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Hi All, My next build will be Special Hobby's Douglas Boston Mk.III Intruder. Here's the box art: Here's the sprue shots: The decals look nicely in register: There's a small PE fret: I'm going to model this as AL468 of 418 'City of Edmonton' Sqn, RCAF, based at RAF Bradwell Bay, December 1942 to June 1943. 418 had the highest kill tally of any squadron within the RCAF. Their hazardous Intruder missions were flown deep into enemy territory at low level, in order to engage night fighters taking off or landing at their home bases, all without the benefit of radar - brave men indeed. Here's the scheme: I cannot find any photos of AL468, but I am dubious as to the accuracy of this scheme. SH call out OG & DG over night, whereas I would have thought it would be in the standard night fighter scheme of MSG/DG over Night - I have asked the hive mind for clarification. In researching this kit I have found that there is potentially a nasty step between the fuselage & glazing, so I thought I'd investigate this early, so I could be prepared to shim the fuselage: Although there's a very slight step, it's nothing to write home about - maybe I got lucky? (or maybe the fuselage will push out with the interior in place - I shall proceed with caution). I'm off to start chucking primer around, so watch this space! Thanks for looking, Roger

Hi folks. Started this at a recent model show, an Me 209V1 by Special Hobby in 1/72. According to the blurb, it held the world speed record of 755.14 km/h (469.22 mph) in April 1939. Usual stuff... Pretty box art. Looks like some nice plastic...still no location pins. Instructions, decals, glazing and a teeny-weeny bit of resin(?) Let's see how this goes. Stuart

Hi here’s one I finished a little while ago. Nice kit

Long time listener, first time caller, as they say. I haven't seen many builds of Special Hobby's 1/72 Ki-54 Hei/Hickory here, so I thought I might share my just-completed version. I consider myself an enthusiastic novice when it comes to modeling, having gotten back in the hobby about three years ago after a very long hiatus from my well-distant grade school days. The build was mostly pleasant, and errors are broadly mine rather than the kit's. I'm still trying to get the hang of CA/superglue seam sealing, and I left a few marks that only became clear when I was much further along with the project. Lessons learned for the next build. The fuselage window clear parts were somewhat larger than the corresponding openings, and sanding the windows to fit quickly turned them from nicely rounded rectangles to, well, non-polygonal forms. Discretion, valor, and all that, so I stuck them in, admittedly haphazardly, before they got worse. My story is that the passengers on the last flight didn't close the windows tightly and I'm sticking to it . . . I did need to put a small styrene shim in to close up the join between the wing and fuselage on one side, and I had to build boxes for the wing lights out of sheet styrene to prevent them from falling into the wings. The wheel well/interior gear assembly does not bear mentioning -- it sees several tiny parts coming together mostly blind with far more accuracy than I'm able to muster. I chose an overall grey-green scheme, the aircraft on the box cover that was later salvaged from a lake. I used this build to experiment with black basing, so I laid down Mr. Finishing Surfacer 1500 Black as a primer coat and then did a mottle/marble with heavily thinned Mr. Color C128 Grey Green at 10psi or so through a 0.2mm nozzle, followed by a blend coat of the same. I think the black basing gave the surface enough variety that it doesn't look like a solid block of color. It doesn't show as well in pictures as in person, but it's noticeable enough for my purposes. The black basing definitely took longer than a typical base coat spray job, though -- hours, instead of minutes. The national insignia, wing identification stripes, and white fuselage band were painted on; the only decals are on the tail and rear fuselage for the serial numbers and unit insignia. The decals behaved very nicely and didn't silver at all. I added a panel line wash using a custom light grey oil paint mix and applied Tamiya weathering powders for some engine and exhaust grime. Final dull coat was with Winsor & Newton Acrylic Galeria Matt Varnish. I used the Eduard masks, which fit nicely other than being too small for the wing lights -- happily, a simple fix. Thanks for taking a look. This one should look fine on a shelf, so long as no World War II Japanese transport aircraft experts accidentally stumble into my apartment . . .

