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  1. 3D Printed WWII Small Arms (P35026//7/8/9) 1:35 Special Hobby 3D Print Guns are a central component in any military engagement. They’re everywhere, especially where there’s fighting. Special Hobby have taken to printing many of their upgrade and detail sets in attractive orange resin, and the detail is phenomenal. They’re bringing out a series of small arms sets as part of their range, for use in dioramas, to increase the detail of figures, or as personal items in or around AFVs and softskins. Each set arrives in a clear bubble pack with a cardboard header and instruction sheet at the rear. In many packs, the 3D printed parts are secured in foam inserts that are cut to suit their shape, although some don’t need this assistance. This collection of sets is spread over different combatants during WWII, and should be chosen for their suitability to the models you are making, not just because they look great, although it is tempting. Vickers Machine Gun WWII (P35026) The Vickers Machine Gun was a development of the original Maxim, the company Vickers had bought in the late 1800s, lightened and with an inverted breech to improve operation, which entered into British service at the outbreak of WWI in insufficient numbers due partly to the price being asked for each one, which was soon rectified by accusations of profiteering that led to a huge price cut per unit. It was used first by the infantry, then by the newly formed Machine Gun Corps when the lighter Lewis gun arrived on the scene, and remained in service throughout WWI and WWII, until it was finally replaced by the General-Purpose Machine Gun in the late 60s. Quite a service run. This set is supplied on a single print base with a printed cage over the top that protects the parts, but makes photography difficult, so it was nipped off beforehand. The parts are closely spaced, with a total of nineteen 3D printed parts in their signature orange resin. There are three barrel choices on the block, one un-jacketed, the other two with a different jacket, one having a different style of muzzle too. Your chosen barrel is glued to the breech, which has a sighting mechanism added to the top rear, then the tripod is built from a core and three individual legs, mating the two main assemblies by making the gun’s mount from three separate parts that fit in the top of the tripod. The gun is lowered into position, and you can then string a length of ammunition between the breech and a choice of two styles of ammo box, each one having open and closed box choices. Finally, you will need to source a short length of wire to pose as the water feed for the cooling jacket, which ends in a re-purposed Shell Motor Spirit can that has those exact words engraved on the sides. PPSh-41 Soviet Submachine Gun (P35027) The PPSh was a Soviet era submachine gun that was used extensively by their troops through WWII. It was cheap to produce, with a high rate of fire, a choice of stick or plate magazine, totalling over 6 million made, some of which found their way into German hands, as it was a weapon they coveted, as long as they could find ammo, triggering a project to convert the gun to German standard cartridge size as the MP41(r). This set provides three individual PPSh-41s, two with a moulded-in stick mag, while the third gun has a drum magazine as a separate part on the print base. The detail is exceptional, extending to tiny aspects of the weapon, and the stamped heat shield around the barrel. Again, a protective shroud is printed around the parts, and was nipped off before photography. You can see it to one side in the photo. Type 92 Japanese Heavy Machine Gun (P35028) The Type 92 was related to an early Hotchkiss machine gun design that was initially license built by Japan, with a family resemblance to the lighter Type 3, but chambering a 7.7mm round for improved hitting power and greater reliability. It was air-cooled and was fed by strips of ammunition, which proved to be an inefficient method, resulting in relatively short bursts at a low rate of fire, followed by silence during changing of the strip, which allowed their enemies to make progress closer to their positions. The US troops nicknamed it the ‘Woodpecker’ because of this. Arriving on three separate print bases, there are nineteen parts that includes ammo strips and boxes to pose near your model, and a choice of straight and flared muzzle styles. Brace yourself here though, as the resin is boring, ordinary grey. Hopefully, they’ll go back to the orange, as I prefer it because it is unusual, and combines strength and flexibility. The gun is made from four parts plus a flared or straight muzzle, adding a strip of ammo if you want to portray it as ready to fire. The low-slung tripod is a single part that is detailed with an adjustment wheel and locking lever before the two assemblies are joined. There are two boxed ammo strips, an unboxed strip and two large boxes of ammo, one with the lid removed to pose nearby. Additionally, three extra parts are included to build the gun in transport mode, with a U-shaped handle fitted to the long leg of the tripod, and two straight rods fixed to the other two, which allows between two and four soldiers to carry the weapon between them. Type 3 Japanese Heavy Machine Gun (P35029) If this set looks similar to the Type 92, that’s because the Type 92 is a scaled-up, larger calibre version of this gun. It fires 6.5mm rounds that are fed in strips like its larger compatriot with all the same foibles, and is also based upon an early Hotchkiss design. It shares most of its parts with its sibling, with only the breech slightly different, and no sighting equipment near the rear of the weapon, just iron sights. It builds in an otherwise identical manner, and includes the same transport equipment to allow easy carriage by troops. Conclusion These weapons are perfect for use as background equipment in AFV models or dioramas, and would fulfil that role whether crewed or otherwise. The detail is stunning, and with sympathetic painting, they will be the pinnacle of realism. Review sample courtesy of
  2. Hi All, I had almost convinced myself that at 74 years old 1/72 models were too small for tired eyes then along comes Special Hobby with this little gem an aircraft I have wanted to model for many years in fact I have the C scale conversion from many years ago squirreled away in a safe place! The kit is beautifully engraved and has amazing cockpit detail as well as wheel bays. It does need very careful assembly and there are small amounts of flash and mould lines to remove. I found the engine bulkheads needed their diameters reduced before the wings would close up flush but generally the parts fit was very good. Painted in a mix of Tamiya acrylics and Revell Aqua then for the first time I used an AK panel line wash, The decals are very thin and settled down well but they need to be treated with care or they can fold over on themselves. Very pleased with the end result so maybe I can dig some more 1/72 kits out of the pile what do you think?
