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Morning folk's an unplanned second bight of the cherry,a combination of the xtradecal set of decals on the way, a great scheme I just had to do and Amazon flogging the kit at a good tenner off RRP.the kit is the same as my other build.The aircraft I believe was the last one off the line in 1944 and went onto the BoB memorial flight for many year's but don't quote me on that! An all over high speed silver finish is requires and minimal weathering a bit more research to do but the most obvious thing seems to be faired over gun port's.

I’m happy to share my completed 1/48 HobbyBoss F-105D ThunderChief in the markings of “Honeypot II / Have Gun Will Travel” of the 354th TFS. This build was a beast and ended up taking quite a while to complete. In addition to the kit, I also utilized a large selection of aftermarket accessories which I’ve listed below. Caracal Models: Decals Reskit: Detailed Late Cockpit Reskit: Air Intake, Landing Gear, Wheel bays Reskit: Centerline MER Pylon Reskit: Multiple Ejector Rack Reskit: Universal Outboard Pylon Reskit: Nose Cone & Pitot Tube Reskit: M-117 GP Bombs Reskit: Mk.82 Bombs Reskit: 450 Gallon Wing Fuel Tanks Reskit: Exhaust Nozzle Reskit: Ladder Eduard: Remove Before Flight Tags Eduard: Exterior Detail Set Majority of the accessories played nice and fit as expected after necessary modifications. For this build, I also utilized MRP paints which worked a treat. They sprayed extremely smooth and were easy to control through the airbrush. Definitely interested to see how they perform on my next project 😎. When reviewing reference images, I noticed that most F-105D were quite dirty. I tried to emulate the staining and weathering I saw in the reference photos to the best of my ability. I do have a WIP thread here, but I didn’t have much spare time to post on it towards the end of the build. Sorry about that! Here it is for those interested- Cheers, Keith

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

After nearly a year of planning, I am ready to start my F-105D. Based on everything I’ve heard and read, the HobbyBoss kit is okay, but leaves a-lot to be desired. If you’ve spent any time following my work, then you already know I’m all about aftermarket goodies. There is definitely no exception here 😅 Kit: HobbyBoss F-105D 1/48 I have decided to utilize an aftermarket set of decals from Caracal Models to replicate “Have Gun Will Travel / HoneyPot II”. This aircraft was noted to have achieved a gun kill against a VPAF MiG-17 while being flown by Cpt. Jacques A. Suzanne of the 333 TFS. I’ve used Caracal decals before and they apply beautifully. Looking forward to using them again. Beyond these semi-recent images of the aircraft, reference images while in service seem to be non-existent: Onto the aftermarket goodies…. Reskit “detailed” cockpit. This particular one required hand painting of all the dials/knobs/buttons/etc but does include a clear detailed gauge set to be applied behind the resin gauges: Reskit Air intake, landing gear, wheel bay, and weighted wheel set. I’ll get images of this posted up once I get to it before painting. It is packed with a breathtaking amount of details: Reskit inboard pylons, outboard pylons, centerline MER pylon, and multiple ejector racks. Again, a completely different league of detail above what HobbyBoss includes: Reskit and Eduard ordinance. Six - M117 GP bombs for the center pylon and One - BLU-27 fire bomb for each outboard pylon. Ordinance took ALOT of research as there is a lot less posted/documented about the D setup compared to the more popular G and Wild Weasal variants. From what I gathered, the centerline pylon was typically M117, M118, Mk.82, or a fuel tank. The inboard pylons pretty much always had fuel tanks. The outboard pylons were noted to have Mk.82, BLU-27, or AGM-12C Bullpup. The AGM-12s look interesting, but based on what I read, they were practically useless and only used for a very short duration at the beginning of the war. The reason I chose BLU-27 over Mk.82s is primarily for its uniqueness. I’m not sure I’ve seen many other builds include them. If anyone has objections to me using the BLU-27 over the Mk.82, then I’m willing to listen. I do have plenty of Mk.82 in the stash I could use instead. Reskit fuel tanks. I had bought this after the inboard pylons and didn’t know it had the pylons included 😵‍💫: Reskit exhaust nozzle. Much improvement over the kit nozzle: Reskit nose cone: Reskit access ladder: Eduard mask and detail set: I’ve already started the cockpit and am in love with how detailed it is. I’m hoping to get the ejection seat finished sometime in the next few days. If you have any info or reference images to share regarding this aircraft or the 333 TFS, I would greatly appreciate it! Cheers, Keith