Hi All, My next project will be Special Hobby's 1:72 Sunderland Mk.III - oh boy (or should that be 'Oh Buoy'? 🤣). I've long loved the Sunderland - it's just such an interesting aircraft, with a variety of novel features not found on other types, such as the retractable bomb racks, the sliding front turret, and generally the fact that it's a mahoosive bl**dy flying boat. Inspired by @AliGauld's lovely Mk.V build (still in progress at the time of writing), I had to give it a crack! This will also be my second Short Brothers build, after I completed the 1:72 Italeri Stirling Mk.I earlier this year. I decided on the Mk.III as this was the prevalent Sunderland mark, and the one which undertook the brunt of the fighting in the Battle of the Atlantic. This is the SH boxart: Here's the sprue shots: Lawks - that's a lot of styrene! The boxing allows for 4 schemes - 2 RAAF, 1 RCAF and one Free French. Well, it had to be RAAF, so based on the fact that it also had to be DSG/EDSG over White I have chosen to complete as this aircraft - EJ134 'N for Nuts' of 461Sqn RAAF, based at RAF Pembroke Dock in 1943: Now the reason for the title 'The Flying Porcupine' is the Sunderland's exceptional ability to defend itself. 'N-Nuts' was a prime example of this capability, shown during an incident on 2nd June 1943, when she was attacked by no less than 8 Ju88s over the Bay of Biscay. During a protracted battle the crew of EJ134 destroyed 3 of the Ju88s, severely damaging another 2. EJ134 also sustained significant damage as well as several of the crew being severely injured. However, the crew nursed the damaged aircraft back to the Cornish coast without incident and eventually beached the aircraft on Praa Sands. There is an extensive account of the battle on the 'Aircrew Remembered' website - it is compelling reading: http://aircrewremembered.com/walker-colin.html Although I cannot find a picture of EJ134, there are some very evocative photos of 461 Sqn Sunderlands at Pembroke Dock - both of these are copyright Australian War Memorial (for discussion only and will be removed on request): Both of the following show 461 Sqn aircraft, and are copyright Aircrew Remembered (for discussion only and will be removed on request): The last two shots clearly show use of the beaching gear - as this is included in the kit I'll surely make use of this, and will also be attempting to replicate the heavy level of wear on these beautiful beasts. The build will be OOB with the addition of a set of Montex masks for the extensive glazing. I shall gird my loins as I think this may be a bit of a rollercoaster! Thanks for looking, Roger

Lancaster Mk.I/III Mainwheels & Tail-Wheel (7499) 1:72 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 arrives in CMK’s usual yellow-themed blister pack, with the resin parts inside the clear front, and the instructions held between the plastic and the card header. Inside are two main wheels in grey resin with two separate hubs each, plus a tail-wheel with its strut, the latter in tougher black resin. They’re suitable for any and all 1:72 Lancs, and are a drop-in replacement once you have them released from their casting blocks. There is a very light weighting to the tyres that is sited where they are attached to their casting blocks, which makes clean-up simple, and the tail-wheel strut can be trimmed to length as needed, unless you would prefer to use the kit part if it’s suitable. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Special Hobby is to release in 2020 1/48th Reggiane Re.2000 Falco kits - ref. SH48204 - Reggiane Re.2000 Falco - Serie 1 - released https://www.specialhobby.eu/en/our-own-production/special-hobby/reggiane-re-2000-i-serie.html - ref. SH48205 - Reggiane Re.2000GA Falco - Serie 3 - released https://www.specialhobby.eu/en/our-own-production/special-hobby/reggiane-re-2000ga-serie-iii-1-48.html - ref. SH48208 - Reggiane J-20 Héja I - "Re 2000 Falco Export Birds" - released https://www.specialhobby.eu/en/our-own-production/special-hobby/j-20-heja-i-re-2000-export-1-1-1-1-birds.html Source: http://www.specialhobby.info/2019/09/news-from-special-hobby-102019.html?m=1 V.P.