  3. PV-1 Ventura Cockpit, Nose & Turret Armament (4467 & 4469 for Revell/Academy) 1:48 CMK by Special Hobby It’s hard to believe that the Revell 1:48 Lockheed PV-1 Ventura was released as far back as 2011, but I’ve still got both of mine and haven’t built either, to my shame. It’s a nice kit, even by today’s standards, but as with all injection-moulded models, its level of detail can be improved upon by the application of resin casting, which is what CMK’s artisans have done. The two sets we have for review arrive in the familiar clear vacformed box, with the resin parts safely inside, and yellow-themed instructions sandwiched between the header card at the rear. Decals and Photo-Etch (PE) when included are separated from the resin parts by a clear piece of acetate to prevent scratching and damage during transit. Pilot Cockpit (4467) This set includes eighteen grey resin parts, two 3D printed control yokes, a small sheet of printed acetate instruments, a decal sheet with instrument dials, and a sheet of Photo-Etch (PE) that contains an instrument panel and seatbelts. Construction begins with thinning the cockpit side walls in a thick L-shape that matches the new resin inserts, which are glued into position once they are suitably deep. The rear cockpit bulkhead has the door support cut out, and this is glued to the cockpit floor, adding two instrument clusters in the centre, plus a throttle quadrant on a tall stand, adding eight PE levers into the grooves on top. Two resin control columns are mounted on the floor, and are topped with the 3D control yokes, and the crew seats are built. The pilot’s seat has a high back and arm rests moulded in, adding four-point seatbelts from the PE sheet, then mounting it on the bulkhead behind it on a pair of projecting supports. The co-pilot’s seat is less luxurious, with no arms, and utilising the kit legs to attach it to the floor, adding lap-belts to the completed seat, as we must presume that his head is of lesser value than the pilot’s even though he has full controls to fly the aircraft. The instrument panel is made up from layers, depending on how you prefer to create your panels, starting with the resin back plane, which has the instrument dial recesses moulded-in, and you have the choice of either decaling that, or using the acetate film and painting the rear white, adding the PE layer over the top after painting it. Alternately, you can mount the PE panel over the decal. It’s entirely up to you. The pilot’s rudder pedals are well-detailed resin parts and are suspended from the rear of the panel, as are the co-pilot’s pedals, although they are simplified L-shaped rods that mount on a cross-bar, one end of which fits into a slot in the rear of the instrument panel. The completed panel is glued to the central quadrant box, which is glued to the forward section of the floor. Nose and Turret Armament (4469) This set is well-detailed, but straight forward in use, replacing the kit barrels in the belly gunner and top turret positions. The belly gunner uses the rear portion of the kit part, supplanting the barrels with the twin perforated resin barrels provided in the new set. The upper turret is a replacement for the kit parts, consisting of the two barrels linked together, adding a pair of resin breech parts to the rear. The other barrels are for the two nose guns in the upper portion of the nose, which are straight replacements for the kit parts and add extra detail there. The three barrels under the nose are installed in a resin fairing, adding three angled shrouds to the fairing before inserting the barrels into them, taking care to align them all in the direction of flight and at the same angle. This fairing is then mounted under the fuselage within the lines detailed on the accompanying drawings. Conclusion A great and cost-effective update to the kit, with more sets available to upgrade the flying surfaces on the tail and ailerons. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  4. Here is my General Aircraft ST-25 Monospar 1/72 Special Hobby. This plane was in Estonian service. ES-AXY "Vahur", in the service of the Ministry of Transport and Communications. Markings is paint using masks which is cut with a vinyl cutter.