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

Phew, almost missed this one. My entry is, as evident by thread title, a HobbyBoss kit specifically designed for quick an easy assembly. Also pretty big one as for the scale (laid out on A3 sheet, transparencies hidden away so they stay transparent). Starting time: now. If you want better sprue photos, take a look at this review: Truly remarkable level of detail when molding such parts as one, no sink marks, barely any surface imperfections. Almost no cleanup needed and parts fit flawlessly together. Would recommend this kit line if you want quick and easy build, gift for any skill leveled modeller or more filler for stash (and you don't even need to like the topic really).

Panzer IV/70 (A) HobbyBoss 1:35 History After the Battle of Stalingrad, in September 1942 the Wehrmacht arms bureau, the Waffenamt, called for a new standard for assault weapons: 100 mm of armour to the front, 40–50 mm on the sides, wider tracks, ground clearance of 50 cm, top speed of 26 km/h and the lowest possible firing positions. The new Panzerjäger ("tank hunter") design would be armed with the same 7.5 cm gun as fitted to the Panther: the Pak 42 L/70. Initially a new chassis was planned, but that of the Panzer IV had to be used. Previous efforts to mount bigger guns on smaller chassis resulted in the Marder series as well as StuG IIIs. The Marder series were tall and had open crew compartments. The new design had a low silhouette and completely enclosed, casemate fighting compartment. The Jagdpanzer IV used Panzer IV chassis 7 (known as BW7), but the almost-vertical front hull plate was replaced by sloped armour plates. Internally, the layout was changed to accommodate the new superstructure, moving the fuel tanks and ammunition racks. Since the Jagdpanzer lacked a turret, the engine which originally powered the Panzer IV's turret could be eliminated. The new superstructure had 80 mm thick sloped armour, which gives a much greater armour protection than a vertical armour of 100 mm. To make the manufacturing process as simple as possible, the superstructure was made out of large, interlocking plates that were welded together. Armament consisted of a 7.5 cm main gun, originally intended to be the Pak 42 L/70, but due to shortages older guns were initially used, the 7.5 cm Pak 39 L/43 for pre-production, and the 7.5 cm Pak 39 L/48 for initial production variant. These were shorter and less powerful than the Pak 42. Installing the much heavier Pak 42 meant that the Jagdpanzer IV was nose heavy, especially with the heavy frontal armour. This made them less mobile and more difficult to operate in rough terrain, leading their crews to nickname them Guderian-Ente ("Guderian's duck"). To prevent the rubber rims of the road wheels being dislocated by the weight of the vehicle, some later versions had steel road wheels installed on the front. The final prototype of the Jagdpanzer IV was presented in December 1943 and production started in January 1944, with the Pak 39 L/48 armed variant staying in production until November. Production of the Pak 42 L/70 armed variants started in August and continued until March/April 1945. On 19-22 August 1943, after the Battle of Kursk, Hitler received reports that StuG IIIs performed better than Panzer IV within certain restraints of how they were deployed. It was thus intended to stop production of the Panzer IV itself at the end of 1944 to concentrate solely on production of the Jagdpanzer IV, but the Panzer IV was in production all the way until the end of the conflict along with Jagdpanzer IV. Panzer IV/70 (V) (Sd.Kfz.162/1) was one of two variants armed with the same Pak 42 L/70 gun. The (V) stands for the designer, Vomag. The most produced version, with 930–940 built in August 1944 - April 1945. Panzer IV/70 (A) (Sd.Kfz.162/1) the other Pak 42 L/70 armed Jagdpanzer IV the subject of this kit. In order to send Pak 42 L/70 armed vehicles to the front as soon as possible, in July 1944 Hitler ordered an interim solution to speed up Nibelungenwerke's transition from Panzer IV production to Panzer IV/70 production. "A" stands for Alkett, a manufacturer of the StuG III that was ordered to redesign the Jagdpanzer IV superstructure to be mounted onto a standard Panzer IV chassis. The Vomag design used a modified chassis permitting a very low silhouette, mounting the superstructure onto the original Panzer IV chassis required additional vertical steel plates mounted onto the chassis to counter height differences. The resulting vehicle was about 40 cm taller and lacked the sharp edged nose of the Vomag variant. Only 278 were built by Nibelungenwerke from August 1944 to March 1945. Minor modifications and improvements were made throughout the production runs of all variants, as well as several field improvements, the most common being the addition of armour side skirts. Originally the Jagdpanzer IV's gun had a muzzle brake installed, but because the gun was so close to the ground, each time it was fired, huge dust clouds would rise up and betray the vehicle's position, leading many crews to remove the muzzle brake in the field. Later variants dispensed with the muzzle brake. Early vehicles had zimmerit applied to the hull to protect against magnetic mines, but this was discontinued after about September 1944. Later vehicles had three return rollers rather than the original four, and adopted the twin vertical exhausts typical of the late Panzer IV series. Some late vehicles also had all-steel road wheels on the first couple of bogies on each side. The Model This is the third ex-Tristar kit to be reviewed on BM and it follows the same pattern as those of the Panzer IV Tauch, reviewed HERE and the Panzer 38(T), HERE in that the box art is the same as the Tristar packaging with the colour artists impression surrounded by a yellow boarder. As with the other kits, all the parts are beautifully moulded, with the sprues and separate lower hull and turret in a sandy yellow styrene. There are fifteen sprues in the yellow styrene, one of clear styrene, one in an odd rubbery material which is apparently similar to Dragons DS, in that it can be glued using