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When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbour and Malaya in December 1941, the Royal Australian Air Force was forced to evaluate how poorly it was equipped to counter any Japanese movement towards Australia. Up to this time, under the principle of Imperial Defence, its principal task had been the training of aircrew to fly with the Royal Air Force in the European and Desert theatres of war. The only ‘modern’ single-seat fighter that it operated was the Brewster Buffalo, equipping two squadrons based in Malaya. For home defence, the only ‘fighter’ that it had was the two-seat Wirraway. Under the guidance of Bill Air and aerodynamicist Fred David, the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation, using some Wirraway components, rapidly developed the Boomerang interceptor. This aircraft was powered by the Pratt & Whitney R-1830, then entering licence production in Australia. The first Boomerang flew in May 1942. Its performance was similar to the Buffalo, and although it had the advantage of two 20mm cannon and four Mgs compared to Buff’s puny armament, it was clear that it also would be outclassed by the Japanese fighters, particularly the Zero. By early 1942, reports were coming in from the RAAF and the USAAF that the Japanese fighters were operating at altitudes where the P-39 and P-40 were ineffective. These aircraft, as did the Boomerang, lacked an effective supercharger. A fighter that could meet the Japanese at altitudes of 20,000 plus feet was needed. Spitfires from the UK were still unobtainium as were P-38 or P-47 aircraft from the USA. It was decided to fit a turbo-supercharger to the Boomerang. Thus was born the CA-14, which first flew in January 1943. The original version was a minimal change of the CA-12, being basically a system test bed but, the second iteration, the CA-14A, was refined to a proposed production standard. The performance of the basic CA-12 Boomerang was greatly increased at altitude. The CA-14 was able to reach altitudes in excess of 30,000 feet and at 28,000 feet was able to achieve over 350 mph. These figures were roughly comparable to Republic’s P-43, with the Boomerang having the superior armament. However, by 1943 the RAAF was, at last, starting to receive Spitfire VC aircraft which finally gave the RAAF its desired high-altitude capability. This, plus the refusal of the USA to release turbo-superchargers to Australia, resulted in the cancellation of the project. I plan to use Special Hobby's CA-12 kit as it is the best available in 1/48. Having said that, it has many problems and deficiencies. I will be relying on the 'spares box', plasticard, and copious amounts of filler to complete this project. To the kit, I have added the RedRoo enhancement set, and an Aires R-1830 as the cylinders in SH kit were badly moulded. At the bottom left are some possible candidates for the engine cowling and I have started the basic assembly of the cockpit 'tub'.

Seems my dad grew fond of the Firefly.. After he changed the scheme with his wip Trumpeter kit from Thai to Dutch, he now will do a Thai scheme nevertheless.....and an Ethiopian scheme will follow too... using this kit DSC_0001 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr with decals from this DSC_0001 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0009 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr

All good things or Firefly come in three... DSC_0001 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0010 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr

My dad´s Thai theme continues, after Spitfire and the soon finished F-86F, here comes a Firefly... DSC_0001 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0002 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0003 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr

For me this is an exciting GB, because I've really come to enjoy building South of the Rio Grande models! I have two projects underway that cover Central and South America (Last Legs Ponies and Sexy American Singles in South American Service), and as my first entry in this GB I will build a 1/72 T-6 using this Special Hobby boxing . . . . . . and decals from Armycast. Roughly this is what she's supposed to look like!

Special Hobby is to release a family of Allison engined 1/72nd Curtiss P-40 Warhawk kits from P-40E to N. Source: http://www.specialhobby.net/2017/02/info-z-norimberku-no2.html V.P.

Moving my slow build Special Hobby kit that failed to get completed before the end of the extended STGB: The build report to date is here: Martin

Progress on my Paraguayan T-6 has slowed somewhat, so I'm going to start on another Sexy American Single in South American service, this time a P-35: I have not been able to find any photos of what these a/c (something like 2-5, perhaps modified racing machines) looked like, but I found this online and feel it's likely a good approximation. The Hobby Craft 1/48 P-35 includes decals for this, but for mine in 1/72 I'll piece them together from spares. I have these sheets to draw from.

After the 1/72nd kit (link) Special Hobby (SH) is to release 1/48th SIAI-Marchetti SF.260 kits. First boxing - ref. SH48207 Sources: https://www.specialhobby.info/2020/09/siai-marchetti-sf260-new-148-and-172.html https://www.facebook.com/specialhobby/posts/1010336579406702 V.P.

