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Short Sunderland Mk.III "U-Boat Killers" (SH72304) 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 with would mount 4 Bristol Pegasus engine were able to hold 200 Gallons of fuel giving the aircraft a 14 hour range. For defence 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 for the Mark III based on Special Hobby's new tool Mark V from 2019, with new parts. The parts breakdown on the spures would also indicate other earlier marks are planed as well. 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 modeller 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 modeller 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 gurentees there will be no issues with them. A generous four aircraft can be modelled using the kit decals, EK591 - 2U, No.422 Sqn Royal Canadian Air Force, Castle Archdale Northern Ireland, Early to Mid 1944. On 10th March this aircraft sank U-625 EJ168 - J, No.343 Sqn (French) RAF, Dakar 1944. Aircraft of this Sqn normally flew with the Dorsal turret removed. EJ134 - N, No.461 Sqn Royal Australian Air Force, Pembroke Dock, 1943. This aircraft successfully defended itself againt 2 JU 88s, and 2 Fw 190s on 13/02/43. Then on 02/06/43 it was attacked by more Ju 88s shooting down 3 of them, the aircraft ditched in South Cornwall and was wrecked. DV969 - E, No.10 Sqn Royal Australian Air Force, Pembroke Dock, spring 1943. On 31/05/43 she managed to sink U-563, then on 27/07/43 escaped four Ju 88s. Sadly on 21/09/43 she encountered more Ju 88s and was shot down over the bay of Biscay with the loss of all the crew. 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

Here's my offering - the Special Hobby MD-500E, or in this case the license-built version, Kawasaki OH-6DA, used as a trainer by the JMSDF. I'll probably be building 8779, c/n 0593E, based at Kanoya Air Base, though the decal sheet has options to depict some of the other machines in this series. It looks like nice plastic, a little bit of etch and resin are included, and it will make a nice change from the old school builds I have been doing lately. No start until the 6th of July earliest, as I am trying to progress some Airfix 109s in the Kit Built As A Kid GB. 😀

Hi all, I am finally able to get the second member of the Sarcife trio rolled out and RFI for your delectation 😊. It follows my earlier AD-4N, The link being the French pilot, Jacques Borne. Jacques had 663 hours on the Magister. The Groupment Aerient Presidentiel de Gabon (GAP) received four of these machines, while the Gabon Air Force is reported to have also received three (to be confirmed). While their role was formally to protect the head of state in practical terms it was ceremonial to a very great extent. These aircraft came from Austrian stock and, following Gabonese service, this machine – TR-KFJ/368 – went to the Congolese Air Force as 9Q-CPC. It was previously 4D-YQ in Austrian service. https://fougastribute.forumgratuit.org/t192-le-fouga-au-gabon-entre-1975-et-1990 The kit used here is the exceptionally fine Special Hobby offering. It is super-detailed, and I’d venture to suggest that it is the best in scale for this machine. There are a few fit issues but essentially it is a nicely engineered kit. My main area of angst was the upper nose gun section – which is slightly narrower than the lower section. To correct that I inserted a small shim after halving the section vertically (thanks for the encouragement @Wez). For anyone contemplating a similar build be aware that there are many minute parts! Also, the French liking for complex canopy mechanisms did not help, either. Having said that I managed to corral them and get them in the intended locations. Note also that the nose guns do not fit too well. I replaced them with Plastruct rod. For the markings I used the Max Decals set Fouga Magisters Part 1 (7205). The decals settle beautifully but I quickly discovered that they are not accurate in dimensions. The wing roundels are too small, the side pennants are too big, for example. In fairness it was a set that was designed before the SH kit came along. Anyhow, as it is the only option (to my knowledge) I soldiered on and got a nearly decent representation of the aircraft early in its Gabonese career. What did I use? 1. Kit – Special Hobby Fouga CM.170 Magister (72284) 1/72 2. Aftermarket – none 3. Decals – Max Decals (7205) See above, some kit stencilling and warning marks, 4. Paints – Humbrol Polished Aluminium (27002), Matt Black, Steel (27003), Gunmetal. Model Masters Fluorescent Orange-Red undercoated with white and yellow. Various other Humbrols. All enamel. Finished with Humbrol Satincote. 5. Other – broom bristle for the dorsal aerial. 6. Weathering etc – Flory Dark dirt to accentuate the numerous hatches etc, kept to a minimum plus a few wipes with Tamiya Weathering Powders here and there. I hope you like her. Now on with the third part of the trio 😊 Martin PS: now to get the Harvard III done