Sd.Kfz.250 Captured ‘alte Ausführung’ (SA72027) 1:72 Special Armour by Special Hobby The Sd.kfz 250 was a light armoured halftrack similar in appearance to the Hanomag Sd.Kfz.251/1. Both were a mainstay of the German armoured Personnel Carrier fleet, but were flexible enough to also take up many other tasks. With two steerable wheels at the front, the rear was carried on tracks, giving it good clearance and rough ground capabilities that a truck simply could not manage once the going got tough. It was armoured sufficiently to deflect non-armour piercing rounds from small arms fire, but with an open top it was susceptible to both grenades and plunging fire, where the armour would concentrate the blast inside to the detriment of the occupants. Almost 6,000 examples were produced between 1940 and the end of WWII, and the vehicle was in service in time for the invasion of France, serving in most theatres in which the Wehrmacht fought to the bitter end. Fifteen official variants were produced, including ammunition carriers to support StuG batteries and signals cars that were equipped with radio sets. Other variants were equipped with heavy weapons that enabled them to provide infantry support. As a testament to their versatility, usefulness and durability, the type was sometimes reused when captured by Allied forces and insurgents taking back their homeland toward the end of the war, and they were kept in service for some period afterward where needs required. The Kit This is a re-release of the original MK72 kit, As the sprues were originally tooled By Special Hobby in their MPM days. According to the Special Hobby website they now own the moulds, hence its release now under the Special Armour brand. The kit arrives in a small end-opening box with a painting of the vehicle on the front and profiles of the decal options on the rear, with five sprues inside, four in grey, one in sand coloured styrene, plus a decal sheet and instruction booklet. The tooling still looks sharp and the parts count is quite high for what will be a small model in 1:72. Some of the small parts are very fine and will require care removing them from the sprues. The kit represents the earlier 250 before it was replaced by a revised version that was simplified to be easier and cheaper to manufacture. Construction begins with the lower hull, which is made up into a shallow dish from three sections so that the road wheels for the tracked portion of the vehicle can be interleaved behind the drive sprockets, which are both made from two parts each. The tracks are found on the sand-coloured sprue, and are shortened by five links to fit the chassis, as shown in the accompanying scrap diagram, and here a little heat judiciously applied might be wise to help the styrene wrap around the sprockets at the ends. The front wheels are each made from two halves, and these are fixed to the steering axle that is made up from six parts, with a wheel on each end. The crew compartments are made up next, starting with the driver’s compartment, which has much of the detail moulded into the floor, plus a dashboard with steering column and wheel, joined by two seat backs, control levers and stowage boxes. The rear compartment is tread-plated in the lowest areas, and fixes to the back of the drivers’ section, with an additional seat and a two-door cabinet at the rear, plus a stack of double drum mags for the machine gun behind the chair. The sloping centre sections of the body sides are glued in place on the lower hull, adding a pair of towing hooks at the front, and the fenders with stowage boxes and pioneer tools moulded into the surface, the latter also able to be removed with a knife and sanded back if you choose. The upper hull is moulded as a single part, and is fixed on top of the centre section along with the rear bulkhead and a fold-down platform that stows near vertically in the left side. The front armoured radiator cover, bumper, stowage doors, and crew compartment vision slots are all fixed to the front, and a door, towing hitch, convoy light and radio antenna are added to the rear to complete the majority of the structural work. There is a choice of slotted or open-fronted headlamps, width indicator lollipops and a pair of upstands on the fenders, then the remaining parts are used to fit either a shallow or deep mounting plate for the gun, which isn’t your standard MG34 or 42. This is built up on a mount with two styles of splinter shield parts, and a pair of aiming wheels that glue onto the mount. The gun looks like a small calibre artillery piece with a breech protector on the left, and it is suitable for decal option C in Polish service. A more traditional pintle-mount is supplied for the other two options that installs in the front or rear of the crew compartment, using one of the two MG34s that can be found on the sprues. Incidentally, there are a number of spare small arms on the sprues if you wish to use them. Markings There are three choices on the small decal sheet, all captured vehicles in the service of various operators. From the box you can build one of the following: ‘Small Caterpillar’ insurgent Unit Prague-Zizkov, 8th May 1945 Vehicle captured by US Army during battle of the Bulge, Bastogne, Belgium, 1944-5 Captured vehicle operated by the troops of 13. Pułk Artylerii Samobieżnej, Ludowe Vojsko Polskie The decals are printed in good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film extending around the printed areas, which should hopefully make the edges easier to hide. Conclusion An interesting reboxing of this standard German halftrack that takes it away from both the Panzer Grey and Dunkelgelb fare that we normally see, although there’s still a little of the latter on display in some of the decal options. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Hi all, just posting an old build because it's still probably my favourite build to this day. The Special Hobby IAF Sa'ar / (Super) Super Mystère in the beautiful blue and brown Israeli scheme, this specific airframe was the first to be fitted with the A-4 Skyhawk engine in 1968-69. The kit was fantastic and the reason I'm such a fan of Special Hobby, my only complaint is that the extended exhaust and bomb racks make it a mega tailsitter and there's nothing in the instructions to warn the builder, but it was nothing some weight up the intake couldn't fix. Thanks for looking in!

Hi all, just a small 1/72 I've recently finished. It's the Special Hobby Mirage F1EQ in the IRIAF scheme. From what I understand Iran's Mirage F1 fleet are all originally Iraqi aircraft which were seized by Iran during the Gulf War as reparations for the Iran/Iraq war. Two were later overhauled and painted in this striking blue/grey scheme to support naval operations. The kit was fantastic, the only fit issue I had was with the nose and the exhaust. Every image of the actual aircraft I've seen had no hardpoints or weapons so I opted for the clean look. The blue paint used was by Vallejo which I've never used before, but I definitely prefer Tamiya if I'm brush painting a scheme like this. Thanks for looking in!

