Today we are looking at the releases from Hasegawa in May. New colours and making the best of a back catalogue are what they are good at, so let's see if the kits of May are of interest or not to builders out there...
Messerschmitt Me262V056 & Me262B-1a/U1 "Nachtjager" (2 kits) Limited Edition
1/72nd scale
Mfg. Number: 02236
Skill Level 3
58 / 57 pieces
Length: 5.9 in (151 mm)
Width: 7.3 in (185 mm)
Me262s were some of the first and fastest early jet aircraft. Germany fielded increasing numbers of them, late in the war, with large radar arrays on the nose and heavy weapons for taking down the bombers wreaking havoc on the Rhineland. Kurt Welter was one of the most successful pilots of the Me262 at night, with 56 victories recorded at night. This limited edition kit combo features two aircraft with four sets of decals including two Kurt Welter decals.
Decal Options:
Me262V056
Luftwaffe Code: V056 (170056) Feb., 1945
Luftwaffe Kommando Welter Leutnant Kurt Welter Code: V056 Jan., 1945
Me262B-1a/U1
Luftwaffe 10./NJG11 Oberleutnant Kurt Welter Red-10 (110635) May, 1945
Luftwaffe 10./NJG11 Red-8 (110305) May, 1945
Mitsubishi F-2A/B Tsuiki Special 2016 (2 kits) Limited Edition
1/72nd scale
Mfg. Number: 02237
Skill Level 3
128 / 129 pieces
Length: 8.2 in (209 mm)
Width: 6.1 in (156 mm)
The Mitsubishi F-2B may not be the most famous fighter around, but it is certainly one of the most impressive. The F-2 has the distinction of being the first military aircraft equipped with Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar. Its wing area is also 25 percent larger than other fighters in its class. These advantages make the F-2 a key element of the JASDF units based at Tsuiki Air Base. This limited edition kit combo features two sets of decals for 8th AW aircraft at Tsuiki Air Base.
Decal Options:
F-2B: JASDF 8th AW 6th SQ Code: 129 (43-8129) Tuiki A.B. Nov., 2016
F-2A: JASDF 8th AW 8th SQ Code: 521 (13-8521) Tuiki A.B. Nov., 2016
QF-4E Phantom II "USAF Farewell" Limited Edition
1/72nd scale
Mfg. Number: 02238
Skill Level 3
130 pieces
Length: 10.4 in (265 mm)
Width: 6.4 in (163 mm)
For nearly sixty years, the Phantom II has served with the United States Air Force and the air forces of countries all across the globe. It set multiple world records in its tenure, is the only aircraft to serve with both the USAF and USN aerobatic display teams, and was operational in combat zones from Vietnam to Desert Storm. As of 2017, that long and storied service is coming to a close. This limited edition kit features decals for the final flight of the Phantom.
Decal Option:
USAF 82ATRS Code: TD82ATRS 2016
B-24 Liberator Mk.III/V Coastal Command Limited Edition
1/72nd scale
Mfg. Number: 02241
Skill Level 3
202 pieces
Length: 11.4 in (290 mm)
Width: 18.3 in (466 mm)
It's a long, long way from New York to Liverpool. In WWII, that open expanse of ocean was a death trap. Nazi U-Boats prowled just beneath the surface from coast to coast, sinking vessels by the ton. RAF Coastal Command was given the nearly impossible task of regaining control over the huge "Atlantic Gap". Some of the best aircraft for this mission were the B-24 Liberators. These bombers, with their immense range and payload, enabled Coastal Command to extend protection for convoys far out into the Atlantic. Kit features two sets of decals.
Decal Options:
Liberator Mk.V: RAF Coastal Command No.86 Squadron Code: 2-Q (BZ877)
Liberator Mk.III: RAF
Area-88 F-20 Tiger Shark Shin Kazama Limited Edition
1/72nd scale
Mfg. Number: 64750
Skill Level 3
51 pieces
Length: 7.8 in (197 mm)
Width: 4.4 in (111 mm)
Kaoru Shintani's action-packed manga, Area-88, debuted in 1979. It was an instant hit, exciting readers with the exploits of Shin Kazama, a mercenary fighter pilot stationed at a top-secret air base called Area-88. Tiger Sharks are absolutely perfect for the intense action Shin Kazama gets into. The series, which was praised for its white-knuckle dogfighting action, inspired multiple animated films and a television series. This limited edition kit features decals for Kazama's aircraft in the Kingdom of Arslan Air Force.