Hi All, Flushed with the success of my recent Chesapeake build, what better than to follow up with another single engine, twin seat FAA aircraft?! This one was decidedly more successful than the Chesapeake, however. I have the Trumpeter kit in my stash, but following @85sqn's advice (thanks Nick!), I'm leaving the Trumpy kit where it is and building the Special Hobby kit instead, which looks to be a far superior offering (and largely accurate, unlike the former ). I'm planning to build it as Z1830 of 1770 Sqn FAA, which flew from HMS Indefatigable in July 1944. This aircraft participated in Operation Mascot, which was the unsuccessful attack on the Tirpitz at anchorage in Kaafjord, Norway. And so to the kit. Here's the box artwork: And here's the sprue shots - detail looks good! There's a few resin pieces, including the undercarriage bays and some beautiful exhausts: The transfers look pretty good (although the IP decal is complete bobbins) I wouldn't say that bears too much resemblance to the real thing - have to do something about that! Anyway, on to the build. The kit only provides for a closed canopy, so I bravely decided to see if I could separate the canopy components. I started with the pilot's canopy, as if I stuffed it up I could always build the other version - I'm not as daft as I look I used masking tape over the joint, and after a few nerve-wracking minutes with the razor saw ended up with this Next I taped up the Observer's canopy - the stakes were somewhat higher for this one as there was only the one component: The first cut is the deepest (cue the music): And here's the lot after cleanup: I was this relieved! Next I primed all the cockpit components and gave them a squirt of interior green: Lastly I turned my attention to the instrument panel. Here it is after painting and drybrushing: Out came the trusty Airscale instrument transfers: And here's the final result after Microscale Gloss over each instrument (it's not quite dry so is a little milky): Not unhappy with that. Anyway, that's all for today, Thanks for looking, Roger

I finished my Deltas and am not happy with the result, they will be done again at a later date. The doctor said I have depression. I can't seem to concentrate on one thing for long, this build will be an attempt to clear my head of weird scenes and get myself back on track and hopefully finish my other WIPs. Enough of the sad stuff and get on with it. Sometime ago Navy Bird did a yellow and black stripped Anson. Love black and yellow strips. I didn't want to build an Anson and found this little Northrop. Love a Northrop. Some pics. Resin bits - Exhaust and propeller hub Decals Masks Thanks for having a look. Stephen on the mend

Heinkel He.162A Update Sets (for Special Hobby/Dragon) 1:72 CMK by Special Hobby The He.162 was the winner of the VolksJäger contest in the defence of the Reich once the war had turned against the Nazis. Special Hobby have a new tool kit on the books and have now released a small gaggle of upgrade parts for the detail enthusiast, broken down into three sets, plus another to update the older Dragon kit in the same scale. The two sets of wheels and the ejection seat are in the green-backed and bagged Quick & Easy series, while the two main sets for engine, gun bays and figures are in the usual yellow clamshell packs, all with instructions pinned to the rear. Wheels (Special Hobby Q72362 & Dragon Q72368) These two sets for their respective kits contain three wheel parts on a single casting block, with the mating point attaching to the slightly flattened contact patches. The sets are of course patterned to their kits, so select the one for you. BMW 003 Jet Engine (7443 for Special Hobby) This set contains six resin parts on their own casting blocks, complete with a fully detailed engine in two parts with two cowling parts plus intake lip and exhaust cowling, with the colour call-outs shown in the various instruction steps, and requiring a tiny piece of wire to portray the DF loop on top of the engine cowling. When complete, it drops into place on the upper fuselage of the model in place of the kit assembly. Gun Bays (7444 for Special Hobby) This set involves no cutting of the model, as Special Hobby have included the gun bay covers in the kit for the modeller to glue closed. This set fills that gap with six resin parts, two of those are the bays, two more for the MG 151/20 that inhabit each side of the nose, and two final parts provide in-scale bay doors with internal details to finish off. Ejection Seat (Q72361) The rudimentary ejection seat in the 162 was a simple affair with none of the crew-comforts we see in modern seats, and at 1:72 it’s a little thing. It is mounted on a casting block that needs cutting off, then the PE belts and additional seat parts in the shape of the foot-rests and hand-holds are attached, hopefully protecting the pilot from flail injuries in the event of an emergency ejection, providing the pilot didn’t lose grip. Three Pilot Figures (F72365) There are three pilots in the box, each in a different form of dress and pose. One is wearing a greatcoat and cap, looking skyward, the second is dressed ready to fly with helmet and parachute strapped to his back, adjusting his gloves. The final figure is dressed in typical pilot garb when off-duty, with breeches, leather jacket, knee-length boots and officer’s cap, doing a creditable impression of Adolf Galland from certain angles. You can use them individually or as a group, and they would be equally appropriate for any WWII German aircraft. Conclusion These sets take a modern kit and fill it with detail that will set it apart from the base kit, and give lots of scope for dioramas into the bargain. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Hawker Hunter Resin Upgrades (for Airfix) 1:48 CMK by Special Hobby Airfix have a growing range of new tool Hunter kits in 1:48, which has pleased many, myself included. CMK have produced a series of sets for these kits individually so that the modeller can choose which areas they would like to upgrade and which to leave stock. We have four of these sets to review today, each of which arrives in a clearvac bubble pack with resin parts within and a header card that is folded over and stapled, trapping the instructions and parts within. Martin Baker Mk.2 Ejection Seat (Q48357) This set is part of the Quick & Easy line and contains just one resin part, the ejection seat that simply needs removing from its casting block with a razor saw, and a quick wash in warm soapy water to ensure the paint adheres well. The seatbelts are all moulded-in with excellent detail throughout, and it will provide a seriously good focal point for the cramped cockpit of the Hunter. Hunter F.6 Flaps (4389) This set contains two large resin parts and a sheet of Photo-Etch (PE) that requires a little cutting of the kit wings, thinning of edges, as well as moving the hinge cut-outs by first filling them and then cutting out new ones, as they are slightly out of position on the kit, all of which is documented in the instructions. The bay roof is made up from PE with additional parts fixed to the main skin. These are glued into the kit’s thinned upper wings, then the resin flaps with PE detail parts are fitted to the periphery, with some paint clearly interspersed with the building portion. Hunter F.6A/FGA.9 Flaps (4390) Almost identical to the above, this set has a curved cut-out in the outboard end of the flap to accommodate large fuel tanks under the wings. Hunter F.58A Flaps (4402) Another variation on the sets above, this one has a slightly smaller cut-out in the outboard end of the flap to accommodate fuel tanks under the wings. Conclusion Another set of extremely well-detailed resin upgrades from Special Hobby’s CMK line that will make your model shine just that little bit brighter. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Reggiane Re.2000 Resin Upgrades (for Special Hobby) 1:48 CMK by Special Hobby We reviewed the new kit from Special Hobby here in July, and they’ve also created these extra detail sets in resin for those that would like to take the level of detail up a bit. These sets from CMK’s Quick & Easy line arrive in small poly bags with a stiff green header card and a set of instructions behind the resin parts, with the top flipped over and stapled closed to keep the parts from running away. We have four sets in for review that give a boost to small areas hither and yon. Main Wheels (Q48371) Two drop-in replacements for the kit wheels, attached to their casting blocks at the bottom where a slight flat-spot is moulded to portray the weight of the aircraft on its tyres. Detail is excellent with Pirelli brand name and tyre specification on the sidewalls, and other than sanding smooth the contact patch, they just need a little wash in warm water to aid paint adhesion, and a dab of super glue to attach them to the kit axle. Tailwheel with Strengthened Leg (Q48372) This is another straight-forward replacement for the kit parts, made in a tough black resin, and consisting of four parts. The tyre slips between the two arms of the yoke, which slides into a pivot that is heavily riveted, and has a bracing arm that reaches forward to the next frame, which in this case is the forward bulkhead of the tail-wheel bay, then the rest of the bay encloses the whole replacement assembly before being trapped within the fuselage at closure time. Exhausts (Q48373) There are just two parts in this set that replace the soft kit exhausts and adds more detail around them, fixing to the underside of the trailing edge of the engine cowling. They have fine lips and a deep recess to give a hollow appearance to the real thing. Headrest (Q48374) This two-part set replaces the simplified kit headrest with a highly detailed resin one, that is supplied with a separate rear to allow easy reaming out of the flashed-over lightening holes, and a hollow frame just like the real one. A huge improvement over the kit part. Review sample courtesy of