standard adhesives. There are also three sprues of dark grey styrene for the track links, three sheets of etched brass, and a smallish decal sheets. There is no sign of flash anywhere, but there are quite a few moulding pips that will need to be cleaned up. Looking at the parts count and layout, it doesn’t appear to be a complicated build, with perhaps the exception of the individual track links which I know some modellers still don’t like. Construction begins with the assembly of the road wheels, of two distinct types. Each of rear sets are made up in pairs and consist of inner and outer wheels, each with the rubber tyres and glued together with a poly style cap. The front sets are similarly built, but with styrene tyres representing the steel used on the front pairs of wheels. The leaf spring suspension for each set of wheels is made up from three parts, whilst the mounting unit on which the axles are attached are each made from four parts. The front two suspension sets on each side are then fitted with the “steel” rimmed wheels and the two rear sets, per side, are fitted with the rubber rimmed wheels. The sprockets are made up from inner and outer hubs and fitted to the gearbox cover via a shaft piece that is slid through the rear of the cover. The idlers are also made from inner and outer hubs and fitted with a separate axle part. The lower hull is then fitted with the rear bulkhead, which in turn is detailed with the two, three piece exhausts, two, three piece idler wheel mounts, a horizontal plate, two piece telephone stowage box, and the four piece towing hitch. At the front end of the lower hull the two sections of lower glacis plates are fitted, along with two angled side plates. On the underside, two lengths of what look like suspension parts are glued into position, whilst on the sides the five, three piece bump stops and four, three piece return rollers are attached. The engine bulkhead is fitted inside the lower hull, whilst at the front the two, four piece towing eyes are attached. All the wheel assemblies are now fitted to their respective positions and the six piece front upper glacis plate, plus the two five piece track guards are glued into position. The engine decking is built up from separate plates, to form a box structure, into which the intake guides are fitted and the whole section covered over with the two hatches and their grilles. The deck is further detailed with the fitting of some pioneer tools, grab handles, hinges and a two piece box. The rear mudguards are then attached, along with the rear light clusters and reflectors, with more pioneer tools and fire extinguisher being fitted to the engine decking, which has been glued to the rear of the hull. The rear of the gun and the breech block are really well detailed with nineteen parts for the rear section of the gun and another ten parts of the breech block which is glued to the rear gun section. The protective guard is then fitted, (another three parts), followed by the four part gun sight. The fighting compartment roof is fitted to its supporting frame, and then detailed on the outside with two curved rails, lifting hooks, grab handles, sight protectors and an air vent, followed by the two multi part hatches. On the inside the hatch hinges are fitted, as well as the periscopes and five piece angled sight. The hatches fitted earlier can be posed open just by rearranging the fitting of the hinges. The rear fighting compartment plate is also fitted with detail on the inside with the spent shell port, a pair of spanners and quite a few unidentifiable PE parts, whilst on the inside of the frontal armour plate there is a three piece ball assembly for a machine gun, which is covered up on the outside by are large armoured box, as well as the drives armoured viewing port. The front, rear, sides and roof of the fighting compartment are then glued together and fitted with the gun assembly from the inside, with the single piece barrel, with its armoured mounting and saukopf fitted from the outside. The completed compartment is then glued to the hull. The track assemblies are now constructed from the individual links, with the instructions showing that you will need ninety eight links per side and fitted. A length of about ten links is also assembled and glued to the upper glacis plate. At this point there are many small parts attached to the hull and fenders, including the lights, two pairs of spare wheels, two gun cradle hinges, various PE brackets and eyelets, along with the six Schürzen plate hangers per side. These are made up from two PE parts, bent to shape, and a single styrene part. The Schürzen plates are single pieces of what look like nickel plated brass and really look the part. The plates are attached to the mounting brackets by PE hangers, bent to shape and a styrene rod. The final part to be fitted is the gun cradle, which can be posed stowed or in use. Decals The small decal sheet contains markings for three vehicles, they are well printed, in register and nicely opaque. They are quite glossy and there is a fair amount of carrier film between the main numbers, but it feels quite thin so shouldn’t cause to much of a problem when applied over a gloss coat. The three vehicles are:- Panzer IV/70 of the Fuhrer Begleit Brigade, during the Ardennes Offensive, 1944 in overall dark yellow with dark green and red brown splotches. Panzer IV/70 of the 23rd Panzer Division used in Hejmakser, Hungary, 1945, also dark yellow overall but with a different style of dark green and red brown splotches. Panzer IV/70 operated by the Red Army in Vienna, Austria, 1945. Camouflage is either dark yellow overall or dark green overall. Conclusion This is a great looking kit, well detailed and not too difficult to build, although there are some very small parts, particularly PE. The Schürzen plates and their hangers are very realistic and will look great on the completed model. I’m glad that these Tristar kits haven’t been lost as they are very nice and this particular kit is should bring enjoyment to all modelling skill levels, with perhaps the exception of a total novice to PE. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

