The Murphy’s Law work really even in our plastic model business as we witnessed first hand during the preparation of the SH72471 Aero Ab-11 Blue Bird model. And I frankly hope we won’t need to go through something similar in our next projects. And hopefuly not during the 2023 Nuremberg Model and Toy Fair that we are going to attend after a two-year break caused by the global covid pandemic. Two years of on and off, planning to attend the fair and then having to cancel our attendance. So we do believe that this time, well finally, we will have our stand at the fair. And as the times are a bit tough, we have to cut the costs and join our stand with that of Eduard’s where we will be looking forward to meeting all our visitors who hopefuly come to see for themselves what we have in the pipeline for next year.
   In our latest Newsletter issued this November, we are going to tempt you for a very limited release of our 1/48 SH48226 Breda 65A-80 ‘Aviazione Legionaria’ model kit, one more variety of the iconic Stuka dive bomber, this time featuring the shorter type of the wing, a 1/72 scale kit SH72470 Junkers Ju 87D-3 Stuka ‘Stuka Experten’, another 1/72 Emil fighter SH72472 Messerschmitt Bf 109E ‘Slovak and Rumanian Aces’ which offers a very interesting selection of marking schemes and finally the 1/48 scale Bugatti 100 Racer, model SH48219 in 1/48 scale. From all the resin sets we have for you this month, let me point out the hot seat designed for the 1/72 scale Mirage IIIC. The new SH72352 Mirage IIIC has so far been very nicely judged by the modellers and we have to admit that the model sells even better than the hot cakes, if we may say so. So it can be expected that the hot seat would sell equally well. The sales are also nice in the case of the 1/35 scale figure set F35379 Ukrainian Soldier with NLAW and AK-74MN. And now this figure receives a mighty opponent in our range, 1/35 figure set called Ukrainian Soldier Firing FGM-148 Javelin. This is again a combination of resin cast parts, 3D-printed parts, photo etches and and a sheet of decals. On the other hand, solely by the 3D print is made the 1/48 scale P48003 Panzerfaust for Bücker Bü 181, which si designed obviously for the Bücker Bü 181 as kitted by Special Hobby of course. More detailed information on all these products can be found bellow in the newsletter. 
  This December we are going to release the 1/72 SH72475 Heinkel He 162A Spatz ‘Captured Birds’, 1/48 SH48222 L-4 ‘Cub in Post War Service’ and the largest one of them would be the 1/32 scale SH32083 Fiat G.50B Bicomando. 
  And during the first three months of 2023, we plan to offer you the following items: re-release of SH32044 Fiat G.50-II Freccia ‘Finnish Aces’ in 1/32, SH48211 Avro Anson Mk.I, SH48225 AF-2 Guardian ‘Fire Bomber’, SH48209 SK-37 Viggen Trainer these are all in 1/48, and then in 1/72 the following SH72381 SK-37 Viggen, SH72172 CH-37C ‘Deuce USMC’, SH72474 Messerschmitt Bf 109E-1/B ‘Hit and Run Raiders’, SH72465 Douglas DB 8A-3N, SH72473 CAC Wirraway ‘In training and combat’, SH72478 A-20G Havoc ‘Low Altitude Raiders’. These releases are just the core of our early 2023 production, and let us inform you on other new models and sets in due course.

A. Riedel

SPECIAL HOBBY PLASTIC MODEL KITS

Bugatti 100 Racer 1/48

   In the pre-war years, Ettore Bugatti, a very well known racing car designer, took the opportunity and decided to turn his attention to aviation too and come with a concept of a racing aeroplane which was to win the then rather popular Deutsch de la Muerthe races. At first, the plane was to be fitted with just one engine, this was later reconsidered and two powerplants were used, placed asymmetricaly in the sleek fuselage, each one driving its propeller – these were two, counterrotating. In this shape, the plane was even supposed to break the world speed record. The aeroplane was finished and prepared just before the war broke out, but had to be put out of the sight of the advancing German army. As of now, the Bugatti prototype is placed on display at the EAA Aviation Museum in the USA.
   This kit contains two styrene sprues and a single one with clear injected canopy. As the machine was in blue overall scheme with no markings at all, the kit has got no decal sheet. The schemes are two though, the other one representing a fictitious scheme.

-    Not kitted yet in the styrene format
-    Eye-catching and unorthodox construction

Breda 65A-80 ‘Aviazione Legionaria’ 1/48

   The ground-attack Breda 65 aircraft, both of the single seat and two seat variety, had been designed yet berofe the war broke out. The type was manufactured in two main versions, differing by the type of the power plant used and the span of the wings. The Italian Air Force decided to test the Bredas in real war conditions and sent the to the Aviazione Legionaria, the Italian Expeditionary Corps deployed to the Civil War in Spain.
   Our model of the single-place variety, wearing the markings of the Aviazione Legionatia, is being offered now in a limited quantity only. The kit contains three styrene sprues, one with clear parts, resin details and a fret of etches. The decal sheet covers two machines with standard, black and white markings of the Italian Expeditionary Forces in Spain. 

