Search the Community

My second entry will be the Kittyhawk of Australian ace John Waddy, using this Hobby Boss Quickboost build kit: and decals from this Ventura set: Parts washed and ready to go. AW

HobbyBoss is to release a 1/72nd URAL APA-5D Russian airfield starter truck - ref. 82962 Source: http://www.hobbyboss.com/index.php?g=home&m=article&a=show&id=277&l=en Release expected in late May 2025 3D render V.P.

HobbyBoss is to release 1/72nd Grumman TBM-3 Avenger kits Source: https://tieba.baidu.com/p/8249037080 - ref. 87274 - Grumman TBM-3 Avenger - ref. 87275 - Grumman TBF-1C Avenger V.P.

Dear Ship fans, I hope someone can help me out here. I'm currently building the Hobbyboss RMT Olympic in her first dazzle scheme but am struggling to reconcile published differences in the lifeboat arrangement. In the Shipcraft book Titanic and her sisters Olympic and Britannic, by Peter Davies-Garner, there are three different given configurations for the wartime complement and arrangement - a line drawing and accompanying description on page 60, implying stacking of two lifeboats (size, but not type mentioned, but I assume standard) and just two parallel rows aft - colour side profile on page 46 (2nd dazzle scheme) with partly deployed lifeboats, plus standard lifeboats stacked on what look to be Berthon collapsible types - colour top view showing same, but with three parallel rows aft, of different types (both standard and Berthon?) A colour print (profile) of Olympic (in 1st dazzle scheme) by Simon Glancey shows just a standard lifeboat (not deployed) stacked on a Berthon. What is going on here? Does anyone know the true pattern? Ngā mihi, GrahamB

HobbyBoss is to release 1/48th Messerschmitt Bf.109E Emil kits. - ref. 81791 - Messerschmitt Bf.109E-3 Emil - ref. 81792 - Messerschmitt Bf.109E-4 Emil - ref. 81793 - Messerschmitt Bf.109E-4/TROP Emil - ref. 81794 - Messerschmitt Bf.109E-7 Emil Source: https://tieba.baidu.com/p/8249037080 V.P.

My second kit finished this year - 1:72 A-7E Corsair II, serial 158825, Hellenic Air Force, 335 Mira, Araxos AB, 2007. HobbyBoss kit (with some modifications in the air intake area), Aires resin cockpit and some scratch (aerials, pipes etc.). I also replaced "long" fuel tanks from the kit with 300 gal tanks taken from Fujimi kit. I`ve wanted to make a model of this particular aircraft ever since I saw it in the Hellenic Air Force museum 2 years ago. HobbyBoss recently reissued the 1:72 A-7H model which included this paint scheme (during research I learned that aircraft 158825 was actually an ex-US Navy A-7E, not an A-7H). However decals from the box were used mostly as templates for painting, as their orange color was too bright and too yellowish and the tigers on the fin were too simplistic. It took some work, but I finally managed to finish it. Thanks for watching!

