Category: Model Aircraft

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Arma Hobby’s New Tool P-51A To Launch New Family of P-51A, A-36 Kits

Arma Hobby has announced the upcoming release of a new tool P-51A Mustang in 1/72 scale.

The P-51A was an early version of North American Aviation’s World War II fighter, first flown in February 1943. Unlike the later Merlin-powered Mustangs, it used a 1,200-horsepower Allison V-1710-81 engine, giving it strong low and medium-altitude performance but limiting its effectiveness at high altitude. Armed with four wing-mounted .50-caliber machine guns and able to carry bombs or external fuel tanks, it reached roughly 390 mph and served mainly in the China–Burma–India theater on fighter and escort missions. Only 310 were built before production shifted to the Merlin-powered versions that made the Mustang famous as a high-altitude bomber escort.

The upcoming release will be the first in Arma’s new family of kits covering the P-51A Mustang and A-36 Apache. As a scratch design using modern tooling, it will “bring a new standard of detail and buildability to the early Mustang in 1/72 scale.”

The first boxing will feature three USAAF marking options from different theatres of operation. It is slated for release in December. Check out the box art below.

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First Look: Test Prints For MDesign’s Upcoming Farman F.40

MDesign has released the first test print images for their upcoming Farman F.40 in 1/32 scale.

The Farman F.40 was a French two-seat reconnaissance biplane introduced in 1915 during World War I, developed jointly by brothers Henri and Maurice Farman from their earlier designs. Its distinctive “pusher” layout placed the engine and propeller behind the crew, leaving the observer’s forward view unobstructed. Typically powered by a 130-horsepower Renault engine, it served in reconnaissance, artillery observation, and limited light-bombing roles with France and several other Allied air services. Rapid advances in fighter aircraft made it increasingly vulnerable, and by late 1916 it was considered obsolete on the Western Front, although it continued to serve elsewhere and as a trainer.

The recent report states that the model will incorporate engineering solutions such as the use of steel rods to reinforce the wing struts, landing gear structure, and open tail boom truss. This, combined with the use of a new type of resin, is expected to eliminate part deformation. Design work on the Renault engine and machine gun will be completed shortly and once post-processing of the parts is finished, test assembly will begin.

Click below to check out the new test print images.

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Coming Soon: MiniArt’s Highly Detailed P-47N-2-RE Thunderbolt Advanced Kit

MiniArt will soon release a new P-47N-2-RE Thunderbolt advanced kit in 1/48 scale.

The P-47N-2-RE was a rocket-equipped modification of Republic’s long-range P-47N fighter: specifically, an early P-47N-1-RE retrofitted with underwing rocket-launching stubs rather than a separate new-production model. Developed for the vast distances of the Pacific during World War II, the P-47N featured enlarged, squared-tip wings with additional fuel capacity, enabling long-range missions including B-29 bomber escort. Powered by a turbo-supercharged Pratt & Whitney R-2800 radial engine producing up to 2,800 horsepower, it combined eight .50-caliber machine guns with bomb- and rocket-carrying capability, making it a heavily armed escort and ground-attack aircraft during the war’s final Pacific campaigns.

The upcoming release (48066) is described as “highly detailed” with realistic metal surface, fine rivet and panel details. It includes photo-etched parts and marking options for four aircraft. As of this writing, an exact release date has not yet been announced.

Check out box contents and livery profiles below.

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Eduard Releases 1/32 Malcolm Hood P-51B/C Mustang Hybrid Kit With Resin, Plastic Parts

Eduard has released a new “Hybrid Edition” P-51B/C Mustang (Malcolm Hood) model kit in 1/32 scale.

The P-51B and P-51C Mustangs fitted with the Malcolm Hood were modified versions of the Merlin-powered, long-range Allied fighters used in Europe from late 1943. Their distinctive British-made, bulged Perspex canopy replaced the original framed, hinged cockpit hood with a rearward-sliding design, providing more headroom and improved sideways and rearward visibility while retaining the “razorback” fuselage. Fitted to many USAAF P-51B/Cs and RAF Mustang IIIs, the Malcolm Hood was a canopy modification rather than a separate production variant. Both types carried four .50-caliber machine guns and combined strong high-altitude performance with the range needed to escort bombers deep into Germany; the improved canopy helped pilots maintain situational awareness before the later P-51D introduced its characteristic bubble canopy.

Eduard’s new release (932013) includes Eduard plastic parts, PE parts, resin parts (cockpit, undercarriage bays, wheels, guns, exhausts), painting masks and Eduard decals with marking options for five aircraft.

Click here to buy the kit on eBay. Check out box contents and livery profiles below.

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Dora Wings Releases New P-47D-1 Thunderbolt (Razorback) Kit With Plastic, Resin and PE Parts

Dora Wings has released their new P-47D-1 Thunderbolt (Razorback) model kit in 1/48 scale.

The P-47D-1 was an early production version of the American WW2 fighter, distinguished by its “razorback” fuselage—a raised spine behind the cockpit that restricted rearward visibility. Powered by a turbo-supercharged Pratt & Whitney R-2800 radial engine and armed with eight .50-caliber machine guns, it combined strong high-altitude performance, formidable firepower, and a rugged airframe capable of absorbing substantial damage. The D-1’s principal improvement over the preceding P-47C-2 was additional engine-cowling flaps for better cooling; 105 were built at Republic’s Farmingdale factory. It belonged to the early Thunderbolt generation that established the type as a capable bomber escort, before later versions expanded its celebrated ground-attack role.

