The Bird Dog recently brought to market in 32nd scale gets all new colours from three Asian liveries, while the Holt 75 tractor in 35th scale gets the injection moulded treatment in Roden's two new kits of April, See what's coming in our preview...
Roden’s new releases of April 2018
Cessna L-19/O-1 Bird Dog in East-Asian Service
1:32 Scale
Kit No# 627
Price: US$55
After the war, the US Army ordered a modern observation aircraft. Cessna presented the improved type of private type 170, 305A. Improvement of the rear part of the fuselage was made to improve the rear visibility, the side door was expanded to aid the loading of a medivac stretcher. The US Army introduced 3,200 aircraft from 1950, and these served in the Korean War and was also in Vietnam.
The decal choices in release
The promo sheet (in Japanese)
Version 1: South Vietnamese Air Force Flown by Major Bung-Ly in April 1975
On April 29, 1975, South Vietnamese Air Force Major Bung-Ly made the decision to load his family -- his wife and five children -- into a small two-seat Cessna O-1 Bird Dog aeroplane. 
Bung-Ly took off from Saigon and made it out to sea, where he looked for a ship to land on and spotted the USS Midway. Without any radio communications, Captain Lawrence Chambers made the decision to allow Ly to land on the flight deck, even though the plane had no tail hook and it was extremely risky.
USS Midway Air Boss Vern Jumper readied the flight deck for Ly's landing. Here he is looking pretty exhausted or relieved after his landing. This is one of the most famous Bird Dog's in history.
Version 2: Japanese Self Defense Force JG 1043 - 1950's
The “Bird Dog” was introduced into the Japanese Ground Self Defense Force in the 1950s and soon nicknamed “Soyokaze”
107 vessels of the L-19A were loaned from the United States and used. Also, later on, license production was also made in Japan to make up for the shortfall. The aircraft on the box art “JG – 1209” was a license - produced aircraft in Japan and was delivered to the Ground Self Defense Force in 1959 and was enrolled until 1984. Later, it was transferred to Japan Airlines School and kept as teaching material.
Version 3: Royal Thai Navy, SN 22830 (51-16973) No 1302. 103rd Squadron, RTNB U-Tapao, Ca 1982
A camouflaged variant from the Royal Thai Navy. The Cessnas used two camouflage simultaneously. A green over everything also on the undersides with white markings. The second coat consisted of green and brown as well as light grey bottoms. The markings were in this case in black. On the fuselage and the wings are the national emblem (6 positions). On the rudder is the flag of Thailand with the yellow elephant in a red dot.
On the hull of the inscription "Marine" is â วช นาวี mounted in Thai script. On the rear is the type designation followed by the identification number and the serial number.
Holt 75 Artillery tractor
1:35th Scale
Kit No# 812
Price: US$55
There were at least three models used for military purposes: The Holt 75, the Holt 120 and to a lesser extent the Holt 60. The Holt 75 was first produced in 1913. It used two tracks for steering. It had a maximum speed of 15 miles per hour (24 km/h) and had a gasoline engine. In addition to US production, 442 Holt 75s were built in Britain by Ruston & Hornsby in Lincoln. Production of the Holt 75 was to continue post-war until 1924.
The 120 horsepower (89 kW) model had a tiller-type steering wheel at the front that was usually covered. It weighed about 18,000 pounds (8,200 kg). It was developed in direct response to a request for a heavy artillery tractor. The prototype was produced in 1914 with production beginning in 1915.
Further information about these kits can be found soon on the Roden Website