LAV-300 with 90mm Cockerill Gun (84573) 1:35 Hobby Boss via Creative Models Ltd The LAV-300 was developed by Cadillac Gage as a Light Armoured Vehicle, similar to the other vehicles of the LAV range of armoured vehicles such as the LAV-25, and bears an outward similarity if you ignore the number of wheels, despite being manufactured by a different company. Initial customers for the type were overseas, starting with Panama, followed by Kuwait, who both took a relatively small number of vehicles for their use. It was designed from the outset to be configurable into fifteen variants that gave it flexibility of operation, with a choice of different calibre weapons ranging from machine guns or Mortars, through TOW anti-tank missile installations to the 90mm Cockerill gun in the Fire Support Vehicle (FSV). Many of Panama’s examples were captured or destroyed by American forces in the late 80s invasion, and much of Kuwait’s complement were lost in Iraq’s invasion a year later in 1990, while the Philippines have kept their forces largely intact over the years. The Cockerill gun is a low-pressure weapon, mounted in a low-weight two-person turret that was engineered to be a drop-in emplacement in light-weight applications such as armoured cars, and can fire a range of 90mm munitions to give support to troops and other soft skinned vehicles with direct or indirect fire. It is proof against 7.62mm rounds, as is the rest of the hull that is made from hardened steel. Production was ended in 2000, with a new company Textron taking over maintenance and support ten years later, although no new variants would be produced. A LAV-300 Mk.II was proposed in the late 80s with improved engine and transmission amongst other upgrades, and a single vehicle was upgraded with a larger turret taken from the niche Stingray Light Tank, the only operator of which being Thailand. This was re-designated as the LAV-600, although it was never mass-produced, losing out to the M1117 in a bid for service in the US army. Like its sibling, it is now firmly in the rear-view mirror of wheeled AFV history. The Kit This is a new tooling from HobbyBoss of this relatively low-volume AFV, and it arrives in a top-opening box with a card divider separating the hull parts from the other sprues. A painting of the LAV-300 in a tropical backdrop adorns the front of the box, and inside are five sprues plus two hull halves in sand-coloured styrene, a clear sprue, a bag of six flexible black tyres, a length of braided copper wire, two Photo-Etch (PE) frets of different sizes in thick-gauge brass, a black & white instruction booklet with a colour painting and decaling guide on glossy paper slipped inside. Exterior detail is excellent, as we’ve come to expect from HobbyBoss, extending to the suspension under the six wheels, and the wheels themselves, including the chunky tyres, stowage, light cages, and main gun. Construction begins with a small suspension part with a PE handle, of which there are two under the front of the hull, adding suspension struts with gaiters, and building three axles with drive-shafts, with another stubby amphibious-drive axle under the rear of the hull, and a transfer box near the centre of the transmission tunnel. The LAV-300 is amphibious, and has a pair of water jets under the rear of the hull, made from two halves, plus a rendition of the internals, a PE mesh over the open intake, and a directional ‘bucket’ at the rear. More suspension units with gaiters and other suspension parts are fitted around the underside, plus a pair of rails under the front, which later supports a bow wave deflector, with an actuator lever added later in the build when the hull halves are together. The two front wheels are made as a mirrored pair, taking care with the direction of tread whilst adding the two hub halves around the flexible tyres, and installing an additional hub part on the inner face that is mostly hidden by the carcass of the tyre. The rear wheels are built as a pair that are mirrored on the opposite side, using a different non-steering hub back, sliding them onto the respective ends of the axles. The steering pair at the front have a linkage that joins them together, adding a pair of armoured PE deflectors to the amphibious drive parts, which by now have angled drive-shafts applied to transfer motive power when in water. The rear doors are first parts of the upper hull to be built, adding a single panel door with latches into the drop-down main door, with glazing in the small windows, a cage around each one, handles, and a hitch on the lower edge. Despite this being a predominantly exterior kit, there are elements of the interior included, such as the driver’s position, complete with seat, handbrake, two-part steering column, foot pedals, and a fire extinguisher to the rear. A set of back-to-back passenger seats are made from two main components, adding support struts to the ends with the help of an accompanying scrap diagram, mounting them in the rear on two large pins. Another crew seat is fixed behind the driver facing sideways, placing an instrument binnacle with decal and a pair of levers on the left wheel arch, completing the driver’s controls. A periscope and two vision blocks are fixed to the front lip of the driver’s hatch, with two smaller hatches on the glacis, and a step on the left side of the lower hull, gluing the upper hull in place, followed by the two engine bay hatches on the right, adding vents, grab-handles and sub-hatches to complete them before installing them both in the space on the front of the upper hull. Several small parts are applied to the glacis, plus four PE lugs on the left side that will support the towing cable that is made from the supplied copper wire and a pair of two-part eyes, wrapping them around the PE lugs and draping them appropriately. A side hatch is detailed with clear parts and handles before it is installed in the cut-out, adding vision ports and glazed-over firing loupes on both sides. More detail is fitted to the glacis, incorporating light clusters with clear lenses, wing mirrors on stalks, then moving along the side fitting more detail and clear windows, ending with a rack of two four-part jerry cans at the rear left. The driver’s hatch is a single part, adding a rack of pioneer tools to the rear behind the turret ring, and the massive exhaust unit that snakes down the right side of the vehicle, made from three styrene parts to give it a hollow tip, and three PE heat-shields, plus a grab-handle where it emerges from the interior. It is mounted on three lugs that correspond with holes in the side of the hull, adding a pair of rear lights and towing eyes to the rear. The turret is made from top and bottom halves, first adding the two hatches to their cut-outs, latches on the inside, then mating the halves, with a styrene stowage basket that has a PE mesh top installed over the top. Lifting lugs, latches, vision blocks and sighting mechanism are fixed to the turret top and sides, plus a pair of aerial mounts at the rear, and a searchlight with clear lens on the right of the main gun. The gun has a solid one-part barrel, adding a slide-moulded muzzle brake to the front, and a two-part corrugated gaiter to the rear, slotting the base into a shroud, then sliding that into the mantlet, with a coaxial 7.62mm machine gun muzzle inserted to the left of the barrel. The turret mates with the hull without glue, locking in place via a bayonet fitting, completing the build by adding two fuel filler caps to the rear sides, covering them with a protective cage, and adding more cages around the two amphibious propulsion units under the rear of the sponsons. Markings There are two decal options included on the sheet, depicting a pair of Philippine Marines vehicles, wearing different schemes, one digital, the other more traditional tri-tone. HobbyBoss aren’t very forthcoming about any other details however, but the vehicle numbers and schemes might offer some clues to those that are interested. From the box you can build one of the following: The decals are up to HB’s usual standards, and should be suitable for the task, although I often worry about the density and under-printing of the yellow components. Conclusion This is a nice model of a niche subject that will doubtless appeal to lovers of wheeled AFVs, especially if they’re fond of big guns and low production numbers. It has good detail, and a portion of the interior adds appeal to the model. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