Piaggio P.108B Quadrimotore (SH72406) 1:72 Special Hobby The P.108B as you might have gleaned from the Italian name was a four-engined bomber that saw service with the Italian Air Force during WWII, and it had a similar performance envelope to its Allied equivalents, despite looking perhaps a little odd, especially around the nose. It first flew just before the end of 1939, entering service at around the same time as the British Lancaster in 1941, and showed much promise despite being about twice the cost of the existing bombers in service with the Italian Air Force at the time. When all factors were added up however, the bomb load and lower crew numbers made it a much more palatable proposition, and it won the competition for manufacture. There were other variants of the type considered, but the B was the only one that saw any substantial active service in North Africa and over Gibraltar, although their achievements were far from legendary, with high attrition due to accidents as well as through enemy action. After the Armistice with the Allies, support for the remaining aircraft fell away, and some were sabotaged to stop them from falling into German hands, although if they had, they may well have tied-up many German engineers trying to keep them in service, as was usually their wont. The 108T transport variant carried on to the end of the war in German hands, while the intended replacement for the 108B, the P.133 was never completed. The Kit This is a reboxing with additional parts of a 2004 tooling from Special Hobby after its last outing a few years ago. It arrives in a modest-sized top-opening box that is jammed full with sprues. There are five sprues in grey styrene, a clear sprue, a bag of resin parts, a decal sheet and instruction booklet with colour profiles on the rear pages. The detail is typical of the period of Special Hobby’s output, but time has been very kind to the moulds that still seem to be as crisp as the day they were first created. The clear parts are nicely crafted too, and the resin is the icing on the cake. Construction begins with the cockpit, starting with two seats for the pilots, which have tubular arms at the sides and pencil-rolled back cushions. The seats are placed on raised boxes and are fixed to the floor along with a central console on top of which the instrument panel sits, along with its decal to detail it. The 108B had twin controls, so two columns with yokes are glued in front of the seats, then the completed assembly is inserted into the starboard fuselage half once it has been painted internally and has clear windows and spar added, with a bulkhead and window blanking cover inserted further back, plus another on the port side. The fuselage is closed up once the port side has its windows added, then the elevator fins are made up from top and bottom halves and butt-jointed to the fuselage. Pinning the butt-joints would be a wise move to strengthen the joint here, and don’t forget to install the tail wheel and its strut before closing up the fuselage halves. The 108B has large wings with two engine nacelles per wing. The nacelles are made up first, with the larger inner one consisting of two halves, while the outer nacelle is a single part. The remotely-operated resin turrets are fitted into holes in the top of the outer nacelles along with their twin machine guns, another of the 108B’s oddities. The engines were designed to out-perform those of the opposition’s B-17, and in the kit they are each supplied as a single detailed part on a backplate, which fixes to a ledge in the two-part cowling. The engine mounting fairings are made from a cylindrical section with scallops around the edge, and a tapered section that receives the engine and its cowling. The inner nacelle has an insert slipped in from the front before it is added, for later use with the landing gear parts. The two wings slide over the short spar and are glued in position, allowing plenty of time for the glue to set up, taking care to align them correctly while the glue dries. The front of the fuselage is open at this stage, and once the floor for the bombardier has been inserted, the nose glazing can be glued in, choosing the turreted section or the glazed over parts depending on which decal option you have selected. The canopy is a single part that covers over the cockpit, as the crew enter and leave elsewhere. If you have selected one of the decal options with the nose turret, an additional piece of glazing and a resin gun are added above the main nose section, then an antenna and D/F fairing are positioned behind the cockpit, with two resin and clear styrene domes fitted into holes on the aft section of the cockpit hump above the trailing edge of the wings. This boxing has four resin prop bosses, which receive three styrene blades each, and each one needs a 1mm hole drilled in the rear so they can be fixed to the front of the engines later. More resin is used for the exhausts, with two pipes used per nacelle, giving the modeller a choice of two long hedgehog-style exhausts or shorter curved exhausts depending on the decal option. The outer nacelles have their exhausts on the underside of the cowling due to the presence of the gun turrets on the topside. Under the inner nacelles are the main gear bays, which receive Lancaster-like H-shaped twin struts with angled retraction jacks, plus a pair of bay doors, one on each side. The tyres are each two styrene parts and have a shallow flat-spot to indicate weight of the all-metal airframe compressing the air within. Another clear dome is fitted beneath the fuselage, a small resin intake glues under each engine cowling, then a few antennae are added to the nose while the props are fixed into position on the engines. Markings There are four decal options included on the sheet, with a broad range of colour schemes and even operators to choose from, especially considering there were only 24 made. From the box you can build one of the following: MM22004, Red 1, 274a Sqn. BGR, Regia Aeronautica, Guidonia, Spring 1942 MM22004, Red 1, Sqn. BGR, 2th July 1942 MM24325 of 274a Sqn. BGR, handed to the USAAF, Sept 1943 MM22005, Red 8, 274a Sqn. BGR, Regia Aeronautica, Decimomannu, Sardinia, July 1942 The decals are printed by Eduard and are in good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. You may or may not know that as of 2021, the carrier film from Eduard decals can be coaxed away from the printed part of the decal after they have been applied, effectively rendering them carrier-free, making the decals much thinner and more realistic, and obviating the need to apply successive coats of clear varnish to hide the edges of the film. It’s a great step further in realism from my point of view. Conclusion A welcome re-release of an odd four-engined Italian aircraft that many people may not have heard of before. Now where can I get one in 1:48? Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Lancaster Mk.I/III Exhausts (4449 for HK Models) 1:48 CMK by Special Hobby These eight resin exhausts are simple drop-in replacements for the recent HK Model kit parts, offering finer details and the impression of hollow exhaust tubes with a strake down the centre, and visible weld-lines. They glue directly to the kit-supplied Merlin engines during construction, one per side. Review sample courtesy of

