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15cm Nebelwerfer 41/3.7cm PaK36 Wheels (B72107 for Special Hobby) 1:72 CMK Blitz Line 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 is intended to replace the kit wheels of the Special Hobby Nebelwerfer (SA72026), which shared wheels with the PaK 36 3.7cm anti-tank gun (SA72024), so could be used for either. For both of these kits, the wheels are in two halves, having a single layer hub on the outer part, and double thickness for the tyres. These resin wheels are drop-in replacements for the kit parts, and once cut from their casting blocks slide onto the ends of the axles on each side of the weapon. They bring additional fine detail to the hubs, but the main improvement is to the tyres, which have much finer shoulders blocks on the edge of the contact patch, Dunlop logos on the side walls, and circumferential grooves in the centre of the contact surface, adding substantial realism as a result. With resin, you should take the precaution of wearing a mask when cutting or sanding it, as the tiny particles are harmful to your health if breathed in. Washing the parts in warm water will also improve the adhesion of paint, as there may still be some moulding release agent on the parts when you receive them. Take care not to use water that is too hot, as this may cause deformation to more delicate parts, and this technique can conversely be used to fix warped parts, using cold water to “freeze” the changes in the parts. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

After the 1/48th Tarangus' Saab JA37 (ref.TA4803 - http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234970637-saab-ja37-viggen-148/?hl=viggen) and the Special Hobby's AJ37 Viggen (ref. SH48148 - http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234981928-saab-aj-37-viggen-148/?hl=viggen), here's the two seats variant, the Saab Sk37 Viggen, once again by Special Hobby - ref.48150 Source: https://www.facebook.com/specialhobby/posts/920557591372439 V.P.

The Special Hobby 1/48th Airspeed Oxford Mk.I/II is on approach. There's already two boxing announced - see herebelow Source: http://modelweb.modelforum.cz/wp-content/g...ews-11-09-6.jpg - ref. SH48122 - Airspeed AS.10 Oxford Mk.I/.II - RAF Service - ref. SH48104 - Airspeed AS.10 Oxford Mk.I/.II - Commonwealth Service V.P.

Yak-9K/T Wheels (Q32407 for ICM) 1:32 CMK Quick & Easy Line 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. 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. Each wheel is attached its own casting block at the contact patch, which has a small flat-spot and bulge that indicates the weight of the airframe on the tyres. The two hubs for each tyre are moulded flat against their casting block, and detail is excellent. The main wheel tyres have radial tread on the contact surface, while the tail-wheel has a circumferential tread with radial lines on the sidewalls. Once they’re cut from the blocks, installation is as simple as sliding them onto the axles of the main wheels, and flexing the kit's tail-wheel yoke to admit the replacement resin part. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

This is a placeholder for the first of my two Seafire builds for the Salty Sea Dog, in this case an early variant, an 807 Naval Air Squadron Seafire L Mk IIc that served aboard HMS Battler during Operation Avalanche, the Allied landings at the Italian port of Salerno in September 1943. This Seafire was essentially a navalised version of the Spitfire Mk Vc (though not with the benefit of folding wings – they didn’t appear until the Mk III). The delicate Spitfire with its narrow undercarriage wasn’t considered ideal for the rough and tumble of carrier ops (the sturdier lend-lease American Grummans were more up to the task), but the Admiralty didn’t have that many options. There is a well known photograph of this particular airframe, arriving on deck with great enthusiasm. LR642 was built at the Westland factory and issued to 15 Maintenance Unit on 5th April 1943 and (after surviving a wheels-up landing at RAF North Front, Gibraltar on 3rd July) flew with 807 NAS from HMS Battler between July and September of that year. The mishap in the photograph (the arrester hook appears not to have lowered) apparently took place not on Battler but on HMS Hunter. After being repaired the airframe was sent home to 748 NAS at RNAS St Merryn in Cornwall, where it suffered yet another mishap, clipping a stationary aircraft with a wingtip in February 1944. It was then with another training unit, 761 NAS, from March to December 1944, and was eventually pensioned off in January 1946. The kit I will be using is Special Hobby’s 1/48 “Torch and Avalanche” boxing, built OOB. I quite fancied the clipped-wing shark-mouth kite on the box but apparently there are some doubts over the authenticity of the scheme, whereas this one is pretty solid. Plenty SH kits have found their way into and out of my stash over the years, but I don’t recall ever actually finishing one! A short run kit after the joys of Airfix and Eduard may prove to be an interesting experience. The title of this build comes from FAA pilot Commander R. “Mike” Crossley’s memoir of the same name, which in turn comes from a… pithy Fleet Air Arm song from wartime! Thanks for looking in!