Special Hobby & Azur-FRROM are working on a 1/72nd Martin (Glenn L.) B-10/B-12 family Source: https://www.facebook.com/specialhobby/photos/a.579303855843312/747141085726254/ V.P.

Greetings, Apologies, I am very late to the party, due to various reasons - health issues, unfinished models on the bench, as well as a horrible heatwave in my region that made it very difficult to do any actual modeling for the last month. I might not finish the model on time, but we will see. Mirage F1JA FAE 806 is famous for reportedly shooting down a Peruvian Su-22 during the 1995 Cenepa War. It was flown by Maj. Raul Banderas at the time. This s/n later received special markings (see picture below) for the 30 year anniversary celebration of the type being in service in Ecuador. The artist who made the "cobra" tail art was one "Mr Carlos Perez" and it reportedly took him two weeks to complete. Sometime in 2010 the Mirage F1 fleet was retired in Ecuador and as far as I know, FAE 806 was then placed as a monument in the capital city. The 1/72 scale kit by Special Hobby is not brand new, but a 2016 tooling according to Scalemates. It doesn't compare in quality to todays triple A manufacturers, but I've built a lot worse... The boxing I have is a dual combo pack from 2019, which includes a single seat and a two seat kit kit, was well as some resin add-ons and most importantly - a nice reference book from Duke Hawkins. I chose this boxing because it includes FAE specific Mirage F1JA parts, provided as small resin pieces. I have also purchased more aftermarket goodies - FAE 806 special decal scheme by Syhart, Reskit exhaust and wheels sets, Master pitot, Eduard PE accessories. For armament, I will use centerline drop tank (must have - it was painted yellow as part of the special scheme), 2x Magic IIs and 2x Python IIIs (going to steal those and their respective launch rails from AMK's Kfir kit). Photographed everything on my kitchen floor. I left the two seater sprues in the box, those are not needed (unless I mess something up and will need spare parts, haha). Some detail photos of the parts still on sprues, to highlight minor issues I should take care of before starting anything: - raised flash coming out of some panel lines and inconsistent panel lining in general, as well as ejector pin marks in visible places. - these intake parts look very toy like to me and those are some of the largest sprue gates I have ever seen. Luckily, Quickboost make some resin replacements. - proper horrible flash on the landing gear legs. "No idea where the flash begins and the part ends." - cockpit and wheel bay detail will be improved a lot by Eduard PE. For the airbrakes, I think I am not going to bother with replacements or improvements, I will just have them closed. - a bit of a short shot here on the tip... hopefully this won't be hard to fix - clear parts a bit scuffed, but again, hopefully easy to fix. They are otherwise very clear. Anyway, thanks for looking, I will update once I make some meaningful progress. Just clean up and research work at the moment, while I am waiting for some additional resin to arrive (intakes and FOD covers mainly). I would appreciate it if anyone could link pictures of a F1JA instrument panel (to verify if the Eduard PE parts are correct for this type - they should be the same as regular French F1C ?). Duke Hawkins book has very nice IP pictures, but from what I can tell, none are of Ecuadorian machines...

Big, you say? Well okay. It's almost the biggest model in my stash, the Special Hobby Westland Whirlwind Mk.I. It's big: And it's been unstarted for too long: Did I mention that it's big? While waiting in the stash it has accumulated quite a bit of aftermarket; a set of seatbelts: Some resin wheels and cannons - I'm not that comfortable with the idea of the resin cannons which I think would be more vulnerable to breakage than the kit's plastic ones, but if they look much better I would probably go with them: ... and finally, canopy and camouflage masks. What can I say? I'm lazy and I'm prepared to pay any company that offers to indulge my laziness So I'm set. See you at the start line gents Cheers, Stew P.S. It's big

