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

Mosquito B Mk.XVI Wheels & Exhausts 1:72 CMK by Special Hobby for Airfix Kit Mosquito B Mk.XVI Wheels (7494) Kit wheels are generally in two halves, which means you have the resultant joins to deal with, possible mould-slip issues on single part wheels, and sometimes less than stellar detail due to the moulding limitations of styrene injection technology, especially in the tread department. That's where replacement resin wheels come in, with their lack of seamline and superior detail making a compelling argument. They are also usually available at a reasonable price, and can be an easy introduction to aftermarket and resin handling, as they are usually a drop-in replacement. This set from CMK is suitable for the Airfix kit in 1:72, but would probably work equally as well for other kits. The set arrives in the usual yellow-themed CMK blister pack, with the instructions sandwiched between the resin parts and the header card. Inside are three resin wheels on one casting block, and the main wheels hubs on another block. The wheels are all attached to their blocks on their contact patches, with additional wisps of resin supporting the wheel further and helping to reduce the likelihood of air bubbles within the moulds. These are easily removed with a razor saw and a swipe with a sanding stick that should leave all the smooth contact surface intact. The hubs need to be removed and added to each side of the main wheels. There is a stronger rasin leg for the rear wheel. They’re a much better detailed drop-in replacement for the kit parts from thereon in. Highly recommended. Mosquito B Mk.XVI Exhausts (7495) Kit exhaust are another part which due to moulding limitations of styrene injection technology are not as exact as resin parts. That's where replacement resin replacements come in , with their superior detail making a compelling argument for replacement. They are also usually available at a reasonable price, and can be an easy introduction to aftermarket and resin handling, as they are usually a drop-in replacement. This set from CMK is suitable for the Airfix kit in 1:72. The set arrives in the usual yellow-themed CMK blister pack, with the instructions sandwiched between the resin parts and the header card. Inside are four sets of exhaust (two for each engine). Each side cuts off and fits as one part, which just drop into the kit. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Saab AJ-37 Viggen "Strike Fighter" (SH48216) 1:48 Special Hobby The Viggen was Sweden's later Cold War fighter that took over from the equally unusual Saab Draken, as part of their long-standing preference for ploughing their own way through modernising their Flygvapnet, the Swedish Air Force. It began service in the early 1970s with the AJ variant, which was primarily a ground attack aircraft that could also perform the fighter role if necessary. It was slightly shorter than the later JA, with a slightly different cockpit arrangement and a less powerful engine. Over a hundred were built, with roughly half of them converted to AJS standard at the end of the 90s with improved avionics and software. The last of these upgraded AJs were taken out of service in 2005, with the similarly home-grown Gripen taking over its roles. The Kit This is Special Hobby's boxing of the kit in co-operation with Tarangus. The kit arrives in a large box adorned with a painting of an early NMF Viggen. Inside there are eight sprues in grey styrene, one in clear, a sheet of Photo-Etch (PE) nickel-plated brass, decal sheet and aninstruction booklet in the box, with the colour profiles and decal guides printed in colour on the inner back pages. This boxing includes the extra sprue which was tooled for later boxings of the kit. Construction begins with the front fuselage, and the cockpit in particular. The ejection seat, which is a Raketstol 37, is made from two parts for the outer shell, and has the head-cushion moulded in, so you will need to deal with the seam there before you install the single piece cushion in the lower half and the head-box top above it. The ejection gun and lateral supports are inserted in the hollow back of the chair, a full set of PE belts and harnesses are provided. The cockpit tub is one piece with integrated side consoled that have raised detail moulded in, to which you add the rudder pedals, control column and the main instrument panel. The panel has what looks like an MFD in the middle, but it was in fact an old-fashioned CRT screen, which was quite advanced at the time in an aircraft. PE is provided for the instrument panel and side consoles. Another two small levers are added to the right side console to finish off the cockpit nicely. The front fuselage is split horizontally, and has moulded-in recesses into which the sidewall detail parts are placed before the cockpit tub is added from below. Before the front fuselage can be closed up however, the intake trunking must be built up. The two trunks are moulded together and split top and bottom to ensure correct line-up, being held apart with bracing struts and outer flanges that hold them neatly within the fuselage. A bulkhead with twin oval openings covers the rear end. The nose gear bay is added, a front bulkhead to close off the nose behind the radome is installed over the front of that. The upper fuselage with the spine moulded in is then sat on top and glued in place, at which point you will need to ensure a good fit between the two halves, an important part at this point is to drill out the holes in the lower section for the bely pylons if needed. The rear fuselage splits vertically to allow a realistic rendition of the area-rule curving fuselage that surrounds the Volvo motor. In order to join the halves, you need to build the engine's rear, which is made from just two parts, but has superb detail incorporated. The main part is a wide tube with the rear engine face and afterburner ring moulded-in with stunning sharpness, plus ribbing along the length of the exhaust, and fluted edges that are commendably thin. The reverser section is added next, which is again a single part that mates with the lip in three points, leaving three large gaps for the reversed engine gases to exit. The thrust-reversing petals are each separate, and can be posed either fully open for normal running, closed for "reversing", or with the bottom two open and the top one drooping down due to the bleed-off of hydraulic pressure following engine shut-down. The latter will be the most normally seen on a parked aircraft, but you at least have options now! The tail cone fits over the petals, and the completed (and painted) assembly is trapped between the aft fuselage halves, and then mated with the forward half. Most of the upper join will be hidden by the spine of the front fuselage, which is always a boon to the modeller. Work then moves to the large cranked "double-delta" wings, starting with adding the well detailed shallow main gear bays to the single piece lower wing. A few holes are drilled for additional flap-actuator fairings (IIRC, this additional actuator wasn't present on early variants), and fuselage then the two upper wing halves are added, butting up against each other. Plenty of test fitting should ensure the best joint, but don't forget that wing-fairings are often not the best fitting, so check your references, and if it looks right, leave the lid on the putty. The flying surfaces are moulded integrally, so other than adding the aforementioned flap fairings and a pair of small wingtip lights on each wing, that's them done. At the front end of the fuselage, your Viggen will be looking a little blunt until you add the two part nose cone, which is split vertically, and the engine intakes, which have been cleverly designed to take up only one part each. These are slim and delicate, but if you want to achieve better scale accuracy, you might consider slimming the lips down a little more, such are the limits of styrene injection moulding. The small aerodynamic bracing struts that fit between the inner edge of the intake and the fuselage are separate parts, and are shown in both the installed position and as part of the exploded construction diagram to assist with correct placement. A scrap diagram from the front would have helped further, but instead check your references, as there are plenty of head-on pics out there. The two canards are installed later on a pair of attachment lugs, and each one is a single piece, with moulded-in flaps and a single vortex generator on the top of the winglet. I would have preferred the flaps separate, as the aircraft looks good with them down, and they often taxi in with them down after using them to improve lift on landings, as well as on take-off. The big vertical fin is separate, and has an insert on the port spine to cater for other earlier variants down the line. Various auxiliary intakes and exhausts are added down the fuselage and spine into recesses, and the small T-shaped air-brakes are added forward of the reverser outlets on each side, with another two under the fuselage. The gear bays have been nicely detailed from the box, and with the addition of the landing gear should suffice for most modellers' needs. The nose gear leg fits into a recess in the rear of the bay, and has a separate strut and oleo-scissor link. The bay doors each have hinge-points and a separate retractor link, and there are two clear landing light parts added inside the bay, angled slightly down. The main gear bays are each single parts, but have been detailed sufficiently with moulded-in shapes to give a good impression. The inner main doors are usually closed on the ground anyway, so most of it will be hidden. The Viggen was unusual in having a pair of inline wheels on a horizontal leg, which rotated around the end of the main leg, offering better rough-field performance. This has been replicated faithfully using eleven parts for each leg and its retraction mechanism, plus another two for the stub-axles that hold the two-part wheels in place. The wheels are nice, but they're not the strongest part of the kit, and could bear replacing with some aftermarket if they come around. The same could be said of the twin nose-wheels, which are each single parts, but all would be improved by the addition of a flat-spot to simulate the aircraft's weight, so if you're keeping them, get your sanding sticks out. The outer bay doors are captive to the gear leg, and have hinge points to give them a good chance of remaining in place during handling or travel to shows. Under the fuselage there are different options for the centreline pylon and other parts depending on your chosen decal option so consult the instructions carefully on this. A large centre line tank is provided because all fighters are always short of fuel. The tank is made of two halves split vertically, and has four separate stabilising fins that fit into slots in the body. Sadly for anyone wishing to load up their Viggen from the box contents, there are no weapons available in the kit. A forward bay and Ram Air Turbine are included if you want to model this open. The last act involves the canopy, which can be posed open or closed using the same two parts. The windscreen will need fairing in for a little extra realism, and the canopy can be fitted open or closed by inserting the hinge tabs in at the appropriate angle. A clear HUD glass is also provided for the coaming, which is incidentally moulded into the fuselage halves, so will need the seam hiding before you paint. PE Canopy mirrors are provided for the main frame. Markings There are three decal options in this boxing, two in NMF finish and the last in the famous splinter scheme. From the box you can build one of the following: 37023/7-23 / 418 - Wing F7, Satena, Seen at the Paris Air Show in 1973. Aircraft was Zapped by RNLAF personnel of 323 Sqn at Leeuwarden on the way back to Sweden (NMF). 