Beaufighter Mk.II Late Conversion Set (7490 for Airfix Mk.X) 1:72 CMK by Special Hobby When Bristol were developing the Beaufighter from their own Beaufort light bomber, there were concerns that the proposed Hercules power plants could be in short supply, as at the time the new Stirling heavy bomber took priority. As a stop-gap measure in case those concerns materialised, the Mk.II Beaufighter was developed to mount a pair of Merlin XX engines in streamlined nacelles that were designed by Rolls-Royce, and bear a family resemblance to the later Lancaster bomber with good reason. Of the 330 airframes built with Merlins on the wings, around a third were lost in accidents due to the aggressive torque steer of the twin Merlins on take-off and landing. Unbelievably, the type was also considered to be underpowered when compared to the Hercules equipped airframes, which is especially confusing when comparing the performance of the Stirling with the Lancaster. The Conversion This is a resin conversion set that is designed to be applied to the Airfix Beaufighter Mk.X kit, and arrives in a large cardboard box that has thirty-six resin parts inside, plus a small Photo-Etch (PE) fret and a decal sheet, all packed into two Ziploc bags and protected by the folded instruction booklet. Some of the resin parts are large, the biggest being the inner wing panels and engine nacelle fairings, which also incorporates the gear bays, both of which are filled with detail, and have panel lines in a style matching those of the kit. Construction begins with removal of the kit’s inner wing panels and the intakes for the oil coolers, which should be sanded back to the profile of the leading edge, filling any depressions where needed. The remaining outer wings are then joined with the resin inners, with a deep plug projecting into the outer panel to give a strong join. The nacelles, their exhaust stubs and PE flash hiders are mated to the bulkheads, with small intakes on the cheeks, and a small upstand at the rear of the nacelle fairing. The props consist of a back-plate, three keyed blades, and hollow spinner that are made up as a pair to be glued to the front of the nacelles after painting. The kit landing gear is made up and inserted into the new bays, taking your cues from the Airfix instructions, then the bays are bracketed by new resin doors, plus an exhaust flap under the engines, set in the open or closed position at your choice, using two PE struts to support them at each side. On my example, the flaps had detached from their casting block, but were otherwise undamaged. The wings have PE radar aerials drilled into the leading edges, with distances from the nacelles given to assist you. Another arrow-shaped antenna is fixed into the centre of the nose cone, and a towel-rail antenna attached to the underside of the fuselage, offset to one side slightly. The last aerial is just behind the astrodome on the fuselage spine, and the last resin parts are the elevators, which are fixed to the fuselage at right-angles to the unfilleted tail fin. Markings There are a generous five markings options on the decal sheet, including day and night schemes. From the box you can build one of the following: Mk.II EW-U/T3048, No.307 (Polish) Sqn. RAF, Exeter, 1942 Mk.II ZJ-M/T3415, No.96 Sqn. RAF, S/L Dickie Haine, Wrexham Base, England, May 1942 Mk.II RX-B/T3017, No.456 Sqn. RAF, S/L Charles G C Olive, CBE DFC, Valley Base, Anglesey, Wales, 1942* Mk.II KP-K/T3145, No.409 (Canadian) Sqn. RAF, Coleby Grange, late 1941 Mk.II, LI-P/T3223 No.798 Sqn. FAA, Lee-on-Solent, 1944 * Note that the instructions have spelt Valley and Anglesey incorrectly. The decals are well-printed, sharp and with good register to allow you to build one of the options above. Conclusion If I was a 1:72 builder I’d be building this right now, as it’s a pretty cool conversion. The resin is well-cast, the build should be relatively easy, and the instructions are comprehensive. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

M35 Armament Subsystem for AH-1G Cobra (5144 for ICM/Revell) 1:32 CMK by Special Hobby ICM’s recent AH-1G Cobra kit in 1:32 has also already been seen in a Revell box, and although it is a good kit, with resin, Photo-Etch (PE) and now 3D Printing, the limitations of injection moulding have been well-and-truly topped, allowing greater detail to be added to kits by aftermarket producers. This set is to upgrade the detail in the M35 armament sub-system for the Cobra, which is a derivative of the M61 Vulcan multi-barrelled minigun, but with shorter barrels, mount and mechanism for remote operation from the cockpit. As usual with CMK's resin sets, they arrive in the familiar clear vacformed box, with the resin parts safely inside, and the yellow-themed instructions sandwiched between the header card at the rear. This set also includes some 3D printed parts in a light orange resin, with a total of sixteen parts overall. The two largest resin pieces are replacement tops for the ammunition panniers either side of the fuselage, with the rest of the parts going to make up the gun mount, breech, and the six barrels that are made in two lengths, one resin, one 3D printed, separated by spacers. The largest 3D printed part is the ammunition feeder-guide that leads from the panniers to the breech of the gun. This part is extremely well-detailed and more delicately moulded than the kit parts. The gun’s mount attaches under the port winglet in the same manner as the original kit assembly. Review sample courtesy of