German Kommandowagen for BP-42 1:72 Hobbyboss The Wehrmacht made good use of the European railway network during the Second World War, moving men and material to the front line quickly and efficiently. The railway network became an obvious target for sabotage, which in turn meant that armoured trains became a natural requirement, particularly for operating in dangerous areas where partisans might be present. Unfortunately, the rapid development of aircraft meant that armoured trains became ineffective for the role they were intended to fulfil. Mike reviewed Hobbyboss's BR57 armoured locomotive some time ago (quite by accident, because he forgot to check the scale) and now we're going to take a look at their armoured wagon. In classic Hobbyboss style, the kit is tightly packed into a sturdy box, with everything meticulously wrapped to ensure it survives the journey from China to wherever you are. The kit is very simple, comprising just five slide-moulded parts, two sprues of smaller parts and two sprues holding Hobbyboss's standard track sections. Also in the box are the instructions, a glossy A4 painting sheet and a small sheet of generic decals. The detail of the slide-moulded parts is excellent, with crisp and fine surface details. Construction begins with the lower chassis. The axles and wheels fit in from above and are then boxed in so there is no see-through effect. As with other similar kits from Hobbyboss, the brake blocks are moulded in place on the wheels, while the leaf spring suspension units are seperate parts. The buffer and couplings are provided for either end, as well as some grab handles that run along the outside. The upper part of the wagon is incredibly simple. Unlike the Geschutzwagen, there is no turret, but a prominent radio antenna runs the circumference of the wagon in its place. The track is broken down into four sections, the joins in which are cleverly matched to the natural breaks and joined with nicely moulded fish plates. If you want to ramp the detail up a notch then you might want to use OO gauge track, or at least dress the provided sections with some PVA glue and ballast. Only one colour scheme is included on the sheet; a base of Dark Yellow, over which Red brown and Field Green stripes are applied in a similar fashion to contemporary armoured vehicles. Given how filthy railway gear got due to the soot and grease, there is then plenty of scope for the modeller to express themselves with weathering. Conclusion One thing I will say about this kit is that it rails (ho ho!) against the trend of producing models with ever increasing levels of detail and complexity. It will make a great model when paired with the BR57 and Geschutzwagen, perhaps in a diorama with some partisans springing an ambush. Whatever you decide, you can't deny that it's nice to have a mainstream model of this interesting subject. Recommended. Review sample courtesy of

German Kanonen und Flakwagen of BP-42 (82925) 1:72 Hobbyboss The Wehrmacht made good use of the European railway network during the Second World War, moving men and material to the front line quickly and efficiently. The railway network became an obvious target for sabotage, which in turn meant that armoured trains became a natural requirement, particularly for operating in high risk areas where partisans might be present. Unfortunately the rapid development of ground attack aircraft meant that armoured trains became ineffective for the role they were intended to fulfil. Mike reviewed Hobbyboss's BR57 armoured locomotive some time ago (quite by accident, because he forgot to check the scale) and I've reviewed various iterations of their armoured wagons. This is the latest in the series, depicting a variant armed with quad flak and cannon turrets. In classic Hobbyboss style, the kit is tightly packed into a sturdy box, with everything meticulously wrapped to ensure it survives the journey from China to wherever you are. The kit is very simple, composed of a handful or slide-moulded parts, two sprues of smaller parts and two sprues holding Hobbyboss's standard track sections. Also in the box are the instructions, a glossy A4 painting sheet and a small sheet of generic decals. The detail of the slide-moulded parts is excellent, with crisp and fine surface details. Construction begins with the lower chassis. The axles and wheels fit in from above and are then boxed in so there is no see-through effect. As with other similar kits from Hobbyboss, the brake blocks are moulded in place on the wheels, while the leaf spring suspension units are separate parts. The buffers and couplings are provided for either end. The 2cm Flakvierling 38 mount is a mini-model in its own right, although in usual Hobbyboss style, the part count isn't excessive. There are some nice touches, including spare magazines and a nicely moulded splinter shield. The howitzer turret is a very simple affair by comparison, and it should be noted that none of the turrets can be posed in the open position (not that there is any interior detail in any case). The track is split into four sections, the joins in which are cleverly matched to the natural breaks and joined with nicely moulded fish plates. If you really want to hide the joins properly, some 00 gauge ballast could be used, while the detail could really be ramped up with some proper track. Only one colour scheme is included on the sheet, for a vehicle with a base of Dark Yellow, over which Red brown and Field Green stripes are applied in a similar fashion to contemporary armoured vehicles. Given how filthy railway rolling stock gets due to the soot and grease, there is huge scope for the builder to express him or herself with weathering. Conclusion I thought Hobbyboss had finished their range of German armoured trains, but apparently not. This model - ho ho - rails (that pun never gets old) against the trend of producing models with ever increasing levels of detail and complexity. It will make a great model when paired with Hobboyboss's BR57 and other armoured wagons. Whatever you decide to do with it, you can't deny that it's nice to have a mainstream model of this interesting subject. Recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Hello Britmodellers, The Harvard/Texan has often been used to simulate other aircraft in the movies, so here's my rendition of a "Fokker D.XXI" as portrayed in the 1977 Dutch war movie "Soldaat van Oranje". Note the size difference between the converted HobbyBoss T-6G and a PM D.XXI. Thanks for watching! Luka

