Clayton Ockerby treats us to his top ten of upcoming releases with the kits we have seen this month. From large-scale gunners to small-scale boats, an Aussie legend to a German oddity, a large Hurri to an even bigger TOG. See what's in store soon in his video preview...
Kit countdown... Clayton's top ten upcoming releases of the month...
G’day guys, here we are again taking a look over at some of the releases that caught my eye in the hope it might highlight something you missed!
The first announcement to catch my eye was...
Jason Studio has become one of the big players in the industry when it comes to design, and the latest announcement sees a set of 1/16th-scale figures for the recent spate of 16th-scale halftracks that have been released. Nothing brings a model to life more than a figure, and these sculpts look stunning and will pair beautifully with these kits. Guess I’ll just have to brush up on my figure painting skills! Nowhere to hide with 16th scale!
I’m embarrassed to include this one because it’s essentially a marketing exercise. Revell announced a repackaging of their Navy Swift Boat in 1/72nd scale under the ‘nice price’ banner. I am a sucker for subjects like this, so if the price is right, I'll grab one when I see it… Although in saying that, there is a bit of work in making this kit reasonable, so take this recommendation for what it’s worth.
I am always a little nervous when it comes to ICM kits because I have found them a little hit and miss, although I know plenty of aircraft modellers who sing their praises… So take this one for what it’s worth, and it is the Mobile Chapel and figure set release. The truck had been released last year as a standalone kit, but this boxing sees the addition of the figures.
I like the concept of the scene in the box, especially something as niche as this, because it is a nice introduction to diorama building. It takes a lot of the guesswork out of composing the scene, and the beginner can focus on composition.
Another prototype is the T58 from Takom. I’ve included this one over the T57, the other tank they just announced, because at least one of these was made. It was an attempt to fit an oscillating turret carrying a 155mm gun in the T43E1 chassis. It has an interesting look about it and holds its place in the lineage of US tank design. It has some interesting opportunities to update and enhance the cast textures around the turret.
From my understanding, this is the first time this subject has been released in styrene and could present something a little obscure for those of you looking to spark a little conversation around the display tables.
6. Eismusik Panzer Kampf Anzug Ausf E – Wave Corporation
I guess it looks the same as some of the other armoured suits with a slightly different gun, but I can’t help myself but to add these Ma.K kits to my collection and save them for a rainy day. These things tend to pop up out of nowhere and sell out quickly to never be seen again.
The Ma.K world is so expansive and interpretive and gives us a freedom not a lot of other models do. I think that is why I am so hooked on them, and I am always excited to see this universe thriving.
Copper State Models has released a few of these 3D-printed WWI-era motorbikes now, and from what I have seen, the print quality and detail in the pieces are unrivalled. Their models have often been compared to Wing Nut Wings quality with a similar philosophy around the way they design their instructions. This latest release is a sidecar with the water-cooled Vickers sitting proud there for the passenger to operate.
If you haven’t seen the quality this company is producing, I’d recommend you take a look because it is pretty mind-blowing.
It might come as a surprise, but I’m not really a World of Tanks guy, but the limited time I have played it, I seemed to come up against this thing all the time… And it was pretty hard to kill from memory.
The TOG II was a super-heavy tank designed for a style of warfare that never happened; it was only ever a prototype… But seeing that unique and recognisable shape triggered something in me to investigate this one further.
Meng is really becoming the king of the Kubelwagen and, in a completely unexpected twist, has released the halftrack iteration of the Kubelwagen. This is a pairing of the standard Kubelwagen kit with a bunch of 3D-printed upgrade parts. I’m loving this marriage of the two mediums, and I can see opportunities for other manufacturers tweaking their base kits and adding parts to create something totally unique.
It’s a niche subject and certainly very quirky. It’s an exciting time to be in the hobby.
OK—I don’t like the Hurricane, and I hardly build 32nd-scale aircraft, but as a scale modeller passionate about this hobby, I would be doing a disservice to not include this release. Kotare is the company that rose from the ashes of Wing Nut Wings and has been producing kits of the highest quality since.
I am calling this one out because if nothing else, I can respect a beautifully designed and manufactured model kit, and from what I believe, this one will be ticking all the boxes. Hey...it might even ignite my love for a Hurricane.
DDA is an Aussie-based manufacturer producing kits of the classic Australian muscle cars. The latest in the range is the XY Ford Ute—produced from 1970 to 1972. I had a poster of this very car on my bedroom wall as a kid, so seeing this iconic V8 produced in plastic is a thing of beauty. They have also released the XW, the model before this one, which looks to be a sweet kit also. These are simplified kits, but I have seen some of these DDA kits built into gorgeous models, and I can’t wait to get a look at this one.
Check out my most anticipated kits of the month in my video—maybe you might see something you never knew existed!
So that’s it for March— Did you see anything you like? Did I miss something? Let me know in the
comments down below.
Clayton Ockerby
See more of Clayton's amazing works on his YouTube Channel, his modelling portal "Workbench Hobbies,"or his Facebook page