37029/7-29, Wing F7, Satena July 1975 Still showing markings applied for an airshow in Germany in 1973 (NMF) 37035/6-35, Wing F6, Karlsborg, 1984 (Splinter camo). Conclusion It's good to see Special Hobby continuing to work on their kits after initial release, and the end result is well worth the effort. The best Viggen in 1:48 available by miles. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Panhard 178B ‘47mm Gun late Turret’ (SA35009) 1:35 Special Hobby The Panhard 178 was in 1935 an advanced reconnaissance armoured car used by the French armed forces, the 178 being Panhard's internal project number. The vehicle featured 4-wheel drive, a 25mm main gun that was supplemented by a 7.5mm machine gun. It was the first 4-wheel drive type of vehicle mass produced by a major power. A notable feature of the vehicle was a driving position in the front, and a separate seat at the rear for a second driver to get out of trouble in a hurry without performing a U-turn. The second driver also doubled as a radio operator in command vehicles. The main gun used was normally a shortened version of the 25mm Hotchkiss L/42.2, which was the standard French Anti-tank tank gun, but to allow for the shorter barrel, the gun used a heavier charge that could penetrate up to 50mm of armour when using a tungsten round. Secondary armament was usually a coaxial Reibel 7.mm machine gun for which 3,750 rounds were carried, approximately half of them being armour piercing. A further machine gun was carried on the internal wall that could be mounted on the turret for anti-aircraft use. The magazines for this gun were also carried on the internal walls of the fighting compartment. Approximately 370 vehicles were completed and available for use when war broke out, and they were employed by infantry units as well as the Cavalry. When in combat against German vehicles that were armed with 20mm cannon, the Panhards often came out much better than the enemy vehicles, but after the French defeat almost 200 (many brand-new) were used by Germany in reconnaissance units. An interesting modification made by the Germans was to develop the Schienepanzer as railway protection vehicles that were fitted with special wheels to allow them to run on railway tracks. After the war the type was updated with a 75mm gun, but it was later decided to install a 47mm SA35 gun, with over 400 made, making a grand total of over 1,000. The Kit This kit is a re-release of a base ICM kit from 2015, but with a substantial quantity of resin and Photo-Etch (PE) parts to create this particular version of the vehicle. It has a full interior, both in the fighting compartment, with the two driving positions and in the engine bay. The detail on the parts is very well done, from the rivets on the main hull to the tread-plate main floor, and the louvres on the engine covers. There are 4 sprues of grey styrene, four rubber tyres, a glossy colour printed instruction booklet, PE sheet and a small decal sheet. In a separate yellow box within the outer packaging are a large number of resin parts, some of which have been 3D printer mastered for extreme detail and accuracy. There is also a single clear resin part, and a turned aluminium barrel within the pack, all of which is protected in a Ziploc bag inside the box. This of course means that a large number of kit parts will remain on the sprues, destined for the spares box or recycling, as they have been replaced by the new resin parts. Construction begins with the tread-plated fighting compartment floor being glued to the lower hull, followed by the rear driver’s bulkhead and both drivers’ seats. The longitudinal bulkhead between the rear driver’s compartment and engine compartment is then fitted into position, followed by the well-detailed twelve-part engine. The drivers’ steering columns and steering wheels are next, along with the gear sticks and foot pedals. A resin shell storage box and 24 shells are added in front of the engine bay, and the rear driver’s transverse bulkhead is then installed, with a PE strip depicting the leather back-strap that could be un-latched to allow the driver to clamber into the rear quickly. Both sides of the hull have a door that can be posed either open or closed to display the interior if you wish, and on the inside of each side there are numerous resin ammunition drums for the machine gun to be glued into position, along with the driver’s instruments and a spare machine gun. The sides are then glued to the lower hull, followed by the front and rear bulkheads plus glacis plate. The rear engine deck is then attached, along with the fighting compartment roof after adding the resin radio gear rack and another PE back-strap for the forward driver, followed by engine louvres and rear mid-bulkhead hatch, which can all be posed open should the modeller wish. The engine compartment is fitted with a muffler and an optional figure-eight PE bracket before the final louvres are installed, following which the rear arches are fitted out with stowage boxes that have pioneer tools added to their exterior, as does the rest of the engine deck. Fortunately, the running gear and suspension on this kit is refreshingly simple, with just two axles and two-piece differentials plus drive shafts that are assembled, then the four suspension spring units are fitted to the underside of the hull, followed by the axles/drive shafts. The steering linkages are attached along with brake accumulators, drop links, horn and towing hooks. The wheels are each made up from two-part hubs and a flexible black “rubber” tyre, with the completed assemblies glued onto their respective axles. The new resin turret is then assembled, beginning with the co-axial machine gun and main gun breech, which is made from a number of resin parts, which once joined together are fitted with the trunnion mounts and elevation gear. This is fitted to the turret ring along with the turret traverse mechanism. The resin turret ring and turret are fitted with vision blocks on the inside along with the gun and other equipment, then the commanders and gunner’s seats are made up and glued into position as the ring is glued in place. The hatches are fitted with a handle and more vision blocks before being fixed into position, and can be posed open or closed. More flared periscope hoods are fitted on the turret roof, and lifting eyes around the sides. There is a choice of two barrels for this boxing, with a longer resin item that has a two-part muzzle brake, or the turned metal one with small coax barrel tip slotting into the resin mantlet that in turn fixes onto the keyed front of the breech. The completed turret is then dropped onto the hull, and the last parts added. These include the driver’s hatch, a resin search light with clear resin lens, plus optional aerial mounts, wiring looms and PE brackets. The spare tyre on the left side of the hull is completely resin, having a 3D printed master for the tyre, two-part hubs that attach it to the side, and a flat PE cover to prevent dirt ingress in the field. Markings The small decal sheet provides markings for five vehicles, all with a base of green, some of which having overpainted camouflage patterns. From the box you can build one of the following: Vehicle IC-92690 ‘Fontenoy’ 1er Peloton du I/5e RSM, French Army, Cambodia, 1952 Vehicle 11222 Syrian Arab Army Parade vehicle, 1960s Vehicle I1003200 unknown unit, France, c.1945 Vehicle IS-91858 ‘Carmen’, unknown unit, North Africa, 1947 Vehicle 11003577 fictitious unit of French Army with 75mm gun from a well-known PC game Decals are by Special Hobby, which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. Conclusion This is an unusual boxing of the 178B that should appeal to a lot of folks, especially those that perhaps play a game that may or may not be War Thunder. I don’t play myself, but it’s highly likely. Great detail, and tons of resin to add value to the ICM plastic. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Gloster Meteor F.8 / FR.9 "Middle East Meteors" (72463) 1:72 Special Hobby The Gloster Meteor was the first British jet fighter and the Allies' first operational jet aircraft during the Second World War. The Meteor's development was heavily reliant on its ground-breaking turbojet engines, pioneered by Sir Frank Whittle and his company, Power Jets Ltd. Development of the aircraft itself began in 1940, although work on the engines had been underway since 1936. The Meteor first flew in 1943 and commenced operations on 27 July 1944 with No. 616 Squadron RAF. Nicknamed the "Meatbox", the Meteor was not a sophisticated aircraft in terms of its aerodynamics, but proved to be a successful combat fighter. Several major variants of the Meteor incorporated technological advances during the 1940s and 1950s. Thousands of Meteors were built to fly with the RAF and other air forces and remained in use for several decades. The Meteor saw limited action in the Second World War. Meteors of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) provided a significant contribution in the Korean War. Several other operators such as Argentina, Egypt and Israel flew Meteors in later regional conflicts. Specialised variants of the Meteor were developed for use in photo-reconnaissance and as night fighters. Israel and its main adversaries Egypt and Syria all flew these aircraft. The Kit This is the the MPM kit re-issued by Special Hobby with parts for the F.8 and FR.9 in the box. The MPM kit is of the higher short run variety but builds into a nice kit with care. If modelling the FR.9 the F.8 nose will have to be removed. While the new nose is clear for the camera window, no interior for the nose is included. Having built one of these kits nose weight is a must. The underside of the main cockpit forms the front wheel well and the nose gear can then be built up and added in here. With the fuselage together the tail planes can now be fixed on. Moving to the main wings the wheel wells are attached to the lower wing. In each nacelle the engine front and airflow splitter over the main spar is added. Then the wings can be joined and added to the main fuselage. The main gear can be assembled and added to aircraft, along with the intake lips and exhausts. The instructions show drop tanks being added, though in all the pictures of WK935 I have seen it is flying without them. The last steps in construction are to add the canopies, a couple of aerials and the pitot tube. Decals Markings are provided for 4 aircraft. The decals are nicely printed and look quite thin and glossy. Meteor FR.9 No.36 - 111 Sqn IDF, Ramet David, Israel 1955. High Speed Silver Finish? Meteor F.8 No. 09 - 107 Sqn IDF, Ramat David, Israel 1962-64. Three colour camo with daygo stripes. Meteor F.8 No. 1419 - Royal Egyptian Air Force 1955. High Speed Silver finish. Fetero F.8 No. 4141 Sqn Syrian Arab Air Force 1956, 3 Colour Camo. Conclusion This is the only kit in 1.72 for this unusual aircraft, recommended if you like Meteors, or prototype/one off airframes. Review sample courtesy of