  5. B-25B/C/D/G Mitchell Wings Air Intakes Correction Set (P48009 for Revell & Academy) 1:48 Special Hobby The Revell/Academy B-25 Mitchell kits have been around for a long while now, and the sprues were first seen in Accurate Miniatures boxes as far back as 1999, but it’s still a great kit. It does have some simplifications and minor issues however, and one such simplification is the intakes found in the leading edges of the wings, and their corresponding outlets in the trailing edges. This 3D printed set from Special Hobby intends to correct this deficiency, and does it very well. As usual with their resin sets, it arrives in the familiar clear vacformed blister pack, with the resin parts safely inside, and the instructions sandwiched between the header card at the rear. Photo-Etch (PE) parts are separated from the resin parts by a clear piece of acetate to prevent scratching and damage during transit. The four 3D printed resin parts are surrounded by an open-sided box with perforated top and flat lower that protect the delicate parts admirably during shipping and in storage. The “lid” is easily removed where there are nicks in the uprights around half way between top and bottom, allowing the modeller to either nip or (more safely) saw through them and uncover the parts within. There are two deep intake trunks, and another pair of outlets, plus four circular PE meshes, linked into pairs by a connector, making installation and gluing a breeze. Once the 3D parts are cut from the finger-like supports, a little sanding removes the pips on the rear, and reveals the groove between the two round intakes that corresponds with the shape of the PE parts. The first step however is to remove a small section of the wing leading edge next to a stiffening strap outboard of the engine nacelle, and another small section in the trailing edge just forward of the elevator line. The areas are marked out in red on the instructions, with widths given to assist you with accurate cutting out of the surface, which is best done gradually, cutting a smaller section out and enlarging it until the new parts fit snugly to reduce any making good of the area around the inserts. The PE meshes are glued into the rear of the intake part, which starts as a single ovalised slot in the leading edge, and bifurcates deep within the wing where the air is filtered by the mesh. As deep as it is, the meshes will be visible to the intrepid viewer, so it is well worth the effort, especially when comparing it to the kit’s approximation of the intakes, which are barely a few millimetres deep as you can see below. The outlets are similarly shallow on the kit wings, so the new parts are equally worthy, and have a ledge on the leading edge to assist with location of the part within the wing, which should simplify the process significantly. Painting the intakes is best done carefully from both ends of the intakes before applying the mesh parts, taking care not to allow pooling or sags, which will mar the vastly improved new parts. It’s an excellent set that has been well-engineered, and will appeal to anyone with one or more Mitchells in their stash, and they’re at a very pocket-friendly price. I think I need a few more sets. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  6. Hi All, My third completion for 2024 is SH's Barracuda, finished as LS503 of 815 Sqn FAA, flying from HMS Indomitable in August 1944. Although I have not been able to find a photo of LS403 here is a Barracuda from Indomitable from around the same time: The build was OOB - here is the WIP if anybody is interested: And on with the photos: I couldn't resist a couple of companion shots, both with 3-crew FAA brethren: And one with a stable-mate: I have to say I've really enjoyed this build, and it's nice to have a Barracuda in the collection. Thanks to all of those who have added kind words and encouragement along the way - it has been much appreciated! Thanks for looking, Roger
  7. Sure hope that 'Cannon Fighter' box also gets upgraded.
  8. First finished model of the year for me. The WIP is there: The final pics: I am not entirely satisfied with thekit and the finish but I like the coulourful and original livery. The next Meteor will be the Airfix F.8 in IAF livery.