HobbyBoss 1/48. Not a bad kit but not the equal of the recent Airfix kits I've tackled. Totally OOB apart from the pilot figure stolen from an Airfix Mustang in the stash. Lost some of the stencils during weathering oops..... and the arrestor hook fell out of its slot and disappeared somewhere ☹️but you could hardly see it when stowed anyway. Managed to get the airbrush onto the propellor trick to work for the photos but the bearing is not too smooth. Hope you like...

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

This build is a follow up on my recently finished 1/72 Mirage iii NMF experiment, posted in the RFI section. I will use the Hobby Boss 1/48 kit for this project, focusing on the Natural Metal Finish. I aim for a shiny but still oxidized airframe with tonal variations in the metal finish. Does anyone know if there is 1/48 Mirage iii decals with removable carrier film available on the market? Then please let me know. Any tips and trics are most welcome 🙂

My latest completion the Hobbyboss TA-7C Corsair finished as a EA-7L of VAQ 34, replaced the brake chute housing with the offering from Quickboost, the VAQ 34 decals came from Xtradecal, I replaced the pylons with ResKit items and the ECM pod from Air Graphics, the kit does has shape issues and the canopy is not a great fit but I wanted a two seat corsair and this is really the only game in town, not my best effort by any stretch of the imagination and is probably best viewed from about 3 miles. 1/72 Vought EA-7L Corsair by Phillip Wilmshurst, on Flickr 1/72 Vought EA-7L Corsair by Phillip Wilmshurst, on Flickr 1/72 Vought EA-7L Corsair by Phillip Wilmshurst, on Flickr 1/72 Vought EA-7L Corsair by Phillip Wilmshurst, on Flickr 1/72 Vought EA-7L Corsair by Phillip Wilmshurst, on Flickr 1/72 Vought EA-7L Corsair by Phillip Wilmshurst, on Flickr

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

Thought this kit was a bit of a curate's egg, good in some parts but poor in others - nice surface detail and what looks to me to be accurate in shape, but let down by a poorly designed and weak turret construction and fuselage windows that are fitted from the outside leaving unconvincing 'rims'. The fit of the multi-part cockpit greenhouse was also a bit iffy. National insignia decal colours looked off, so were all replaced from the spares box. Thanks for looking.