Bücker Bü.181/Zlín Z-181 Main Wheels (Q48404) 1:48 CMK Quick & Easy 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. 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. There are two pour blocks with eight resin parts, some of which are optional, and they are of course a drop-in replacement for the kit parts once they have been liberated from the casting stub. Sensibly, the main wheels are attached by the contact patch, so should be easy to clean up without ruining any of the radial tread. The six hubs include a rear hub and a choice of standard dished or four-spoke hubs at the front, all of which are attached to the casting blocks at the back. A little work with a motor tool or razor saw should see those removed in moments, then all you need choose is whether to have spoked wheels or dished. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Mirage IIIC Martin-Baker MK.4 Ejection Seat (Q72403 for Special Hobby) 1:72 CMK by Special Hobby We reviewed the kit for which this set is intended late last year, and you can find that here. We’ve also reviewed some of the resin sets that CMK have already released, and now we have a replacement seat for the kit from their Quick & Easy range. 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. The Photo-Etch (PE) is separated from the resin parts by a clear piece of acetate to prevent scratching and damage during transit. Inside the box is a single resin seat that is attached to its casting block at the bottom to avoid damaging the detail, plus a small sheet of Photo-Etch (PE). The seat is easily cut from the block, and has the detailed PE harness, leg restraints and the pull-handles on the headbox glued into place with super glue to complete the task, with detail painting being carried out according to the kit instructions. The seat should then slot neatly into the kit cockpit, but test fitting is always advisable in these situations, and a highly detailed seat is always a great investment to bring the cockpit detail up to snuff in a single-seat fighter. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Ki-84 Hayate Armament (7505 for Arma Hobby) 1:72 CMK by Special Hobby We reviewed the excellent new 1:72 kit of the Hayate recently here, and here’s a new resin set from CMK to depict the wing-mounted armament that is absent from the kit. 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. Inside the package are five casting blocks containing 20 resin parts of varying sizes, many on the small side. Before installing the set you must of course remove the corresponding panels in the upper wing, which are replaced by thin resin panels in the set, so you don’t have to be too careful with the removal. You are advised to test-fit the bays in a complete wing and grind away some of the thickness of the lower wing so that the bays will fit neatly. The larger troughs are the gun bays, which have a machine gun breech and cross-brace inserted before they are glued under the opening. The bay doors for this are supplied as three separate sections that fold forwards into the vertical position, as demonstrated by a scrap diagram. The ammo feeds are perpendicular to the bays, and have a length of ammo inserted in the shallow bays before they too are glued to the underside of their opening. Their doors are a single part that is laid flat on the wing as if left there by an armourer. Highly Recommended. Review sample courtesy of

In 2023, Special Hobby is to re-release its F-2A Buffalo 1/48th kit as Brewster Buffalo model 339-23 - RAAF & USAF - under ref. SH48057 Source: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=623277613141146&set=pb.100063767391074.-2207520000 V.P.