  9. Hi All, I had a feeling that it had been a while since my last FAA build, so I looked back through the annals and it seems it's been an entire 12 months! I thought it was high time to rectify that, so I dragged this out from the stash. Here's the box art: Here's the sprues: The transparencies: Decals, which look rather nice, and allow for 4 schemes: I'm leaning towards this scheme, although I haven't yet found a photo: This should be fun! Thanks for looking, Roger
  10. Tempest Mk.V Resin & 3D Printed Update Sets (For Airfix) 1:72 CMK by Special Hobby Airfix released their Hawker Tempest Mk.V in 1:72 a few years ago, and it’s a great little kit, but as always you can improve on injected styrene with resin, either traditionally cast, or 3D printed for ultimate detail. CMK have created a host of new sets to allow the modeller to ramp-up the detail to extreme levels, working with parts that are almost drop-in, far from the origins of aftermarket that could sometimes be difficult to fit inside the constraints of the kit parts. As usual with CMK's resin sets, they arrive in the familiar clear vacformed box, with the resin parts safely inside, and the instructions sandwiched between the header card at the rear. The larger engine set is in a cardboard box, with the parts in Ziploc bags, padded out by the folded instruction booklet. Engine & Fuselage Tanks (P72008) This set consists of only eight parts of 3D printed resin, but don’t let that dissuade you. The engine is protected inside the boxed-in printing base, which can be simply opened with a razor saw or nippers along the lines shown by nicks in the vertical supports. The detail is phenomenal, especially the engine, which is printed as a single part, minus its exhaust stubs. The instructions show the upper cowling panels that should be removed in red, reducing the edges to give a more realistic look. The engine is prepped and painted before it is installed in the nose in front of the cockpit, with the tanks printed integrally along with the bulkheads and ribs, needing just the exhaust stubs slotted into the sides of the massive engine block. To hang the prop off the front, a drive-shaft is pushed into a hole in the front bulkhead, then the four cowling panels that are printed at a much more scale thickness with stiffening frames on the inner faces, to be left nearby as if the mechanics have just departed for a cuppa. Exhausts (P72011) If you want your Tempest in-flight or parked-up and prepared for take-off, this set includes just the exhaust stubs on a single print-base, which are a drop-in replacement for the kit parts once liberated from their base. The detail is far superior to the kit parts, with weld-seams and hollow lips to the exhausts that add realism to your model quickly and easily. Early Gun Barrels (P72009) Containing two inserts with a pair of cannon barrels each on a single print base, handed for each wing, these parts are a straight-forward drop-in replacement for the kit parts, depicting the earlier barrel shrouds. Gunsight & Seat Correction Set (P72010) Consisting of two parts, the seat is printed in incredible detail in orange resin, and the gunsight in clear resin that is loose in the blister pack, so could easily be lost. Take care when opening the package, as it’s a very small part. Wheels Early & Late (Q72413 & Q72414) These two sets both provide a pair of wheels with different hubs and tyres. The early wheels are treadless and have five spoked hubs, while the later set has block treaded tyres and four spoke hubs on different style bases, as they are traditionally cast. They add a ton of detail and are a drop-in replacement once you have cut them from their casting blocks on the contact patch where the tyre is slightly flattened by the weight of the aircraft. Early (Q72413) Late (Q72414) Tempest Pilot, Dog & Mechanic with Accumulator Trolley (F72402) To add a little human scale, this figure set includes two humans, a pilot and ground crew member, a dog, and an accumulator trolley that was a must-have to start your Tempest in a dispersal location. The figures are all 3D printed in one part each, while the accumulator is protected inside a box-like print base, which is easy to cut where there are pre-made weakening points on the vertical supports. The trolley and A-frame are printed as one, needing just the wheels fitting to the axles at the sides, but bear in mind that the towing eye is incredibly delicate due to its scale size, so take care handling it. Conclusion You can pick and choose which of these sets that you are interested in for your model, or you can push the boat out and fit them all, although you’ll have to decide of which wheels you want to use. The detail is excellent, especially the engine, which will blow the socks off your viewers once the model is complete. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  11. I am excited for this GB! There are several subjects I may want to build as part of it, but first up will be a representative from my "Minor Gustavs" project, a 1/72 HA-1112 from Special Hobby. Should be able to build this OOB. The Minor Gustavs project involves modelling BF 109Gs (or their derivative versions, such as Spain's HA-1112) in service with the "smaller" air forces (i.e., not Germany or Italy). Some of these are minor Axis (e.g., Hungary) and others are post-war or neutral operators (e.g., Switzerland). Here are the first six Minor Gustavs I've built, representatives from Romania, Finland, Slovakia, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, and Croatia. I think a nice blue HA-1112 will make a great addition!