F-104 Starfighter Resin Updates (for Kinetic) 1:48 CMK by Special Hobby We’ve just reviewed the new boxing of Kinetic’s F-104G/TF-104G in 1:48 right here, and CMK have been johnny-on-the-spot and produced these new resin sets for the kit, which actually arrived before the kit. We’ve got three of them so far, and each one arrives in a clear blister pack with a yellow header card and instructions behind the parts. Photo-Etch (PE) parts are secured behind a piece of clear acetate to protect them from damage during transit. F-104G/J Electronics Box (4400) Suitable for the single-seat fighter only due to the different contours of the fuselage around the nose of the two-seater, this set provides six resin parts to create the electronics bay on the starboard underside of the nose next to the nose gear bay. Firstly, the panel that is to be removed is marked in red on the instructions, with the bay shell fitted into the aperture with some fettling to get it snug and well-placed. The bay has detail in one half and an insert completing the details, then a pair of edge-inserts fitted to the top of the bay, and the new open panel in scale-thickness resin is attached to the bottom lip with a stay included for the front corner. F-104 Starfighter Engine (4401) This set allows opening the engine bay in the belly of the aircraft, which straddles the two fuselage halves and will mean removal of two sections, one from each half, marked in red in the instructions. The underbelly strake must also be cut in half carefully, retaining both halves for later. Inside the fuselage are placed two internal skins for the area, then the engine insert can be installed during the fuselage closing process. Two ribs are placed in the front and rear of the bay that hide the thickness of the fuselage, then a new highly detailed in-scale bay door is fitted out with the front half of the kit strake, while the rear section is glued to the kit on the centreline. A resin stay is included to hold the bay open to the correct angle. Detail to the engine insert is superb as can be seen below. F-104G/J Port Side Cannon Installation (4405) This set will require the removal of the gun bay panels on the port side, as shown in red on the instructions, then inserting the bay from behind. The resin breech mechanism is fitted with six resin barrels held at the front by a PE spacer and a perforated muzzle, and it is noted that the barrels have closed muzzles, and could be replaced by some ultra-fine tubing from Albion Alloys for example. PE edges to the bay with etched holes for the fasteners are supplied and fitted around the major edges, then the two bay doors are glued in place as per the instructions, with a small stay holding the aft section to the correct angle. Conclusion These sets offer a simple upgrade path for the detail aficionado without requiring extensive modifications, and should be relatively easy for your average modeller. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

My entry for the whirlybird GB. I'm hoping this may be a quick long weekend build...but we will see as things rarely go as well as planned. Setting the stage for a Vietnam themed second half of 2020, with an OV-1B earmarked for @trickyrich's Vietnam GB, and a likely F-4J for @Col.'s Interceptor GB. The all important starting pic!