HobbyBoss is to release a 1/48th Consolidated B-24J Liberator kit - ref. 81774 Source: https://tieba.baidu.com/p/8249037080 V.P.

Doyusha is to rebox in April the HobbyBoss (link) 1/72nd Dassault Rafale M kit - ref. Source: https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10765250 V.P.

Following up on the quick and 'mojo regain' build of the Trop Spit, I looked for something that looks nice, not too complicated and will allow me to regain some of the skills I lost during the year and a half I was away from the bench. It also should be a kit that is cheap and easy enough to buy if I totally wiffle up I hope this Hobbyboss Me-262 will proved to be a good pick.

As my BE.2c and Gotha builds have gone a bit faster than anticipated I thought I might chance my arm one last time with this. I have always rather liked the P-40 and besides the later "Kittyyhawk/Warhawk" I built a couple of the old Frog Tomahawks back in the day, one as a "Flying Tigers" machine, and a RAF desert one of 112 Squadron, both featuring Sharks Mouths. They are long gone, but when the HobbyBoss version appeared 10 or more years ago I ended up buying three. Two have been built, another 112 Squadron version and a "Pearl Harbor" USAAC one, but the other remained in the box until about a year ago. When the latest Airfix GB came round I built a Boston III and for a change I mixed up my own version of the US equivalent colours. As ever I overdid it, and rather than throw the paint out I decided to build the last P-40 as either an early RAF Tomahawk IIa as used at home in the Army Cooperation/recce role or another Flying Tiger plane as in the kit options. As you can see the main assembly was finished as was most of the painting and then it was put aside and forgotten until now. If the paint is still viable as it seems I will have a shot at getting it finished although I only have 4 complete days left! No pressure then.😄 Pete

My current project is an early MiG-3. It is the hobby boss kit but with an alter fuselage for the early version. the early version has different panels on the cowling, exhausts and other details. here some pics of the test fit.

Source: https://tieba.baidu.com/p/9395831348 Aircraft programme = same novelties as in catalogue 2024-2025: thread 1/48 - ref. 80381 - Chance-Vought F4U-5N Corsair (late version) - thread - announced since 2014 - ref. 80393 - Chance-Vought AU-1 Corsair - thread - announced since 2014 - ref. 80394 - Chance-Vought Corsair Mk.I - thread - announced since 2014 - ref. 81761 - Sukhoi Su-33 "Flanker-D" - thread - announced since 2015 - ref. 81762 - Shenyang J-15 Flying Shark/"Flanker-X2" - thread - announced since 2023 - ref. 81781 - Focke-Wulf Fw.190A-6 Würger - thread - announced since 2024 - ref. 81782 - Focke-Wulf Fw.190A-8 Würger - thread - announced since 2024 - ref. 81792 - Messerschmitt Bf.109E-4 Emil - thread - announced since 2024 - expected in January 2025 - ref. 81793 - Messerschmitt Bf.109E-4/TROP Emil - thread - announced since 2023 - ref. 81794 - Messerschmitt Bf.109E-7 Emil - thread - announced since 2024 - ref. 85810 - McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet - thread - announced since 2022 - ref. 85815 - Lockheed-Martin F-35A Lightning II - thread - announced since 2024 - ref. 85816 - Lockheed-Martin F-35B Lightning II - thread - announced since 2024 - ref. 85817 - Lockheed-Martin F-35C Lightning II - thread - announced since 2024 1/72 - ref. 87265 - Douglas C-48C Skytrain - thread - announced since 2027 - ref. 87272 - Douglas TBD-1 Devastator - thread - announced since 2023 - ref. 87273 - Douglas TBD-1A Devastator - thread - announced since 2023 - ref. 87275 - Grumman TBF-1C Avenger - thread - announced since 2024 1/144 - ref. 83901 - Antonov An-12 "Cub" - announced since 2019 V.P.