Zetor 15 "Czechoslovak Tractor" (MV127) 1:72 Planet Models by Special Hobby Following WWII industrial plants worldwide turned in some cases to making civilian vehicles. The Zetor 15 was the first farm tractor to be produced at Zbrojovka plant in Brno after WW2. The Zetors were delivered both to civil users and the military, in Czechoslovakia and abroad as well. The Czechoslovak army for example used Zetor 15 tractors for towing the military aircraft such as the MiG15 on airfields. Amongst many unique features to be brought into tractor manufacturing they unitised parts across the range and introduced the first roll over protected cab for a tractor. The company is still in existence to this day and still making tractors after UTC Holding rescued the then failing State owned company from bankruptcy in 2002. The Kit This is a new tool kit for 2021 from Planet Models, part of the Special Hobby group of companies. It is a resin kit with a number of small parts which will need careful handling in their removal from the casting blocks. There is also a small PE Fret and a small decal sheet. A small length of wire (not included) will also be needed to finish the model. The main chassis is a single part to which the seat and controls are added along with the cooling fan on the front the exhaust. The engine cover/fuel and oil tanks is added to the radiator and all of this is added to the front of the tractor. The front steering axle is then built followed by the rear frame. The large rear mud guards go on and then the wheels. Markings There are two different styles of factory markings on the small decal sheet. Conclusion This will probably be used by most modellers for an aircraft diorama, but it will make a good stand alone build for anyone who likes tractors. Recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Fw.190D Resin Upgrade Sets (for IBG Models) 1:72 CMK by Special Hobby IBG have recently branched out to aviation models, with a new 1:72 Fw.190D their initial offering. CMK have brought these new upgrade sets to market on the basis that resin and 3D printed resin can improve the detail beyond what is possible with injection moulded styrene. As usual with CMK's resin sets, they arrive in the familiar clear vacformed box, with the resin parts safely inside, and the instructions sandwiched between the header card at the rear. Decals and Photo-Etch (PE) when included is separated from the resin parts by a clear piece of acetate to prevent scratching and damage during transit. The Quick & Easy sets are green-themed, while the new 3D Printed set is in orange, as is the resin within. Fw.190D Exhausts (Q72399 for IBG) These two resin exhausts are simple drop-in replacements for the kit parts, offering finer details and the impression of hollow exhaust tubes. They glue directly to the kit-supplied engine during construction. Fw.190D Main Wheels (Q72400) Another drop-in set with two resin wheels that have excellent detail on the hubs and tyres, with raised maker’s details and data on the sidewalls. These are suitable for almost all Fw.190D kits, although a little alteration of the mounting hole may be required for other kit brands. Fw.190A/D Seat (P72001) This set consists of a seat that has been directly 3D printed, plus a small fret of PE brass that makes up a full set of seatbelts for the pilot, and a further skin for the cockpit’s rear bulkhead with a small round part inserted into a part-etched recess in the skin. The set can also be used on other brands of Fw.190 kits, but the bulkhead may need some adjustment if you intend to use it. Conclusion A useful gaggle of upgrade sets for your new IBG 1:72 Fw.190D (or other brand) that increases the detail far beyond the abilities of styrene moulding, with minimal effort for the modeller at a reasonable price. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Siebel 204E (SH48212) 1:48 Special Hobby The Siebel Si 204 was based on the earlier Siebel Fh 104 Hallore, and was originally designed as a light transport and trainer aircraft. It was initially ordered by the Luftwaffe with its canopy altered to the stepless type, possibly to replicate that of the He.111 that pilots might later progress to. The last variant, the 204E was intended to be a light bomber and trainer, although it was perilously close to the end of the war, so not many were made. As a footnote to its German service a 204 had the dubious honour of possibly being the last aircraft to be shot down by the Allies in WWII on the 8th May 1945. After WWII, Czech company Aero produced almost 200 airframes in training (C-3A), bombardier training (C-3B), transport (D-44) and civilian (C-103) flavours, which carried on in service until the end of the 40s and beyond, while a few airframes soldiered on a little longer in Hungarian service. The Kit This is a reboxing of a 2019 tooling from Special Hobby with some additional parts to depict this variant, and although I’d never heard of it until the original sample arrived, it has an ungainly appeal with its strangely shaped fuselage, blunt glazed nose and long narrow wings. It arrives in a standard blue/white themed Special Hobby box, and inside are a surprising nine grey sprues, one clear sprue and a new nose glazing in a ziplok bag, plus four resin exhausts on two casting block, the decal sheet and instruction booklet. The wingspan hits you immediately, as it has surprisingly long wings, and the boxy fuselage isn’t exactly tiny either. The external surfaces are engraved with SH’s usual fine panel lines, and the part count for the detailed internals is also pretty high, although some parts aren’t used, particularly on sprue F and the main clear sprue, which has only about half the parts used. Construction begins with the cockpit, which is assembled on a wide floor part with side consoles, centre console, detailed seat on large framed base with curved head armour, instrument panel and control column, backed by a bulkhead with doorway into the rear of the aircraft. Unlike many aircraft models, the floor doesn’t end behind that bulkhead, but extends all the way to the rear, with a well-detailed radio rack, navigation table, additional seat, a section of the main spar and two upstands that bracket the bomb bay front and rear. The two bomb racks hold four bombs each, which have separate perpendicular fins and a small locating hole on the backside. The two completed racks are then inserted into notches in the bay aperture, and braced against the fuselage roof by a three-part triangular frame. Another bulkhead with open door and stowage rack is added half way to the tail, then another shorter bulkhead terminates the interior in front of the tail. If you want to pose the rear fuselage door open, the instructions show where to cut the fuselage as well as the two halves of the bomb bay doors in the underside of the fuselage. The resulting interior is finished at the front with the rudder pedal assembly, plus the instrument panel, control column with decals, and an overhead insert. Before closing up the fuselage, the windows and the wing root covers that prevent you from seeing the attachment points are glued in, and the interior is painted. With the interior glued into the starboard side, a vertical beam is inserted between the wing spar and roof, then the two halves are joined. The canopy is applied to the stepped front, consisting of the domed nose part and a separate C-shaped canopy, the former having a few small details added inside before it is fixed in position. The Si.204 has long wings mounted low on the fuselage, so each one is made up from two parts that incorporates the rear nacelle fairings to which the cowling, exhausts and intake trunking are added, then each one is slotted into the appropriate wing root and is joined by the H-shaped tail, which fits on two smaller tabs at the rear. A pair of clear wingtip lights are supplied, as are two new bomb bay doors and their actuators. The landing gear can be left off until after painting, and consists of a sloped leg with integral brace to which two more are added on the sides. The oleo then attaches to this assembly and is bracketed by a pair of gear bay doors and a two-part wheel with smooth tread. There is a wheel under each nacelle as you’d expect plus a small tail wheel with split yoke. Horn balances are fitted to the top and bottom of each elevator, a pair of stump antennae at the rear of the cockpit with wires leading to the rudders, then the turret is made up. It starts with the two-part circular base, with the underside brace and seat made up first while it is inverted, then once it is flipped over, the gun and its concertina fed dump-bag are inserted and surrounded by additional parts. Beneath the bag another C-shaped brace is added, which is probably a foot rest for the gunner. A pair of flared gun muzzle stubs are inserted into the underside of the nose, a couple of external bomb racks with anti-sway braces are fixed just in front of the small bomb bay, with a D/F loop and an aerial being fixed behind it. a pair of two-bladed props with serrated spinner caps are made up from four parts each, then if you have opened up the hatch on the side, the replacement door is fitted along with a ladder. The circular turret opening has a number of tubular rails glued on around the perimeter, then the turret is dropped into position and covered over with a shallow clear dome. Two grab-handles are fixed on the sides of the fuselage next to a pair of aerodynamic fairings, probably for access or egress of the gunner. Markings There are three decal options included on the sheet with four-view drawings in colour at the rear of the instruction booklet, all of which share the same RLM70/71 splinter pattern over RLM65, with a yellow tail band. From the box you can build one of the following: Siebel Si.204E-0 1K+BA Stab./NSGr.4, Balice Airfield, occupied Poland, Autumn 1944 Siebel Si.204E-0 1K+AL Stab./NSGr.4, Balice Airfield, occupied Poland, Autumn 1944 Siebel Si.204E-0 V-22, Red D, possibly prototype bomber version from an Si.204D The decals are printed in-house with good register, sharpness and colour density, and include a number of instrument decals for the interior. Conclusion A welcome reboxing of the type as the last variant of the Si.204 in German service, with new parts to make an interesting and detailed model. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