-    Limited edition only
-    Interesting markings
-    The kit comes with detailed resin parts and a large fret of etches.

Junkers Ju 87D-3 Stuka ‘Stuka Experten’ 1/72

   The Junkers Ju 87B/R Stuka was, and mainly on the Eastern Front, a highly importnant and widely used aeroplane. With the increasing might of the enemy air forces, the Stuka design simply had to constantly undergo continuous improvemetns. So, the Ju 87D variety got into the production. Up until the D-3 type, the wing was of the standard span, but then it changed and got longer span, starting with the D-5 type. 
  Our Junkers Ju 87D-3 is based on the G-1 model made by Academy and comes with our new injected styrene sprue with both conversion and correction parts. Etches as well as a sheet of decals are also included.  The latter offers markings for three machines flown by Luftwaffe Experten, Iron Cross bearers. 

-    Also available: 3D-printed set P72002 with the rear gunner’s seat and his weapon, paint masks M72038 and Figure set F72377 with the pilot and rear gunner.
-    Limited edition
-    Interesting colour schemes
-    3D printed parts and etches included

Messerschmitt Bf 109E ‘Slovak and Rumanian Aces’ 1/72

   In 1939, the Messerschmitt Bf 109E was arguably the very best fighter aeroplane in the world. And so, many air forces in Europe showed their interest to acquire the type to their inventory. And among the first foreign countries able to do so was Rumania, mainly because of the oil they were mining in
 Ploesti. On the other hand, one of the last countries to get the aircraft was the Slovak State, despite being a close ally to Germany at the time. Both these countries, Slovakia and Rumania, put their Emils to military actions on the Eastern Front alongside the German Luftwaffe. And some of their pilots rose to acedom flying these tiny and nimble fighters. 
   The top-notch model of the Messerstchmitt Bf 109E is here in yet one more reboxing offering decals for two Slovak-born ace pilots and two from Rumania – and these latter ones are also those with most eye-catching machines in the box. The lifes and the fate of the pilots are also described in the four colour schemes.
-    Highly interesting and colourful camouflage schemes
-    Each of the machines was flown by an attractive figure with interesting life story
-    Also available: paint mask sets, pilot figure sets and a wide range of resin and printed accessories

MASKS

Bugatti 100 MASK 1/48

 Set of pre-cut masks to be used on the clear canopy part and undercarriage wheels of the Bugatti 100 Racer model.

Breda Ba 65 MASK 1/48

 Set of pre-cut masks to be used on the clear canopy part of the Breda Ba 65 model.

RESIN KITS & SETS

Mirage IIIC (M.-B. Mk.4) Seat 1/72 / for Special Hobby kit

   Finely detailed Martin Baker Mk4 hot seat that comes with a fret of etches to make the new Special Hobby Mirage IIICJ kit look even better.

Bücker Bü 181/Zlín Z-181 Main Wheel 1/48 / for Special Hobby kit

   Detail wheels with weighted  tyres designed for Special Hobby’s Bucker Bu 181/Zlin Z-181 kits

Ukrainian Soldier Firing FGM-148 Javelin 1/35

   Exceptionally high-quality figure depicting an Ukraine soldier firing the Javelin missile. The soldier is sitting with his legs crossed and the 3D-printed, tube shaped launcher of the FGM-148 Javelin rests against his shoulder. The missile itself as well as the AK-74M submachine, the soldier’s personal weapon, are also produced on a 3D printer. The set contains a sheet of decals and photo etches.

Ki-84 Hayate Armament 1/72 / Arma Hobby kits

   Open wing cannon compartments, including their covering panels. The set is designed to fit the new Arma Hobby kit

Beaufort Mk.I Bomb Bay 1/72 / Airfix kit

 Detail-oozing bomb bay for the Airfix Beaufort kit. The original styrene item contains just a torpedo, while new offering also brings the respective racks and bombs, as the Beaufort aircraft were often used in the bombing role, too.

Panzerfaust for Bücker Bü 181 1/48

   At the very end of the war, some of Luftwaffe’s Bucker Bu 181 aircraft had provisions made so that they could be armed with the Panzerfaust anti-tank missiles on special racks above and under the wings with the intention to carry out tank attack missions. Our new, 3D printed Panzerfausts offer much better levels of detail than the standard, styrene-made missiles in the kit. The Panzerfaust come with their rear sight open, as they were when fitted to the aircraft. The set also offers finely detailed stencils decals.