  12. Second completed build of the year, the Special Hobby Ki-43 Oscar. This has a somewhat amusing - now, from a distance - history, as my Oscar build was intended to be the AML version, which came with resin parts, etch and vac form canopies. Unfortunately the kit turned out to be one of those that exceeded my modelling skills - such as they are - and due to some fit issues - of mega proportions - I reluctantly abandoned the kit. Which was a shame, as I wanted to use the AML kits' unusual paint scheme and decals supplied, a red brown upper surfaces over a grey undersurface, instead of the usual Japanese gree/mottled/ nmf scemes Japanese aircraft kits seem to come in. Here's the AML painting instructions; Then out of the blue for me at least, Special Hobby re released their 1/72 Oscar in in "Japan's Allies" markings, but crucially with a dual fuselage and exhausts for the both the Ki-43 III ko version, ie the AML version, as well as the cowlings with the single exhausts for the Ki-43 II version used by the "Japanese allies". Enthused, the Big H were duly ordered to supply one such Special Hobby Kit (in exchange for coin of the realm, of course) which arrived before Christmas. Hmmmm, thought I when fondling plastic, isn't this the AML kit re boxed without the resin, - or the AML kit was the Special Hobby kit reboxed? Further checking revealed neither was the case, and preparatory work was done - painting as much as possible on the sprue, etc., before New Year's Day, in tandem with the Revell 1/72 V2 rocket I made between Christmas and New Year. Once I began putting it together, oh dear, some fit issues again, again with the cowling, but nothing this time that couldn't be solved. Eventually. Now my experience with Special Hobby has been varied - ranging from the "it went together fairly well" (10) to "What the &*%*^&&&*&%^$"£ is going on here! (0)" but this one was more a 5. In other words, it needs some modelling skills. That pleased me because it meant I must have some!! There is a build of this model in the supplied Thai air force scheme in a recent issue of Airfix Model World magazine which I found interesting if not terrifically helpful. So here's the Special Hobby Ki-43 III Oscar in the AML paint scheme. I used the AML decals to go with the paint scheme. They weren't very good. In fact, the hinomaru were - let's say, not good at all. However, with some micro sol and micro set, gentle persuasion with a paint brush, they went on in the end. I only had to paint over tears in two hinomaru. Paints by Tamiya, Revell and Mr Color. My biggest disappointment was the Mr Color red brown was far more of a chocolate brown, ie it wasn't the right color.. I decided to leave the paint as it was and look for a different brand paint in that red brown colour for future use. Out of interest, I put the 5 Japanese fighter kits I've made together for this photo; clockwise from top left they are the RS models Ki-87, Hasegawa Ki-61 Tony, Special Hobby Ki-43 Oscar, Hasegawa J7W1, and Hasegawa Ki-44 Tojo. I was quite surprised to see how small the Ki-43, Ki-44 and Ki-61 are compared to the J7W1 and Ki-87. The Ki-87 never got to the prototype stage, though I am pretty sure at least one J7W1 prototype flew, but looking at them, I am still not convinced that the Ki-87 is actually a 1/48th kit mislabelled as a 1/72! Thanks for looking.
  13. After the 1/48th kit by Planet Models/Red Roo Models (link), Special Hobby is to release 1/72nd de Havilland DH.94 Moth Minor (ref. 72494) & Moth Minor Coupé (ref. 72504) kits. Source: https://www.specialhobby.net/2024/02/norimberk-den-3-4-trubky-platno.html 3D renders V.P.
  14. Special Hobby is to release a 1/72nd Pfalz E.V kit - ref. SH72514 Source: https://www.specialhobby.net/2024/02/norimberk-den-3-4-trubky-platno.html 3D renders V.P.
  15. Here's my first entry. Something I've wanted to do for many years, is build a half decent kit of one of the Shepherds Grove Thunderstreaks. A base which is quite close geographically to me & the nearest base that had Thunderstreaks so it has to be this historically popular subject, 52-6675 of the 78th FBS 81st FBW. So this is it, the Microscale sheet which I really hope has survived & doesn't disintigrate into a million specs when I get to apply it. I've got a collection of Sword kits but will be starting off with the fantastic new Special Hobby kit.
  16. This is my third entry for this Group Build. This time it's a hot pancake right from the Special Hobby molding machine - I literally received it last Sunday and it's immediately going to the workdesk completely bypassing my stash storage shelves!!! I think the kit is superfamiliar to all the F-84 amateurs. Some photoes of box contents are below: 4+1 sprues, projectiles, different tanks, two versions of tail, alternative parabrake fairing, three versions of ejection seats (early, intermediate AMI seat and MB seat - BTW I found out that there was an even earlier seat that was used on very first Thunderjets). Also the decal sheet here is huge with full decals to be used for those colourful stripes. I'm a little bit in doubt on its use - painting is probably safer (but longer) process especially on those curved surfaces like intake rim or fuselage stripes. Maybe I still should take a challenge. Another concern - it's definitely a new style Eduard decals with 'peeling lacquer off' effect. Again first time I'll be using such stuff. A little bit more scary! I'm still not fully decided which version to build. I collect IDF aircraft - but this not really an IDF aircraft... I definitely want Suez Crisis Streak - so the third option from the decal is definitely out of competition. Also Scheme A seems easier than B. Anyway it's going to be French Streak and I'll probably decide a bit later. Last point: spAcial hobby. That's on all the five sprues. I do not know what to do to be honest. Shall I write to Special Hobby to get replacement sprues? Anybody has plastic 'e' for replacement? The whole project is at risk!!! Two more evening before sprues cutting starts! Cheers, Dennis
