Dear business friends,
    February is over, March is here and with it also comes our third newsletter of the year. If I can look back on February, it was quite atypical. While it wasn't snowing here in the Czech Republic, Russian fighter bombers were falling down over Ukraine. As a skiing lover, I hope for winters full of snow. I also hope for a sky without Russian bombers over Ukraine. It would certainly be better if people in Ukraine could live in peace without Russian bombs and missiles. And also make models. Like ICM for example. Last month we offered you an interior set for the 1/35 AH-1G Cobra helicopter model kit by this company. In this newsletter you will find another set for this model and we are preparing more for the following months. The sets will combine resin cast parts with 3D-printed ones. Similarly, after the Tempest Mk.V sets, we focused on the Airfix Typhoon Mk.I model. But the sets for this model will be in the vast majority made by direct 3D printing. You will find the first in this newsletter, others will follow.
    This spring will bring the quarterscale SF-260 model, the realization of which is approaching, we are also working hard on the 1/48  SMB-2 Super Mystère 'Sa'ar – Israeli Storm in the Sky' kit in Hi-tech format. But before it comes to that, we will offer you an AJ-37 Viggen in anniversary camouflage and an upgraded re-edition of the 1/72 Westland Whirlwind Mk.I model. The latter will offer modified decals and resin parts combined with 3D printing. We are also preparing another cover for our new F-84F Thunderstreak. It will be special in that each kit will contain a piece of sheet metal from a real F-84F that crashed in the Šumava mountains here in Czechoslovakia during the Cold War. You bought out the first F-84F release, kit SH72395, faster than we had expected. So it is not available at the moment, but we are preparing a second re-edition.
    In the March newsletter you will find three plastic models, all this time in 1/72 scale. In addition to the above-mentioned sets among the resin and 3D printed sets, the quarterscale Humber LRC is definitely worth paying attention to. We had to postpone its implementation several times, for which we apologize. But the result is worth it. Equally, or perhaps even more interesting, is the 3D printed model of the 60 cm Flak Scheinwerfer (Flak Sw-36) mit Sd.Ah.51. This searchlight is a hit in 1/72 scale and due to the top quality we expect it to be a hit in 1/48 scale as well. But that depends on you. So we look forward to your orders.

   
A. Riedel

SPECIAL HOBBY PLASTIC MODEL KITS

Tachikawa Ki-54 Hickory ‘Captured and Post War Service’     1/72

  The Hickory was a Japanese WW2 twin-engined aircraft produced in four versions, for pilots, wireless operators and navigators training, gunnery training, a transport verison and anti-submarine operations type. Our kit comes on four styrene sprues and one with clear injected parts.
   This boxing portrays captured machines. One as flown by US pilots bearing a nose art and dubbed Lemon, a French machine operated in French Indochina (Vietnam) and a North Korean machine, recaptured by US troops during the Korea War.
-    the Ki-54 has never been kitted in styrene format before.
-    decals for machines with interesting history
-    paint masks also available

P-40F/L Warhawk ‘Desert Hawks with Merlin’    1/72

   The P-40 Warhawk / Kittyhawk fighter aircraft were an important part of the USAAF and other allied air forces throughout the war. In many various subtypes, the P-40s fought on all WW2 battlefields. And so, they beared national markings of many forces and were finished in many various and interesting colour schemes.
   The P-40F and L airframes differ from other P-40 versions by the power plant as they were the only ones fitted with the British RR Merlin. They were deployed in Africa, Italy and the Pacific. The most famous these Fs and Ls became during the Torch Allied landing in Africa. 
  Our older kit set is now reboxed with a new sheet of decals offering markings for three airframes. Two of them with US markings, the third one as flown by the British. The four-gun P-40L version can be easily made with the help of 3D-printed parts portraying the different gun breech cover panels.