Russian MiG-35 Fulcrum F (81787) 1:48 Hobby Boss via Creative Models Ltd The Mikoyan MiG-35 is based upon the MiG-29 series of aircraft. Known in the West by its NATO reporting name 'Fulcrum' it is an air superiority fighter designed and built in the Soviet Union in the 1980s, carrying on under the Russian Federation after the dissolution of the USSR. As with other comparable aircraft of that period, such as the Su-27, F-16, F-15 and Panavia Tornado, it was produced in significant numbers and is still in widespread service with air arms around the world. The MiG-29 was developed as a lighter, cheaper aircraft compared to the Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker, an aircraft with which it is broadly comparable in terms of layout and design, if not size and weight. As with the Su-27, the engines are spaced widely apart, with the area between them being used to generate lift and improve manoeuvrability. The MiG-29 is powered by two Klimov RD-33 Turbofans, each of which generates over 18,000lb of thrust in reheat. As with many Soviet types, the aircraft is well suited for use on rough airstrips, particularly as the engine air intakes can be closed completely when on the ground, allowing air to be drawn through louvres on the upper surfaces of the wing roots avoiding FOD. Armament consists of a combination of Vympel R-27 medium-range air-to-air missiles and R-73 or R-60 short-range air-to-air missiles, as well as an integral GSh-30-1 30mm cannon in the port Leading Edge Root Extension (LERX). The aircraft can be used in a range of roles and can carry bombs and rockets in addition to more technologically advanced missiles. The MiG-29 has been widely exported and is still in widespread use with Russian, former Soviet and aligned nations, including several NATO member states such as Poland. Based upon the MiG-29KR, the MiG-35 was developed to display capabilities in 2017 as an all-weather carrier-capable multi-role fighter that incorporates modern technologies that make it comparable in terms of generational capabilities to the Eurofighter, Saab Gripen and Dassault Rafale. Due to its enhanced avionics, it has more autonomy than many Soviet-era and subsequent Russian fighters, the single seater designated as the MiG-35S, and the two-seater the UB. The first production airframes arrived in 2019, and an export option was developed to attract foreign buyers with a revised tail, more powerful engines and other improvements. Only a small order was forthcoming from Russia, which was further reduced to twenty-four airframes, entering service in time to take part in the unlawful invasion of Ukraine, where it saw limited active service notably in 2025, defending against Ukrainian drones, according to the Russian MoD. So far there have been no successful bids to supply foreign operators with airframes, but a carrier specific variant is being worked upon. The Kit This is a new boxing from HobbyBoss based upon their earlier MiG-29K tooling of 2024, but with new parts to depict this upgraded airframe. The kit arrives in a sturdy top-opening box with a painting of the subject on the front, and profiles of the decal options on one side. Inside the box is a cardboard divider to reduce movement of parts during shipping and storage, and most sprues are individually bagged, with delicate parts pre-wrapped in thin foam sheets, secured by tape. There are nine sprues, two fuselage halves and four exhaust nozzles in grey styrene, a long clear sprue in a bubble-wrap envelope, a fret of Photo-Etch (PE) brass backed by a piece of card, decal sheet, instruction booklet in black and white, plus a folded sheet of glossy A3 printed in colour with one decal option per side, and another A4 sheet for the painting and decaling of the weapons that are included in the box. Detail is good, with intelligent use of slide-moulding to create additional features without increasing the part count, and a choice of exhaust nozzles in closed or open positions, with excellent detail moulded into both layers. Construction begins with the K-36D-3.5 ejection seat, which is made from thirteen styrene parts, plus four seatbelts and ejection actuator handle in PE. This is slotted into the front compartment of the cockpit tub, adding the instrument panel and control column, and applying six decals to the panel and side consoles. Additional parts are fitted along with the cockpit sidewalls in both compartments, fixing a rudder bar with two PE foot straps in the front of the cockpit, remembering that most of the rear tub will be covered by an insert later in the build, so don’t waste any time painting and weathering that area. The nose gear bay must be built next, as it will be trapped between the fuselage halves, and this is built up from four parts, with the nose gear leg made from a single strut with integral supports near the top, fitting the oleo and swing-arm to the bottom, plus a clear landing light and other small parts before you attach wheels on either end of the cross-axle, making them from two halves each. The cover for the rear cockpit is raised, and has a grille on the front, plus two