The new kit (DW48056) includes 138 plastic parts, 28 photo-etched detail parts, 3 resin parts and decals with marking options for four aircraft. Click here to buy on eBay, and look below for livery profiles and kit contents photos.

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A&A Models to Release New P-61C Black Widow “Project Thunderstorm” Kit

A&A Models has announced the upcoming release of a new Northrop P-61C Black Widow model kit in 1/72 scale.

The P-61C was the final production version of America’s first purpose-built night fighter, a large, twin-engine, twin-boom aircraft that used onboard radar to find enemy aircraft in darkness. Developed to improve the earlier P-61A and B models’ speed and high-altitude performance, it featured more powerful turbosupercharged engines and wing-mounted air brakes, reaching roughly 430 mph. Its heavy armament comprised four 20 mm cannons beneath the fuselage and four .50-caliber machine guns in an upper turret. Only 41 production examples were delivered, beginning in July 1945—too late to see combat in World War II—and they subsequently served mainly in testing and research, including thunderstorm studies.

The new kit (7249) represents the P-61C in thunderstorm research and includes 154 plastic parts, photo-etched parts, painting masks (canopy and wheels), and decals with two marking options. It is currently scheduled for release in mid-December.

(via A&A Models)

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Arma Hobby Releases PZL P.11c Kit With 3D Printed Details, Four Liveries

Arma Hobby has released a new PZL P.11c “Pursuit Brigade” model kit in 1/72 scale.

The PZL P.11c was a Polish single-seat fighter of the mid-1930s, distinguished by its all-metal construction, high-mounted gull wings, open cockpit, and fixed landing gear. Powered by a Bristol Mercury radial engine, it reached about 375 km/h (233 mph) and carried two or four 7.92 mm machine guns. An advanced design when introduced, it had become obsolete as faster fighters entered service, yet remained Poland’s principal fighter when Germany invaded in September 1939, bearing much of the country’s air-defense effort against the Luftwaffe.

The kit (70018) includes includes fine 3D-printed details replacing the photo-etched parts from the earlier edition, and Cartograf decals with marking options for four aircraft representing all four squadrons of the Polish Pursuit Brigade: 111, 112, 113 and 114.

The kit is now available (Buy on eBay). Check out livery profiles and kit contents below.

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Sword Models to Release New Tool Fairey Firefly Mk.5 / FR.Mk.5 Kits

Sword Models has announced the upcoming release of a new tool, 1/72 Fairey Firefly that will be available in to boxings: Firefly FR.Mk.5 (SW72164 / FAA, RCAF, Kon. Marine) and Firefly Mk.5 over Korea (SW72165).

The Firefly Mk.5 was a postwar development of the British two-seat carrier aircraft, combining a Rolls-Royce Griffon 74 engine with power-folding wings and equipment suited to tropical operations. Introduced in 1948, it formed the basis of fighter-reconnaissance (FR), night-fighter (NF), and anti-submarine (AS) versions; the FR.Mk.5 was a specific variant of the Mk.5 armed with four 20 mm cannon and able to carry bombs or rockets. The FR.Mk.5 undertook reconnaissance and strike missions, notably flying ground-attack sorties from Royal Navy carriers during the Korean War.

Both boxings will be available some time in November. Additional details are scarce, although Sword did release box art, livery profiles and a few sprue photos which can be seen below.

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LukGraph Shares First Test Prints For Ambitious, Entirely New DH.89 Dragon Rapide Kit

LukGraph has shared the first test print photo for their “entirely new,” fully printed de Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide project.

The DH.89 was a British twin-engine biplane airliner that first flew on 17 April 1934. Designed to carry six to eight passengers, it combined lightweight wooden construction with two 200 hp Gipsy Six engines, becoming one of the most successful British short-haul transports of the 1930s. During the Second World War, military versions served as the Dominie, principally in navigation training and communications roles. A total of 728 Rapides and Dominies were built, and many continued flying commercially after the war, notably on regional and island routes.

This is a complete redesign from the 1/32 Dragon Rapide LukGraph developed back in 2020, with “every curve, panel, surface and rivet carefully reconsidered.” Plans are to release the new kit in 1:72, 1:48, 1:32, and 1:24 scales. The 1/32 offering is especially ambitious, and will include four different boxings featuring around 15 different paint schemes in total. They note that the project is progressing very well with ongoing testing, printing and refining underway.

Click below to check out test print photo, as well as renderings.

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MiniArt to Release 1/48 Junkers F13 (Mid) in Italian, Czechoslovakian, Austrian and Bolivian Service

MiniArt has announced the upcoming release of a 1/48 Junkers F13 (Mid Production) in Italian, Czechoslovakian, Austrian and Bolivian Service.

The F13 was a pioneering all-metal airliner, with the mid-production versions helping to expand aviation during the 1920s and 1930s. Its corrugated duralumin construction, cantilever wing and enclosed four-passenger cabin offered a practical design for early commercial operations. In Italy, Transadriatica used the F13 on international routes, inaugurating its Venice–Klagenfurt–Vienna service in August 1926; in Austria, Österreichische Luftverkehrs AG (ÖLAG) operated the type on its developing airline network. Czechoslovak examples served both airline and military aviation organizations, while Bolivia’s Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano employed F13s to establish vital air links across difficult terrain. Together, these operators demonstrated the design’s adaptability to European transport networks and the demanding conditions of South American aviation.

The kit (48024) is described as highly detailed with fine exterior surface detail, photo-etched parts and four marking options. The kit is labeled as “coming soon,” although a final release date has not been announced. Check out box contents and livery profiles below.

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