Beaufort Mk.I Bomb Bay (7509 for Airfix) 1:72 CMK by Special Hobby Airfix’s new small-scale Beaufort kit has been around for over a year now, and here comes a new bomb bay set from CMK by Special Hobby to increase the detail in there, and add a set of bombs to populate it too. 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. Inside the package are twenty-three resin parts on nine casting blocks, some of which are very fine, so care must be taken when removing them from their blocks. Before you can start work, you need to sand back the details from inside the kit fuselage sides and roof, plus remove the central section of the bomb bay door part, C17. With that out of the way, the bay can be skinned with new roof and side surfaces, adding a pair of C-shaped bulkheads with inserts, plus fine resin actuators front and rear. The roof is prepared by installing two bomb carriers with shackles front and rear, which accommodate one of the resin bombs each. The bombs have separate noses and cylindrical fin surrounds added beforehand, and are inserted between the V-shaped parts of the anti-sway shackles. The bi-folded bay doors are then glued to the sides of the bay to complete the job, with plenty of painting in between. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

After much wrestling with plastic and filler, and a build that felt, at times, like it was never going to end, I am finally able to post up a few pics of my Barracuda - another Fleet Air Arm favourite of mine with its strange looks and dubious performance. This is the "Hi Tech" boxing of the Special Hobby kit, with some extra bits from the Brengun (formerly Griffon) set. The build followed a fairly typical course for a Special Hobby kit, in that the interior bulkheads were all a little too wide and lots of dry fitting was needed before committing to glue. The biggest difficulty I encountered was the fit of the port wing. From above it was raked forward at more of an angle than the starboard wing, and from ahead it was a mm or two lower. A plasticard shim, lots of filler and round after round of sanding and smoothing eventually resulted in wings that looked symmetrical - to me at least... I didn't like the look of the kit spinner so blunted one from a Seafire XV and used that instead. For the markings I decided to go with a post war scheme as I think it suits the aircraft and I haven't seen this kit in the EDSG over Sky before. The upper surfaces should, I think, be quite liberally festooned with various white stencil markings that I didn't have.... I ran out of steam a bit towards the end of this one - this shows in the wingtip nav lights which are only painted, and let the finished model down a bit; the underside is a bit too clean and the prop should probably be a bit weathered too... The markings are intended to show a machine from 815 NAS at Eglinton. And so to the pictures, and thanks for looking, Nick.

Beaufort Mk.I Mainwheels & Tail-Wheel w/leg (4456) 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. 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. Inside are two main wheels with separate hubs for each side, and a tail-wheel with separate strut in a harder black resin. Our strut had taken a hit before it was packaged, and had a tiny piece missing, so check yours when you get it, just in case. Each main wheel is cast on its own block, and is joined to it at the bottom where the tyre is slightly weighted, so clean-up won’t be too onerous or risk damaging any detail. The hubs are cast in pairs, and are cut off at the rear at the base of a tapered “socket” so that fit is good once you remove any roughness. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Special Hobby/Hand Made Limited (HML) Kits reissue: 1/48th - Messerschmitt Me 323E-1 Gigant - ref. HML007 Downloadable instructions: https://www.specialhobby.eu/out/ftp/media/HML007.pdf Sources: https://www.specialhobby.eu/en/our-own-production/me-323-gigant-1-48.html https://www.specialhobby.info/2023/01/not-exactly-tiny-model-is-it-148-hml007.html V.P.

Hello Here are my last three builds with these Special Hobby 1/72 De Havilland Vampires: 1 – DH.100 Vampire Mk.I, RAF No.54 Squadron, Odiham April 1948. 2 – DH.100 Vampire Mk.I, Swedish Air Force No.1 Squadron, Norrköping 1947. 3 – DH.100 Vampire Mk.III, Mexican Air Force, Escuadron Aéreo 200, Santa Lucia, Mexico City 1961-70 The first two models and decorations came from the Special Hobby SH7238 & SH72339 boxes. The third came from the decal sheet AztecModels 72-041, even if the model is the reference SH72279. Patrick