In February 1942, My wife’s grandfather, (400057 Sergeant Byron Lewis RAAF) was posted to 203 Squadron. Between February and June 1942 he flew as a Wop/AG (in the crew of P/O (later F/O) Fox and post the 22 June 1942 ‘mine incident’ he flew as a member of F/LT (later S/Ldr) Manford’s crew) until he was posted out to 70 OTU in October 1942. Thanks to being able to access the records of 203 and download them for free, I am piercing together his flying record for 1942 (through cross Referencing narratives with serial numbers) to determine aircraft he flew in. For this groupbuild (and our son, my wife and her family) I will build a 1/48 Maryland as a tribute and touchstone to the family link to the Mediterranean Theatre in WW2. Actual aircraft to be modelled TBC

This will be my entry for this GB, I won't actually get started until after I finish my studies in September. The aircraft is BuAer No.89411, 3.F.10 of the Aeronavale's 3F based at Bach Maï during the battle for Dien Bien Phu in 1954. I'll be using the Special Hobby SB2C-5 kit which is itself based upon the Academy SB2C-4 kit with some extra goodies to make up for the differences in the two sub-types. While the kit has markings for an Indochina based aircraft I'll be using the Model Art decals for the unit markings and serials at least. Whilst the aircraft was assigned to 3F, the Allied Wings book has a picture of this aircraft at Bach Maï and it still wears the badge of the Khourigba Station Flight, Kourigba being in North Africa, fortunately the Model Art set includes these markings. The aircraft got into quite a tatty state and was scrapped on its return to France, so I'm aiming for the well worn look with this one! Here's the kit and decals: And here are the references, the SAMI article has a useful build article for the Academy SB2C-4 which I'll be leaning on during the build. This will be my first build post studies so I'm hoping to be able to do it justice, it's so good to have time to return properly to modelling! Thanks for looking and good luck to all in this GB!