  17. Well, here's my Cunning Plan! I already gave a sneak preview in the STGB chat,: which have since then been joined by a couple of saucy Special Hobby Streaks. I plan to build four Koninklijke Luchtmacht models (yay, ambition!): - Fighter bomber F-84E (Academy) - Recce F-84G (Academy with ModelArt resin) - Strike F-84F (Special Hobby) - RF-84F (Sword) EDIT: now with added Heller 1/72nd F-84G! Game on, sirs and madams. Game on. Cheers, Andre
  18. I have the Sword Thunderstreak kit too but in general the SH one looks more high quality straight from the box - so I think I'm gonna start with that. I did a quick side by side and the Sword kit seems slightly smaller - it's a bit shorter but then again the tailpipe section is thicker. Can't really say which one is correct though. But anyway, let's start with Special Hobby. Amazing cover artwork BTW! Nice pile of plastic. Details seem really nice too. And while the SH kit decals seem amazing - gotta love the colourful US birds - but I'm still drawn towards the Sword options. So this is the decal sheet for a Sword Thunderstreak and I'm gonna kick things off with a Dutch Thunderstreak. This is from the Sword kits manual. But I'm also thinking about getting Dutch Decal sheet, would give me more options. https://www.dutchdecal.nl/publications
  19. Happy New Year everyone. This will be my entry in the group build. It’s been in the stash since long before the Airfix kit was released. This is a good opportunity to build it! A quick look at the contents of the box: Three sprues of grey styrene, Some resin detail parts in two different colours. There is also a small PE fret with seat belts and instrument panels. I also have these after market goodies: The mask set is for the Airfix kit, but I’m hoping they’ll fit this one🤞 I was originally going to build the box top all black scheme, mainly to speed up the painting process but looking at the instructions this calls for the AI radar aerials to be made up from microscopic pieces of resin and wire. That’s not going to happen. Instead I’ll be doing this aircraft: Plate in the Osprey volume on Defiant, Blenheim and Havoc Aces. L9446 was used by Flg Off. Reg Peacock to down a Ju-87 on 18/8/40 for his fifth victory making him the only pilot to achieve ace status flying the Blenheim. This fits in well with my collection of aircraft of the aces. Decals for the codes and serials are on the way. A start has been made, all the parts have received a wash and I’ve commenced the process of carving and sanding more or less Blenheim shaped pieces out of the flash and blobs. Huge ejector pins have been ground off with the rotary tool. This very much a short run kit, no locating tabs or pins and some fairly crude moulding of the smaller parts. Dry fitting, to the extent it is possible, is not encouraging. Thanks for looking. AW
  20. I’m convinced. Place holder for Special Hobby Baltimore 1/72 to be built as a 13 Sqn RAF, 454 Sqn or 69 Sqn aircraft (research and serial codes to be tied up to confirm aircraft to be built)
  21. My last kit finished this year - 1:72 Hispano Aviación HA-1112-M1L Buchón. My interpretation of aircraft no. 71-5 "MAPI", serial C4K-9, 71. Escuadrón, Ejército del Aire, Gando Air Base (Gran Canaria), Ifni War (Spanish Sahara), 1958. Special Hobby kit built "out of the box" with some scratch. Thanks for watching!
  22. Special Hobby (SH) is to reissue the 2002 Azur 1/48th Latécoère 298 kit (link) in its Vintage Treasure edition line - ref. VT48001 Box art https://www.specialhobby.net/2024/01/v-tiskarne-jsou-prave-v-tisku.html Source: https://www.specialhobby.net/2023/12/vt48001-latecoere-298-148-nahled.html Schemes: French & German V.P.
  23. 2 years ago I got to spend a few hours at the National Museum of the United States Air Force, a destination I had been long hoping to visit. Due to the limited time, I did have to rush a bit through the massive collection, spread across 5 large hangars. I had a list of aircraft I wanted to concentrate on photographing for future builds, but when transitioning over to Box Car, I couldn't help but notice a Douglas A-20 tucked to the side. While not my favorite plane, I enjoyed playing this aircraft in the video game War Thunder. I made sure to take a few pictures, and made note to look into building a model of it. Turns out Special Hobby just put out a gunship version, and Tally Ho! offered a set of decals available, so I just had to make one myself. NMUSAF has some decent pictures available, and Im sure I can get more if I contact the museum. https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/Museum-Exhibits/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/196256/douglas-a-20g-havoc/ The build will mostly be out of the box, though I may need to make modifications to match the museum aircraft.