Another Blitzbuild so soon after the Blitzenbuild? And my partner back at work leaving me on full time Daddy duties? There can be only one solution. The kit. And my reference photo. UK MOD © Crown copyright 2022 Cheers, Richard.

"What a boring title! Can't he write something engaging for once?" Can I? Certainly, but these titles, despite their potential to "lower engagement", help you as a reader to know what you're getting into and me to track what I am taking about. Descriptive and understandable: real machine, manufacturer kit ID, scale, WIP status. Lets see how this one goes. but so far seems to be a straightforward build that's fitting in the provided time limit. Preemptive parts checking shows promising results with them fitting fine, crisp lines, a bit of flash here and there, some slight shape corrections needed but overall... pretty satisfied I would say. Box contents are a courtesy of whoever uploaded photo on Scalemates: Of course as per usual, providing Scalemates link and instructions (likely for earlier boxing as mine has them printed literally on the box itself, same thing anyway). They however do not explain a thing about different canopy or extra fuel tank (one definitely is) options.

Thank you to everyone who helped me identify suitable kits for this little project, especially @Giorgio N and @CT7567. I’m starting with this Hobbyboss F-5 for two reasons; firstly it’s a nice simple kit to start with in this scale and subject, and secondly it was the first to arrive! It certainly looks quite straightforward, and I like the two American schemes, particularly the desert aggressor, which is the one I’ll be doing. It’s so small I’m going to brush paint most of this, I’ll just use a coat of tan spray then paint the dark brown and ‘yellow sand’ camouflage. I’m going to make all these kits oob, with kit decals and no aftermarket (that’s the plan for now anyway!) The real thing! I’ve got a few reference photos of the kit subject aircraft so nice and easy to do it with the kit decals.

HobbyBoss is to release in late November 2022 a 1/48th Hawker Hurricane Mk.I kit - ref. 81777 Source: http://www.hobbyboss.com/index.php?g=home&m=article&a=show&id=216 Box art V.P.

This will probably be the slowest WIP but here we go. My favorite all time aircraft is the F4U Corsair. My favorite subtype is the F4U-4. IMO it hasn't been properly kitted yet in 48th scale. The closest thing we have to a modern kit of it is the Hobbyboss. This kit like many HB kits has a few glaringly wrong inaccuracies. I'm gonna try to improve them as I build my first HB kit. The most obvious and heinous inaccuracy for me is the shape of the cowling. Some months ago I started to work on improving it. Note I didn't say correcting it. There's too many dimensional and shape issues that would need to be fixed with the fuselage before one could think about making a "correct" cowling. Here's what I've done and where I'm at with my cowling. The kit cowling is on the right, my cowling is on the left. It would have been much easier if you graft a Hasegawa cowling on but the Hobbyboss is too round and shallow. The Hasegawa has a better overall shape and maybe by a tad tall since the rest of the fuselage is too deep. I'm just letting you know I looked at that possibility. Right now my cowling is only a rough shape master. I'll have to make a two piece mold of it and cast a resin copy to scribe the surface detail into. I'll make mold of that detailed master and cast another one for this project. I haven't created resin molds in some time so it'll involve some considerable financial and time investments. I decided i didn't want to do all that until the rest of the model was completed satisfactorily to the point the cowling is needed. I bin way too many kits and this is my first go at this particular kit. I'll stop here because this is rehashing old work that some people have already seen plus you're probably sleeping if you haven't jumped ship already. When I come back I'll be concentrating on building the rest of the kit. Be well Ron

