When I mentioned the new 1/72 F-84F Thunderstreak model kit in our previous newsletter, I wrote about the fact that we would try to offer other reboxings in the colours of other users as quickly as possible after the first, 'American' release. Since the month of October marks the anniversary of the Operation Musketeer / Kadesh, i.e. the Suez Crisis, we have prepared the second release of the F-84F Thunderstreak model kit in markings of the machines that took part in said operation. Another new item is the 1/72 P-40M Warhawk 'Involuntarily from Russia to Finland' kit, charting a very engaging story about a captured and secretly used aircraft. The last of the three new releases is the Hi-Tech kit of the 1/32 scale Westland Whirlwind FB MK.I. The kit is literally packed up to the brim with accessories. The model SH72439 Bf 109E-4 also gets back to our offer, now in a re-release. Among the resin and 3D printed kits and accessories range, I would like to particularly recommend the Fordson WOT2 E (15CWT) 1/72 British lorry kit and the very detailed Vickers machine gun (WWI version) in 1/35.
   Until the end of the year, we will be expanding our offer with kits of long-nosed versions of the Casa C.212, we are preparing the return of the 1/72 Heinkel He 59 model, complete with injected clear parts, 1/48 SMB-2 in Israeli colours in the Hi-Tech format and other interesting models, both new and reissued. You can look forward to it, it will be a rich pre-Christmas offer.

A. Riedel

SPECIAL HOBBY PLASTIC MODEL KITS

P-40M Warhawk ‘Involuntarily from Russia to Finland’ 1/72

   During the Second World War, the P-40M Warhawk fighter aircraft was used both by the USAAF and the air forces of the Allies. Over two hundres were also delivered to the Soviet Union. P-40M s/n 43-5925 White 23 saw only very brief service with the VVS (Soviet Air Force). When the new machine was being flown over to the unit, its pilot 2nd Lt. V.A.Revin got lost, landed by mistake on Finnish territory and both the machine and the pilot were captured. The Finnish military was reluctant to put the machine to operational service, Finnish pilots of HLe.Lv.32 were of the opposite opinion however, get the machine to airworthy conidion and flew it covertly, which eventually came to light and the Curtiss was officially approved for military use and flown until the end of the war.
   The P-40M kit comes on three styrene sprues with one containing clear parts. All of which offer the top quality and detail overall. The decal sheet caters for the original markings of the Soviet-flown White 23 with red stars and silver tail, and the markings of the plane in two various Finnish schemes. 

-    superbly detailed model, very easy to build
-    interesting colour schemes with breathtaking history
-    separately available masks, accessory sets and figures

Westland Whirlwind FB Mk.I ‘Fighter-Bomber’ Hi-Tech 1/32

   Not long before the outbreak of WW2, the British Air Ministry issued a requirement calling for two types of fighter aircraft, one light weight with machine gun armament and the other one with heavy cannon armament. To these requirements, the machine gun armed Hurricanes and Spitfires were designed, while to fit the second category, the Westland offered their Whirlwind twin engined ‘Cannon Fighter’. This type was eventually produced in more than a hundred examples and further production was ceased only by the shortage of the Peregrine engines. The Whirlwinds were deployed over the English Channel in fighter and ground attack missions. For the latter ones, the Whirlwinds were fitted with bomb racks and were designated FB Mk.I. This modification proved very successful and it became more than clear that the Whirlwinds suit these types of missions very well indeed. 
  Our model of the Whirlwind now comes in the Hi-Tech format and contains ten styrene sprues, one with clear parts, a fret of photo etched details, set of 3D-printed parts and also resin parts. These details improve the cockpit area substantially and also make it possible to leave the nose section open to show the four Hispano cannon armament to good advantage. The decal sheet offers markings for four green and grey RAF machines, two of 263 Sqn and the other two of 137 Sqn. One of the schemes has a title under the canopy and another one sports the striking black and white wing undersurfaces, the makrings carried for the Operation Stalker.