small boxes added to the top surface, then the fuselage can be prepared, drilling out several flashed-over holes under the wings, and one on the roof of the space between the engines. The nose gear bay is inserted into its cut-out, adding a pair of extension cups to the main gear bays behind the moulded-in sections, then gluing the cockpit tub into the upper fuselage along with an insert in the nose for a refuelling probe. The two fuselage halves are brought together, fixing the rear cockpit cover and a small spine insert, then building the HUD from a sloped styrene core with clear lens, PE supports for the two clear part, and applying a choice of two decals to the lens before it is fitted in a recess in the cockpit coaming. Soviet/Russian fighters tend to have built-in FOD guards to their intakes, which in this case are supplied as large mesh panels that fit into the front of the inner engine intake trunks, that have a cylindrical profile and are blocked at the inner end by an insert that has the front of the engine moulded-into it, inserting the completed assembly into the engine nacelles, painting the inner surface grey, then adding the roof of the trunks to the sloped forward edge. This is done twice of course, and the two finished assemblies are inserted into the underside of the fuselage after adding extra wall detail to the main gear bays that nestle into the outer sides of each nacelle, and a new sensor fairing on the outer sides. In preparation, two short cowling sections are fitted to the upper fuselage where the exhausts will sit later. The twin fins are each made from two halves plus rudder, but they are equipped with different sensor fits in the trailing edge of the tip, which is further accentuated by the probe and sensors added to the rear, whilst both share the same T-shaped PE aerial near the change of angle of the leading edges of the fins. There is a large tapered cylindrical fuel tank between the engine nacelles, and this is built from two halves that are capped at either end, the nose cone made from two halves to include the forward pylon mount. This and the fins are put to one side while other assemblies are built for the underside of the model. This begins with the landing gear, the main gear made from a thick strut with trailing retraction jack, small captive bay door, and a two-part scissor link, which receives a two-part wheel with circumferential tread moulded-in, although you’ll have to take a sanding stick to them if you wish to depict the weight of the airframe on the tyres. The exhausts have a short two-part trunk as their starting point, with a double layer depicting the rear of the engines and the afterburner rings, then you have a choice of posing the exhaust petals opened or closed, using two different sets of parts to portray the inner and outer layers of the nozzles. The closed nozzles have their inner part inserted from within, while the opened nozzles have their inner layer slid in from the rear due to the angles of the respective parts, with the resulting detail worth the effort. Both sets of nozzles are glued to the rear of the trunking, and are slipped inside the rear of the fuselage, adding the main gear legs and a bay door actuator to each side, then fitting the chaff & flare boxes on the fairings each side of the exhaust trunking, a pylon under each of the inner wing panels moulded into the fuselage, gluing on leading edges slats, and finally the twin fins that are attached to the fairings to the sides of the engines on pegs for strength. Doors are added to the gear bays, flaperons and their actuator fairings to the rear of the wings, a gaggle of antennae under the nose, and mounting the large central tank between the engine nacelles. The next step is to fit the jointing parts to the ends of the inner wing panels, fixing them flat, as this boxing doesn’t have operational folding wings. This involves omitting the hinge parts, laying the hinge cover panel flat to the wing, and fitting the outer wing panel at the same angle as the inner. The new outer wing panels are built from two halves, adding slats at the front and ailerons to the rear. It’s best to test fit this in situ to obtain the correct attitude for the various parts. More probes and antenna are clustered around the nose along with the refuelling probe with its cover, adding a clear lens to the sensor under the windscreen, which is also fitted at this stage. An actuator for the main canopy is installed behind it, and further aft two jacks for the air-brake are glued in position, which might be best done whilst fitting the panel to ensure they all line up. The canopy has a separate styrene lower frame with a cross-brace, four PE latches on each side, and a pair of curved rear-view mirrors in the front frame, fitting to the rear of the cockpit opening on the afore-mentioned jack. The elevators/elevons are single parts that fit into plugs on the side of the fuselage, and a gun fairing is fixed in the leading edge of the port LERX with another pair of PE antennae, one on each side of the new nose cone, which has a separate pitot probe mounted at the tip. Like