Dear business friends,
     The Nuremberg fair is over now. Despite some chaos in the organisation before the start of the fair, we can say we are quite satisfied with our participation and the fair itself. Compared to last year, the first post-covid year, the exhibitors were much more plentiful this year. Many more traders and distributors also arrived at the meeting. So we practically did not have the chance to stop for a while. This, of course, filled us with optimism as it was nice to meet you all in person. When I write about personal meetings, I was most impressed by meetings with colleagues from Ukrainian companies. War is terrible. It's one thing to watch it from the comfort of your home on TV news, and another to hear about personal experience with Russian missile and drone attacks on civilian targets. Working and creating kits in such conditions is extremely difficult. I hope that Ukraine will receive much more aid than it is receiving today and that European politicians will move from words to actions.
    The February newsletter offers two quarterscale  models in the plastic kits range, one present days machine and one from the immediately post war days and one reissue of the popular 1/72 model from the Second World War. Among the accessories you will find something for everyone, the interior set for the 1/35 AH-1G Cobra definitely deserves to be highlighted. It's been a long time since we've brought a helicopter set of this scale, and this set, combining resin cast, 3D-printed and etched parts, due to its quality, definitely deserves your attention. On the offer, you will also find another version of the Fordson WOT2 British vehicle. The first version of this model sold and still sells well and we believe that the 'Van Body' will follow in its footsteps.
     For March, we are preparing interesting kits such as the 1/72 Tachikawa Ki-54 Hickory 'Captured and Post War Service', SH72493 P-40F/L Warhawk 'Desert Hawks with Merlin' and the reissued 1/72 model SH72201 Westland Whirlwind FB Mk.I Fighter - Bomber. In March, the 1/48 Humber LRC Mk.II resin model, which has unfortunately been postponed several times, will finally be realized. We look forward to your orders.

A. Riedel

SPECIAL HOBBY PLASTIC MODEL KITS

Nord NC-701 Martinet    1/48

  The German Siebel Si 204 was developed just before the Second World War as a modern transport aircraft. The outbreak of the war meant change in the type's purpose and it began to fly for the Luftwaffe as a trainer. This variety of the Siebel was also produced in oddupied countries, in Czechoslovakia and in France. And in both these countries, the production went on also after the war had ended. The French produced several various versions and even with three-bladed propellers. These airframes were exported to the Netherlands, Poland and Sweden, too.
  Our model of the NC-701 Martinet transport version offers decals for a French Aéronavale option, one as used by Polish LOT transport company and finaly a Swedish civilian machine.

-    eye-catching versions
-    contains also etches and 3D-printed parts 

AH-1Q/S Cobra ‘IDF Against Terrorists’    1/48

   The Israeli Air Force acquired and subsequently tested the AH-1G Cobra attack helicopters. Due to the need of helicopters capable of destroying armoured vehicles or the enemy’s fortified footholds, Israel in cooperation with its US counterpart converted these helicopters to the AH-1S version. This AH-1S airframes were equipped with the TOW missiles. Israeli helicopters still retained several features typical for the older AH-1G version helicopters. The kit set offers highly detailed styrene parts coming on as many as nine sprues and one with clear canopy parts. The decals sheet offers markings for three brown machines (one of which in two different forms) with two of them sporting Yellow ID “V” letters. 
-    superbly detailed model
-    attractive operator

Breda Ba.88B Lince 'Duce's Bomber' 1/72

Model of the Italian WW2 bomber twin engine bomber aeroplane. The kit consists of three grey styrene sprues, one with clear parts, decals catering for three machines with Italian markings and a full-colour instruction sheet. While the Ba.88 was arguably one of the most sleek Italian warplanes, its performance fell short of expectations. Nevertheless,  Breda Ba.88 bombers were operated both from Italian mainland and overseas bases in Africa.

-    finely detailed model
-    interesting mottled schmes
-    masking sets and photo etches also on offer for the kit

External armament for SMB-2 and other IAF planes 1/72

  Two styrene sprues that contain armament used on IAF Super Mystere SMB.2 jets as well as on other aircraft of the period – two 250kg bombs, two napalm bombs each with the respective pylons, two quadruple racks with eight 100kg bomblets and a pair of Shafrir 2 AAMs with launchers and pylons.

SPECIAL MASK

Heinkel He 59B MASK 1/72

Pre-cut spray masks for the clear canopy parts of the Heinkel He 59B model kits produced by Special Hobby.

Breda Ba.88B Lince MASK

Pre-cut spray masks for the clear canopy parts and u/c wheels of the Breda Ba.88B Lince model kits produced by Special Hobby.

RESIN MODEL KITS & SETS

Ford V 3000 S Wheels 1/35 / for ICM kits

   Nicely cast, detail wheels with weighted tyres offering life-like tread are an easy replacement for the original styrene wheels that lack many of the detail offered in the kit of the German WW2 truck.

PV-1 Ventura Nose and Turret Armament 1/48 / for revell and Academy kits

  Finely detailed machine guns for the turret and belly gunner station, a nose housing for three machine guns and the fuselage gun barrels, all of which have much better details than the kit parts.

AH-1G Cobra Upgrade Cockpit Set 1/35 / for ICM kits

    This multimaterial set consists of resin cast, 3D-printed and photo-etched parts and significantly improves the pilot’s and gunner’s offices of the AH-1G Cobra model. And as the interior of the cockpit is very easy to see through the large side window panes, which can even be posed open, this set is truly a ‘Must have!’ one.

SS-100 Gigant Wheels 1/48 / for Tamiya kits

  Detail-oozing weighted resin wheels with realistic-looking tread. The detail level is much higher that of the original Tamiya kit injected styrene items.

Fordson WOT2D ‘Van Body’ 1/72

   The WOT2 light truck was produced by Ford of Britain in Dagenham since 1939 in several various versions. The production in the war years gave a total of 60,000 examples that served with the British Army, RAF as well as with the Royal Navy well until the late 1950s. During the war, these vehicles offered support to British troops in Western Europe, Africa and elsewhere. They were also operated by foreign units, including the Czechoslovak Independent Armoured Brigade. Some of the WOT2s were captured by the Wehrmacht and put to intensive service. After the war the WOT2s found their way to some other armies, too.
    The Van Body variety was used as a staff vehicle or as a mobile radar platform. The basis of our model is made of cast resin and the kit also offers a fret of etches and 3D-printed parts. The decal sheet brings markings for two British WOTs.

3D printed Parts

Type 3 Japanese Heavy Machine Gun 1/35

   The Type 3 heavy machine gun was developed from the Hotchkiss gun. In early 20th century, the Japanese had bought the licence rights to produce the Hotchkiss machine gun, Japanese engineer Kijiro Nambu improved the original design though to meet better the Japanese Army requirements. At first was produced the Type 38 heavy machine gun, later some more design alterations led to the development and itroduction to service of the Type 3 machine gun. The Type 3 was in service since 1914 and utilized the Arisaka 6.5mm rifle rounds. The Japanese Army used these guns in WW1, all of the inter-war years conflicts and throughout WW2, too. Many of the guns were captured and found their way to Kim Il Sung’s Korea army as well as to Viet-nam communist guerillas.
   The machine gun s 3D printed and the kit also contains spare machine gun magazines, ammunition boxes and most importantly also the  characteristic tripod stand.