April 2023, 1/72 scale news.

One more month we start with our best wishes of finally recover the pulse of the updates and keep the site up to date.

1/72 Scale Figures

2023-03-20

Some weeks ago, a very nice surprise arrived to this section from Linear-A, an excellent new box devoted to the Napoleonic Period, Linear-A – 027 – Napoleonic French Cavalry Disaster In Battle and After Battle, containing 12 figures mostly depicting French Cavalry failing in a charge and our minds immediately goes to Waterloo battle. Due the nature of the poses, the set is just unique.

More recently, Orion has released another excellent tank crew set, for another uncovered topic before (in large production sets), the Italian WWII tank crew. The set is Orion – 72066 – Italian Tank Crew WW2 and is already available, mostly from Ukrainian retailers. Is admirable that the brand continues production, and we still haven’t lost all the hope in see a new Red Box set in the future.

2023-03-21

Zvezda has released one set and is in the way to release another one in a short period, both devoted to the U.S. WWII infantry support weapons, European theater. The sets are Zvezda – 6287 – US 81-MM Mortar M1 with Crew and Zvezda – 6286 – US BROWNING M2 Machine Gun with Crew, and both includes high quality multi-part figures together with the main weapon.

1/72 Scale Aircraft

2023-03-21

Months ago, Zvezda added a new variant of their C-130 Hercules kit, Zvezda – 7325 – American Heavy Transport Plane C-130J

Airfix always keeps a constant flow of new releases, a mix of reissues, old classics and one or two need moulds. Past year, 2022, that brand tooled a new Hawker Tempest Mk.V, and this year the brand has released the same kit with new decals and a bit different configuration, Airfix – A02110 – Hawker Tempest Mk.V Post War.

2023-03-22

In the time we have been out, Airfix issued again the Airfix – A09007A – Avro Lancaster B.III (SPECIAL) “THE DAMBUSTERS”, with two new markings.

In more recent days, the British Brand, Airfix again, has released Airfix – A04065 – de Havilland Mosquito PR.XVI, and update to PR variant of the kit tooled in 2021.

The first new tool of the year by Airfix was a surprising quick build F-35B, Airfix – A55010 – Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II (Starter Set), just 42 parts to build a nice aircraft. The kit, intended for young modelers and beginners is not perfect but interesting, and together with the Starter Set has been released in two dual combos that will add shortly to our listings.

The two combo boxes mentioned above are Airfix – A50191 – 617 Sqn. Dambusters 80th Anniversary (Gift Set) and Airfix – A50190 – Supermarine Spitfire & F-35B Lightning II “Then and Now” both has been added and are available.

2023-03-23

Without doubt the Aircraft section is the one with more activity and where more work is required to update the site again. Today we added two models released by Special Hobby in November past year, Special Hobby – 72472 – Messerschmitt Bf 109E “Slovak and Rumanian Aces” and Special Hobby – 72470 – Junkers Ju 87D-3 Stuka “Stuka Experten”, both coming from previous releases and in the case of the Stuka, using the Academy kit as base. As usual Special Hobby keep a high standard in their releases. To get up to date this brand we still need to add eleven more releases by them.

Closing the gap, five new models added to Special Hobby listing:

2023-03-24

Reissued kit Special Hobby – 72391 – DH.100 Vampire 6 ‘Pinocchio Nose’. Continuing with Special Hobby, also added today Special Hobby – 72473 – CAC CA-9 Wirraway “In training and combat” as well as Special Hobby – 72478 – A-20G Havoc “Low Altitude Raiders”.

Entering in the last stage to get Special Hobby listing up to date, just added Special Hobby – 72172 – CH-37C “Deuce USMC”, a reedition of the older same kit but updated with new parts that replace wrong parts about the fuel tanks. The kit is expected to be available soon, in the meanwhile be careful to don’t buy the older version from 2009 as both seems to share not only box art but the full box cover and code number.

2023-03-25

To finish with the last two pending releases by Special Hobby, we added today Special Hobby – 72479 – Nakajima Ki-43-II Ko/Otsu Hayabusa “Japan’s allies” and Special Hobby – 72476 – Mirage IIIC “Armée de l’Air”. Both kits has been released just this month and distribution is still not wide.