Spitfire Mk.XII against V-1 Flying Bomb (SH48192) 1:48 Special Hobby The Griffon engine Spitfire can trace its lineage back as far back as 1939 when it was decided that a second-line of engines would be a good plan to develop the Spitfire's performance further in the long run after the Merlin ran out of development potential. The XII was the first Griffon engine Spit to see service in 1942, with clipped wings becoming standard for the low-level duties that the single-stage Griffon powerplant was suited for. The Luftwaffe were wary of the Spitfire at lower altitudes, so the high speed XIIs rarely got the opportunity to "mix it up" with 109s and 190s where they would have been at a distinct advantage, having a much higher top speed and an improved rate of roll due to the clipped wings. It did have a lot of luck with V-1 Doodlebugs however, where its speed and twin 20mm cannon would catch and destroy them with impunity. The Kit This is a reboxing from Special Hobby with the addition of an older MPM Fiesler Fi-103 V-1 flying bomb sprue plus a shared stand so you can pose the finished models at war, with the Spit trying to tip the V-1 off course. It arrives in their standard small blue and white box with a painting of an XII banking to show off its clipped wings and the V-1 just starting to veer off course. Inside are four sprues and one small sprue in mid-grey styrene, a clear sprue, a sprue of black stand parts, a resin pilot figure in four parts, a small fret of Photo-Etch (PE) brass with a slip of acetate sheet, three decal sheets and of course a pair of compact A5 instruction booklets with painting and decaling instructions in colour on the rear pages. The initial impression is of a good quality kit, with plenty of detail present on the sprues, no flash and some interesting overlapping panels on the fuselage parts of the Spit, and the fancy stand offering just the right amount of spacing between the two models when mounted. Starting with the Spitfire, a full cockpit is included, which extends to ribbing that is moulded into the top of the fuselage interior, and an insert that provides the lower detail. The frame behind the pilot's seat is included, and has recessed lightening holes that can be drilled through if you wish. The seat with its back armour is installed on this frame on a bracket, and a full set of seatbelts are supplied in PE. The head armour and headrest pad are installed to the same frame, with only sidewall detail present aft of this frame, which includes the two large tanks on the port side. The instrument panel is moulded into the frame is sits on, but this raised detail can be removed and replaced by a sandwich of printed acetate film and PE parts to give a more realistic appearance. The PE parts for the whole harness can be installed, or you can assemble and paint the beautifully sculpted three-part pilot (with seat) and add the resin section of the harness that leads back to the bulkhead, adding some human scale and common sense to the whole assembly. Who sends up unmanned Spitfires to attack V-1s? The firewall that is visible through the footwell is supplied to finish off the cockpit, and a set of detailed rudder pedals sit within the well, which have PE straps, and sit on the busy floor that is so typical of the Spit. The control column with its linkage is added to the floor, and a separate circular grip is installed at the top at any angle that suits you. The clear gunsight is glued to its mount on the top of the instrument panel, and the rearmost frame behind the seat is depicted as a small section that fixes to the rear of the cockpit opening, and is joined to the back of the seat by the tensioning reel of the harness. Once all of this is complete, the fuselage can be closed up with the addition of the filler-cap forward of the windscreen. The wings are traditional in construction, having a full-width lower with boxed in landing gear bays added before installing the two upper halves, which have drop-in sections that contain the cannon bulges appropriate to this mark. Other larger bulges are also found on the sprue, which you can reserve for other projects as they are surplus in this boxing. The ailerons are separate, so can be posed deflected, and cleverly, the wingtips are supplied as completely clear, so that there is no awkward gap between the tip and the tip-lights A small insert is added at the chin area and the fuselage, with moulded in fillets, can be inserted into the gap, remembering to paint the lower central section interior green beforehand, in case any of it can still be seen in the cockpit opening. The tail has a separate rudder with the small trim-tab as another part, again to give options for offsetting it, while the elevators are moulded into the horizontal tails. A small rudder actuator is added under the port elevator, which has instructions regarding removal of the moulded in fairings beforehand. The large Griffon engine required some structural modifications to the Spitfire fuselage, and even then, a pair of power-bulges above the intakes were needed to streamline the large engine block. A further teardrop fairing sits at the top of the cowling just aft of the four-bladed prop, and all of these parts are supplied as add-ons to the basic nose shape. The prop itself is made up from a central rear boss with keyed blades and spinner added to the front. The short peg on the rear then fits into a receiving hole in the nose, although you'll need to trim a pair of ejector pin marks off the back-plate before it will fit snugly against the fuselage. Under the wings are the usual intakes for the oil cooler and radiator, plus the chin intake that has a PE debris guard. All of these are fitted to pre-defined points, and the radiator has a pair of mesh surface parts, the detail of which will disappear under all but the most careful painting. In the centre, the modeller has a choice of three conformal additional fuel tanks of varying capacities to improve the painfully short range of the Mark 12, and a scrap diagram shows their correct location points of these against the underside. Moving aft, you have a pair of doors and retractable tail-wheel for this version. The main gear is simple, and the gear legs have the retraction struts moulded in, with the wheels and tyres made up from a complete back, and separate parts for the five-spoked hub and tyre at the front. Sometimes a blank hub cover was used, and this is supplied for use as you see fit, or as your references dictate. The gear leg covers are attached along their deeply dished recesses that run down the inside leg of the cover, but the cover itself is flat. As you're likely to be posing this model wheels up, many of these parts can be dispensed with. An optional quartet of hooks sit to the rear of the fuel tanks. The IFF aerial is of the later type without the T-shaped top that was seen on earlier Spitfires. The cockpit is completed by adding the three-part glazing, which is clear and commendably thin, and choosing either the open or closed access door on the port side. A PE grab-handle is fitted to the inside of the sliding hood, and a rear-view mirror is set on the peak of the windscreen, with the familiar aerial base just aft of the canopy. The inboard cannon stations receive the long fairings that helped prevent icing at higher altitudes, and the outer ones are blanked off with a small hemispherical fairing as is appropriate. The engine exhausts are added from the outside to simplify painting, and although they are well moulded, the ports are solid, so either some aftermarket hollow exhausts or a little drill-work is on the cards if this bothers you. The V-1 is a simple kit, with the two-part fuselage having the pulse-jet tube moulded in on top, which should be painted a grotty brown before it is closed up. The wings and tail are all fitted on pegs to the fuselage, with the intake lip and mesh fitted inside before being attached to the front, stopping the see-through look, which isn’t actually wholly realistic. The motor was little more than a tube with fuel input and ignitor at the front, so check your references if you want to make it a little more accurate. Check out our walk around section if you’re short on references. The Stand requires some modifications to the build process of both kits, such as the larger fuel tank not being compatible, and the replacement of the under-fuselage recognition light with a socket for the stand. The landing gear will of course need to be retracted, so that’s also going to save you a bit of time and faff, which is nice. The V-1 has a 2mm hole drilled in its underside to facilitate attachment of the socket for the stand, which is then built up from the base and crescent-shaped upstand with a ball-mount on each end that clips onto the mounts of both aircraft. One thing to watch out for is the fact that the cups are moulded in halves, so they will need to be firmly glued long before you pop the balls into their sockets to save them from splitting open from the stress. Markings A generous four aircraft can be modelled using the kit decals, and a number of stencils are included on the second sheet, which is handled on a separate page of the painting guide to avoid confusing lines going everywhere. From the box you can build one of the following Spitfires: MB854, No.41 Squadron, Aug 1944-Jan 1945 MB882, No.41 Squadron, F/o Donald H Smith (RAAF), Friston, Apr 1944 MB840, No.41 Squadron, Friston, Apr 1944 MB832, No.91 Squadron, Hawkinge, May 1943 The V-1 had a standard set of stencils with a choice of three camouflage schemes with three profiles and a separate page for the stencils, in a similar manner to the Spit. Decals for the Spitfire are printed by AVIPrint in the Czech Republic, and are in good registration. Carrier film is minimal and colour density seems good on the sheet. The V-1’s decals are printed by Cartograf, which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin matt carrier film cut close to the printed areas. This sheet looks a little older than the others and has a hint of yellowing to the paper, with the old MPM logo in the top left. This shouldn’t affect their use however. Conclusion This is a nice kit made nicer (from my standpoint at least) by the addition of the V-1 and stand. There is plenty of detail in the box, and some interesting spare fuel tanks and wheel hubs for the compulsive Spitfire builder. Special Hobby have tried to depict some of the lapped panels on the fuselage, which has turned out quite well, and adds a little realism to the finished product. Panel lines are refined and not over-large, and should look good under a coat of primer, paint and varnish. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Hello all, I picked this kit up a while back and only just got round to it.....thank you lockdown. This is the Special Hobby kit of the Hawker Tempest, soon to be released via Revell again so I'm told. Its not a bad kit but has a few fit issue so I'm not sure if Revell will be correcting these issues, but they aren't nothing major and can easily be fixed. As with all my builds, the paints I use are all Gunze Sanyo. On this build I tried to keep the weathering to a minimum and only really added some weathering to the wing rout walk way areas.