many Hobby Boss kits, this boxing has a plethora of weapons to suspend from the various pylons under the fuselage and wings. The following are included: 2 x R-77 (AA-12 Adder) BVR A2A Missile 2 x R-73M (AA-11 Archer) Short Range A2A Missile 2 x MSP-418K active jammer pod 2 x PTB-1150 1,150L Fuel Tanks 2 x KH -29T (AS-14 Kedge-B) TV guided A2S Missile 2 x KH-31P (AS-17 Krypton) Anti-Radiation Cruise Missile 2 x KAB-500Kr TV-guided bomb 2 x KH-35 (AS-20 Kayak) Anti-Ship Cruise Missile The various missiles are moulded as two halves, have separate fins fore and aft, and clear seeker heads where appropriate, adding adapter rails as necessary. The KH-35s however have their aft section removed before they are built, fixing folded fins to the sides of the missile, with a scrap diagram showing how they should appear once completed. A diagram at the end of the instruction booklet shows where the various munitions and pods can be mounted, but check your references for real-world load-outs if you prefer. Markings As is common with HobbyBoss, Trumpeter and I Love Kit, there is very little information given regarding the decal choices, other than the aircraft codes. Both choices wear the same two-colour blue scheme, and from the box you can depict one of the following: The various weapons, tanks and pods have a great many stencils that can be applied, using a separate colour page to guide you, all of which adds realism to your model. Decals aren’t always Hobby Boss’s strong point, but these are of good quality with registration, sharpness and colour density that are suitable for the task at hand. They usually go down well, and there are plenty of stencils for the airframe and weapons to add detail to your model, including more detailed instrument panel decals than many other companies provide. Conclusion The MiG-35 is a recent part of the expansive and sometimes confusingly arranged MiG-29 family, and it seems a competent representation of what is a niche modern variant that has so far only been produced in small numbers, including lots of detail and a large quantity of weapons for you to get to grips with. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Messerschmitt Bf.109E-3 (81791) 1:35 HobbyBoss via Creative Models Ltd With almost 34,000 examples manufactured over a 10-year period, the Messerschmitt Bf.109 is one of the most widely produced aircraft in history and it saw active service in every theatre in which German armed forces were engaged. Initially designed in the mid-1930s, the Bf.109 shared a similar general arrangement with the Spitfire, employing monocoque construction and a V12 engine, albeit an inverted V with fuel injection rather than the carburettor used in the Spitfire. Initially designed as a lightweight interceptor, like many German types during WWII, the Bf.109 evolved beyond its original brief into a bomber escort, fighter bomber, night fighter, ground-attack and reconnaissance platform. The E variant, or Emil as it was more affectionately known was the first major revision of the original design, including an uprated engine and the attendant strengthening of the airframe that was required. It first saw service in the Legion Condor fighting in the Spanish civil war on the side of Nationalist forces of Military Dictator Franco, and then in the Battle of Britain where it came up against its nemeses the Supermarine Spitfire and Hawker Hurricane during the critical fight for the survival of the RAF and Britain, which was key to halting Operation Seelöwe, the invasion of Britain by the Nazis. Like the Spitfire it fought against, it was improved incrementally through different marks, the Emil was similarly tweaked to keep pace, with later variants having additional long-range tankage, plus structural improvements and a simpler squared-off canopy with clear frontal armour, but apart from various field modifications and a few low-volume sub-variants, it had reached the end of its tenure, and was phased out in favour of the Friedrich and later the Gustav. The Kit This is a reboxing of a 2015 tooling by HobbyBoss that was originally marketed as a Bf.109F-4 Easy Assembly Authentic Kit, which is a reasonable explanation of its intent. It has been reboxed several times with new parts in the interim, and is now available again as an E-3 in a new box with a painting of one of the decal options flying in formation with colleagues over broken cloud. Inside the box are two large sprues and two small single-part sprues in grey styrene, a long clear sprue, decal sheet, a sheet of pre-cut paper masks (not pictured), the instruction booklet in greyscale, and a colour painting guide, printed on both sides of a glossy sheet of paper that is tucked inside the instructions. Although this is a relatively straightforward kit that shouldn’t tax anyone including the novice, the level of detail is good, extending to the cockpit, gear bays, and even the radiators under the wings and nose. Construction begins with the cockpit, predictably, based upon a flat floor plate that receives the rear bulkhead and seat frame first, followed by rudder pedals that are moulded to a