  24. Definitely my last build of 2023 ! This is the Special Hobby kit of the Percival Pembroke, which also includes parts (cabin interior, nose, short wing tips) for the earlier Percival Sea Prince T.1, as used by the Royal Navy's 750 Sqn to train navigation and ASW. A rather obscure aircraft (although 41 were built), the Sea Prince saw wide use by the RN, in Culdrose, Lossiemouth, Brawdy and Hal Far (Malta). As well as radar (with multiple displays for the trainees), it has a small bomb bay and wing pylons for practice weapons. Sea Princes were used from 1951 until 1977 when they were finally replaced by the Jetstream. The earlier short-nosed Sea Prince C.1 and later long-nosed C.2 were used for transport and logistic purposes (Valom has a kit out for this variant). The RAF also operated an upgraded version of the Prince with extended wingtips and a greater range/payload, known as the Percival Pembroke. It's quite a difficult kit to build, requiring lots of filling, sanding and then filling again, but it's definitely worth it, although I really hate brush painting that fluorescent paint ! Merry Christmas to all! FredT
  25. AVRO Anson Mk.I ‘Anti-Submarine Annie’ (SH48211) 1:48 Special Hobby Originally designed as a fast mail carrier in the early 30s, the original AVRO design was amended in the mid-30s in response to a specification issued by the Aviation Ministry for a reconnaissance aircraft that could also perform other roles. It beat a similarly militarised De Havilland Rapide and was awarded a contract for series production with the name Anson after an 18th Century Admiral of the Fleet. At the outbreak of war it was still performing its given roles, and was engaged in the Dunkirk evacuation where it surprisingly managed to shoot down two Bf.109s and damage another, as they found the low speed of the Anson hard to gauge, overshooting straight into the line of the nose-mounted .303 machine gun operated by the pilot. She was thoroughly outclassed as a front-line aircraft though, so was soon withdrawn from fighting service to form part of the training fleet, and as a communications ‘hack’. Despite its withdrawal from service, more aircraft were built, and they were used as trainers for radar operators, navigators and as a trainer for pilots that were destined to fly multi-engined bombers. Its replacement in maritime service was the Lockheed Hudson, which had a hugely increased range and speed, the Anson only being capable of a four-hour endurance that prevented it from covering much of the Atlantic or North Sea before it had to turn for home. It could carry a small bomb load however, so could take offensive action if it was to find a U-boat on its travels. Following WWII, Faithful Annie as she became known was used as a civilian and business aircraft, although some of the wooden-winged examples that were used overseas began to suffer from problems due to the humidity’s effect on the timber areas. Not all Ansons had wooden wings though, and some of the wooden winged aircraft were refitted with the improved metal wings, although even these were eventually retired, leaving only one airworthy by the new millennium. The Kit This is a rerelease of the Classic Airframes kit that originated in 2006 before appearing in Special Hobby boxes from 2007 onwards. While it has been superseded by a new tooling that is fully injection-moulded, that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have its own appeal, particularly if you like to include resin in your builds for extra detail. The kit arrives in a top-opening blue/white/grey themed box, and inside are five sprues of grey styrene of various shades and textures, a clear sprue, thirty-six resin parts in two bags, a sheet of pre-painted and nickel-plated Photo-Etch (PE) that is found in the same bag as the two decal sheets. The final item is the instruction booklet that is printed in colour on glossy white stock, with painting and decaling instructions on the rear pages. Detail is good, although the kit won’t fall together if you shake the box. There is a lot of detail present however, enhanced by the quantity of resin, much of which will be seen through the extensive glazing. Construction begins with the floor of the aircraft, adding two sections of spar running spanwise across the middle, fitting the port fuselage side and moulded-in framework behind the window frames. A bulkhead is fixed to the rear of the floor, with another short length and its bulkhead behind that, adding radio boxes and other gear on and around the spars. A pair of resin bucket seats are painted and detailed with pre-painted four-point PE belts, one fitted by the radio equipment, the other to the front behind the control column, and a simpler box seat by the navigator’s table, the occupant held in position by lap-belts alone, as his seat has no back to his seat. Another shallow seat has lap-belts glued on and is placed on the front spar after adding two folded PE toppers to the starboard end of each spar and a cross-brace between the rear edge of the map table and the spar. The single .303 machine gun in the nose is inserted into a groove along with its ammo feed, which requires the trough to be cut out from the port fuselage half before the almost complete interior is inserted into the port fuselage after adding a window, adding a resin bed for the bomb aimer, a fire extinguisher and two blocks of dials on the wall. A scrap diagram shows the completed interior once it is emplaced within the port fuselage, which should help with the arrangement of parts in the nose. The starboard sidewall and framework are glued to the opposite side of the interior, spacing them to the correct width with the roof framework. The starboard fuselage can then be brought in after fitting a square window behind the main windows, plus another small