A-20G/H/K/J Havoc/Boston Mk.IV/V Resin Upgrades (4726 & 4727 for Special Hobby) 1:72 CMK by Special Hobby These two sets are to upgrade the detail to Special Hobby’s 1:72 kit, with modular upgrades that require minimum alteration to the kit parts. Both sets arrive in the yellow-themed blister pack with card backing and instructions supporting the resin and Photo-Etch (PE) parts from harm, with a further acrylic sheet provided to prevent denting of the PE parts by the resin jostling during transport. Interior Set (4726) This set includes 10 resin parts, a small fret of PE and a slip of pre-printed acetate sheet. In preparation for insertion, the fuselage sides should be sanded or scraped thin to accommodate the sidewall detail parts, which is best done before main assembly. The cockpit is made up on a stepped two-part platform, with instrument panel and PE/Acetate sandwich applied to the front, PE rudder pedals, resin and PE control column, pilot seat with PE belts and a dinghy pack to the rear. The kit front bulkhead and nose gear bay are attached, then with the aforementioned sidewall details pre-fitted, and an insert to the sides of the dinghy bay added, the new cockpit can be fitted between the fuselage halves, with a small PE sight added to the windscreen hoop. Gun Turret (7427) This set increases the level of detail in the fuselage under the mid-upper gun turret, as well as replacing the kit guns with new more detailed resin parts. Again, the fuselage where the bay will be placed needs scraping thin to accommodate the bay, which is made up from an L-profile floor, two large side parts with another two small parts adding length and detail. The turret itself is augmented with the guns, plus turret base and curved part over the top. The kit’s glazing is utilised to close-in the new detail. Conclusion The devil’s in the detail, and at 1:72 these sets will make quite a difference to the finished model, begging to be shown off. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

next off the production line is the Special Hobby F-86K. The mouldings are really nice but the port fuselage half was a different size to the starboard, only by less than a couple of millimeters but spread out along the length so there were no two points that matched the other half. That and the microscopic brass vortex generators made it a difficult build. RNoAF F-86K 6 If replaced the brass vortex generators with slivers of plastic card and cut and filed the modified the fuselage but it still looks wrong to me. I used a number of different metallic paints for the finish, all from rattle cans, and what felt like a couple of rolls of masking tape. RNoAF F-86K 4 The decals were from my spares box as I have built both the Must Have F-86K and a couple of other Special Hobby kits. It represents 54-1281 of 337 Skv of the RNoAF in the late 1950's. RNoAF F-86K 3 Finally here she is with my other long winged F-86Ks RNoAF F-86K 1 Onto something better engineered. Thanks for looking

Phantom FG.1 Cockpit Set (for Airfix Kit) 1:72 CMK by Special Hobby The new tool from Airfix is very welcome, Here from CMK we get a complete new cockpit for the FG.1. There is the main cockpit tub, front and back sets, instruments consoles, and side consoles; as well as the cockpit interior sides. PE setbelts and firing handles are supplied for the ejection seats. Also supplied are the front coaming and a film for the instrument panel/. The instructions dont mention much surgery is needed for the kit but im sure some will be needed. Lastly there is new part for the underside to attach the nose wheel leg as this is moulded into the bottom of the kit cockpit. Review sample courtesy of

