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While looking through the many excellent entries into this deservedly popular GB I noticed that there was something missing, that being the omission of anything built in Italy. Now with Italy being one of the big players in WWII I felt that something needed to be done to rectify this so I started to have a look around as to what is available, and to be honest its not a huge number of designs to choose from. Plenty of single engines aircraft and a fair amount of tri-motors but not a lot of twin engined aircraft, we have some fairly old (but still very buildable) kits from Italeri in the form of the Fiat Br.20 and Caproni Ca.311 and 315 and I was just about to click on one of these when I stumbled upon a much more modern kit of the Caproni Ca.311 by Special Hobby which comes with etched brass, resin pieces such as the engines and most importantly a mask set for all that glazing! And all of this came for the princely sum of £22 delivered, so a couple of clicks later one on was on it's way to Minion towers. So lets have a look shall we. Starting with the very nice box art; The contents of the box, you can see the bag of resin with the engines in it, the balck coloured mask set and the very nice looking decal sheet. And part of the reason for the mask set, the extensive glazing which Special Hobby have dealt with very cleverly by producing the fuselage halves in clear plastic; The kit comes with 3 schemes, 2 of which are in a very tight mottle which scares the hell out me in 1/72 and the other in a much simpler scheme with larger mottled areas and can be seen in the picture below; Even that one gives me reservations as I struggle with this kind of thing in 1/48 never mind 1/72! I will have a go at one of those though and if it is beyond me I will cobble some marking together for one flown in the solid green over grey scheme that comes in the Italeri kit. I probably won't start this one for a little while as I want to get Mabel's Mossie closer to the finish line first and there's also the Baby Boomers GB which I have committed to that I need to decide what to build for, that may also end up being a WWII era twin. Thanks for looking in and as usual all comments and criticisms are gratefully received. Craig.

Hi All, My next project will be Special Hobby's Digby, otherwise known as the B18 Bolo in US service. Now I shall admit that I knew nothing about this aircraft, but was looking for an esoteric subject after my Buffalo build - boy did I find it! The B-18 was based on the DC2 airliner and entered service with the USAAC in the mid-30s. The Canadian government purchased 20 of these aircraft in 1940, and following an evaluation period they were issued to 10 (Bomber Reconnaissance) Squadron, replacing their entirely unsuitable Westland Wapitis in the maritime patrol role. To my considerable surprise they served in this role until 1943 when they were superceded by B24s, which carried a much heavier payload for a longer range. This is not to say that 10 Sqn were unsuccessful with the Digby - indeed aircraft 747 piloted by F/O F Raymes successfully sank U520 on 30th October 1942 east of Newfoundland. Based on their success the squadron gained the unofficial title 'North Atlantic Squadron'. So, an unusual subject with an interesting history! Here's the box art: Here's the sprue shots: All in SH's usual hard grey plastic - detail all looks very nice. This was a large aircraft - comparable in size to the Wellington, I should say. Some nice transparencies: As usual there's a mix of resin and PE: The decals look to be nicely in register: There are a number of schemes, a couple of which depict aircraft in very early war camouflage (probably during the aircraft's evaluation phase?). I'm more interested in the aircraft during its active service, so a scheme such as this may be a good option: There is an all white scheme too: I initially wrote this option off, until I noticed the rather important phrase 'later on the machine received maritime camouflage'. So could it be that there is a TSS option out there? I have only found photos of the aircraft all in white, but that would be a tantalising proposition indeed (I bet @dogsbody would be all over this!). Anyway, it should be a fantastic learning opportunity, so feel free to hop on board the Bolobus! Thanks for looking, Roger