Yak-9D Wheels (Q48405 for Zvezda) 1:48 CMK Quick & Easy Line 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. To be clear, the photo above shows both sides of the set. You get two main wheels and one tail-wheel. As usual with CMK's Quick & Easy resin sets, they arrive in the familiar clear bag, with the resin parts safely inside, and the instructions sandwiched between the header card at the rear. Inside are three resin wheels on a single casting block. Each one is attached to the casting block at the contact patch, which has a small flat-spot and bulge that indicates the weight of the airframe on the tyres. Detail is excellent on the hubs, and the main wheel tyres have radial tread on the contact surface, while the tail-wheel has a circumferential tread with radial lines on the sidewalls. Once they’re cut from the blocks, installation is as simple as sliding them onto the axles of the main wheels, and flexing the kit's tail-wheel yoke to admit the replacement resin part. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Good day, I check in with my sixth and final project for the year. While the kit is delightful in construction, there is no shortage of tiny and microscopic parts. That is great for detail however it is easy to lose one and ruin the end result. For this one, I used the resin aftermarket ejection seat. The kit supplied ejection seat is very nice but it comes in multiple parts just like each of the main and nose landing gears. Unfortunately, Special Hobby does not include any underwing ordnance apart from the centerline tank. I added the Swedish versions of the Sparrow and Sidewinder along with the mounting rails from the spares box. The fuselage pylons and rails are included. The decals are excellent. I added 0.05mm brass rod for the main and auxiliary pitot tubes and AOA ( Angle of Attack ) pitot. After research, it appeared that three main colors were used for the air-to-air missiles….white, grey, and a very unique green. Here are the basic colors I used for the Viggen………. 1. Upper surface : Model Master Haze Grey 2. Lower surface : Model Master Light Grey ( FS36496 ) 3. Cockpit walls : Tamiya Medium Grey ( XF-20 ) 4. Washes : Upper - AK Grey-Blue, Lower Ammo Medium Grey, Stains - Vallejo Dark Brown and Black I enjoyed this kit and a long overdue subject was finally added thanks to Special Hobby. I have always been fond of the Viggen and am pleased at how it turned out. I`ve waited for a modern tooled Viggen for a very long time. Unfortunately, I was disappointed with the lack of under wing stores. Due to the numerous small parts, I can only recommend this kit for those who have a bit more experience in the hobby. Thank you in advance and with much respect, Mike And here the three I have of the forward canard type of design……………. Top : Trumpeter J-10 Center : Special Hobby JA-37 Viggen Lower : Hobby Boss Rafale

Special Hobby is to release in January 2018 a new variant (with new parts) from its B-18 kit, a 1/72nd Douglas B-18B Bolo ASW - ref. SH72230 Source: http://www.specialhobby.info/2018/11/sh72230-b-18b-bolo-asw-boxart.html Box art V.P.