one in the nose, and two recognition lenses under the bomb-aimer’s position under the nose. A small fairing is attached to the wing root fairing on both sides, and another resin equipment box is glued into the starboard nose. The pilot’s instrument panel is built from a blank shape with a coaming for one decal option and sidewall behind it, fitting rudder pedals to the back, and layering two printed PE panels to the front, then gluing the throttle quadrant into position to the lower right along with three PE levers and two more on the main panel, inserting the finished panel into the port fuselage for one scheme, locating the quadrant on a peg moulded into the cockpit floor. An insert for the top turret is detailed with three-part lower framework and a bicycle seat, adding the upper framework, Lewis gun with plate mag and two-part clear dome after main painting is complete. Don’t forget to mask the hole, and similarly mask and paint the clear parts in the meantime. The instrument panel minus coaming is used in two decal options that have less aerodynamic windscreen panels, so the top won’t be seen. Firstly, the nose cone has a tubular recess inserted from behind, and is glued to the front of the fuselage, installing the top turret insert and the upper glazing for the interior at the same time, and selecting your chosen windscreen and gluing a ring sight into the front roof frame. The coaming-free instrument panel is glued to the underside of the windscreen 4.5mm away from the front lip before it is glued into position. The sloped canopy is glued over the cockpit where the instrument panel already resides. The wings are prepared by inserting a roof and bulkhead panel with a nick cut from each side into the lower along with the twin-strut gear leg and cross-brace, painting the details and gluing the upper wing into position. This is repeated on the other side, as is the insertion of the retraction jack, followed by the two-part nacelle front. The wings are butt-joined to the fairing moulded into the fuselage, and the joint would be strengthened by adding stiffening material or a pin to the equation. The elevators are each two parts, and these too butt join with the tail and would also benefit from strengthening of the joint. A diagram at the bottom of the page shows the correct dihedral of the wings, and the elevators are shown in red, as they would otherwise be invisible due to the wings being at the same height. The Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah IX radial engines have the 7-cylinders moulded as one, adding a reduction bell to the front, a spacer to the rear, and an exhaust collector ring around the rear. You are shown the arrangement of the push-rods in an additional diagram, but you must make them from 0.4mm wire from your own stock, each length 5.8m long. Another diagram shows the arrangement from the front, and once you have it painted to your satisfaction, the largest resin cowlings with extended bulges can be slipped over the engine and glued in place via the locators shown in red through the drawing. Two resin exhaust stubs are glued into the collector rings through the oval holes in the cowling, repeating it for both engines, which is probably best done after main painting is completed. Detailing of the exterior of the aircraft is the last task, starting with the underside, fitting the two-part wheels in between the twin struts, and gluing the resin radiators under the nacelles. PE actuators are fitted to each of the ailerons and elevators, adding a pitot under the nose, and the yoke with separate wheel under the tail. Flipping the model onto its wheels, more actuators and hinges are dotted around the flying surfaces including the rudder, with an antenna mast and D/F loop fixed on the roof over the interior. The two-bladed props are each sandwiched between two plastic washers, and have a PE detail plate on the forward face, sliding onto the short peg protruding from the engine’s bell housing. Two small clear lights are glued to fairings near the wingtips, painted clear green and red, adding a length of 0.2mm wire between the mast and the tail once the rest of the model is completed. Markings There are three decal options on the sheets, all wearing either A or B variants of the early war green/brown upper surfaces, with sky or silver undersides depending on which decal option you have chosen. From the box you can build one of the following: K6285/MW-F, No.321 (Dutch) Sqn., RAF Carew Cheriton, late 1940 EG359, Groupe Artois, Escadrille Arras, Point Noire, French West Africa, 1943 N5331/5, No.6 Air Observer & Navigator School, Staverton, early 1945 The decals are printed using a digital process and have good registration, sharpness, and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut loosely around the printed areas. This means that the carrier film on their decals can be coaxed away from the printed part of the decal after they have been applied, effectively rendering them carrier film free, making the completed decals much thinner and more realistic, and obviating the need to apply successive coats of clear varnish to hide the edges of the carrier film. It’s a great step further in realism from my point of view, and saves a good quantity of precious modelling time into the bargain. The third decal option has upper wing roundels that originally had the white painted out, but the paint is shown wearing badly on the decal sheet, as it was a well-worn machine that the instructions advise was filthy, especially on the underside. Conclusion Whilst this isn’t the newest kit on the block, it should result in a good replica with careful building and painting, taking the time to test fit and adjust fit as necessary. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
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