following the end of WW2 Willi Messerschmitt emigrated from Germany, eventually settling in Francoist Spain where he was employed at the Hispano Aviacion works. There he played a major part in the design of the Saeta HA-200 trainer which was the basis of the HA-220 close support aircraft. This variant had uprated engines, pylons for external stores, gun pods and where the rear seat used to be an extra fuel tank. Although only in service for 10 years with the Spanish Airforce the HA-220 saw active service during the Polisario uprisings in the Western Sahara. The type was retired from service in 1981. The kit differs from the original MPM kit in that it has extra resin and photo etch parts along with an injection moulded canopy. The plastic parts are still short run style and were re scribed as the engraved lines were almost non-existent. Also due to a poor moulding I had to replace the strake on the nose with plastic card. I made the aerials and probes under the nose from scratch and shortened the overly long U/C legs. It’s finished with Xtracolor enamels and varnishes with a little weathering and panel lining. The decals were excellent. I enjoyed making this little aeroplane, its about the size of a JP, and I am pleased with the way it turned out. So onto the pictures. Hope you like it, thanks for looking. Pete

DH Chipmunk T.10 Main Wheels (Q48397 for Airfix) 1:48 CMK by Special Hobby Kit wheels are generally in two halves, which means you have the resultant joins to deal with, possible mould-slip issues on single part wheels, and sometimes less than stellar detail due to the moulding limitations of styrene injection technology, especially in the tread department. That's where replacement resin wheels come in, with their lack of seamline and superior detail making a compelling argument. They are also usually available at a reasonable price, and can be an easy introduction to aftermarket and resin handling, as they are usually a drop-in replacement. This set from CMK’s Quick & Easy line is exactly that, and arrives in a flat-pack plastic bag with header card and instructions stapled to it, holding the two replacement resin wheels on one casting block. Detail is exceptional, and includes the raised manufacturer name and tyre stats on the sidewalls, a circumferential tread on the contact patch, and hub detail in the centre, including brakes on the inner side. The tyres have a slight sag to imply the weight of the aircraft on them, and they are joined to the casting block there, so clean-up is simple and you don’t risk damaging the detail. Once liberated from their block, they are a drop-in replacement. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

In 2022, Special Hobby is to re-release its 1/48th Breda Ba.65 Nibbio kit - ref. SH48053 Source: https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/SH48053 V.P.

In 2022, Special Hobby is to re-release its 1/72nd Sikorsky CH-37 Mojave kit - ref. SH72075 Source: https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/SH72075 V.P.

Special Hobby is to re-release in Autumn 2022 the MPM/Xtrakit (link) 1/72nd de Havilland DH.110 Sea Vixen FAW.1/.2 kit - ref. SH72336 Source: https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/SH72336 V.P.

In Autumn 2022, Special Hobby is to release a new tool 1/72nd Curtiss-Wright CW-21 Demon - ref. SH72436 Source: https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/SH72436 V.P.

In Autumn 2022, Special Hobby is to release a 1/48th Potez 631 kit - ref. SH48221 Surprisingly announced as new tool in the Hannants eshop and not just a rebox from the AZUR kit. To be confirmed. Source: https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/SH48221 V.P.

In (June?) 2022 Special Hobby is to release a 1/72nd Aero Ab-11 - L-BUCD "Blue bird" on a long flight over Europe, Africa and Asia - kit - ref. SH72471 Source: https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/SH72471 V.P.

Special Hobby is to release a 1/32nd Mansyū Ki-79 "Japanese Trainer" - ref. SH32084 Source: https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/SH32084 V.P.

Special Hobby is to release new tool 1/72nd Lockheed Hudson Mk.IV/V/VI kit - ref. SH72425 Sources: https://www.specialhobby.info/2022/01/news-from-special-hobby-012021.html https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/SH72425 V.P.

After the 2021 newsletters (link), here's the first one from SH for 2022. Newsletter January 2022 https://www.specialhobby.info/2022/01/news-from-special-hobby-012021.html "Our list of models scheduled for this year’s release is in the attachment to this Newsletter." ??? No attachment to the online newsletter ? Anybody has it ? V.P.

Hi all For the new year and the finish of a model, it's time to start a new kit This time I choosed to exit from my stach the Hawker Tempest MkII of Special Hobby at 1/48th scale Special Hobby realised a kit with the Eduard collaboration. The first box come from Special Hobby with the add of wheels and the engine in resin parts. Eduard realised two boxs a little futher later but with no add resin parts The Special Hobby box propose different schemes. Some for English plane, one for a Indian plane in aluminium color and one for a Pakistani plane in brown scheme I choosed the Pakistani color scheme

After the 1/72nd kit (link), Special Hobby is to release a 1/48th Bugatti-De Monge 100P racer kit - ref. SH48219 Sources: https://www.specialhobby.net/2022/01/sh48212-siebel-si-204e-148-frezujeme.html https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/SH48219 V.P.

Hi All, My first completion for 2022 is Special Hobby's 1:48 Blackburn Skua. The model was completed as L2963 of 803 Sqn FAA, pilot Lt C H Filmer, TAG Midn T A Mckee DSC, flying from HMS Ark Royal. The aircraft was shot down during the raid on the Scharnhorst on 13th July 1940, and force landed near Trondheim with both crew being taken as PoWs. The aircraft was recovered by German forces, and several good photos of the aircraft therefore exist (copyright Michael Balss - images used for discussion only and will be removed on request). There are a couple of notable things about the scheme: - The non-standard centre to the fuselage roundels - The interesting personal marking by the cockpit, which shows an arm in naval uniform firing a Luger at a wasp with a human Hitler head (of course) - The propeller is finished with an aluminium front and black rear Here's the scheme as presented by SH: I have replicated the non-standard fuselage roundels, but chose to use standard 'B' type roundels on the wings instead of the 'A' type provided, as I felt these would be more appropriate(due to their small size I used 1:72 wing roundels from a Wildcat, which were the perfect size ). I also retained the black & white underside, although there had been an Admiralty order around this time to overpaint the underside in Sky (invoking Modeller Rule #1 - it's my model and I shall do as I wish!) The kit as presented has a couple of inaccuracies, some of which I chose to correct (some of which I learned about too late!). In no particular order: - The underside cavity for the bomb is the wrong shape - it should be rectangular, rather than the 'lozenge' shape presented. - This aircraft should only have a landing light on the port wing, rather than both (this was serial number dependent) As I had applied primer before I was aware of these inaccuracies, I chose to let them lie. I did however make a number of additions which hopefully have improved the end result: - Scratch built the rear bulkhead in the TAG position - Boxed in the landing lights and added lamps - Added wingtip formation lights using clear sprue - Scratch built the distinctive bomb release crutch using plastic rod - Drilled wingtip hand holds - Modified the main undercarriage legs to emulate the distinctive vertical stance - Added non-slip walkways to both wing roots - Changed the a/c code letter on the tail from black to blue, as was standard FAA practice at this time Here's the WIP if anyone is interested: I've thoroughly enjoyed learning about this unusual type, and the quality of the build has been helped immensely by several contributors, including @iang, @mick b, @Grey Beema, and @Heather Kay - thank you all very much for your advice and contribution. Anyway, enough waffle and on with the photos! Finally (and just to illustrate scale, you understand ), I took a couple of shots with FAA contemporaries the Fairey Swordfish and Vought Chesapeake (one of which was a lumbering old dog, and the other was a Swordfish 🤣): I've very much enjoyed building this most unusual of aircraft, and learning more about its significant contribution in the dark early days of the war. The desire to build a companion Blackburn Roc has significantly increased, as it would be rather rude not to! Thanks for looking, Roger