This Mike (from Two Mikes Resin - http://www.twomikesresin.com/ & http://www.facebook....es/292079953801 ) talk too much... But doesn't say enough. Sources: http://www.britmodel...38 http://s362974870.on...96&qpid=2114224 Wait and see. V.P.

Small Arms for Volkssturm Set 3 (P35003) 1:35 3D Print by Special Hobby During the closing days of WWII, the people of Berlin and the surrounding areas were pressed into service as make-do militia soldiers by the desperate hard-core Nazis, and when we say people, it was mostly old men, teenagers and those that had been injured and invalided out of service previously. Some women even took part, and there’s a famous piece of film of a German lady being taught how to use a Panzerfaust by a soldier with a nervous smile on her face. They were given basic training, often no more than on how to operate the weapons they had been given, and sent off to almost certain death, in order to delay the Allies from reaching the higher-ups. The weapons were often old and outdated, so overall they stood little chance of giving a good account of themselves against hardened Allied troops and heavily armoured and armed tanks. This set from Special Hobby is part of a new range that is using direct 3D printing using light-cured resins, which is a technique that is rapidly becoming suitable for making realistic models, even at the budget level. These sets are being produced on more high-end machines, and no layers were visible to my eyes, even with magnification! It arrives in a standard blister pack with orange branding, and lots of foam within to keep the parts safe during transport. The instructions are in the rear, sandwiched between the blister and the card header. Inside is a single printed block of parts that are printed in a light orange resin with what appears to be a lot fewer support struts ensuring that the freshly printed parts don’t sag under their own weight before they are properly cured. There is also a small fret of Photo-Etch (PE) for the rifle slings, which should be annealed in a flame to soften before use for your own ease. At first look it looks like a badly strung clothes tree, but on closer inspection you can see a number of weapons and parts within that should be removed with a pair of sharp-nosed clippers, being careful that you don’t accidentally also trim a barrel or stock tube as you go. Care is the watchword here. Once released, you will see that there are four weapons, as follows: EMP44 submachine gun MP3008 submachine gun Volkssturmgewehr VG1 rifle MG81 machine gun The rifles are recipients of the slings, and the instructions show where they fit. The 3008 was a last-ditch design for a cheap, easily produced sub-machine gun, so it is apt that it appears in this set. The MG81 consists of three parts, with separate cocking handle and bipod to be glued in place, and no sling. This was a development of the MG34 used primarily by the Luftwaffe when they moved away from the MG15, and again it was an attempt to reduce costs and material use toward the end of the war. The EMP44 was a failure in terms of design, having only progressed as far as a working prototype by the end of the project, and resembles some really poor plumbing more than a rifle. It is also incorrectly noted on the site’s page as an RMP44. Finally, the VG1 was a simple rifle that was designed as a last-ditch type for the defence of the Reich, with a simple 10-round magazine and was crudely machined and designed when compared to more well-rounded rifles such as the Gehwehr98 that saw action through the whole of WWII. Conclusion Special Hobby have taken full advantage of the advances in 3D printing here, and the results are exquisite, if a little delicate if you’re a fat-fingered goon like me. Take care when handling, and you will end up with a superbly accurate set of arms to add to your next Battle for Berlin project. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Junkers Ju-87D-5 "Axis Satellites" (SH72448) 1:72 Special Hobby The Ju-87 Stuka was conceived as a dive bomber in the early 1930s and proved itself in the Spanish Civil war, then later in the Blitzkrieg in Western Europe. However the Battle of Britain would show that the aircraft was vulnerable to the more modern fighters of that time. As such it was moved to areas when the Luftwaffe had less or no aerial opposition. This also involved supplying axis countries in these areas with surplus German Aircraft. D-series featured two coolant radiators underneath the inboard sections of the wings, while the oil cooler was relocated to the position formerly occupied by the single, undernose "chin" coolant radiator. The D-series also introduced an aerodynamically refined cockpit with better visibility and space. Armour protection was increased and a new dual-barrel 7.92 mm (.312 in) MG 81Z machine gun with an extremely high rate of fire was installed in the rear position. Engine power was increased again, the Jumo 211J now delivering 1,400 hp, this enable bomb carrying capacity to be nearly quadrupled from 500 kg to 1,800 kg though a typical bomb load was 500 - 1200 Kgs. The D-5 was designed more for ground attack the the MGs being replaced by 20mm cannons, the window in the floor was reinforced and additional hinges on the control surfaces allowed for higher diving speeds. The Kit Here Special Hobby have re-boxed the Academy kit with a new sprue & PE fret for the D-5 parts in a similar fashion to the recent T-6 kit. As you get all the Academy parts there will be left overs, unused parts on the SH sprues suggest other variants are in the pipeline as well. Construction starts with the cockpit (no surprise there). The two seat frames for the cockpit are assembled and then PE belts are added to the seats. The seats, side consoles and other parts are fitted to the cockpit floor. The cockpit can then be placed in the fuselage and this closed up. The coaming and instrument panel are fitted in the front of the cockpit, and decking at the rear. The aircraft nose including exhausts is then made up and fitted to the front of the fuselage. Now we move to the wings. The lower wing complete with the slats is one part with left/right uppers. A hole will need to be cut n the lower wing for the centreline bomb racks. Once done the wing can be fitted to the fuselage. The tail surfaces and the rugger go on next. Under the main wing the gear and spats are made up and added, along with the radiators and wing bomb racks. Bombs are made from plastic parts with PE fins. One large bomb for the centre line, and 2 smaller bombs per wing are included. The dive brakes are then fitted, these are PE. To finish off the prop is added along with the rear gun. Open or closed canopy parts are provided. Markings The glossy decal sheet is printed in house and looks sharp and in register. There are four decal options available from the decal sheet; Grupal 6 Picaj, Royal Romanian Air Force 1943/44. OK-XAB Slovak Air Force, Piestany Sprinh 1944. These were licensed production aircraft built at STL. B.706 Siraso II (Grave Digger II) Royal Hungarian Air Force, Summer 1944 White 46, 1 Air Group, Royal Bulgarian Air Force late 1944. Yellow ID areas changed to white after Bulgaria Switched Sides. Masks Special Hobby also do masks for the kit. The masks are for the canopies and wheels. Conclusion Special Hobby seem to be well versed in taking an existing tool and making the extra parts for other versions. Highly recommended. Review samples courtesy of