2023-03-26

Another brand that has not lost time while we have been out, has been Clear Prop, despite the events the brand has keep the business as usual and several and all nice releases appeared in the last months. The first to join our listings is Clear Prop – CP72026 – Polikarpov R-1, a continuation of the previous Clear Prop – CP72027 – Airco DH.9A Early Version and an excellent kit as its predecessor, no doubt is the most detailed Airco DH.9A/Polikarpov R-1 in the market recommended for the finest modelers. We have six more releases by the brand to keep updating in the next days.

Before jump into the latest and really the most recent new tool by Clear Prop, just added Clear Prop – CP72017 – UH-2C Seasprite and the sister kit Clear Prop – CP72018 – HH-2D Seasprite. The brand has announced at least one more release of the Seasprite family.

Without doubt, and despite the high quality of the Clear Prop releases stated above, the jewel of the crown is the MiG-23 series started by the brand. A state of the art example in 1/72 scale, producing without doubt the best MiG-23 kit in 1/72 scale available, but at the cost of a very complex set only recommendable for experience modelers. The first kit in the series is the amazing Clear Prop – CP72030 – MiG-23MLA Flogger-G.

2023-03-27

The excellent MiG-23 series by Clear Prop is now complete with the addition of Clear Prop – CP72031 – MiG-23MLAE-2 Flogger-G, Clear Prop – CPW7201 – MiG-23 Weapon Set and Clear Prop – CP72032 – MiG-23ML/MLA Flogger-G.

1/72 Scale Vehicles

2023-03-21

The Russian brand Zvezda has released Zvezda – 5050 – URAL-4320, a very Soviet/Russian topic, for one of the most successful soviet trucks designs in service since 70s. Seems this release is intended only for Russian market but is available outside too.

2023-03-25

While we have been busy on the personal side and not updating the site, Mirage Hobby, has found a new way to keep extending their prolific M3/M5 light tanks line, and joins the group of brands who are using 3D printed parts to enhance their models. In this line, Mirage Hobby has released Mirage Hobby – 720002 – 75mm HMC M8 “SCOTT” and second set including figures and accessories mainly based on 3D printed parts is scheduled and already available in some store, and soon we’ll add it too, in an exception of our coverage of 3D printed manufactures, which is a growing and trending side of the hobby but totally impossible to cover for us.

2023-03-27

ACE has released three more models since last time we updated the brand listing, the latest one is ACE – 72581 – ML-20 152mm Soviet gun-howitzer a topic already worked by the brand in the past but retooled now with new moulds. ACE also has updated the Panhard AML moulds releasing ACE – 72457 – Eland-90 Light Armoured Car (4×4) and the Tigr-M by releasing ACE – 72189 – Armored Vehicle 233115 Tiger-M SpN (in Ukrainian service), all nice additions.

2023-03-30

Working to add all the new Trumpeter releases, firstly we updated Trumpeter – 07177 – M983 Tractor with AN/TPY-2 X Band Radar with a new box cover image. The first novelty added is Trumpeter – 07402 – German Fennek LGS – German Version, a variant of the previous kit Trumpeter – 07401 – German Fennek LGS – Dutch Version.

Also updated Trumpeter – 07159 – MPQ-53 C-Band Tracking Radar with sprue/parts images and Trumpeter – 07179 – Russian 9P113 TEL w/9M21 Rocket of 9K52 Luna-M Short-range artillery rocket system (FROG-7) with a new box cover image.

Added Trumpeter – 07195 – MAZ-537G Late Production type with MAZ/ChMZAP-5247G semitrailer, coming soon, a variant of the previous Trumpeter – 07194 – MAZ-537G intermediate type with MAZ/ChMZAP 5247G semi-trailer with little variation.

Also added Trumpeter – 07439 – M706 Commando Armored Car in Vietnam, a coming kit depicting an interesting Cadillac Gage Commando, a subject only depict till now by ACE (see ACE – 72431 – XM-706 E1 Commando Armored Car).

Trumpeter made the Stryker 1/72 scale models family grow by adding Trumpeter – 07456 – M1132 Stryker Engineer Squad Vehicle w/SOB, based in the 2007 kit. More variants have been announced.

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