Pre-Cut Canopy Masks for Various Kits & Scales 1:72 & 1:48 Special Mask by Special Hobby Many modellers are a little bit phobic about masking the canopies of our models to keep them crystal clear during the building and painting process, as they can be tricky if you’re inexperienced or a bit ham fisted. Special Hobby have created their own Special Mask line to help with that, and we’ve got a bundle of them in the review queue in various scales. Supplied on a sheet of yellow kabuki tape, these pre-cut masks give you a full set of masks for the canopy, with compound curved handled by using frame hugging masks, while the highly curved gaps are in-filled with either liquid mask or offcuts from the background tape. In addition, you usually get a set of hub/tyre masks for the wheels, allowing you to cut the demarcation perfectly with little effort. They each arrive in a flat polythene packet with a card header behind and a sheet of instructions sandwiched between them, all held together by a single staple. 1:72 Bugatti 100 Racer (M72035 for Special Hobby) Includes masks for the tyres. 1:72 Gloster Meteor Mk.3/4 (M72034 for Special Hobby) Includes masks for the tyres. 1:72 Gloster Meteor Mk.8/9 (M72039 for Special Hobby) Includes masks for the tyres and clear nose parts. 1:72 Meteor T.7 (M72042 for Special Hobby) Includes masks for the tyres and alternate masks for two of the side canopy panes. 1:72 DH.100 Vampire Mk.I Early & Late (M72032 for Special Hobby) Includes masks for both types of canopy, tyres and wingtip lights. 1:48 Saab AJ/JA/SF-37 Viggen (M48009 for Special Hobby/Tarangus) Includes masks for tyres and the additional sensor windows in the nose. 1:48 Saab SK-37 Viggen (M48013 for Special Hobby/Tarangus) Includes masks for tyres and both canopies. 1:48 Siebel Si.204E/Aero C-3B Bomber (M48008 for Special Hobby) Includes masks for tyres and additional glazing. 1:48 L-39ZA/ZA Art Albatros (M48010 for Special Hobby) Includes masks for tyres and the blast-screen between cockpits. 1:48 L-4 Grasshopper Inside/Outside Masks (M48007 for Special Hobby) Includes masks for tyres, the clear roof and wing root sections on both sides of the glazing parts. 1:48 Breda 65A-80 (M48012 for Special Hobby) Includes masks for tyres. Conclusion Pre-cut mask sets save a lot of precious modelling time and don’t cost a ton of money, so they’re always worth picking up, even if you’re not averse to masking. Add in the new Inside/Outside masks to the mix, and they’re a great boost to realism in my estimation. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Can I join the Meteor madness with another night fighter, Special Hobby's 1/72 NF.14? This is a beautifully detailed little kit, but I can see from some of the build threads here that it's not without a few challenges, so I go in with eyes wide open, especially after my Special Hobby Boston/Havoc build earlier in the year. This doesn't seem as difficult a build, and by all reports Special Hobby kits keep getting better and better. Not sure what scheme mine will wear, but am leaning towards the French flight test bird, je pense. My F-15E for the F-15 STGB is nearly finished, so I'm looking forward to getting stuck in and joining the fray, it looks like another fun GB to be part of! Gerard

Yak-9K/T Exhaust Stacks (Q32406 for ICM) 1:32 CMK Quick & Easy by Special Hobby We reviewed the new Yak-9T from ICM recently here, and now CMK have a new set of Exhausts that improve on the kit parts whilst requiring little in the way of additional work. The Quick & Easy line are a series of upgrades to your kits that live up to their name, and usually arrive in a flat bag with a green-themed cardboard header and the simple instructions between them. Inside the bag are two sets of beautifully cast exhausts on individual casting blocks, and each exhaust has a hollow D-profile tip. There are two sets of paired exhausts in the centre and two more singles at each end of the profiled carrier, which has shaped inserts between the stacks. Once removed from the casting base they are a drop-in replacement for the kit parts, with the only difference (apart from the detail) being that you need to use super glue (CA) to locate them in their slots. Give them a quick wash in warm soapy water to remove any residual mould release, and don’t worry unduly about cleaning up the back of the parts, as they won’t be seen. A great update to the kit parts that are simple to use, and won’t exhaust you or your modelling budget (I'm sorry - they made me say it. Help me, they won't let me go!). Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Panzerfaust for Bücker Bü.181 (P48003) 1:48 Special Hobby 3D Print The original Panzerfaust was a WWII invention of Nazi Germany that gave the power to take down a heavily armoured tank to a single soldier, in the shape of a disposable launcher tube that could project a shaped charge to a target over a short range. The operator needed little in the way of training, but some bravery or foolhardiness was required to get close enough to the tank in question due to the limited range. When used properly however, they could be highly effective in disabling or knocking out many an Allied tank or other armoured vehicle. They were even attached to aircraft on occasion, such as the Bücker Bü.181 which must have been quite an experience for the pilot, and a surprise for the intended target. This set from Special Hobby’s new 3D Print range arrives in an orange-themed blister pack with card hanger on the rear and the instructions sandwiched between the two halves. Inside are the resin parts, with decals at the front of the blister obscuring our view of the resin within. The set includes four Panzerfaust 60s inside a protective printing frame, printed with the priming lever locked out and intended to replace the styrene parts in their Bücker Bü.181 Bestman "Panzerjagdstaffeln" (SH48189), whilst retaining the kit mounts for the weapons on the top and underside of each wing. Again, it must have been a scary to fire them whilst flying what was essentially a light aircraft that was designed to be a liaison or courier, into enemy fire. Desperate times indeed. The decals have been culled from the recent boxed Panzerfaust set, so include stencils for the case that can be left on the sheet. Review sample courtesy of