Canadair Sabre Mk.4 Cockpit & Airbrakes (4445 & 4448 for Airfix) 1:48 CMK by Special Hobby Airfix’s new(ish) Sabre has been around now for a while, and some folks have complained about a bit of soft detail in places, especially the rear deck behind the pilot’s head. CMK have created a number of resin sets to improve on the base kit, of which we have two sets in for review. Both sets arrive in their standard yellow blister packs with a card header, and the instructions sandwiched between the two halves. Both sets have Photo-Etch (PE) that are separated from the resin parts by a sheet of thick acetate, to avoid damage during shipping. Cockpit Set (4445) This set contains twenty-one resin parts, a fret of PE and a small printed piece of acetate sheet. It replaces the kit cockpit completely with a new resin tub, into which the replacement resin seat and PE seatbelts are fitted, along with the three-layered resin/acetate/PE instrument panel, which has additional PE controls added after has been laminated, and before it is inserted into the front of the tub with the control column. The pilot’s headrest is glued to the armoured upstand and spaced out with another resin part, then the replacement rear deck is joined to the rear of the tub. The fuselage internal sidewalls are sanded/scraped down to accommodate the new resin inserts, and the front coaming is improved by the addition of two small resin parts on the aft corners plus the gunsight, and the while there aren’t any shapes printed on the acetate sheet for the glazing, a little bit of research should allow you to make the parts from the off-cuts around the instrument panel. The kit canopy is last to be augmented, having a well-detailed resin insert to replace the simplistic internal structure, although it does reuse the clear ADF-loop cover from the kit sprues. The final part is the addition of a PE rear-view in the top of the roll-over hoop, which will need some chrome paint adding to simulate the silvered glass. Air Brakes (4448) Containing eight resin parts and a small sheet of PE, this set replaces the simplified inserts that make up the air-brake bays, relegating the kit parts to the spares bin, then replaces the brakes themselves with resin parts that are overlaid on the interior with a pair of PE skins on each one, after adding the triangular resin edges to the main brake. They are then added to the fuselage after the build, with new resin actuator pistons supplied with the set holding them at the correct angle. Review sample courtesy of

Luftschutz Helmets x 2 (P35004) 1:35 Special Hobby 3D Print During WWII, firefighters and rescue workers often laboured while the bombs were still falling in order to save people and buildings from total destruction, or at least to minimise the ravaging fires and reduce the effects on collapsing buildings. Many of these brave folks were volunteers that were either over fighting age or had been invalided out for one reason or another. Nazi Germany too had these people braving death and destruction, and many of them wore a helmet to protect their heads called the Luftschutz. It bore a passing resemblance to the military Stahlhelm, but had extended brims front and rear, with cut-outs over the ears to reduce any effect on hearing that the brims would otherwise have. They were often painted a dark blue and had a winged Swastika on the front, and a leather interior structure to protect the wearer’s head from abrasion and impacts. A leather strap held the helmet on the wearer’s head with a friction buckle keeping it on their head during activity. This set is another direct 3D printed offering from Special Hobby, printed in their pale orange resin using SLA printers for ultimate detail. Inside the standard blister pack are two helmet parts, a small fret of Photo-Etch (PE) and a decal sheet for use once the model is painted. The helmets have already been removed from their printing base, with just a single support mark on the flat top that can be sanded off with little effort. The four rivets are present, as are the small perforated ventilation holes on the sides, although you can only just see them because they are small at full-scale, so reduce that by 35 times, and they are utterly minute. Thick paint may obliterate them completely, so take it easy when applying it. The instructions show the location of the straps, which are in two parts like the real thing, and also shows the location of the decals for Luftschutz use as well as other times they were seen during the Prague and Warsaw uprisings. If you’re wondering which is the front, look at it from the side and you will see the brim at the front is shorter than at the rear, in much the same way as a modern firefighter’s helmet. No-one wants hot debris down the back of their jackets, especially when their mind is on other more dangerous things. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Special Hobby has just announced a 1/72nd kit of the Gloster Meteor F.Mk.8 "prone" - ref. SH72569. Source: http://www.aeroscale...ticle&sid=12874 V.P.