MPM is to release a 1/72nd Dassault Mirage F-1 family - F-1C/F-1C-200/F-1B/F-1CR/F-1CT & F-1AZ Source: http://modelweb.modelforum.cz/2013/12/16/172-dalsi-pripravovana-novinka-od-firmy-mpm-production/?lang=CS V.P.

Special Hobby is to release a 1/72nd Dornier Do.27 kit - ref.SH72327 Source: https://www.facebook.com/specialhobby/photos/a.458974014197468.1073741825.256992114395660/985391688222362/?type=3&theater Maybe next time in quarter scale... V.P.

Hi All, Here is my recently completed build of a F-86K Sabre Dog, described as a 'NATO All Weather Fighter' in 1/72 using the Special Hobby kit. The kit has some lovely detail but the lack of location pins, etc, makes the build process somewhat tedious at times but the kit is what it is. The most taxing was the fitting of the PE vortex generator blades at the tail end, not for the feint-hearted but it had to be done. Decals were beautifully printed and generally applied with no problems except the long stripes which needed a little tlc. Scheme is that of Q-333, 700 Sqn, RNAF, 1962. Build Log Here Thanks for looking. Stuart

Hi all, this build was going to be part of Group Build a couple of years ago but the misplacement of parts forced it into the 'grounded' state but a good sort has found the missing parts, so away we go. First the usual... The box Fuselage sprue Wing sprue plus other bits Odds n' sods sprue Decals, vac canopies, PE, resin wheels How to build it and how to decal it. Stuart

Special Hobby is to re-release its 1/72nd Piaggio P.108B "Quadrimotore" under ref. SH72406 Source: http://www.specialhobby.net/2020/01/sh72406-piaggio-p108-172-boxart.html V.P.