M1278 Heavy Guns Carrier "Joint Light Tactical Vehicle" (MV124) 1:72 Planet Models / CMK / Special Hobby It does not seem that long ago that the Jeep was replaced by the Humvee by the US Army, however that started to happened back in the 80s and now they are looking to partly replace these now, The Joint Light Tactical Vehicle or JLTV for short is a joint US Army/USMC programme to look at replacing some Humvees being used in the tactical role, something they were never designed for. Oshkosh was selected as the winner of the programme in 2015 with their L-ATV. These vehicles feature a high level of mobility and a much improved level of crew protection. The US Army & USMC have now declared initial operation capability with the vehicle with over 3000 on order, and planned up to 7000 for each service by 2023. The Army alone has plans to acquire 49000 over the lifetime of the programme across many variants such as weapons carriers, ambulances., recon vehicles and Command & Control vehicles. The US Air Force is also looking to procure this vehicle. To date there has been interest from the UK for over 2500 vehicles; and contracts placed from Lithuania, Slovenia and Montenegro. The Kit This is a new tool kit from Planet models under this brand from Special Hobby. The parts are all cast resin with the windows in clear resin. Smaller parts are provided on a PE fret. Additional parts are included in this kit for the Heavy Weapons Turret. The quality of the parts is all first class. There is the main chassis, main body, bonnet and rear body parts all as individual casts, the other main parts are the wheels. Ancillary parts are split between resin and PE depending on there size, plus for this boxing the heavy weapons turret. The vehicle appear quite detailed with a basic interior. Though in 1.72 you will not see much through the small windows (these are all clear resin and will need a polish to get the clarity up) . The instruction guide is not so much instructions but 4 exploded views showing where all the parts go. Given this and the small nature of some parts it is not recommended for the novice. CAD of this version from Special Hobby Markings No markings are provided in the kit. Conclusion It is good to see new kits of modern vehicles for the small scale modeller. Highly Recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Before some years this kit was in the Special Hobby catalogue as future release under number SH72137. New mould photo: http://www.modelforum.cz/viewtopic.php?f=97&t=77712&p=1600814#p1600814

F-4A-1 Recon Lightning Conversion Set (4398 for Tamiya) 1:48 CMK by Special Hobby The Lockheed P-38 Lightning was a fast aircraft, and when stripped of unnecessary weight and combat equipment it was faster still. Lockheed developed the F-4 as a reconnaissance airframe with a new nose to house the cameras where the guns had been, plus the necessary controls and avionics to perform the task. The F-4A was a P-38F conversion, with only 20 airframes made, and was later replaced by the F-5, which was based on the improved P-38G with several hundred of various updated versions made. The Set This set arrives in one of CMK’s yellow card boxes, with six grey resin parts on four casting blocks, four clear resin parts for the camera windows, a sheet of decals and even some masks for the camera windows. The two largest parts make up the new nose, which entails cutting a small section from the two fuselage nacelle parts, which are shown in green on the accompanying instructions. Before gluing the new nose in place, the window apertures should be de-flashed and the crystal-clear resin windows glued in place, then the nose cone added. Later in the build a small antenna is fitted to a pit on the upper nose behind the faired over gun troughs. Inside the cockpit is a new more rounded control yoke, and an instrument to fit inside the coaming. Another yoke is included on the casting block, but this is unused. Markings There were only 20 of the type made, with two on the decal sheet. F-4A-1-LO RAAF service with No.1 Sqn PRU RAAF at Coomalie Creek in the Northern Territory of Australia, where it stayed from February to December 1943 until it belly-landed at Batchelor, Northern Territory. The pilot escaped from the aircraft, but it was heavily damaged by fire, with the decision made to render it to parts by the repair unit. F-4A-1 Sn.41-2156 “Limping Lizzie” 8th Photo Recon Squadron, 6th PRG, 5th AF, Port Moresby, 1943. It was worn out and probably scrapped sometime in 1944. The decals are well-printed with good register, sharpness and colour density, and you will need to complete the decals with the kit supplied stencils, as this set includes only the national markings and individualisations. Conclusion An interesting set that will fill a gap in the market that will either be missed by Tamiya, or arrive sometime before the heat-death of the universe knowing their glacial release schedule. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

A-4B/Q Undercarriage Set (for Airfix Kit) 1:72 CMK by Special Hobby The new tool a few years back now from Airfix was very welcome, it gives you a sense of how good the kit is that there is not much aftermarket for kit out there. This set even though it says Undercarriage set is really the undercarriage bays. You get both main gear bays and the nose bay; as well as all the gear aby door. Given the layout of the airfix kit some major surgery will be required to use all these. All the parts are very well cast. Review sample courtesy of