AH-1G Cobra Spanish & IDF/AF Cobras (SH48202) 1:48 Special Hobby The AH-1 Cobra was the first production Gunship or Attack Helicopter to see US service as a new type of weapons platform. During the Vietnam war the US Army began to see the need for armed helicopter to escort its unarmed UH-1 Hueys into combat. Fortunately, Bell Helicopters had been independently investigating helicopter gunships as early as the late 1950s, so in 1962 Bell was able to display a mock up concept to the US Army, featuring a 20mm gun pod, and a ball turret mounted grenade launcher. It was felt by the Army to be lightweight, under powered and unsuitable. Following this the US Army launched and Advanced Aerial Fire Support System (AAFSS) competition, which gave rise to the Lockheed AH-56 Cheyenne heavy attack helicopter that proved to be too advanced and therefore risky for its time, eventually being cancelled in 1972 after 10 years of development (some things never change). Despite the failure of the AAFSS programme, Bell stuck with its idea of a smaller, lighter gunship and invested its own money developing the AH-1 further. They used all of the proven components they could from the UH-1 platform, adding these to a newly designed slender fuselage that had a minimal front profile. When The US Army later asked for plans for an interim gunship for Vietnam, Bell was in a fortunate position to be able to offer the ready-made AH-1, or the Bell 209 as it was then called. Given the work Bell had already done, the programme was completed in a relatively rapid eight months and won the evaluation battle against the competition. In 1966 the US Army signed an initial contract for 110 aircraft. Some slight modifications were made to the production airframes. The heavy armoured glass canopy was replaced by Plexiglas with an improvement in performance. Wider rotor blades were fitted and the original retracting skids were replaced by simple fixed units. The G model was the initial 1966 production model gunship for the US Army, with one 1,400shp (1,000 kW) Avco Lycoming T53-13 turboshaft. Bell built over 1,100 AH-1Gs between 1967 and 1973, and the Cobras would go on to fly over a million operational hours in Vietnam, approximately 300 were lost to combat and accidents during the war. The U.S. Marine Corps would use AH-1G Cobra in Vietnam for a short period before acquiring more damage resilient twin-engined AH-1J Cobras. The M-35 Gun System was a single M195 20mm cannon (a short-barrelled version of the six-barrel M61A1 Vulcan) on the port inboard pylon of the AH-1G, with 950 rounds of ammunition stored in boxes faired to the side of the aircraft. The system was primarily pilot controlled, but featured dual controls so it could be either pilot or gunner controlled. For this purpose the pilot was provided with a M73 sight. The AH-1 went on to serve the US Army until it was replaced by the AH-64 Apache. The last one leaving active service in 1999. The Kit This is a new tool from Special Hobby and brings us a long-overdue update to some of the older kits of the type on the market. This first edition depicts the Spanish Navy and Israeli Defence Force (IDF) airframes, and arrives in a standard top-opening box in Special Hobby’s usual blue and white theme, and inside are eleven sprues in various sizes in grey styrene, a large clear sprue with a choice of canopies for upcoming versions, a decal sheet and their usual glossy A4 instruction booklet with spot colour throughout, and colour profiles of the decal options in the rear. There are a number of red Xs on the sprue diagrams, as they have been tooled with future boxings in mind, so after you’re done building it, you will likely have a number parts left over. I’d also recommend checking the sprues for parts that have come off the runners during shipping, as a fair few were loose in my bag, so don’t go tossing it in the recycling before you’ve checked them over. Detail is excellent, as we’ve come to expect from SH, especially in the cockpit, the exterior surface and the rotors, and the instruction booklet takes you through the build process with colour and scrap diagrams used to clarify the process. Construction begins with the cockpit, which will be highly visible through the crystal clear canopy parts, and this starts with the twin tub (no, not a 60s washing machine), into which the quilted rear bulkhead, twin pilot controls and tail rotor pedals are fitted, followed closely by a pair of instrument panels with decals and deep coamings to reduce glare coming though the big windows. The panels are different for front and rear crew, but their seats are very similar with armoured wings and sides on the cushioned seat, made of four parts each. Remarkably quickly we’re starting prep of the fuselage halves by drilling out a number of holes, adding the nose cone and tail fin, taking care to align them carefully as well as choosing the right one. There are two tails on the sprues. The rotor-head is installed on a flat plate, allowing the head to rotate if you’re careful with the glue, then it is inserted into the fuselage along with the cockpit tub and the short exhaust trunk, closing it up and leaving it to set up so you can deal with the seams. With that done, the cockpit is outfitted with more armour panels on the internal sidewalls and on the port side exterior, adding a number of appliqué panels in two parts. The underside of the fuselage is bereft of detail until you add the two armoured panels under the cockpit, and glue an insert into the hole in the underside after drilling out a pair of holes from within. Two small intakes are added to the sides, followed by the main intakes above that slot into recesses on the fuselage sides. The Cobra has wings! Little ones that are essentially weapons carriers, and these both have a separate wingtip and root mounted ammo pod under each one, the port pod later feeding the M35 gatling gun and a link between the starboard and port pods. At the rear you have a choice of two styles of tail stabilisers, one covered in rivets, the other nice and smooth. Speaking of the tail, the boom is covered in nicely rendered raised rivets, as is correct for the type. Two pylons attach to the underside of the winglets, one in the tip, another fitting into two holes. There is a choice of exhaust ring types, the Spanish one having a short circular type, while the Israeli airframes have a longer, upturned unit that is made from two halves. The Israeli bird also has a half-moon upstand near the outlet, and both types have a clear part mounted on a tapered turret. Speaking of turrets, with the fuselage flipped on its back, the nose turret is next, with a pair of inserts added into the main turret part, and a 7.62mm gatling gun in one aperture, plus a 40mm grenade launcher in the other that you’ll need to drill out the muzzles on. The tip of the nose cone is separate, and has a pitot probe added near the top, then it’s time to add a few antennae and clear lights, plus the BIG gun, which has a separate hollow muzzle part, ammo feed and two other small parts, which is suspended from the underside of the port winglet, and linked to the ammo pod as mentioned earlier. The skids with the thicker supports and a safety skid on the rear finish off the main fuselage for now, after which the spinning parts are made. The Cobra had a twin-blade tail rotor that slots straight into a hole in the top of the tail fin, with an M-shaped control mechanism fixed to the centre, and a couple of clear parts added to fairings nearby. The main rotor sits on a chunky axle, over which an angular washer slides that is joined to the base by a pair of actuators. The two main blades are moulded as a single item, and are first detailed with additional parts before they are glued to the top of the drive-shaft, and supported by a pair of long control rods linked to the blades to adjust their incidence. A scrap diagram shows the various parts in false-colour to help you get everything correctly aligned. It is lowered into the top fairing later and glued into place, but first the canopy is completed. The Cobra’s canopy opens on both sides, and has the long narrow top is fixed first, with the windscreen moulded-in. A small instrument is glued to the side of the screen, 3.5mm up from the bottom, after which it is glued onto the fuselage. The pilots exit from opposite sides, so after the sloped starboard section and port rear section are fixed in place, the two openers can be mounted in the open position and supported by props to achieve the correct angle for them. In addition to guns the Cobra could carry rocket pods, and two each of the seven-shot M157, M158 and four of the 19-shot M200 pods are included on separate sprues, the M157 & M200 pods cylindrical and with detail inserts in both ends. The bare tubed M158 pods have two ends, a central section and a curved cover at the top that is attached to the pylon. The final assembly is the optional towing equipment pack. This consists of a pair of graft-on wheels that attach to a pair of pegs on the upper rear of the skids, lifting them off the ground, and a pair of towing bars that also have castors near the skid-end to facilitate movement when they’re off the airframe. The bars attach to the front of the skids, then its down to you to find a suitable towing vehicle if you wish. Markings There are four markings options in the box, two each of Spanish and Israeli machines, painted blue and olive green respectively. From the box you can build one of the following: 007-8 Z.14-8 (72-21464) Arma Aerea de la Armada Española, 7 Escuadrilla, Base Naval de Rota, Spain, 1973-84 01-702 HA.14-2 (71-15091) Arma Aerea de la Armada Española, 7 Escuadrilla, Base Naval de Rota, Spain, 1973-84 No.126, Evaluation Unit/First Attack Helicopter Sqn., Chel Ha’Avir, Basis Tel Nof. Israel, 1975-6 No.130, Evaluation Unit/First Attack Helicopter Sqn., Chel Ha’Avir, Basis Tel Nof. Israel, 1975-6 Decals are by Cartograf, which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. Conclusion A welcome new tool of this gutsy attack helo that stayed in service for a long time and was used by a wide variety of operators. Great detail and simple construction add to the appeal. If you're masking phobic, you'd do well to view our review of the inside/outside masks by Special Masks, here. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