Ukrainian Soldier Firing FGM-148 Javelin (F35384) 1:35 CMK by Special Hobby The Javelin is a fire-and-forget anti-tank weapon developed by the American company Raytheon with a choice of top-attack or direct profiles, depending on whether a better result would be achieved through thinner armoured areas of an AFV for example. They have been successfully used over the years in many conflicts, and a substantial number of them have been shipped to the Ukraine since the invasion by the Russian Federation in March of 2022. They have been used to great effect against Russian armour by the Ukrainian troops, who have been trained on the weapon before becoming operational, learning that the Javelin offers excellent portability alongside accuracy and target penetration. The operator can aim and fire the weapon rapidly, retiring to a safe place immediately while the hardware inside the missile does the hard work, tracking and eventually hitting the target using infrared sensors. It also soft-launches, so that a launch plume doesn’t give away the position of the operator, and has a smaller warhead in the nose to detonate ERA or slat armour so that the main warhead can explode against the target’s primary armour layer. As usual with CMK's resin sets, it arrives in the familiar clear vacformed box, with the resin parts safely inside, and the instructions sandwiched between the header card at the rear. The main part of the figure is cast as a single, incredibly detailed part, and is joined by two jigs on a single casting block, and an orange 3D resin print-base that is filled with various parts of the missile and launch system. A small sheet of Photo-Etch (PE) and a set of decals complete the package, with the bifold instruction sheet guiding the way. The figure is complete apart from the operator’s hands that are moulded integrally to the 3D printed launch module, which has a targeting sensor at the front, to which you fit a drop-down protective cap. The barrel of the weapon is attached via a pair of small lugs and a circular flat-spot, and the rear end-cap is located on a keyed lug at the rear. You then have a choice of depicting the missile still in the launch tube by inserting the round-ended stub down the hollow barrel, but be aware that you may not be able to remove it again once it’s deep in there. The other option is to show off the missile, either just after launch or as a display – it’s entirely your choice. The short rear end slots into one of the jigs so that you can install the four tapered fins, and before it is glued to the main body, the larger forward section is slotted into its own jig to install eight more fins, after which the body halves are joined together on a square lug. A pair of diagrams show the location of the stencil decals and stripes, and also gives a hint about the paint colour, although no actual codes or colour names are given. The front cap of the launcher is also provided, and can be left on the ground near the soldier, as can the AK-74 that is found inside a protective frame. It also has a PE sling that can be laid out in a similar fashion to that shown in the instructions. Going back to the figure, the detail is fabulously well-sculpted, even down to the operator’s sun glasses tucked into the top of his tactical vest above a chest-full of loaded ammo pouches, and a radio with flexible aerial on his shoulder strap. The MOLLE loops are all represented on the vest, with a daysack mounted on the rear, and a modern spec-ops style helmet with adjustment dial on the rear frame, plus a night-vision mount on the front, four-point chin-strap system, and a tube scarf pulled up over his nose to ward off the cold, and probably Covid into the bargain. If you were wondering what the launch of a Javelin looks like, there’s not much smoke during the initial launch phase, and even the ignition of the main motor is relatively smoke-free, so hiding a supporting wire could be tricky. The video below should give you a lot more information than we can. Conclusion It’s a while since we’ve seen such a well-detailed, crisply moulded figure, and the addition of 3D printed parts and the PE makes for an impressive package. It’s a figure that deserves to be painted with as much care as possible, and lends itself to a poignant launch diorama. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Hi All, My second completion of 2023 is Special Hobby's Blackburn Roc Mk.I, completed as L3114 of 759 Sqn FAA based at RNAS Donibristle in November 1939. Here's a photo of the aircraft in the foreground: I couldn't resist this scheme, if only for the non-standard yellow surround to the fuselage roundel! The kit was built mostly OOB, albeit with home-cut stencils for the national markings. As with all SH kits there's a few foibles, mainly around the assembly of the wings (which have a split to permit folding. A brief summary of 'improvements' as below: - Added reinforcing tabs to the wing roots making for a stronger junction - Added formation lights to the wing tips using clear sprue - Boxed in the landing light positions and added lamps from clear sprue - Rivetted the whole airframe - Trimmed undercarriage legs and doors to allow positioning in the correct 'vertical' position Here's the WIP if anybody is interested (source of many Roc puns - be warned 🤣😞 Anyway, on with the photos: Here's a couple with the Skua I built last year: The family resemblance is strong! Here's a final shot to prove @Dandie Dinmont's assertion that the Roc makes that other notorious turret fighter, the Boulton Paul Defiant, look like a sleek beauty: I'd say you are 100% correct Craig! Although it is no beauty, I have really enjoyed learning more about this most unusual aircraft, and it's nice to have this footnote in naval aviation in the collection. Thanks to everybody who offered kind words and encouragement throughout the build - it was much needed and was much appreciated! Thanks for looking, Roger

