Preview: Special Hobby & Azur-FRROM's latest kits in September

Special Hobby & Azur-FRROM have a few new kits out in September. Some completely new tooled kits & some never before made in plastic in that scale. We have picked the most interesting to show you in our preview...

Preview: Special Hobby & Azur-FRROM's latest kits in September

Every month Special Hobby seem to release a bunch of kits and aftermarket. Most of these pretty interesting. We thought we would show you what's new in a preview.

Kittyhawk Mk.IV Over the Mediterranean and the Pacific

by Special Hobby

1/72 nd scale

Product Code: 100-SH72484

$23 USD from Hobbylink Japan

The US-built P-40 Warhawk fighter aeroplane is one of the WW2 iconic types and flew also with the air forces of Commonwealth countries where it bore the name Kittyhawk. The final mass produced version was the P-40N, introduced to service in 1944, and with the allies known as the Kittyhawk Mk.IV.

The truly superb model kit of this important fighter contains a decal sheet with markings for a No.87 Sqn RAAF machine named Black Magic flown by the only aboriginal Australian pilot, F/Sgt Leonard Victor Waters. The other machine offered in the kit was used by No.450 Sqn RAAF operating in Italy and this kite wore a semi-naked girl emblem on its cowl.

- Includes two interesting painting schemes

Seafire Mk.15 ‘FAA & RCN Service’

by Special Hobby

1/48th scale

Product Code: 

$37 USD from Hobbylink Japan

The Seafire Mk.15 of the immediate post war period was the first ever Seafire powered by the Griffon to see the regular service. Besides the FAA, Mk.15 Seafires also flew with the Royal Canadian Navy. Our model contains also etches and offers two schemes, one as with the British Fleet Air Arm while the other option portrays a machine from Canada. 

The British machine had one of its outer wing panels replaced and still carrying the earlier scheme colours which makes it now rather interesting-looking indeed. The Canadian airframe had a unique scheme typical for the later machines flown with the RCN.

- The only available 1/48 Seafire XV model kit

- Interesting schemes

- Contains photo etched parts

Maryland Mk.I/II "Warburton´s War"

by Special Hobby

1/48th scale

Product Code: 100-SH48077 

$78 USD from Hobbylink Japan

The Martin 167 medium bomber was manufactured in the USA, however it has never been used by the US military. On the other hand, overseas, the French and British showed their interest in the type and placed the orders. In Britain, the type received the name Maryland and while the French airframes arrived in time to get involved in defending France in 1940, the British ones were operated in Africa and over the Mediterranean, with RAF and SAAF units. A few of them also flew in the reconnaissance role, made most famous by the excellent recce pilot Adrian Warburton. One of whose machines, an originally French one and based in Malta, is also amongst our colour schemes in this kit. The other two schemes portray machines as used by the RAF and SAAF.

Limited release of the Special Hobby 1/48 scale Maryland Mk.I/II kit with decals to mark it as any of four British aircraft, including the pictured ex-French machine that defected to Gibraltar and then was put on RAF charge on Malta. 

- Includes resin parts for engine, pilot's controls & electronics

- Photoetched detail parts.

Super Mystère B2 Early

by Azur-FRROM 

1/ scale

Product Code: 

$56 USD from Hobbylink Japan

This model kit from Azur is a completely new mold. The Super Mystere is Europe's first practical supersonic fighter, designed and manufactured by Dassault Aviation of France. It made its first flight in 1955, and 180 of this aircraft were produced until the end of its production in 1959. Although it was retired from the French Air Force in 1977, the Honduran Air Force operated 16 of this aircraft purchased from Israel until 1996.

The kit comes with intake duct parts; the canopy can be built opened or closed. Since the nose intake parts are molded in one piece, you won't need to erase the seams in the intake. Decals for two French Air Force versions are included: 10-SB, EC 01/10 "Valois" and 5-NJ, EC /1/05 "Vendee."

Approximately 29.4cm long, 21.9cm wingspan when completed

Includes: Decals for 2 versions

Tachikawa Ki-54Hei ‘ Hickory’ 

by Special Hobby

1/72nd scale

Product Code: 

From Hobbylink Japan

The Ki-54 Hickory was a WW2 Japanese twin engine aeroplane which was manufactured in four main versions used for pilots training, wireless operators and navigators training, aerial gunnery training and finaly the version used for both transport and anti-submarine patrols. The kit comes on four styrene sprues and one with clear parts.

The first incarnation of our kit is the transport variety and brings three Japanese airframes, one of which in two guises. Among the schemes you will also find the Ki-54 Hei / Hickory no.5541 which had to make an emergency landing on the Towada lake on 27 September 1943. The plane was found and fished out of the lake on 5 September 2012 and was put on display at the Misawa museum. An airframe which can boast with its interesting past is the 10.Dokiuritsu Hikodan Shireibu machine which was used to fly the Lieutenant General Masao Baba capitulation delegation to Borneo. For this particular option, the decal sheet has the green capitulation crosses as well.

The Ki-54 in this scale has never been kitted in styrene format before

The decals cater for airframes with interesting histories

These new kits are available on Special Hobby's Website from Hobbylink Japan