Hi All, Having recently RFI'd my Sptfire Mk.I, I now have the appetite for something a little less... mainstream, shall we say? What better than an early war, twin seat, Bristol-(under)powered beastie to get the juices flowing? I've had Special Hobby's Skua peeking at me from the stash for a while, and I'm feeling suitably strong-willed to give it a red-hot crack. Here's the box art: As you can see, this is the 'Norwegian Campaign' boxing, which allows completion of 3 schemes from 800 or 803 Sqn FAA, all of which were embarked aboard HMS Ark Royal in July 1940. All 3 aircraft were also shot down during the attack on the Scharnhorst on 13th July 1940, although only one of the six crew were killed (Lt. R S Bostock) - happily(?) the rest were taken as PoWs. Of the 15 aircraft which took part in the raid, 8 were shot down - brave men indeed. As we all know, the prototype Skua was powered by the Bristol Mercury, but the Mk.II was Perseus-powered, and 190 aircraft were delivered to the FAA. Although they acquitted themselves well in Norway and the Mediterranean, they struggled against more modern opposition, and were withdrawn from front line service in 1941. I'm going to complete as this scheme: This is L2963 of 803 Sqn FAA. I've never completed an FAA aircraft in Sky Grey before, so this will be an exciting new experience! A quick image search does not turn up any pics identifiable as L2963, but there are a number of pics of Skuas from 803 Sqn aboard Ark Royal in 1940: Some nice details visible there. Here's another: Finally, here's a nice shot of the cockpit: On to the kit - here's the sprue shots: Moulded in the usual SH hard, mid-grey plastic. The surface detail looks reasonable, although I might have to give Rosie an outing... Here's the transparencies and resin parts, which includes what looks to be a very nice Lewis gun: Here's the decals, PE fret and the mask set I picked up: So off we go on another FAA adventure! I also have a Hurricane Mk.I (Tropical) I might build in parallel just for a bit of light relief, inspired by @bigbadbadge's lovely recent 'spaghetti' scheme (watch this space!) Thanks for looking, Roger

Hi All, I'm about to embark on Special Hobby's 1:72 Boston MkIII 'Intruder'. I'm intending to model it as AL468 of 418 'City of Edmonton' Sqn RCAF, which was based at RAF Bradwell Bay in Essex, December 1942 to June 1943. SH depicts the scheme shown: SH call out Ocean Grey and Dark Green over Night, but my question is this: surely this type of aircraft would have worn the 'Night Fighter' scheme of Medium Sea Grey and Dark Green over Night? I can only find photos of this aircraft in overall Night, so I humbly beseech the hive mind for further clarification - surely @tonyot or @dogsbody will know? Thanks in advance for any assistance rendered, Roger

Junkers Ju 88A/C Life Boat (7468) 1:72 CMK by Special Hobby There is a large group of modellers who like to open up all areas of their models and add extra detail and this set for the life raft container in the rear fuselage of the Ju 88 will appeal to them. This set from CMK is suitable for the Revell kits. The set arrives in the usual yellow-themed CMK blister pack, with the instructions sandwiched between the resin parts and the header card. Inside are three resin parts on two casting blocks, consisting of the housing. the raft and the access door. The casting is up to the usual high standards from CMK/Special Hobby with minimal clean up being needed. The housing is very thin and car will be needed if you want to remove the casting block, though as this will be inside the fuselage there is not real need. Conclusion Detail is excellent, with some work this will give your model a little extra realism on top of that already provided. Review sample courtesy of