Armstrong Whitworth Meteor NF.Mk.11 (SH72358) NATO Users 1:72 Special Hobby Yes that an Armstrong Whitworth Meteor, not a Gloster one. Gloster did design the Meteor, however by the time the cold was was upon us the RAF had Meteors in the day fighter role but were still using Mosquitos in the night fighter role. At the time Gloster were heavily into the design of the Javelin for the RAF so it was put to AW to design and build a Night Fighter version (they did build the majority of Fighter Meteors for the RAF as well). The NF Meteor would come about as an amalgamation of meteor parts already in use, the main body was that of the tow seat T.7 but with the later tail of the F.8. The four 20mm cannon were moved into the wing outer spans to accommodate the AI Mk 10 Radar in the nose. Like the T.7 the crew would not be afforded ejection seats. The first aircraft flew in May 1950. Later on the NF.12 would feature a US built APS-12 radar, the NF.13 being a tropicalised NF.11. The final version of this venerable night fighter would be the NF.14 featuring a more modern blown canopy, As well as being supplied to the RAF NF.11s were supplied to other NATO countries. Belgium received 24, Denmark 20 and France had 41. The Kit This is a recent new tool kit from Special Hobby now being released in a boxing for NATO users;. As a new tool the moulding are of good quality with good detail and nice recessed panel lines. The kit arrives on 4 main spures, a smaller sprue and a clear sprue. Construction first begins in the cockpit which builds up to a complete module that slots into the fuselage when built up. The centre bulkhead is added to the floor and then the left side is added. The centre radar console is then built up and installed along with both seats. The rear bulkhead goes on, and in the front cockpit the control column goes in. The right side can then be added. To the underside of this module the nose gear well is then added. This assembly can then go into the right fuselage. The pilots instrument panel then goes in as does the deck behind the radar operator. The fuselage can then be closed up. Construction now moves onto the wings. Firstly the engines and jet pipes need to be assembled. There is a basic representative Derwent which you will see the front face of through the intake. Behind this there is the jet pipe, and exhaust. These go into the one part upper wing. In front of the engines goes the fairing over the front wing spar which is seen through the intake. Single part intake inners are then fitted. The aperture for the fuselage at the leading edge of the wing will need to widened slightly. Moving on the the lower wing the main gear wells need to be built up. The two wing sections can then be joined. The intake leading edges, and exhaust trailing edges are then fitted. The fuselage can now be joined to the wings. At the rear the tail planes then go on. The main gear units are then assembled and added along with their retraction struts and the main gear doors. Like the real units these are complicated and care need to get them right. At the front the nose wheel and its doors are then added also. To finish off the wing and belly tanks are fitted followed by the canopy, gun muzzles and pitot tube. Markings The glossy decal sheet is printed in house and looks sharp and in register. There are marking for three aircraft EN5/KT-S No.11 Sqn Belgian Air Force NF11-32/346-QH French air Force 501 of 723 Sqn Royal Danish Air Force Conclusion It is good to see a new kits of the Meteor Night Fighter out there. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Special Hobby is not only (through CMK) working on upgrade sets for the Airfix 1/48th Tiger Moth but also preparing a new tool injected plastic 1/32nd kit from the de Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth Source: http://www.specialhobby.net/2020/07/dh82-tiger-moth-148-pripravovane-sety.html Source: https://www.facebook.com/specialhobby/posts/956156904824670 V.P.

B-25C/D Dinghy Pack (for Airfix Kit) 1:72 CMK by Special Hobby The new tool from Airfix is very welcome, The dinghy pack on the B-25 is housed in a prominent position on the top of the fuselage for easy access when ditching and this set provides the stowage space for the pack, the pack itself and the cover. It will make a nice addition to an aircraft displayed on the ground. All of the parts are very well cast with minimal clean up being needed. Review sample courtesy of

M1280 General Purpose "Joint Light Tactical Vehicle" (MV124) 1:72 Planet Models / Special Hobby It does not seem that long ago that the Jeep was replaced by the Humvee by the US Army, however that started to happened back in the 80s and now they are looking to partly replace these now, The Joint Light Tactical Vehicle or JLTV for short is a joint US Army/USMC programme to look at replacing some Humvees being used in the tactical role, something they were never designed for. Oshkosh was selected as the winner of the programme in 2015 with their L-ATV. These vehicles feature a high level of mobility and a much improved level of crew protection. The US Army & USMC have now declared initial operation capability with the vehicle with over 3000 on order, and planned up to 7000 for each service by 2023. The Army alone has plans to acquire 49000 over the lifetime of the programme across many variants such as weapons carriers, ambulances., recon vehicles and Command & Control vehicles. The US Air Force is also looking to procure this vehicle. To date there has been interest from the UK for over 2500 vehicles; and contracts placed from Lithuania, Slovenia and Montenegro. The Kit This is a new tool kit from Planet models under this brand from Special Hobby. The parts are all cast resin with the windows in clear resin. Smaller parts are provided on a PE fret. The quality of the parts is all first class. There is the main chassis, main body, bonnet and rear body parts all as individual casts, the other main parts are the wheels. Ancillary parts are split between resin and PE depending on there size. The vehicle appear quite detailed with a basic interior. Though in 1.72 you will not see much through the small windows. All the windows are cast resin which will need a polish to bring the clarity up. The instruction guide is not so much instructions but four exploded views showing where all the parts go. Given this and the small nature of some parts it is not recommended for the novice. Picture from Special Hobby Web site Markings No markings at all are provided in the kit, Conclusion It is good to see new kits of modern vehicles for the small scale modeller. Highly Recommended. Review sample courtesy of