Also seen in the Nürnberg Toy Fair 2013 photo reports, at the Special Hobby stand there was what looks like a 1/32nd Fiat G-50 Freccia ("Arrow") prototype. Sources: http://www.ipmsdeutschland.de/Ausstellungen/Nuernberg2013/Bilder_VH/Nuernberg2013_VH_1.htm http://www.ipmsdeutschland.de/Ausstellungen/Nuernberg2013/Bilder_JLF/Nuernberg2013_JLF_1.htm More pics: http://www.ipmsdeutschland.de/Ausstellungen/Nuernberg2013/Bilder_JLF/Nuernberg2013_JLF_037.htm http://www.ipmsdeutschland.de/Ausstellungen/Nuernberg2013/Bilder_JLF/Nuernberg2013_JLF_038.htm http://www.ipmsdeutschland.de/Ausstellungen/Nuernberg2013/Bilder_JLF/Nuernberg2013_JLF_039.htm http://www.ipmsdeutschland.de/Ausstellungen/Nuernberg2013/Bilder_JLF/Nuernberg2013_JLF_040.htm Source: http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234935180-sh32056-fiat-g50bis-in-132-scale/ V.P.

External Armament for Super Mystère B-2 (SH72495) and Other IAF Aircraft 1:72 Special Hobby The Mystère was the first Supersonic jet in Europe, and it was adopted by other operators as well as France, including Israel, to name but one. It was a capable aircraft for its day, and could carry a wide variety of weapons loads, adapting to also carry indigenous weaponry that were being designed and manufactured by Israeli companies at the time. The Set Arriving in a cardboard box, you might expect this to be a resin set, but it is actually two pairs of sprues from Special Hobby’s 1:72 Super Mystère kit that contain: 2 x 250kg Bomb 2 x Napalm Canister & Pylon 2 x 1300L Fuel Tank & Pylon 2 x 625L Fuel Tank & Pylon 8 x 100kg Bomb on 2 x Quadruple Ejector Rack & Pylon 2 x Rafael Shafrir 2 A2A Missile with pylon & Adapter Rail The 100kg bombs are made from two parts each, attaching to a rack with separate pylon; the 250kg bombs are two parts plus a perpendicular pair of fins that slide into a slot in the rear of the unit; both fuel tanks are two parts each with a separate pylon, as are the napalm canisters, and the Shafrir 2 missiles are a single body with integrated fins, adding perpendicular fins to the rear in a slot, then mounting them on a pylon with adapter rail. The instructions show the weapons being fitted under the wings and belly of a Super Mystère, adding locations for holes for the Shafrir 2 missile pylons in millimetres to the wing roots using scrap diagrams. Many of these weapons were also carried by other Israeli Air Force aircraft of the era, so they could have other uses if you have projects in mind. Markings There are no stencil decals included with the set, which would have been a great idea, but you are given colour call-outs in letter codes throughout the instructions that don’t appear to correspond with any table on either side of the page. It shouldn’t be difficult to figure it out however, especially if you look below at the colour chart that’s included with the SMB-2 kit. Elementary my dear Modeller! Pinched shamelessly from the instruction booklet for the kit. Conclusion If you’re short on weapons for an IAF Super Mystère or another aircraft of a similar era, this set could be very useful, particularly if you’d rather not use resin parts for whatever reason. It’s also a pocket-friendly purchase. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Special Hobby is not only working on a 1/72nd Dassault Super Mystère SMB2 kit (link) but also on a 1/48th one! Yesss. The subsidiary question is when as the SH kits development delays are often really slow. Source: http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235011761-we-need-it-in-148th-the-smb2/&do=findComment&comment=2570698 V.P.

Sure hope that 'Cannon Fighter' box also gets upgraded.

For this GB, I thought it would be interesting to build an aircraft indigenous to the region, so I’ve chosen the HAL Ajeet Mk. I The Ajeet was a further development of the Folland Gnat, which was earlier built under license by HAL, and featured more advanced avionics (no, not the HAL 9000) and a ‘wet’ wing. Operated only by 2 Sqn IAF, the Ajeet remained in service from 1977 until 1991. While the IAF Gnats acquitted themselves very well in operations against Pakistani F-86s and F-104s, the Ajeet never saw combat. I’ll be building Special Hobby’s 1/72 kit. I’ve never built anything of theirs, although I have a few other Special Hobby kits in the stash. This one looks really nice- very crisp and well detailed. Definitely closer to their Mirage III than the DH Hornet I have still in the box… There are a few different schemes included for both Gnats and Ajeets. For this Ajeet, I preferred something more typical of a frontline aircraft, and the example at no. 9 in this Hushkit article caught my eye. E1974 is quite well documented photographically, and can be recreated by mixing the serials and insignia on the decal sheet. I’m currently recuperating from minor leg surgery that means I can’t really sit for long periods after work, and the shelf of doom isn’t getting any smaller. Hopefully the diminutive nature of this aircraft should see it built up nice and quickly. I recall some murmurings about this kit only really being accurate for a Gnat. If I succumb to temptation I might end up changing tack and building the combat veteran Gnat instead. We’ll see!