Hi All, My latest completion is Special Hobby's Fairey Fulmar. The Fulmar was a carrier-borne reconnaissance & fighter aircraft operated by the Fleet Air Arm during the earlier years of the war, eventually being replaced by single seat aircraft such as the Sea Hurricane, Seafire and Martlet. Despite being slow relative to these aircraft, the Fulmar acquitted itself well in combat throughout the Mediterranean theatre, and at its peak equipped 20 squadrons of the FAA. The SH kit allows for 5 schemes. I have chosen to complete as N2015 of 805 Sqn, which flew from HMS Eagle during 1941. Here's a link to a photo of N2015 (kindly added to the WIP by @Grey Beema - thanks GB!): https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205046496 Here is a link to the WIP if anybody is interested: This scheme was notable for a few reasons: - The white sunscreen applied to the pilot's glazing - The lighter covers for the wing machine guns (which I mistakenly omitted) - Most notably, the locally applied 'spaghetti' camouflage applied to the leading edges and lower surface of the cowling. This was applied in order to confuse enemy troops during ground attack sorties This was one of my most complex paint schemes to date - sadly, it is almost certainly incorrect! @iang supplied some information during the WIP (thanks very much Ian!), which strongly suggests that N2015 had a Sky underside, rather than the B/W & Sky as I've depicted. Furthermore, the leading edges would have been painted in Sky, and the 'spaghetti' elements applied with paints which would have been in store onboard Eagle, such as Roundel Red and Dark Slate Grey. If anyone is considering this scheme I would strongly recommend that you have a look at Ian's very credible advice. I did briefly consider respraying to the correct colours but decided that I would likely make matters worse so pushed on regardless. The kit is the usual SH fare, with vague fit and engineering, but lovely surface detail. The resin cockpit, whilst beautifully detailed, was a woeful fit so much cursing and sanding was expended in getting the thing to fit. With all that said, I'm not displeased with the overall outcome. Anyway, on with the photos: Here's a final shot with another FAA Merlin-powered stablemate: I'm glad I've given this kit a bash - although it's a little frustrating to have knowingly finished the scheme incorrectly, I still think it looks pretty good, and it's good to have the type in my collection! Thanks for looking, Roger

Martin Baker Mk.6 Ejection Seat 1:72 CMK by Special Hobby This seat from CMK in their Quick & Easy Line is a drop in replacement fro any kit seat. The Mark 6 has been used in a variety of aircraft over the years including the Mirage III, Kfir, Cheetah, Kestrel, MB326 & G.91 Review sample courtesy of

Hi All, I've managed to squeeze in one final build in this most unusual of years! This is my effort at Special Hobby's 1:48 CAC CA-13 Boomerang. I knew nothing of this aircraft, so it was a good education process as part of the build. The evolution of the aircraft is interesting, as it was the first fighter aircraft designed and manufactured by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation in Fisherman's Bend, VIC. The design of the aircraft was derivative of the Wirraway trainer aircraft, itself a locally-manufactured variant of the NA-16 Harvard. The design used the R-1830 Twin Wasp, which was manufactured locally to power Australian-made Beauforts. The first prototype flew within 3 months of receiving an order to proceed, a real testament to Aussie ingenuity and agility. The type was produced from 1942-5, and although underpowered and slower than contemporaries acquitted itself well in the ground attack and close support roles, and was well liked by its pilots. I have modelled as A46-199 'Home James' of 4 Sqn RAAF, based in New Guinea in 1944, flown by Fl Lt Jack Archer. Here's a couple of shots of the aircraft: There are a few unusual elements to this scheme which I've tried to incorporate: - The patch under the starboard side of the cockpit, which from research on other forums (particularly Aussie Modeller) I have decided to complete as a bare plywood finish - The significant exhaust scorching of the paint - A single section of the empennage finished in foliage gree, as opposed to white as per the rest of the area The model was finished in Life Color's RAAF paint colours of Earth Brown and Foliage Green over Sky Blue, and I used a set of Montex masks for the canopy and national insignia. Here is the WIP if anyone is interested: This was typical SH fare with good detail, but vague fit and engineering. The kit has fought me all the way and nearly ended up on the bin several times. However I'm glad I persisted and I'm not displeased with the final outcome. Anyway, on to the photos ( @Troy Smith take note - I have finally upgraded my studio setting at your suggestion - thank you sir!): And a final shot with her RAAF stablemates: I'll also add this final build to my 2020 yearbook, which you can find here if you are interested: I'd like to wish everybody on this great site a Happy New Year - thanks in particular to @corsaircorp, @bigbadbadge and @Corsairfoxfourunclefor their support throughout this build. Thanks for looking, Roger