-    top notch equipped model kit containing multi-material accessory sets
-    two decal sheets
-    eye-catching colour and marking schemes

F-84F Thunderstreak ‘Operation Musketeer/Kadesh’ 1/72

    The F-84F Thunderstreak swept-wing jet fighter was a development of the Republic F-84G straight wing aircraft. Using a wing with the sweep along with a more powerful jet engine improved the performance to that of the F-86 Sabre. At first, the F-84F experienced several trouble with their power units, manoeuvrability as well as with corrosion. Later, after the outbreak of the Berlin Crisis and subsequent need to make the NATO forces more powerful, the F-84F jets started to equip many NATO air forces, including that of Germany and France, while earlier these planes were used mainly by the USAF and US Guard units. The first combat deployment the F-84F saw was during the Suez Crisis and the only air victories gained by the type were acieved by Turkish machines taking on Iraqi Il-28 bombers violating the Turkish air space.
   The French F-84Fs were flown from French bases and during the 1956 Operation Musketeer also from bases in Cyprus and Israel. Those flying from Israeli bases temporarily wore the IAF national markings instead of the standard French roundels. This boxing of our highly detailed F-84F model offers one scheme of a machine flown in France plus two as taking part in the Operation Musketeer, one of which is with the Israeli stars.
- excellent and very nicely detailed model, builds like a dream
- extra large decal sheet with complete stencils
- colourful schemes

REISSUE

Messerschmitt Bf 109E-4 1/72

The Messerschmitt Bf 109 is simply one of the synonyms for a proper fighter plane. A plane, which remained in service from 1936 until as long as 1954 with military of many a country.
It fought in the front line of the Spanish Civil War, saw the end of the war over Europe. The E version, or Emil as it is colloquially know, was the first of 109s to be powered by a DB 601 engine. It is unmistakably connected with the outbreak of the war, the attack on Poland, the Blitz over Western Europe, with operations over Scandinavia. The pinnacle of the career of the Emils was arguably the Battle of Britain, only to be followed in the significance by the type´s deployment over the Balkans, Africa and Malta. Until 1941, the 109Es had been the very best of fighter planes in service, along with the British Spitfire. 
   This month´s hot topic is the cannon-armed version, the Bf 109E-4, model cat.no. SH72439. The kit bring schemes of two German fighter aces, G.Schopfel and H.Wick who, flying from bases in Western Europe, took part in the Battle of Britain. The kit also contains two more options, these being Emils as operated over the Balkans a year later. Decals of Wick´s machine contain also the fuselage camouflage mottles consisting of a myriad of tiny brush-made blotches. The kit parts are laid out into two grey styrene sprues and one with clear parts. The kit offer the option to build the Emil either with the engine and fuselage machine guns cover panels open or closed. The wing flaps and slats can be posed in the down position, ailerons offer the option as well  
- highly accurate and extremely detailed model
- easy build
- option to display the engine in the open nose section
- flaps and slats can be posed open too
- accurate decals for four schemes, including full set of stencils
- separately available are clear part and wheel painting masks
- more detail sets being prepared

RESIN MODEL KITS & SETS

Marder Tank Destroyer Commander and Gunner 1/72

   Two crew figures in this set portray a commander and a gunner of a Marder tank destroyer. Made to fit the Special Armour line Marder II kit made by Special Hobby. In fact, these two can be used with any German WW2 tank destroyers or even another type of military vehicles.

PV-1 Ventura Control Surfaces 1/48

   Resin cast control surfaces for Revell’s PV-1 Ventura model or as reboxed by Academy.

Fordson WOT2 E (15CWT) ‘Wooden Cargo Bed’ 1/72

   The WOT2 light-weight military lorry was in production with the British Ford company at Dagenham since 1939 and several versions of the type was constructed. The total production number reached some 60 000 examples which served with the British Army, RAF as well as with the Royal Navy until the end of the 1950s. In the war times, these vehicles offered support to British forces in Western Europe, Africa and elswhere too. Many units composed of overseas personnel also got these vehicles, for domestic modeller might be of interest that the WOT2s served with the Czechoslovak Independent Armoured Brigade. Some of the WOT2s were also captured by the Germans and were put to rather extensive use with the Wehrmacht. In the post war period, some of the WOT2s went further still to other armies.
   The basis of the model is made from resin and it also contains a fret of etches and printed parts. The decals cater for a vehicle in use by the famous Desert Rats in Africa.

3D printed Parts

Bactrian Camel (2 pcs) 1/48

   A pair of two-hump camels, also known as the Mongolian Camel, made on a 3D printer. Can be used in any diorama from ancient times to the present day.

Vickers Machine Gun Mk.I (WWI) 1/35

   The Vickers machine gun was developed on the basis of the earlier Maxim gun. The design prouded itself with great efficiency as well as almost a hundred percent reliability. These technically perfect Vickers guns were produced in really great numbers both for the army (these were water-cooled) and for the air force, where they were air-cooled. The British army had the Vickers in use well until the end of the 1960s, and in other countries' armies, the weapon served even much longer. 
   And as the Vickers machine gun remained in production for a long period, no wonder that the many production batches differed in various more or less important aspects. Now we have for you the WW1 variety of the Vickers. The later that saw usage in WW2 is under development.