Humber LRC Mk.II (8065) 1:72 CMK by Special Hobby One of Great Britain’s long defunct motor manufacturers went by the name of Rootes, who produced the brand Humber, and in the late 30s, they designed the Super Snipe, which reached market in 1938, somewhat optimistically before the outbreak of WWII. As civilian car manufacturing was suspended in the UK during this period, Humber used the chassis for the Super Snipe to create a light armoured car, and the engine that had propelled it to a top speed close to 80mph, went to help carry the additional weight of its armour. Despite the embargo on civilian cars, the Super Snipe also continued relatively unchanged as a military staff car, transporting many top brass around the country. The new Light Reconnaissance Car (LRC) was armoured to withstand small-arms fire, with a maximum of 10mm at the front, and a little less on the back and sides, but the Mk.I had an open top, leaving it vulnerable to plunging fire, grenades and explosives, plus shrapnel, not to mention the weather. The Mk.II had a roof that was 7mm thick, with the turret conversely only 6mm, but on the basis that some protection is better than none and steel is waterproof, it was an improvement. The Boys anti-tank rifle was forward facing in a mount with limited elevation, with a Bren gun in the turret that could deal with the enemy for close-range engagements. The engine had been upgraded to a 4.1L 6-cylinder engine that drove the rear wheels only up until the Mk.III, which benefitted from four-wheel drive that improved its rough ground handling, replacing the Mk.II in late 41. The Kit This is a new tooling from CMK, and is a resin creation that has been designed with a combination of traditional cast resin, 3D printed resin, Photo-Etch (PE), and even a few decals, using the most appropriate method to get the job done. The kit arrives in a modest cardboard box with captive lid, and a red themed sticker on top to tell us what’s inside. Under the lid are a row of heat-sealed bag sections protecting the cast resin, a Ziploc bag that contains the 3D printed parts, which are on two print bases with protective legs on the corners, another small bag with the PE and decals inside, and instructions that is formed from two sheets of A4 printed in colour and stapled into a booklet. There are thirty-four cast resin parts in grey, twenty-nine 3D printed parts in a different grey, a rectangular clear part, five PE parts, and nine decals. Detail is excellent, removal of the casting blocks and clean-up shouldn’t represent too much of an issue, as the attachment points have been positioned to minimise damage to the detail of the parts. Give the parts a wash in warm soapy water to remove any lingering release agent, and remember that breathing in fine dust such as resin isn’t good for you. Construction begins with the floor, which has the chassis integrated into the underside, and is joined by two seats, stowage boxes, driver controls on the right, and the base for the turret that is built from a single PE part that is folded into a step-stool with a hole in the centre. Under the chassis, leaf springs, axle, and drive-shaft are installed under the rear, fitting the steering axle at the front, with disc-brakes and steering arm, the two sides tied together by a single leaf spring. The lower chassis is completed by mounting the exhaust and its muffler under the left side of the vehicle, putting the assembly aside until the two halves are mated and the wheels are added. The body of the beast is moulded as a single tub, and is decked out with a bulkhead in the forward compartment, mounting the steering column, wheel and instrument panel behind it, and using the clear panel to give the driver a chance of seeing where he’s about to drive. The instructions tell you to give the clear resin a coat of gloss varnish to improve its transparency, which is a standard method when dealing with cast clear resin. Further back are five stowed weapons and entrenching tools, plus a shelf on the right side with a No.19 radio set fitted, so the crew can keep in touch with HQ. With the painting and weathering done on the inside, the body and chassis are joined, and the front is festooned with bumper, horn, fenders, wing mirrors, lights, convoy light, and a PE bracket, adding the optional open or closed radiator armour by using the two separate parts, or one V-shaped part so that you don’t have to set the angle yourself, which is a great idea. Moving round the vehicle, the hatches are fitted to the top and sides, rear fenders, all four wheels, which have some nice detail moulded-in, and another batch of tools that are all glued to the external stowage box, or boot as we call it in the UK. It's not over yet. The Boys anti-tank rifle is slotted into the front next to the driver’s hatch, which gets a hatch cover, fitting a PE aerial mast on the rear corner of the right side, using a resin antenna base, and a length of wire from your supplies box to finish the assembly. The turret is predominantly built from 3D printed parts, with