AH-1G Cobra Inside/Outside Masks (M48005 for Special Hobby) 1:48 Special Masks If you’ve spent time making your new AH-1G Cobra model from Special Hobby (reviewed here), you should probably consider making the best of the clear canopy using this new masking set from Special Masks. It arrives in a flat pack with a card backing and a sheet of kabuki-style tape sheet inside that has been pre-cut with masks specifically for the new model. these pre-cut masks supply you with 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. The masks are duplicated in a slightly smaller form for the inside of the canopy to allow the modeller to paint the interior for a more realistic-looking finish. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Messerschmitt Bf 109E-7 Trop "Braving Sand & Snow" (SH72462) 1:72 Special Hobby The BF 109 has inherited quite a legendary status and when you look into its service career, it's certainly obvious why. Viewing the design in retrospect, it looks just like a typical fighter of the WWII era, but it was more than that, it was the very platform that the single seat fighter format was born from. Powerful engine, monocoque airframe, all metal construction, enclosed cockpit and retractable gear this was unheard of before hand, it was radical, not typical in the 1930's. Its birth wasn't perfect however, to achieve its performance, some sacrifices were made, particularly in the landing gear arrangement and high wing loading having a negative effect on landing speeds compared to the competition at the time. This inherent design issue was never fully cured and it's estimated that at least 10% of all 109's were lost in take off accidents. Early models (A-D) were powered by the Junkers jumo engine with outputs of around 700hp. The aircraft was first used in combat during the Spanish Civil War where many lessons were learned and these would be later put to good use in battles over France and Britain. The E or Emil model broke the mould in 109 development by changing to the more powerful Daimler Benz DB 601 engine of around 1080hp, a significant step in performance and also in armament due to the introduction of 20mm cannon. By 1939, all earlier variants had been replaced in frontline service. As the variants progressed, so did the level of armour protection for the pilot. Another critical element to improve survivability was the use of twin radiators with cut off valves meaning that if one radiator was damaged, the other could be used to keep it airborne. The Emil was the primary Luftwaffe fighter until 1941 when the F model became widely available with more powerful engine although a few managed to see combat in the Battle of Britain. For an aircraft that broke the mould with fighter technology and performance in the mid 30's, it's evolution meant that whilst it's design had exhausted improvement capability towards the end of the war, it stayed in operational use until 1965 in Europe in the guise of the Spanish licence built HA 1112 using the Merlin power plant. During its 30 year career, more than 33,000 were built, a record that will probably never be beaten. The Kit This is a brand new tool for 2020 from Special Hobby, in collaboration with Eduard. The quality is first class with crisp moulding and fine engraved panel lines. Given the small size of the real aircraft, in 1/72 the model is quite diminutive, but seems well detailed. Construction starts with the cockpit. The rear bulkhead attaches to the floor with the rudder pedals going in as well. The front lower bulkhead is made up and installed onto the floor followed by the instruments panel and the coaming in front of it. The instruments being provided as decals. Into the cockpit go the flight controls and flap wheel, followed by the seat. The belts being provided as decals also. If the modeller is going to display the cover for the guns in front of the cockpit open then full guns are included, if you are doing this closed then only partial ones need to be added. Next up the engine is assembled which seems quite detailed for the scale, the bearers attached and it fitted to the firewall. Inside the main fuselage halves the exhausts are fitted along with the tail wheel and then the whole thing can be closed up. Separate engine and gun covers can be added, or left off as needed. For the tropical version the longer filter is added to the intake. After the tail surfaces are attached to the main fuselage then we can move onto the wings. The lower wing is a single part with left and right uppers. The wheel wells are all boxed in on the lower. To the middle of the lower wing the radiator is first added. The top wings can then go on. All the wing control surfaces are separate parts. To finish the wing the under wing radiators are added. The wing can then be joined with the fuselage. The canopy parts can then be added, along with the head armour. The slats can then be added to the main wing in either the open or closed position as needed. At the front the prop and spinner goes on. Last up for the main parts, the main landing gear is made up and added. A few detail parts now can be added to finish of the kit, the aerial mast, pitot tubes, balance horns,; and even an engine starting handle if you wish to install it. Markings The glossy decal sheet is printed in house and looks sharp and in register. There are four decal options available from the decal sheet; W.Nr 6389. White 9 1.(J)/LG2, pilot Oberleutnant Erwin ‘Ceasar’ Clausen, Mariupol, Germany-occupied Ukraine, the Soviet Union, December 1941 chevron/A, Stabschwarm I./JG 27, pilot grupenadjuntant Oblt. Ludwig Franzisket, April 1941. After being transferred to North Africa, Franzisket's machine still remained in its original scheme of RLM02/71. White 10, I./JG27, pilot Fw. Günther Steinhausen, Ain-el-Gazala, Libya, August 1941 W.Nr.4964, S9+DR, 7./ZG1, El Alamein, Libya, August 1942. The starboard side wing was a replacement still bearing European camouflage colours. Conclusion It is good to see a new tool out of this most famous aircraft. I am no 109 expert but it looks to be a well detailed and engineered kit. Highly recommended. Review samples courtesy of

Short Sunderland Mk.I/II "Flying Porcupine" (SH72438) 1:72 Special Hobby The Sunderland was developed by Short Brothers to an RAF requirement R.2/33 for a long range general purpose flying boat. It is thought Shorts took their work on Imperial Flying Boats to design the Sunderland, however the RAF requirement was released before the Imperial Airways requirements, and Short's decided to pursue both at the same time. The Sunderland would be a large four engined flying boat with both defensive and offensive armaments. The large wings which would mount 4 Bristol Pegasus engine were able to hold 200 Gallons of fuel giving the aircraft a 14 hour range. For defense initially four guns were mounted in a rear turret, two guns in the nose turret, and two guns on each beam. Later a dorsal turret would be added. Offensive weapons were carried internally and winched out under the wings through doors in the aircrafts sides. Later aircraft would also gain 4 fixed forward firing machine guns. German pilots nicknames the Sunderland the flying porcupine and there are numerous cases of Sunderland fighting off superior numbers off attacking aircraft. Radar fitted to these flying boats enabled them to become accomplished submarine hunters. Production shifted to the Mark III in December of 1941. This had a changed hull to improve seaworthiness. With 461 built this was the most numerous mark. The Kit This is a new boxing of the Mark III based on Special Hobby's new tool Mark V from 2019, with new parts for earlier marks. The parts on the sprues enable different marks to be made. In addition for early aircraft this kit contains a small 3D printed set of prop control units as later marks had covers on these. This is an impressive kit with good quality large mouldings and a full interior. Construction starts in the cockpit. The instrument panel and pilots seats are built up onto the deck with the control columns being added. The cockpit bulkhead goes in and there is an additional seat to fit on the bulkhead. At the other side what appears to be the navigators position goes in. The lower deck under the cockpit then is assembled with its bunk areas for crew rest on those long flights. The next stage is to build up the weapons carriers and the rails which winch them out under the wings. 8 bombs are provided. The top and main decks can then be joined and the weapons section added to the rear of this sub-assembly. To the front is added the mooring deck/access to the front turret with a realistic grating effect to the floor, Additional parts can now be added inside both main fuselage halves before you can think about closing them up around the main internal section. The modeler can have the weapons windows open or closed but this needs to be done now as they swing inwards. At the rear of the main cabin the gunners position and access to the top turret parts need then to be added. At the bow the anchor needs to go in. Only once all this is done can the fuselage be closed up. The exterior now needs to be looked at, The main top insert for the turret goes in, then underneath the hull step part is added. Both of these being inserts to allow for the different marks to be kitted. At the rear the vertical fin and separate rudder go on, then the tailplanes, here the moving surfaces are moulded in. The main wings go on next. These are conventional left/right upper/lower surfaces; again the moveable surfaces are moulded in. The wings have large tabs which slot into the fuselage which should help then fit on correctly and not droop over time. If you opted for the bombs slung out under the wings now is the time to add the racks there. We are now on the finishing straight. Still on the main wing the four engines are assembled, each with its own resin exhaust. The two main wing floats then go on. Next up its the gun turrets. All these are fitted from the outside which is a great help when it comes to masking and painting them as separate items. The front turret can be mounted slid back for mooring or in its forward position. The front boarding door can also be open as all the structure behind it is in place. The props and exhausts go on here. The last step is to attach all of the external aerials. Given there are four on the top, eight on each side; and two on the wings it's probably better left until after painting! If wanted by the modeler then beaching gear is provided for the aircraft. Clear Parts These are of the same excellent quality as the other kit parts, and again it can be seen there are parts for other marks on the clear spure. Markings The decals are printed by Cartograf so that guarantees there will be no issues with them. A generous four aircraft can be modelled using the kit decals, Mk.II W3983/RB-R, No.10 Sqn RAAF, Pembroke Wales, 1941. In 1943 this aircraft was damaged attacking a U-Boat and towed in Gibraltar for repairs. Extra Dark Sea Grey/Dark Slate Grey over Aluminum. Mk.II W3981/ZM-W No.201 Sqn RAF, Pembroke Wales,1941. In Dec 1941 she was transferred to Alexandria for transport duties. Extra Dark Sea Grey/Dark Slate Grey over Sky Grey Mk.II L2160/NM-X. No.230 Sqn RAF, Detached to Greece April 1941. Dark Earth/ Dark Green over Sky. Mk.II T9114/E, No461 (RAAF) Sqn, Pembroke Wales 1943. Late Extra Dark Sea Grey/Dark Slate Grey over White High Demarcation Scheme. Conclusion This is great new tool of an important though often overlooked aircraft for the RAF. The kit is very detailed indie and out. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Special Hobby is to release early 2016 a variant from the Azur's Vautour kit (https://www.scalemates.com/products/reviews.php?scale=1%3A72&topic=SNCASO+SO-4050+Vautour), a 1/72nd SNCASO SO.4050 Vautour IIN "Cyrano radar" - ref.SH72333 Source: http://www.mpmkits.net/2015/12/novinky-special-hobby-prvni-mesice-roku.html Box art The same in 1/48th... Sigh. V.P.