SIAI-Marchetti SF-260EA/EU/D ‘Late Bulged Canopy Type’ 1/72

   The SF-260 Italian trainer, sports and aerobatic aircraft can be found in use almost all around the world. In Europe, it serves with the military of Italy and Belgium, and in the past it also saw service with the Irish Air Corps. As the airframe is continously modernized and improved, the newly built machines quite differ from the earlier ones. The main difference visible being the larger or rather taller style of the sliding canopy hood that also has different framework. It all can be put down to the still increasing height of the student pilots getting their wings in the SF-260.
  Our model of these later versions differ from the SH72418 release by this very canopy style that comes on a new clear parts sprue. THe decals cater for an Italian airframe with intriguing nose arts, a Belgian machine plus two more machines that flew or still keep flying in Latin America, a aluminium painted machine from Venezuela and a white with orange trim machine aircraft flying in Uruguay.

-    eye-catching schemes
-    quality of our model greatly exceeds that of the competing releases
-    also available – spray masks M72023 and resin figure set F72375

RESIN MODEL KITS & SETS

TBF-3/TBM-3 Avenger Paddle Blade Propeller Correction Set 1/48 for Accurate/Academy kits

   One of the only few flaws of the TBF-3 Avenger kit (ex-Accurate Miniatures) and yet a flaw quite well visible is the propeller with narrow blades that was used on the earlier TBF-1 version. On the other hand, the Dash Three airframes had the broad type blades, resembling a paddle. Now, this can be easily corrected with the use of our set that also offers the propeller boss with better surface detail.

Vietnam Era US Helicopter Pilot Helmet (2 pcs.)  1/35

A pair of finely detailed resin cast helmets portraying the type used by US helicopter airmen during the Vietnam war. The set also contains photo etches.

Humber LRC Mk.2 1/48

   The Humber is a British armoured vehicle used during WW2 mainly in reconnaissance missions, which also suggested by the LRC abbreviation – Light Reconnaissance Car. It employed the 4x2 drive chassis and was equipped with the Boys anti-tank rifle and a turret with a machine gun. The car was used by Commonwealth units in Western Europe, Africa, Italy and India. Our finely detailed resin cast model comes with 3D-printed parts, a fret of etches and decals catering for a single British example.

F-84F Thunderstreak Wheels 1/72 / for Special Hobby kits

   The excellent F-84F Thunderstreak kit can be improved further by this set of resin cast wheels with much better levels of detail than the styrene kit wheels could offer.

3D printed Parts

60 cm Flak Scheinwerfer (Flak Sw-36) mit Sd.Ah.51 / Světlomet 60N s vlekem 1/48

  The German WW2 60cm-diameter searchlight that was used both by the Luftwaffe and Wehrmacht to illuminate the night skies during air raids and airfield runways to allow for safe landings. This searchlight is already on offer in 1/72 scale (model MV130) and now it has been scaled up to 1/48 and improved with better detail allowed by the larger scale. The complete kit, including the Sd.Ah.51 transport cart is made by direct 3D print. The assembled searchlight can be placed on the cart and put back as the modeller prefers. The full scale searchlight was also used by the Czechoslovak Army after the war, designated Svetlomet 60N.

Typhoon Mk.I Engine 1/72 / for Airfix kit

   As it was the case with Airfix’s 1/72 Tempest, we have now also prepared the top half engine printed set for the 1/72 Typhoon from the same producer. The Sabre engine now comes also with the oil tank situated directly behind the power unit. The set is a one part item only and can be easily placed in the model as all is necessary is to cut away the top cowling along the existing panel lines. The new cowl panels are also 3D printed.

Typhoon Mk.I Gun Sight and Seat Correction Set 1/72

   One of Airfix’s kit flaws is also the very narrow pilot’s seat and incorrectly shaped head armour plate. Our set nicely fixes these issues and brings you a printed seat with much better detail overall and of the correct size. The set also contains the gun sight with its bracket.

Typhoon Mk.I Three-blade Propeler 1/72

   The late series of the Hawker Typhoon employed a four-bladed propeller unit that can be found in the Airfix kit. However, the majority of Typhons were still fitted with the earlier style three-bladed prop which comes now in the form of this 3D-printed set. And as the prop hub oozes with detail, we also recommend the set even without the spinner.

MG 15 Machine gun with Infantry Modification 1/35

   The  MG 15 was an aircraft machine gun widely used as a hand manipulated weapon in German aircraft in very early stages of WW2. By 1940, it had been already replaced by the MG81 machine gun. The MG15 was then adapted for the infantry needs and used by Luftwaffe and Wehrmacht ground units.