Yak-9D Exhaust Stacks (P48004 for Zvezda) 1:48 Special Hobby 3D Print We reviewed the new Yak-9D from Zvezda recently here, and now Special Hobby have produced a 3D Printed set of replacement exhausts to ramp up the detail on the kit. The set arrives in the new orange-themed blister pack with card hanger on the rear and the instructions sandwiched between the two parts. Inside are the resin parts, surrounded by a laser-cut foam insert. Inside the package are four rows of beautifully printed exhausts on a single print-base that all have hollow D-profile tips. The kit includes a full depiction of the Klimov engine for inside the cowling, with individual stacks included, but they don’t have hollow tips. The replacements do have hollow D-profiled tips, and are supplied as two paired exhausts in the centre openings, and two more singles at each end of the block. Once removed from the print base they are a drop-in replacement for the kit parts, with the only difference (apart from the detail) that you need to use super glue (CA) to locate them in their slots. An straight-forward update to the kit parts that is eminently simple to use and won’t leave you exhausted (I know, not funny ). Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Transport Box with Panzerfausts (P48001 & P72003) 1:48 & 1:72 Special Hobby 3D Print The original Panzerfaust was a WWII invention of Nazi Germany that gave the power to take down a heavily armoured tank to a single soldier, in the shape of a disposable launcher tube that could project a shaped charge to a target over a short range. The operator needed little in the way of training, but some bravery or foolhardiness was required to get close enough to the tank in question due to the limited range. When used properly however, they could be highly effective in disabling or knocking out many an Allied tank or other armoured vehicle. They were even attached to aircraft on occasion, which must have been quite an experience. These two sets from Special Hobby’s new 3D Print range both arrive in orange-themed blister pack with card hanger on the rear and the instructions sandwiched between the two parts. Inside are the resin parts, with decals safely separated behind a piece of clear acetate at the back of the blister for the 1:48 set. Other than the smaller set not having decals, both sets include the same components, consisting of four Panzerfaust 60s in a printing frame, plus a transport box that is printed in two sections, set slightly apart and held to the small base by delicate fingers. An additional tubular riser with an array of fingers supports the interior structure of the case, which has slots to receive the weapons once everything is cut free from the base. The layout of the boxes is different between the two scales, but the design is essentially the same. For extra realism you can add some wire or thread from your own stock to represent the carry-handles at each end of the case. 1:48 (P48001) Note the decals included in this larger set 1:72 (P72003) Note that there are no decals in this set Conclusion 3D printed aftermarket parts are incredible in the level of detail that they can provide with a relatively low part count, and these are no exception. The trigger mechanism alone would have taken several PE parts before now, and preparation of the parts is a breeze. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of