Vautour IIB French Jet Bomber (SH72415) 1:72 Special Hobby The Sud Aviation Vautour (Vulture) stems from a 1951 request from the Armée de l'Air for a jet aircraft capable as acting as a bomber, light attack aircraft, or an all-weather interceptor. The renamed Vautour II would subsequently be built in all three versions, entering service in 1958, and leaving active front line service in 1978. Various test aircraft stayed around through to the 1990s. The aircraft would feature an all-metal fuselage with a mid-fuselage mounted wing. The engines were mounted in underslung pods in a similar manner to the Me.262. A distinguishing feature of the aircraft was the main undercarriage units on the centre line with outriggers stowed in the engine pods. The Cyrano Radar was originally developed for the Mirage but were fitted to some Vautours for testing and one such aircraft was sold to Israel. The Aircraft would never see any combat with the Armée de l'Air, however it would with its only export customer the Israeli Defence Forces. Israel purchased 28 Vautours and they were used in the six-day war and the War of Attrition. In fact, the type did score an aerial victory over an Iraqi Hunter. 15 aircraft were lost to combat and they were replaced by Skyhawks in 1971. The Kit The original kit was released by Azur in 2011, and is now being marketed under the Special Hobby brand. This kit represents a Vautour IIB two-seat bomber with glass nose seating a bomb-aimer, and arrives in a top-opening box with four sprues of grey styrene, a sprue of clear parts, a number of resin detail parts, a Photo-Etch (PE) sheet, a printed clear acetate film, instruction booklet on glossy paper with spot colour, and decal sheet. The detail of the plastic parts is good for the age, and is augmented by the resin and PE parts, bringing it thoroughly up-to-date. Construction begins with the cockpit, starting with two seats that have five-point belts in PE. The instrument panel has PE rudders attached to its rear, and a lamination of PE and acetate dials at the front, topped off with a coaming, and set aside while the bomb-aimer’s seat is glued to the short floor and a rear bulkhead is added. The pilot’s seat is glued to the top of the nose gear bay, which has a pair of half bulkheads underneath and a shaped bulkhead behind the pilot, to which the side-consoles are added. The control column and PE foot plates are ensconced between the consoles, and the nose gear leg is made up from a number of parts and is inserted under the cockpit floor, with a two-part wheel on each side of the cross-axle, with a side drawing showing the completed assembly with the pilot’s seat and floor in profile. Two more gear bays are made for the outer side engine nacelles for those weird stabiliser wheels, and another more standard bay is made for the rear gear as the nacelles are being built, comprising two halves each with a shallow bay, plus resin intake and exhaust, the latter having two tiny PE parts glued into gaps in the lip. The fuselage is closed up after inserting the two cockpits into the right fuselage half along with additional resin and PE detail parts, with more in the left side, and instructions on how and where to paint the fuselage insides. The left fuselage is closed up with the addition of the rear gear bay and coaming, with a pair of holes drilled in the rudder fin before final closure and the addition of the separate rudder. The airframe comes together quite quickly once the fuselage is complete, adding the two wings to slots in the sides, which have the outer panels moulded as one, and small inner panels fleshing out the lower surface. Each of the elevators are single parts, and the already complete engine nacelles are inserted into the gap in the lower surfaces, plus a clear nose cone for the bomb-aimer, and two small parts under nose and tail. The rear gear is glued in with the aid of a scrap diagram, and has the twin wheels fixed later, while a pair of PE wing fences, a resin gunsight and the canopy complete the cockpit, and more small parts are glued to the rear. The stabiliser gear legs and wheels are inserted into the shallow nacelle bays, made up from resin and styrene parts, and having twin bay doors opening upwards, both of which have resin hinges. The main bays are also bracketed with simple doors that have additional hinge parts fixed before installation. Markings Post war shiny metal is the theme for the markings options on the decal sheet, and there are four to choose from. From the box you can build one of the following: No.627/92-AP, 92e Escadre de Bombardement, Armée de l'Air No.638, Armée de l'Air, základna RAF Wethersfield, Great Britain, Wethersfield Armed Forces Day, June 17, 1961 No.634/JD, Escadron de Remorquage 05/106, Armée de l'Air, 1978 No.621/92-AN, 2/92e Escadre de Bombardement „Aquitaine“, Armée de l'Air Decals are by printed in good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. Conclusion A welcome re-release of this early post war French jet bomber that often gets overlooked, sadly. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Spitfire Mk.Vc Resin Update Sets (for Airfix) 1:72 CMK by Special Hobby These new sets from Special Hobby’s CMK line are intended for the Airfix kit to upgrade the details beyond what is possible with injection moulded styrene, giving your model much better detail, and hopefully enhancing the finished product’s realism. Each set arrives in CMK’s usual blister pack, backed by a card header, and with the instructions trapped between. Where Photo-Etch (PE) is included, a clear sheet of acetate separates the resin from the more delicate and easily bent PE, whilst allowing everything to be seen by the casual observer. Each set is separate and available in isolation, so pick and choose what you want to focus on, or what your budget allows. Cockpit Set (7485) This set requires the removal of the cockpit sidewall detail from the kit fuselage, plus the drop-down access door, after which you build up the instrument panel from four layers, two of PE, two of clear acetate with dials printed upon them. This is glued onto the panel’s frame with the footwell below. The seat frame is next, adding the supports, armour and the resin seat, with four-point seatbelts from the PE sheet. The main floor has the seat frame inserted, a pair of PE rudder pedals, resin control column and the instrument panel set in place, bracketed by the detailed cockpit sidewalls. The painted assembly can then be put in place between the fuselage halves, and later on the resin crew door is glued in place. Wing Guns – 2 Cannons (7486) Consisting of ten resin parts, this set includes the two gun bays, cannons and removable access panels for the wing armament. To begin with the upper wing is cut to remove the panels along their lines, while the lower wing has the skin thinned as much as you dare, and the cannon barrels nipped off the leading edges. The resin bays are inserted within the wing halves, the new long cannon barrels are glued into the leading edge of the wing with the kit stubs next to them, and the two panels per wing cast aside by the armourers. The short cannon barrels are for the spares box. Control Surfaces (7487) Containing sixteen resin parts and two PE parts on a small fret (not pictured), this set replaces all the flying surfaces of your Spitfire except for the rudder, and will require a little kit surgery before you can install the flaps and ailerons. The upper wings have their ailerons removed and chamfered to suit the new parts, and the flap bays thinned from the inside, while the lower wing has the small inner flap sections removed. The small resin parts are used to box in the inner flap sections, and the bays are glued into the underside of the upper wing, then once the wings are together the flaps and ailerons can be glued in place with super glue. The elevators are replaced completely with two parts per side, allowing you to deflect them to give your model a more candid look. The final parts are the small PE indicators on the upper wing that are installed perpendicular to the surface. Wing Guns – 4 Cannons (7493) Consisting of ten resin parts, this set ostensibly looks identical to the two gun set, but includes different gun bays with two cannon breeches per bay instead of one, four cannon barrels and removable access panels for the wing armament. To begin with the upper wing is cut to remove the panels along their lines, while the lower wing has the skin thinned as much as you dare, and the kit cannon barrels nipped off the leading edges. The resin bays are inserted within the wing halves, the new long and short cannon barrels are glued into the leading edge of the wing, and the two panels per wing cast aside by the armourers, which of course means you can nibble away at the kit panels, as they will no longer be needed. Conclusion A great group of sets that details up your Spitfire, along with making it heavier. Superb detail, relatively easy assembly that could be accomplished by everyone but the novice modeller. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Despite the recent release of the Italeri's Sunderland Mk.I (review: http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=234927542), the Special Hobby Short Sunderland Mk.V project seems going on. Some CAD drawings are proposed in ModelForum: http://www.modelforum.cz/viewtopic.php?f=97&p=1362198#p1362198 Future kit reference is SH72162. Wait and see. V.P.