PT-579/588 Boat Life Raft (N72039 for Revell) 1:72 CMK Maritime Line by Special Hobby Fast Torpedo boats were a useful weapon in WWII, with Britain, American, Germany and Italy all fielding various types. The Revell kit of the American Patrol Torpedo Boat in 1:72 has recently been re-released, and CMK have patterned a replacement resin lift raft for the kit, which will improve the detail markedly, as well as adding a pair of oars. The set arrives in their usual blister package, but with blue themed printing as befits the Maritime Line brand. Inside are three resin parts. The boat itself is cast as a single part with a thin base that will be sanded away, while the two oars are both cast on the same block, and will need cutting free and they should be removed from the protective flash that surrounds them, keeping the narrow handle safe during shipping and handling. The boat is just better all around, with higher definition to the slatted floor, the strengthening ribs around the edge, and the tie-down loops on the sides. It also doesn’t have the chunky mouldings that attach it to the deck, so you can lash it to the deck using your own materials, and place the oars inside the boat once painted. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Razor Saw Profil Set (H1020 & Spare Blades) CMK by Special Hobby Modellers have a penchant for acquiring tools to add to their arsenal, and this modeller picked up a CMK razor saw many, many years back, which was the first iteration with an olde worlde wooden handle and double-sided razor blade-style blades. Time marches on, and the tool became more streamlined with a longer plastic handle and a more modern-looking machined shaft with twin screws and profiled mounting plate that has countersunk holes for the screws. The Profil set (H1020) arrives in a resealable clear foil package, with a paper backing that includes information about their other modelling products such as sanding sticks, scale resin bolts and their own brand of pigments. Inside the package is the handle, which has two threaded holes on the shaft, and is tapered toward the tip. Also in the pack is the mounting plate, which also has two corresponding holes and the aforementioned countersinking, plus the two screws that have a straight slot, which is my only minor niggle. I prefer cross-headed PH or PZ screws, as my flat-bladed screwdriver is a little prone to slipping out of the slot. That’s my take on it however, and you may have either a better screwdriver (mine is a little small), or more skill with it. There are two blades included in the pack, one rectangular with diagonal slots in the centre, the other is an equilateral triangle, and both of them have two different pitched saw-tooth edges for using in different circumstances. If you’re familiar with the older blades, they are equivalent to fine and medium that should be useful in most circumstances. In use they’re excellent, and less brittle than the older version, which should see me going through fewer of them going forward, and that’s always a good thing. Speaking of which, you’re bound to break a blade eventually, and they’re available separately as replacements for a couple of quid (GBPs) each. The rectangular blade is called ‘Multi-Shift’ because the blade can be fitted at any point along the groove's length, allowing a deeper cut of almost 15mm with either side, depending on which end of the slot you choose. If you’ve got a reliable way of measuring it so that you can ensure the blade is exactly square in the holder, you can also use the position of the blade to stop you from cutting too deeply if the need arises. The triangular blade has two circular holes down its centreline, and although you are only shown with it pointy-end forward, you can also place it wide end first if it helps accomplish difficult tasks. Conclusion An excellent tool that should come in handy if you’re having to remove resin pour stubs, sections of kits such as flying surfaces, and even to remove the occasional broad sprue gate on delicate edges, which I did only yesterday, as by happy coincidence I happened to have a model in hand that required it. There are very few modellers out there that won’t get some use out of this handy tool. Very highly recommended. Razor Saw Profil Set (H1020) Multi-Shift Blade x 1 (H1019) Triangle Blade x 1 (H1018) Review sample courtesy of

Zetor 15 Military Tractor With Tow Bar (MV128) 1:72 Planet Models by Special Hobby Following WWII industrial plants worldwide turned in some cases to making civilian vehicles. The Zetor 15 was the first farm tractor to be produced at Zbrojovka plant in Brno after WW2. The Zetors were delivered both to civil users and the military, in Czechoslovakia and abroad as well. The Czechoslovak's for example used Zetor 15 tractors for towing the military aircraft such as the MiG15 on airfields. Amongst many unique features to be brought into tractor manufacturing they unitised parts across the range and introduced the first roll over protected cab for a tractor. The company is still in existence to this day and still making tractors after UTC Holding rescued the then failing State owned company from bankruptcy in 2002. The Kit This is a new tool kit for 2021 from Planet Models, part of the Special Hobby group of companies. Following on the from the civilian tractor we now have this military version. It is a resin kit with a number of small parts which will need careful handling in their removal from the casting blocks. There is also a small PE Fret and a small decal sheet, this kit also includes a 3D printed tow bar. A small length of wire (not included) will also be needed to finish the model. The main chassis is a single part to which the seat and controls are added along with the cooling fan on the front the exhaust. The engine cover/fuel and oil tanks is added to the radiator and all of this is added to the front of the tractor. The front steering axle is then built followed by the rear frame. The large rear mud guards go on and then the wheels. The tractor can be fitted with the traditional agricultural exhaust or a more modern car type one. The 3D tow bar will just need cleaning up before use, and to main eye adding. A length of wire will be needed which fits from the tow bar to the main under carriage legs of the aircraft similar in a way to the Me 262 towing arrangement so all the force is not put on the nose leg/ Markings A small sheet gives number plates and a set of cowl markings. Conclusion A great diorama accessory for you early Czech aircraft. Recommended. Review sample courtesy of