just the seat cast from resin, suspended on three supports under the conical turret, and with a Bren gun projecting from the front on a Y-shaped mount. A couple of spare magazines are also included to suspend from the verticals next to the gunner, and the completed turret assembly is dropped into the hole in the top of the hull, locating the peg on the bottom of the seat in the PE ‘stool’ installed on the floor at outset. Markings There is just one decal option included on the small sheet, which is as follows: The decals are printed using a digital process and have good registration, sharpness, and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut loosely around the printed areas. This means that the carrier film on their decals can be coaxed away from the printed part of the decal after they have been applied, effectively rendering them carrier film free, making the completed decals much thinner and more realistic, and obviating the need to apply successive coats of clear varnish to hide the edges of the carrier film. It’s a great step further in realism from my point of view, and saves a good quantity of precious modelling time into the bargain. Conclusion The detail included in the parts is excellent, and despite the fact that it’s not my scale, it has that “build me” vibe about it. Careful painting and weathering will make a great model. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Vietnam Era US Helicopter Pilot Helmet x 2 (6009) 1:35 CMK by Special Hobby We’ve been reviewing several 1:35 helicopter kits from ICM and other manufacturers recently, as the scale enjoys a resurgence of interest, especially for rotary wing craft. We’ve had the CH-53 Tarhe and the AH-1 Cobra to name but two, and there have also been crew figure sets in styrene to add a human dimension to the kits. As usual with CMK's resin sets, it arrives in the familiar clear vacformed box, with the resin parts safely inside, and the instructions sandwiched between the header card at the rear. The Photo-Etch (PE) is separated from the resin parts by a clear piece of acetate to prevent scratching and damage during transit. The designers at CMK have created this simple set of two helmets from the Vietnam era that are cast on a single block with their attachment points on the rounded top of the helmet where clean-up will be easiest. PE parts are also included, to depict the chin straps and the comms booms that were attached to the sides, and will add superb detail to your model, regardless of whether you include figures, as you can place them on the seats as if the pilots or other crew have just vacated their ride for a cup of tea or personal break after a long mission. Preparation will involve cutting the helmets free at the tubular attachment point, then sanding the stub back to match the rounded profile of the dome at the back of the helmet, then fitting the PE straps and boom mic using a dab of super glue. Painting it will really bring the helmet to life. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Piper L-4 Cub Special Hobby 1:48 This is the 'European Cubs in Post-War Service' boxing of Special Hobby's 1:48 series of Piper Cubs, reviewed by Mike Here. It is a very finely moulded and detailed kit, that looks every inch a Cub. A few notes & tips on construction: The first thing I did was I glue the side glazings to each fuselage half , rather than risk messing them up later in construction when the interior had been painted. 2 of the options in the kit have reduced rear fuselage glazing that stops aft/level with the trailing edge of the wing, including this one, HB-OUD, Once the fuselage was together I filled and sanded the window frames away and blended the area in. The main wheels are meant to be a butt join to the undercarriage leg assembly. I cut the long legs from the central 'X' part and replaced them with brass wire to give me an axle to attach the wheels to, I was going to attach the wings after painting, but changed my mind as fitting the strut work would have been difficult without damaging the paint, as well as making it all weaker. I strongly advise attaching the wings before even putting any primer on the model. Likewise the tail wheel has a tiny contact area to attach to the tail leg. I drilled an pinned it with an 0.4mm drill for strength. I used the inside/outside masking set M48015 which was a real help. Each panel fitted to perfection and gave a superb result, they really were excellent. Cubs have to be yellow! I used Halfords grey primer, followed by an airbrushed undercoat of Tamiya X-17 Pink, followed by X-7 Lemon yellow with a dash of red mixed in to tone it to a deeper yellow. The red decals on the nose do not have a cut out for the engine cylinders. Before assembly I took a 'brass rubbing' of the front fuselage so that I had a template to guide me in cutting a hole in the decals before application. Note that I cut a much smaller hole in the decal so I could give it a final trim after fitting. It is a nice little kit and we don't get many 1:48 light aircraft. Thanks for looking John