TBD-1 Devastator (81783) 1:48 HobbyBoss via Creative Models Ltd The TBD-1 Devastator was an interwar design for a torpedo bomber that first flew in 1935 and entered service two years later during the “Yellow wing” phase of American Naval aviation, and although a capable aircraft when it first arrived, it was outclassed almost as soon as the Americans entered WWII with only around 130 being procured for use by the US Navy. It was a slow-moving target, and not the most manoeuvrable, which although it performed quite well in its first uses against the Japanese at the Battle of Coral Sea, subsequent attacks during the Battle of Midway suffered heavy losses with no torpedo hits, reducing a force of forty-one aircraft to only six that landed back on deck after the attack, and after that sad but heroic sacrifice of squadron VT-8 during Midway, the Devastator was soon withdrawn from active duty with fewer than 40 airframes still left in existence by that time, none of which survive today. The design was modern at a time when most of its competitors were biplanes, and it won its competition against several such designs that look incredibly archaic by comparison. The Devastator had an all-metal construction using corrugated sheets to add strength whilst keeping weight down, with monoplane wings that could be folded to save stowage space below deck. It also had retractable landing gear to reduce drag, and was crewed by three – the pilot, radio operator/rear gunner, and the bombardier in the centre, his seat allowing him to slide into the prone position under the pilot’s location that allowed him to aim via a window in the floor. Crew protection was poor for the time, which was magnified by its low speed and lack of agility to evade incoming fire, thanks in part to the low power output of the Twin Wasp engine and its high all-up weight. Their successors, the TBF Avenger suffered similar high-levels of attrition until air superiority was achieved, by which time the remaining crews had gained sufficient experience to properly coordinate their attacks against a weakened enemy. The Kit This is a new tooling from HobbyBoss, and is the newest kit of the type by a decade or more at time of writing. It arrives in a top-opening box with a painting of a yellow-wing era Devastator on the lid, and inside are six sprues of differing sizes in grey styrene, a clear sprue, a fret of Photo-Etch (PE), a sheet of masking material, decal sheet, instruction booklet in grey-scale, with a glossy sheet of colour printed profiles for the decal options slipped between the pages. Detail is good, with finely engraved panel lines and riveting, plus raised and recessed features where appropriate, a well-detailed cockpit, full depiction of the Twin Wasp engine, open or closed wings, and open or closed canopy elements, with a monolithic canopy part for the closed option. Construction begins with the cockpit, the floor of which is a long part that has a lower tier with ribbed floor, supports and control panel added underneath. The pilot’s position is detailed with rudder pedals and a bulkhead with various details added that separate him from the bombardier, who also has a bulkhead fitted to the rear of his section. Another shorter bulkhead with radio gear and a D/F loop is slotted into the floor behind the two forward stations, turning the assembly around to fit crew seats to the front compartments that both have PE lap-belts applied to them, and a frame glued to the rear of the pilot’s seat before it is installed. A stack of equipment is built from two parts and placed at the very rear of the cockpit floor, acting as the aft support for the frame that is fixed over the rear two seats, fitting a control column into the pilot’s floor along with a cylindrical part, and a roll-over A-frame with PE side skins just behind his bulkhead, plus a V-shaped brace, a square panel in the very front, a fire extinguisher behind the bombardier’s seat, and two small ribs to the sides of the machine gun recess at the rear. The gunner’s position is finally made, starting with a recessed seat-pan with PE lap-belts and a back-rest on vertical struts, fixing a two-layer pivot to the front of the crewman, completing the circular frame around the gunner’s position. The gun with separate twin grips is mounted to the front of the operator on a triangular fitting, setting it to one side while the starboard fuselage half is detailed. There is substantial ribbing and other detail inside the extensive cockpit, adding a small window in the side, a hose that rises out to the sill, a small tapering wall panel under the engine cowling, then drilling two holes under the rear of the fuselage for the arrestor hook. The port fuselage is detailed in the same manner, adding a quadrant in the pilot’s area, then creating a pair of instrument panel sections that have eight decals applied after painting, mounting them in the starboard fuselage half along with two panels (one clear window) that are fitted into the nose to create the lower view cut-out. As the fuselage halves are brought together, a tiny tail-wheel is trapped between two pins in a fairing under the tail, taking time to wait for the glue to cure before dealing with the seams in your preferred manner. The lower inner wing panels are presented as a single part that has two bays inserted before the upper inner wing halves are glued over them, both upper and lower halves partially ribbed on the outer portions. Flipping the assembly over, an intake is made by trapping a PE mesh insert between two barrel-shaped halves, before embedding it into a recess under the starboard wing. The main gear is made at this stage too, although most will probably leave them off until later, as this is simple to do, because they are single struts with one retraction jack moulded-in, adding another at an angle, and mounting the two-part wheels on the axles at the bottom ends. These assemblies plug directly into sockets in the lower wing. The inner wing is then detailed with a set of flaps