Decal Option:
Kingdom of Arslan Air Force Area-88 Pilot: Shin Kazama
Wild Egg Girls Pkw.K1 Kübelwagen Type 82 "Claire Frost" w/Figure Limited Edition
1/24th scale
Mfg. Number: 52160
Skill Level 3
185 pieces
Length: 6.4 in (161.5 mm)
Width: 2.7 in (67.5 mm)
The Egg Plane Girls really know their transportation! The Kübelwagen is an all-terrain icon made infamous by the Germans during WWII. It followed German advances through Poland, France, North Africa, and into Russia. It followed the withdrawals, too. Its reliability was greater than that of virtually every other vehicle available to the Wehrmacht. By war's end, over 50,000 had been produced and many destroyed. Kit features two sets of decals and Claire Frost figure.
Decal Options:
Special paint of wilderness
German Army
Nakajima Ki27 Type 97 Fighter 4th Regiment Limited Edition
1/48th scale
Mfg. Number: 07451
Skill Level 3
46 pieces
Length: 6.1 in (154 mm)
Width: 9.2 in (234 mm)
Nakajima Ki-27 fighters were exceptionally nimble, able to make tight turns and perform aerobatics other aircraft simply couldn't. Unfortunately for their pilots, they also completely lacked armour and safety features. Nevertheless, they were a dangerous opponent in both the Sino-Japanese war and Japan's pre-WWII conflict with Russia. By the end of WWII, with the situation rapidly deteriorating, Japan committed its remaining Ki27s in suicide and suicidal attacks. This limited edition kit features decals for IJAAF 4th Flight Regiment aircraft.
Decal Option:
IJAAF 4th Flight Regiment
F-16C Block 52 Advanced Tiger Demo Team Limited Edition
1/48th scale
Mfg. Number: 07452
Skill Level 3
131 pieces
Length: 12.6 in (319 mm)
Width: 7.8 in (198 mm)
Fast, agile, and heavily armed, the F-16 is the aircraft of choice for dozens of nations. Poland uses them for their aerobatic demonstration team "Tiger Demo Team". Thirty-six "C" types are in service with the Polish Air Force, supporting the ageing fleet of MiG aircraft left over from the Soviet days. This limited edition kit features decals for an F-16C from the Polish Air Force aerobatic demonstration team "Tiger Demo Team".
Decal Option:
Polish A.F. Aerobatic Team "Tiger Demo Team" Code: 4052, 4056
Churchill Mk.I/II & Daimler Mk.II "Dieppe Raid" (2 kits) Limited Edition
1/72nd scale
Skill Level 3
56 / 50 pieces
Length: (Churchill) 4.1 in (104 mm); (Daimler) 2.2 in (65.5 mm)
Width: (Churchill) 1.8 in (45 mm); (Daimler) 1.3 in (34 mm)
Waves pull the oil back out over the surface of the Atlantic. Steam hisses from red hot fenders. Black smokes curls from burning wrecks, driving the gulls back from the quiet port of Dieppe. From tideline to the uncrossable sea wall, crumpled forms lay where they fell. 100, 200, 1,000... who can say? Like maple leaves in autumn, the Canadians are strewn across the shingle beach. Grey uniforms lead the shackled, shattered khaki-clad remnant towards the rear. Kit features a Churchill and Daimler armoured car specially modified and with decals for the Dieppe Raid.
Decal Option:
Royal Canadian Army
Messerschmitt Me163B Komet "EJG2" Limited Edition
1/32nd scale
Mfg. Number: 08248
Skill Level 3
61 pieces
Length: 7.6 in (193 mm)
Width: 11.4 in (289 mm)
Designed by Alexander Martin Lippisch in the early 1940s, the ME-163 Komet remains the only rocket-powered aircraft to ever become fully operational. During a 1944 flight, test pilot Rudy Opitz reached an astonishing 698 mph. However, the aircraft's brief seven-and-a-half minute flight times made it an ineffective fighter. An estimated 370 Komets were produced before WWII's end in 1945. This limited edition kit features new resin parts plus two sets of decals.
Decal Options:
Luftwaffe 14./EJG2 White 54 Germany 1945
Luftwaffe 14./EJG2 White 42 Germany 1945
Nisseki Trust Porsche 962C Limited Edition
1/24th scale
Mfg. Number: 20298
Skill Level 3
61 pieces
Length: 7.9 in (200 mm)
Width: 3.3 in (83 mm)
Porsche has created countless competitors over the years. However, the 962C remains one of the brand's best designs over thirty years after its original release. The 962C competed in 1989's All Japan Sports Prototype Car Endurance Championship, where it took on Fuji Speedway's ten taut turns and impressive 0.9 mile (1.5 km) long straights. This limited edition kit features one set of decals for Nisseki Trust Racing Team Car number 100.
Decal Option:
All Japan Sports Prototype Car Endurance Championship Trust Racing Team Car No.100