Bell's XP-77 was designed as a light-weigth, easy to manufacture fighter, but it never achieved any measure of success. For me it is most notable as the recon aircraft Buck Danny uses in one of the classic French comics by Charlier and Hubinon. When I saw Special Hobby's kit for sale for a mere fiver at Telford a few years ago, I had to have it. This is a simple kit, one sprue of injected parts, a few resin items for the cockpit and engine, and as was customary in SHs young days, a vacform canopy. I built up the kit rather quicly. Most panel lines disappeared due to sanding so I had to rescribe the entire thing. Not a massive amount of work but it's not an activity I'm good. Apart from that I only had some issues applying the metallic paint. In the end I used Vallejos new-ish Metal Color which gave me a satisfactory result. Hope you enjoy the photos.

FH-1 Phantom 'Marines First Jet' (72335) 1:72 Special Hobby The FD later FH-1 Phantom from McDonnell has always suffered from the fact its older brother the F4H-1 (later F-4) Phantom II has stolen most of the limelight associated with the "Phantom" name. Originally designed and first flown during WWII the aircraft was straight winged. The Phantom was the first Jet to land on a US Aircraft Carrier, and the first jet to be used by the US Marine Corps. Only 62 were made but the design lead into the follow on aircraft from McDonnell the F2H Banshee. These aircraft would position McDonnell as an important supplier to eh US Military. McDonnell must have thought a lot of the Phantom to bring the name back for the F-4. The Kit This is a rebox of their new tool kit from 2017 with decals for the USMC. The kit arrives on three sprues of grey plastic, a clear spure, a small PE fret and a sheet of decals. Construction starts in the cockpit. The seat and instrument panel are made up with the panel as decal. PE belts are included for the seat. The cockpit floor also form the top of the front wheel well. The well sides are added along with the front and rear cockpit bulkheads. The cockpit can then be placed in the fuselage, the instructions recommend putting 3 grams of weight in the nose. Next up the engines and there trunking are built up. There are fan fronts and exhausts are added. Construction then moves to the wings. The main wheel wells must be built up ad added into the lower wing along with the intake trunking. The upper wings can then be added. The leading edge parts of the intake are then added. This is a nice touch so you don't have to clean up a seam in the intake area. The front landing gear is built up and added to the front along with the gear doors. This is then followed by the main units and their doors. The belly tank is then fitted along with the arrestor hook. To finish off the tail planes are added along with the engine exhausts and finally the canopy. Markings There appear to be printed in house but look good and should pose no issues. You get 4 marking options with any colour you want as long as its Gloss Sea Blue! the markings, including extensive stencils are mainly white. Bu No, 111788 7-LC - USMC VMF-122, MCAS Cherry Point 1947-49 Bu No. 111794 I-BC - USMC VMF-122, MCAS Cherry Point 1947-49 Lt Col M.E Earl C/O BU No. 111761 2-LC - USMC VMF-122, MCAS Cherry Point 1959 - T/SGT RM Lurie BU No. 111793 3-BC - USMC VMF-122, MCAS Cherry Point 1947 Conclusion It is great to see this over looked early jet now being injection moulded in 1/72. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

This is another kit I started during last summer. I bought this kit of Fightersweep, Steve, off here. First up this is where I was up to with the build today when I decided to start work on it again. The kit features a resin cockpit and wheel wells and a lot of sanding and dry fitting was required to get them both in, especially the wheelwells, I may have a few pics of the build early on in my old phone, will check tomorrow and post them up if I have. So today i've applied the markings and for those i've again used masks from Top Notch, apart from the fuselage Balkenkreuz which are Maketar. Masks applied, then on to paint, first the white. Then the black areas in the wing under side Balkenkreuz. Then removed the masks to reveal the markings. Annoyingly I've had a bit of white lift on the port kreuz. All the rest came out fine thankfully. Just the Swastikas to apply now and the markings are complete. As per usual, i've used Mr Paint throughout the build. Tim.