that can be posed deployed or retracted by using different parts, ribs on the outer ends of the assemblies, with a choice of a two-part option for folded wings, or a simple flat part with holes in it for the in-flight option, installing the completed inner wing assembly into the underside of the fuselage. The Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp has both banks of pistons depicted, each row made from front and rear halves, fitting a two-part intake spider at the rear, plus a cylindrical spacer at the very rear. The exhausts have a hollow lip thanks to an insert at the tip, slotting the forward ends into holes in the back of the cylinders, attaching it to the front of the fuselage on a pair of pins, ensuring that the exhausts correspond with cut-outs in the nose bulkhead. You then have a choice of two cowlings, one with the cooling gills open, the other closed, both moulded as single parts by using sliding moulds, so watch out for almost invisible seam-lines where the moulds join, usually on or around panel lines. The model is inverted to add an arrestor hook under the tail on the two holes drilled out earlier, a small antenna under the trailing edge of the wing, and two doors for the bombardier’s aiming window, the two parts having lightening holes moulded into their inner faces. The prop is moulded as one, consisting of three blades and a hole in the centre that accepts the boss to finish off the assembly, which can be slotted into a hole in the bell-housing at the front of the engine. Righting the model to finish off the cockpit by installing the canopy and other detail parts has you deciding whether to open the canopy’s segments or portraying them closed. The simplest option is the closed version, which consists of just one clear part that you insert a tubular gunsight through a hole in the windscreen, adding an eye-cup to the inside once it is in position. The instructions are a little confused here, as it shows the forward aerial mast mounted on the nose, two PE parts added to the coaming in front of the pilot, two layers of glazing between the bombardier and gunner’s positions, and the gun compartment doors either closed, or open using two parts. It doesn’t mention that if you opt for a closed cockpit, those two glazing panels will interfere with the fit of the canopy and the open gun doors, so bear that in mind and test-fit everything before you apply glue. For the open option, the separate windscreen has the tubular sight inserted before it is glued to the front of the cockpit opening, fitting another four sections over the front two seats, but you’ll need to check your references if you aren’t sure how they should look. The rear canopy part is slid forward over the two sections glued earlier, so you’ll probably want to have the gun compartment doors open to make your model ready for action. HobbyBoss have included a sheet of pre-cut masks that are numbered on the sheet, and there is a diagram showing their locations on the instructions at this point, which will help you paint the canopy frames neatly with less effort. I’ve not yet used these masks myself, but other than appearing a little thick, they should do the job. Choices keep coming, deciding whether to deploy the wings for flight, or folded for storage. The outer wing panels are each made from top and bottom halves, adding an aileron to the trailing edge of each one, then either fitting a simple rib with pins to the inner ends for un-folded wings, or a detailed rib with lightening holes plus two wing-fold armatures that hook into the inner wings to hold them at the correct angle. The elevators are made from two halves, the undersides including the complete flying surface to achieve a thin trailing edge, creating a ribbed surface for the panel without the risk of sink marks that would ruin the ribbed surfaces. Laying the model on its back again, the first option is to fit an insert in the belly that conforms to the curvature of the torpedo that is included with the model. The torpedo is made from two halves with a two-part screw at the rear, and additional fins perpendicular to those that are moulded-in. A box-tail is made from four PE panels that slot into each other, and fit on the rear to retard the speed of entry into the water, which could pre-detonate or destroy the Mk.13 torpedo, which was already experiencing problems that proved difficult to remedy. The torp is lashed into the fixture by two PE straps, but it is also held in place by a pair of pins that insert into corresponding holes in the fairing. The last part is a PE tip to the styrene pitot probe in the leading edge of the starboard wing, which gives it a three-pronged tip, with an enlarged diagram showing how it should be bent to shape. To load your Devastator with bombs, a flat insert is installed in the belly instead, slinging three-part bombs on either side of the insert on short shackles. The diagram for this option shows the model with folded wings, in case you needed extra information on how the folded wings should look. Markings There are two decal options on the sheet, but as usual with HobbyBoss there is no information offered on the location, period or pilots of the options, but the fuselage codes should allow the intrepid modeller to find out the back-story if you feel the need. From the box you can build one of the following: Decals aren’t always the strongest part of HobbyBoss’s kits, but here the register, sharpness and colour density seem to be of good quality, although there aren’t many stencils. There are however multi-coloured tip decals for the prop blades to make that task easier if you opt for the yellow-wing decal choice. Conclusion From the box this looks to be a good-looking model of the type, and the detail is certainly present, as are the options for open or closed canopy and wings that should show off your work. The open bombardier’s window is a nice option that isn’t always present on models of this aircraft. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