peculiar carrier, seat adjuster, twin-layer trimming wheel, control column, and a small equipment box that is applied to the floor. The two fuselage halves are prepared next, with plenty of detail moulded into the interior, both in the cockpit and the aft fuselage areas, although little will be seen of the latter. The instrument panel consists of two parts, dial decals and clear gunsight part, gluing it to the starboard fuselage along with a representation of the oxygen system, adding a top bulkhead behind the pilot’s seat, and a pair of exhaust stacks through slots in the nose from within, one on each side. The tail gear leg has a separate side to its yoke to trap the small wheel in place, clipping it into position in the rear under the tail, after which the fuselage halves can be closed, fitting the engine cowling to the nose after the fuselage glue has cured. Inverting the fuselage allows fitting of the chin intake pathway where the oil cooler is located, starting with an insert to which the radiator core is glued, applying the actuator underneath beforehand and adding the three-part cowling after detail painting. The supercharger intake horn is fixed to a recess in the port nose, and a pair of rudder actuators are applied to both sides of the tail later in the build. The lower wing panel is full-span, and has a pair of guides for two radiators behind the cut-outs for the main gear wells, adding an L-shaped tank in the centreline further back before the upper wings are laid over the top, having bay roof detail moulded-in. The trailing edges of the wings are thickened up by adding an insert to them on the inner section, including the flap portions behind the radiator outlets. The completed wings are then glued to the fuselage underneath, preparing the elevators by adding their support struts first, then gluing them into position either side of the tail. You can pose the canopy open or closed, using three parts for open, and a single part for closed, adding head armour and a handle inside, although this is only documented for the closed canopy, but it’s not much of a leap to fit the same parts to the open option, and the arrangement of the open canopy is not shown on the instructions either, so check your references to attain the correct angle. The die-cut masks are applied to the outside of the canopy according to a diagram nearby, which applies to both open and closed options. The three-bladed prop is moulded as a single part that is trapped between the spinner and back-plate before it is fixed to the open nose, with no option of leaving it spinning. The narrow-track main gear consists of the legs, a captive bay door, and the skinny tyre with radial tread and integral hub, plugging them into sockets in the inner end of the bays, mounting a pitot probe under the port wing, and horn balances on the ailerons on the underside of the wings. The last assembly is a two-part fuel tank, which is fixed to a platform with two C-shaped supports, gluing the completed assembly to the belly between the gear legs, which is probably best done following main painting. Markings There are two decal options provided on the sheet, and in traditional HobbyBoss style, no information is supplied for them, but it wouldn’t be too difficult to find the relevant information if you are so minded. Both options have mottle or cross-hatching camouflage over an early war splinter scheme, which could be a little taxing for a novice, but is a common feature of German WWII fighters, so is worth the effort to master if you intend to build more of them. From the box you can build one of the following: HobbyBoss decals are usually fit for purpose, but can be a little lacking in some respects. This sheet is printed in good registration with adequate sharpness and colour density, including the yellow decals. They usually go down well with the use of a little decal solution and some mild patience. Conclusion It’s a straight forward kit of this important WWII German fighter, which offers a surprising amount of detail for the skill level, but perhaps some simpler decal options might have been better suited to the kit’s original intent as an easy model for a novice. That said, there’s nothing quite like setting yourself the goal of learning to paint mottle to push your skill set further. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

HobbyBoss is to release a 1/48th Fairchild-Republic A-10C Thunderbolt II kit - ref. 81796 A new variant from its original A-10 kit with a new sprue - ref. 80323 - link Source: http://www.hobbyboss.com/index.php?g=home&m=article&a=show&id=207&l=en V.P.

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

Here's a little tank (very little-it's like 1/72 scale-sized) that I did last year and never got around to posting. A quick, fun build of a subject that gets very little coverage. The HobbyBoss kit went together with no issues. I added some minor details here and there, but this was mostly an OOB build. Every now and again, it's nice to do a "weekend build"!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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