Hello all, this is the latest from the shed. A fabulous kit with every part falling together and lots of marking choices on the decal sheet prited by Cartograf. I chose the Portuguese version just because I haven’t made many aircraft used by this country and I liked the large emblem on the side. The aircraft was designed by Claudius Dornier after moving to Spain post WW2. Then after the Dornier works were rebuilt in Germany the aircraft was assembled there, 428 being built and supplied to users all over the world. The model depicts an aircraft from Sintra A/F Base, Portuguese Air Force. Its painted with my first go at using Colour Coats paints. As they are matt this involves using gloss varnish prior to decaling then matt/semi varnish to finish. The only difficult part of the build was getting the yellow spiral decal onto the prop boss. Lovely little kit! Hope you like it. Thanks for looking Pete 🇺🇦

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

The Special Hobby Caproni Ca.311 & Ca.311M kits are ready for release - ref. SH72307 & SH72311. Source: http://www.mpmkits.net/2014/08/sh72307-caproni-ca311-sh72311-caproni.html More here: http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234961737-172-caproni-ca311-311m-special-hobby-sh72307-309/ V.P.

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

Hello all Here are some photographs of my Special Hobby P-40N. My original idea was to build the famous "Lulu Belle II" of Burma Banshees fame but I later decided to build "Mary Lou" instead. I can't hide it, pin up nose art attraction! 😉 "Mary Lou" was Lt David Winternitz mount, an 8th FS/49thFG aircraft flying from New Guinea in 1944 (decals are Exito decals). The big "Lulu Belle" skull will be for a future P-40 built. Below are some building details. Build was nearly from the box as kit is complete and very well detailed. Furthermore shapes look right to me. I had build both a Hasegawa and Academy P-40Ns before and their chin air intakes have something that look wrong to me. Cockpit need just a few details like throttles or a few levers. Seat is bit thick and though well shaped it was replaced with a resin part. Same with wheels, CMK wheels are a real plus. I would have preferred thinner panel lines - a common observation on SH models). Subtle painting can hide most of them. Worst shortcoming of the SH P-40 models actually is the fact that there are no walls to seperate the 3 different inlets. The huge P-40 front air intake actually are 3 different inlets for different equipments. I had to build these walls from very thin plastic card. Rest of the build was quite straightforward. Regards Eric B.

Special Hobby have recently released a 1/72nd scale kit of the futuristic looking Bugatti 100 racer, as the real aircraft had no markings, the kit contains no decals which got me thinking what if the French turned the Bugatti into an interceptor aircraft? The real aircraft was designed in response to German advances in aviation, it was constructed from wood in a similar fashion to the superlative Mosquito and was powered by two 450hp Bugatti engines which drove contra-rotating two bladed propellers via a common gearbox (similar to the Fairey Gannet). Its calculated speed was a phenomenal 885km/h, that's an astounding 553mph to you and me! The aircraft never actually flew and was hidden away during the war but a replica powered by two motorcycle engines did fly in 2015 only to crash, sadly with fatal consequences in 2016. When I got the kit I recalled that the Caudron C.714 was a lightweight fighter based upon earlier Caudron racing aircraft, if they could do that with the Caudron, maybe they could do the same with the Bugatti... The Back Story In my alternative history... ...In 1938 with the storm clouds of war gathering the Ministère de l'Air was scrabbling around for modern aircraft types to re-equip the Armée de l'Air. The Ministère had become aware of Etore Bugatti and Louis de Monge designing an aircraft to win the 1938 Coupe Deutsch de la Meurthe aeronautical speed competition. Bugatti and de Monge were confident the aircraft could reach the unheard of speed of 885km/h, the Ministère de l'Air were extremely interested, like Caudron were doing with the C.714, could the racer be adapted into a fighter. Bugatti and de Monge being patriotic Frenchmen rose to the challenge and set about adapting their design. Cramming military equipment such as guns, a radio and some armour protection for the pilot into the same airframe would increase the aircraft's weight and it's top speed would be reduced but the two men were confident it would still be the fastest thing in the skies, estimating its speed to be in the region of 750km/h. By the time the work was done the 750km/h estimate proved to be somewhat over optimistic but it could still achieve a useful 700-720km/h (437-450mph), unfortunately, the aircraft was difficult to fly and by attempting to keep the airframe identical to the original racer concept, there was precious little fuel, a long sortie would last no longer than 45 minutes, typical combat sorties would use the fuel up in about 30 minutes or less. The Ministère de l'Air was desperate though and accepted the aircraft as a point defence Intercepteur. The aircraft would be stationed at strategic points and would be launched at the very last minute using their, for the time, phenomenal speed to climb and intercept incoming raids. A handful of aircraft were assigned piecemeal to units and only the most experienced pilots were assigned to fly the aircraft. Pilots praised the aircraft for its high speed but flying it required constant attention which made it tiring to fly, it was a good job sorties were short. As the fortunes of war turned against the French, unserviceable aircraft were burned to stop them coming into German hands as the French forces retreated, finally, at the armistice there were fewer than a dozen aircraft left at Le Bourget airfield. Determined the Germans weren't going to learn the secrets of the aircraft, pilots and groundcrew set fire to the remaining aircraft so that none survived. The original prototype and all documents associated with the aircraft were hidden and only rediscovered post war. The model... The model comes in three plastic sprues (one clear), plus a number of resin parts, the latter are used for the main wheel wells, the radiator faces in the tailplane structure and the exhaust fairings, as previously stated, there's no decals, I have some spares kicking around which will hopefully do the job, I'll dig those out later in the week. Anyway, here's the stunning boxart showing the racer in flight... ...here's the kit contents... ...I've made a start glueing some parts together, here you can see the fuselage halves, the long cylindrical fairings on the cockpit wall are, I think, for the engine drive shafts. Locating these fore and aft is left to the modeller, I used the cockpit rear bulkhead to align them but I might need to fettle them later. Special Hobby suggest the cockpit interior to be red, frankly, that's not a very military colour for a cockpit so I went for something resembling bleu de nuit, a dark blue which was used on many French aircraft cockpits, I actually used Humbrol 104 for this. I also painted the wheel wells a chamois colour which is typical of many French aircraft (I used Humbrol 93). Special Hobby state the wheel wells are in a wood finish, great for a racer but again, not in keeping with a military aircraft... I'm leaving the paint to dry whilst I start getting dinner ready (steak and chips with a red wine and mushroom sauce in case you're interested). More updates in the coming days.