Uncle Dick

Your hopes have come true! see below, image. Based on HOBBY 2000 form with the A/AO-4M, A-4B, A-4C; the other variants A-4E, A-4F etc... should follow! Homebee - also some other future releases by Hobby 2000 (repos) showing on Hannants you might want to post...

Cracking "Low Fly Zone" art work perspective on that AMW cover - well done, hope it it makes it to to box top!

Go on Clear Prop - you know you want to....

Crikey! Who would have thought you can build a new tool 1/72 diorama of the Vulcan bomber and Bell from the movie Thunderball in 2020 (ok may be not exact same variants and may be 2021 for Airfix Vulcan ?) 1/72 scale sharks, Bond, Largo and other favourite characters bonus box treat figures anyone?

Would say about 2 - 4 weeks away as box art has broken cover - the box art reminds me of the Kitty strafing/bombing Tom Cruise in the film "Valkyrie"

Sexiest release of the year by a mile...this with the Airfix Beaufort and RAF twin engine fans will be in ecstasy!

The box artist certainly has an unhealthy fixation for depicting the aircraft from the underwing aspect - all six releases in fact, the clean configurations suggest no ordinance on the exotics, SH should at least correct the unimaginative box art, lets hope for some extra sprue for ordnance and mounts when SH come to play with it ....

Tamiya is the best box art of this variant in 1/72 thus far, regarding the Italeri kit itself - would only buy it for the bomb cart and perhaps the decals...as I consider the Academy offering as the most accurate thus far...a real pity Tamiya did not release their own tooling though. Regarding Tamiya rebox - if Tamiya do a nice pilot figure - I might just be tempted to fork out as I do like the box art as well! Tamiya has an indicated price of $55 USD for this kit, hopefully the price comes down when the re-sellers receive them, UnLucky Model recently had the Italeri kit on sale for $16.99 USD So for the best parts (subjective of course but my take anyway): Academy for the aircraft and various options for STOVL mode and open bomb bay, weapons load including gun pod (curiously they left pilot figure out though they have one in their F-35A kit - go figure, pun intended ! ) Hasegawa or (Tamiya when released) for the pilot figure or any Academy or Hasegawa F-35A, and any aftermarket resin jobs? Fujimi for the complete engine though curiously they don't include an engine trolley like they used to in their F-14 kits. Italeri for the bomb trolley. Tamiya for the box art by a mile... Decals plenty choose from now... take your pick. An Orange Hobby F-35B is supposed to be in the works in 1/72 ... and am pretty certain Airfix will give it go at some stage in the future if they are still around. To my knowledge no manufacturer has come out with an option for the pilot boarding ladder and open hatch which would be a very nice option

Not that it will matter to most modellers, while I appreciate the artist's perspective and intensions - I am not a fan of the extremely acute rear angle view on the box art, does not show the best aspects and classic identifying features of the Beaufort.

Not my cup of tee but some members may like the following club kit for 2020 https://www.airfix.com/uk-en/news/workbench/airfix-club-2020-exclusive

Fairly rudimentary but YES and YES See: https://www.super-hobby.com/zdjecia/9/4/3/1673_2_afx04027_4.jpg and https://www.super-hobby.com/zdjecia/8/4/3/1673_2_afx04027_5.jpg

Just received reply from Hornby to my email enquiring about pedigree (tooling) of the said subject and they confirm it will be based on an existing Airfix A-4 mould (most likely as most of you have guessed already the A-4B) see reply below [and thanks to Airfix (Hornby) for replying}:

Thanks for that info - (I do hope scalemates are mistaken on this occasion) at a guess the old tool Airfix Scooter would have less than 30 parts (their new tool A-4B by comparison has 75 parts)! Unfortunately most likely NOT a Fujimi repop as their A-4E/F is about 98 parts total. Hobby Boss A-4E and F are stated to be over 160+ parts (perhaps if they cut out the A-7 weapons sprues?) it will approach 116 parts? or maybe the Airfix part count of 116 parts is completely wrong? So Intriguing...I just sent Airfix an email asking which kit it will based on/ or whether it will be a new tool, they will probably tell me to SOD off and wait for the release but I had nothing to lose... EDIT - Just did a parts count on the Hobby Boss A-4E kit, it has 164 parts (The 2 A-7 Corsair weapons sprues are 45 parts each = 90 parts) while the aircraft sprues are 74 parts only. So i doubt it will be Hobbyboss, so the intrigue continues...!!!

Just curious as to which tooling Airfix will be using for this Skyhawk - says it will be 116 parts, so which manufacturer has issued an A-4 (presume it will be an A-4E/F?) with 116 parts in 1/72 scale???

Very useful load out diagrams in that, though I wish they had some photos to go with the stores particularly the baggage pods, interesting to note that the Airforce F4 baggage pods are not listed (as far as I can see anyway) so I have to now ask did Navy Phantoms use Airforce versions of the baggage pod at all?

While we await Hobby2000 to repop more Fujimi Skyhawk versions, Brengun will release an A-4C conversion for the 1/72 Airfix A-4B as well as RATO rockets for the A-4B/Q

Thanks for that - much larger capacity by the looks of it than the usual variety, wonder if it was mass produced or a squadron hack conversion...

If anyone can identify the short stubbed pod (with the VF-21 marking on it) closest to camera would be appreciated By the zaps/markings on it am guessing most likely a baggage pod? I doubt it is a fuel tank as have never seen an F4 with any fuel tank on that station normally reserved for bombs, rocket pods, baggage pods etc... Caption of photo says: "F4J PHANTOM 158370-NE211 VF21 1972" http://www.aircraftslides.com/Auction/AuctionDetail.aspx?ID=1894024

While I will buy a few of these - from the images available the decals - squadron insignia and national markings are way too white in colour to be useable unless you happen to wear very dark sunglasses!!!!!!

Was just going to say no surviving examples - but you beat me to it! So it can only be based on plans, photos and some parts if they can be found... I am always an optimist though so lets see what AZ does!

In my best Jeremy Clarkson impression: "Some say the Americans unleashed it on China and Iran as a biological weapon, others say it was accidentally unleashed by a Chinese research lab, yet still others say it was transferred to humans by batman..." whomever you prefer to believe Airfix might want to come out with a 1,000,000,000 to 1 scale model of the below virus representation which looks like a WWII Naval mine as it changes our world...

New Tool - Yes Please, many exotic operators and camo schemes... and please, please, special please Special Hobby lots of ordnance especially for Uncle Dick!

Just a heads up for anyone who has bought this kit and not opened it to check the contents, mine had 2 identical trailer sprue and was missing the additional rapier and mounts sprue... So make sure you check contents carefully!

Sweet - I can see a gun pod on the sprue, if the shape and panel engraving isn't overcooked it should be superior to Hastygawa as the kit comes with practically everything...

Very Nice - interior to boot!