MG15 WWII Machine Gun - Infantry Modification (P35030) 1:35 Special Hobby The MG15 started life as a development of the MG30, and was a common installation in German WWII aircraft, predominantly as a flexible mount that was crew-served, as its open-bolt design didn’t lend itself to synchronised firing through a prop. It fired a 7.92mm round, and could be either belt-fed or fed by a magazine of several different types. Later in the war, it was replaced in Luftwaffe service by the MG81 that used the same diameter 7.92mm round, and by the 13mm MG131, for its obvious additional punch. After retirement from the air, many of these weapons were re-purposed to infantry use, sometimes adapted with a water-filled jacket, and often fed by a twin “saddle” drum magazine, adding a bipod to the barrel and a sling for carriage. A cage was also developed to carry three of the saddle magazines on the back of a member of the gun’s crew. As usual with Special Hobby's larger 3D printed resin sets, it arrives in the familiar clear vacformed box, with the resin parts safely inside, and the instructions sandwiched between the header card at the rear. A Photo-Etch (PE) fret is separated from the resin parts by a clear piece of acetate to prevent scratching and damage during transit. The parts are all printed in Special Hobby’s signature orange resin that combines strength with flexibility, and their now familiar cage surrounds the part, including a canopy over the top to protect the delicate parts, which have been printed with seemingly impossible fidelity. Two MG15s can be made from the set, one with a perforated barrel shroud, the other with a cooling jacket covering the barrel, and making it look a little like a Vickers machine gun from the front. There are four bipods in open and closed positions that allow you to choose freely which you want to use, and there are four saddle magazines, two that can be plugged into the top of the breech, with two spares. The PE fret includes three ring sights, one spare in case you make a mistake, and a single two-part sling to attach to the jacketless weapon, as it’s the most portable of the two. Detail is exceptional, and when carefully painted will look as real as possible at this scale. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