German Panzerträgerwagen (82936) 1:72 Hobby Boss via Creative Models Ltd During WWII German forces used armoured trains in large numbers, with over 20 locomotives in use, many of which were based upon the BR57 Dampflok, with a double-layer of armour applied, spaced apart by a wooden layer. Various cars were part of the train, all armoured in a similar manner to the locomotive, with different functions that could include control wagons, anti-aircraft, emplaced tank turrets, radio cars, infantry wagons and so forth. The initial designation for the standardised layout of carriages and wagons was BP42, which made use of extra flat-cars at the ends of the train to detonate booby-traps, although a Panhard 178 with specialised wheels would be sent up to 1km ahead of the train on the rails to reconnoitre the upcoming track. The revised BP44 arrangement eschewed the kick-off cars for Panzerjägerwagens that had turrets built-in, with a Panzerträgerwagen tank-carrier next in line front and rear. The Panzerträgerwagen was a well-wagon that had been adapted and armoured with side-skirts, with a pair of drop-down loading/unloading ramps to access the well-bed. These wagons carried a medium tank due to the weight limits, but the car had to be uncoupled for the tank to load or unload for action or at the end of the journey. The tank was usually a Panzer 38(t), manufactured by Skoda, and the intention was to provide covering fire from its position within the carriage well, or offload down the ramp that was generally left ready for action to counter-attack a ground-based ambush, using an automatic coupling to speed the process and minimise the danger to the train crew. The bogies were armoured with side-skirts to protect them from incoming fire, whilst retaining the ability to corner with the rest of the train, as the wagon would be a bullet magnet when it began firing, so it was crucial that the wheels remained intact. As the situation deteriorated further for the Third Reich toward the end of the war, even armoured trains would use the cover of darkness to protect their cargo from air attacks, which were becoming more frequent every day. The Kit This is a partial new tooling that is based upon the existing Hobby Boss range of armoured train kits, and includes a Panzer 38(t) tank to populate the wagon. The kit arrives in a standard top-opening box with a painting of the subject matter on the front, and inside are five sprues and five loose parts in sand-coloured styrene, a decal sheet, instruction booklet in black and white, plus a colour painting and decaling guide that is printed on glossy paper on both sides. Detail is good, including rolling bogies, a separate tank that can be posed wherever you like on the model, and there are two sprues that provide a length of track with ballast that are common across the whole range of kits, plus two end-caps if this is either your last wagon, or you are building it in isolation. Construction begins with the bogies, cutting 1.15mm from the brake shoes that project from the sides of the wheels, fitting a leaf-spring and bearing cover to each wheel before they are fitted to the ends of the axles, making four wheels that become two bogies that clip into position in the roof of the wells that are found inside the body of the wagon. Buffers are fixed to the opposite end to the ramp, adding hooks, shackles and coupling parts, plus vacuum tubes to the sides, and a manual wheel on the side near the bogie. The surface of the well is covered with ribs on the sloped areas, adding hatches to the openings to each end, then gluing it to the body, fitting supports for the ramps and a centre block to the end of the body. The ramps are joined at the lower end, made from two layers, the upper layer having the same ribs as the well-bed, with support struts beneath the lower layer. It attaches to the wagon with twin pins from each side, the larger pins at the top, completing the wagon by adding L-profile rails to the sides of the wagon, creating an overhang within the bed. The tank is well-detailed for the scale, and the track runs are moulded with the majority of the road wheels, and have small sections of sprue between the wheels and track that should be cut away before adding the outer wheels to the idler and drive sprocket wheels. The lower hull has the suspension units moulded-in, and receives the two track runs, taking care to align the pins and install them in the correct orientation. The upper hull is applied over the open hull, slotting the fenders to the sides, with a separate jack and convoy light to increase the detail, finishing the glacis plate with a detail insert that has the bow machine gun added to the front. A rod with an eye at the top is glued to the front of the glacis, adding the exhaust and smoke box to the rear, then moving on to the turret, which is moulded as top and bottom parts, fitting the main gun and coaxial machine gun to the mantlet, an angled cupola over the circular upright, with a short periscope or vent added just in front. The turret mates with the hull and twists into position using a pair of bayonet lugs moulded into the ring. The track consists of two lengths of ballast that has the sleepers (ties for our US audience) moulded-in, with the option of adding them to any other kits from the range you have, and using one or two end caps to close the ends. The rails are separate parts that are slid into the fastener pads from both ends, linking them together with jointing plates on both sides that have the large bolts moulded-in. With careful painting and weathering the track should look realistic, but check your references to ensure you choose the correct colours to replicate the grease, soot and grime that was endemic during the steam era. Markings One colour scheme is provided, based upon dark yellow (dunkelgelb), with green and red brown camouflage stripes sprayed at random angles. The decals are mostly white stencils, with four balkenkreuz crosses for the sides of the wagon and tank. From the box you can build the following: The stencils are white, while the crosses are black and white, with good registration for the scale. Conclusion An unusual model from a growing range from Hobby Boss, and one that will garner attention once complete, thanks to the unusual subject matter and the detail that is incorporated from the box. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

HobbyBoss is to release 1/48th TBD-1 Devastator kits - ref. 81783 - Douglas TBD-1 Devastator - ref. 81784 - Douglas TBD-1A Devastator Source: https://tieba.baidu.com/p/8249037080 V.P.

Here we go! This one will be built OOB as W-101 with a few scratch built details. I came across a photo of W-101 which is actually an A5M4 and not an A5M2. As far as I can tell there aren't any external differences between the two models. Looking forward to this!