L-4 Cub – European Cubs in Post-War Service (SH48222) 1:48 Special Hobby The Piper Cub was a light aircraft developed before WWII with production continuing throughout WWII and into the late 40s. In military service as a communications, reconnaissance, or spotter aircraft, it was known as the L-4 Grasshopper, and 20,000 plus were built due to its success in various roles, including trainer and glider tug. It was powered by a flat-4 engine, and despite the limited power it was agile in the air, with docile handling characteristics and a very low stall speed, which made take-off and landing a simple process, and let the aircraft use strips that were far too short for other types. After the war, many of the former military aircraft were re-purposed for civilian use, or sold to other nations in similar roles. Due to the simple nature of the type, maintenance was straight-forward and cost-effective, leading to many airframes surviving to the present day in private hands. The Kit This is a reboxing of Special Hobby’s 2022 new tool that we somehow missed until now, so it’s our first look at the plastic, although we have reviewed the 3D printed engine upgrade set, which truly is a sight to behold. The kit arrives in a modest top-opening box, and inside are two full-size sprues in grey styrene, a clear sprue, a small fret of Photo-Etch (PE), a casting block with four parts, a tiny slip of over-printed clear acetate, the A5 instruction booklet in colour, and the decals in a separate resealable bag. Detail is good, although there are some ejector-pin marks here and there by necessity, and some of them might need dealing with during assembly and painting. Construction begins predictably with the cockpit, starting on a floor part that is detailed with rudder pedals, fire extinguisher and other small parts, plus the linked control columns, the four-part seat for the pilot, with a choice of two types of rear seat installed later. The Continental motor is started by gluing the top and bottom halves together, with optional heat shielding over the piston banks, and a central air intake system underneath. This is slipped through the piston slots in the starboard fuselage half, which has the cowling details adjusted for one of the decal options on both sides. The firewall with moulded-in tank separates the engine from the cockpit, and after gluing the floor into the bottom, a sloped rear bulkhead is placed on ledges. A choice of two additional intake parts is inserted under the motor, created by removing the tip for one decal option. Whilst closing the fuselage, two rods are inserted low on the firewall, linked diagonally to the sidewalls, then your choice of rear seats, one option that is similar to the pilot’s seat but with a single mounting frame, the other a single cushion with PE belts and no back. For three of the decal schemes there is an additional grating inserted and glued to the front bulkhead, and a tonneau cover is spread over the rear cockpit area. The instrument panel is created by adding a curved insert across the front of the opening, to which a choice of printed acetate film or a decal is applied, adding a PE surround over the top. At the front of the tonneau, one option has a PE belt strung across from one sidewall to the other. The Cub’s extensive glazing is next, with a choice of closed or open starboard side panels, which is accomplished by using one of two parts supplied on the clear sprue. The port side is always closed, and is first to be placed in position, linked to the opposite side by an asymmetrical framework over the heads of the crew that holds the tops of the windows at the correct width. There are details moulded into the insides of the glazing parts, so masking inside and painting them will increase the realism appreciably. Special Hobby have a set of masks to help in this regard. The clear roof is applied over the top, and in front of that the lengthy spar and an inverted V-frame is added that is covered by the crystal-clear curved windscreen. Once the glue and paint are dry on the canopy, the wing halves are joined over the spars, taking care to smooth down the ejector-pin marks that are present on the centre surface of each part, just in case they clash. A few seconds with a motor tool or coarse sanding stick should see them gone, as you don’t need to be too careful. The single-thickness elevators are slotted into the tail, then it’s a case of adding all the detail, starting with the landing gear struts under the fuselage. The engine is also detailed with resin exhausts and intake filter, plus a small “pot” on the top of the cowling. The wings are supported by a V-shaped strut between the fuselage and outer wing, with an additional stay around half-way, and some tiny PE actuators fitted to the ailerons. You will need to find some 0.3mm wire or thread to replicate the aileron control wires that run down the front support and pop out again to mate with the PE actuators added earlier. This is replicated on both wings of course. The tail wheel is fixed to the moulded-in strut under the tail, and there are twin control wires added to the elevators, with the control wires replicated top and bottom, and two more to control the tail-wheel itself for ground-handling. More short wires are added on the topside of the ailerons, and the two-part balloon-like tyres are slipped over the axles on the gear legs. If you have elected for an open cockpit, the open window is fixed almost flush with the lower wing and held in place by a PE stay, while the lower trapezoid cockpit door is folded down with a PE handle and retaining clip glued to the bottom edge. It isn’t mentioned, but we assume that if you close the window you should glue the door in the closed position earlier in the build. There is a short antenna inserted into a hole in the roof, which has a wire strung between it and the top of the fin, then the two-bladed prop is slipped over the shaft at the front of the engine, with a shallow spinner included for one of the decal options. Markings There are a healthy four decal options included on the sheet, and if you’ve been staring at grey jets a lot recently, you might want your sunglasses, as some of them are a bit colourful. From the box you can build one of the following: L-4J Grasshopper OK-YFJ c/n:12830 ex-USAAF 44-80534, owned by J Zítka, Rtyně v Podkrkonoši, Czechoslovakia, 1947 L-4H Grasshopper HB-OUD c/n:11854 ex-USAAF 44-79558, private owner in Bern, Switzerland, 2004 L-4H Grasshopper G-AIIH c/n:11945 ex-USAAF 44-79649 private owner, Great Britain, 1993 L-4H Grasshopper SP-AML ex-USAAF 44-79884, Warsaw Aero Club, Poland, 1949 The decals appear to be printed by Eduard and are in good registration, sharpness, and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. I mention Eduard because from 2021, the carrier film on their decals can be coaxed away from the printed part of the decal after they have been applied, effectively rendering them carrier film free, making the completed decals much thinner and more realistic, and obviating the need to apply successive coats of clear varnish to hide the edges of the carrier film. It’s a great step further in realism from my point of view, and saves a good quantity of precious modelling time into the bargain. Conclusion I wasn’t all that interested in this aircraft until I saw the 3D printed engine set that we reviewed recently, and now I’m all over it. It’s an acknowledged fact that I’m fickle, but it’s a really nice kit of a surprisingly common and persistent aircraft that will appeal to civilian aircraft modellers as well as some of the many pilots that earned their wings flying in one. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Supermarine Seafire FR Mk.47 with RATOG, 800. Squadron Fleet Air Arm, HMS "Triumph", Korean War 1950. Made from Special Hobby SH72099 kit. It`s "out of the box" except exhausts (SBS) and some decals (self-printed).

Another Supermarine, more precisely a Seafire FR.Mk.47 in progress by Special Hobby with catalogue number SH72099. Herebelow the box art and the proposed markings. Source: http://www.modelforu...hp?f=97&t=69259 V.P.

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