Saturday, December 7

Hobbyboss Christmas releases - A Foxhound & the Puma

With Hobbyboss' new items for December, we have both a way to deliver a high amount of boom with the Mig-31BM Foxhound and its hypersonic missile in 48th scale and to the counterpoint, an Israeli Puma mine-clearing vehicle to REMOVE all of the boom - your choice in ideology, scale & genre in our new item preview...


Hobbyboss' November new releases...

MiG-31BM. w/KH-47M2
Model:81770
1:48th Scale
The MiG-31BM is the latest version of the MiG-31. It evolved as an improved version of the MiG-31B interceptor with an added air-to-ground capability. Development of this aircraft commenced in 1997. The first prototype was introduced in 1998. The second prototype was completed until 2006. In 2011 Russian MoD signed the first contract to upgrade a total of 60 aircraft to the new standard. Deliveries the Russian Air Force commenced in 2011. A follow-on contract for the upgrade of more than 50 aircraft was signed in 2014. By 2017 a total of 110 aircraft were reportedly upgraded to MiG-31BM and MiG-31BMS standards. This upgrade allowed to extend the service life of older aircraft for at least another 15 years. It is planned that all operational MiG-31s will be upgraded.

The MiG-31BM is billed as a true multi-role aircraft. It is able to undertake long-range interception, precision strike and defence suppression tasks. One of its roles is the suppression of enemy air defences. It is among the deadliest fighters in the world.

Decals and colours in this boxing of the kit
This fighter has a high speed, altitude and rate of climb, however, it sacrifices manoeuvrability in order to achieve these capabilities. The MiG-31BM is among the fastest production aircraft. It can reach a maximum speed of up to 3 000 km/h.

KH-47M2 hypersonic missile is the first air-launched hypersonic ballistic missile in the world. Its appearance is very similar to the appearance of the Russian main military tactical missile "Iskander-M". The fuselage/wing integrated design is adopted. The projectile is cylindrical and has no obvious intake port, and the tail has obvious "ten" shaped small pneumatic tail. It weighs about 5 tons, with a length of about 7 to 8 meters, a diameter of about 2 meters, and a wingspan of just under 0.5 a metre. The head of the missile has a slender double cone streamline shape, and the engine compartment of the central engine shows an obvious crown. 
The maximum speed is up to Mach 10. At the same time, both the ballistic missile and cruise missile's functional characteristics can carry various high equivalent warheads. It is called "the most difficult missile to intercept in the world".

Photo-etch, clear sprues & vinyl tyres in the kit are included
Model Length: 479.6mm   Wingspan: 280.3mm 
Total 17 sprues, fuselage and tires
The kit consists of over 300  parts
-Detailed fuselage&wing w/accurate design
-Detailed cockpit
-metal undercarriage
-rubber tires
-photo-etched parts included



IDF PUMA AEV 84546
Model:84546
1:35th Scale
The Puma is a heavily armoured Combat engineering vehicle and armoured personnel carrier that the Engineering Corps of the Israeli Defence Forces has used since the early 1990s. The vehicle can carry a crew of up to eight. The 50-ton vehicle's speed is 45 kilometres an hour. The Puma uses the hull of the Sho't, which is itself a modified British Centurion tank.

Some Pumas are equipped with the Carpet mine-clearing system. This consists of 20 rockets that the crew can fire singly or all together. The rockets contain a fuel-air explosive warhead which spreads a cloud of fuel fumes that are then detonated. The overpressure from the explosion destroys most mines. The Puma then advances behind a set of rollers that trigger any mines the fuel-air explosion did not destroy. There is also electronic equipment for detonating roadside bombs or jamming detonation signals.

Decals and colours in this boxing of the kit
The Puma is capable of towing a mobile bridge for deploying over trenches and enemy land obstacles during battle. Unlike the M60 AVLB launching the bridge, the Puma pulls the bridge during combat and pushes the bridge over the obstacle, allowing tanks and infantry personnel carriers to manoeuvre quickly in the battlefield.

Sprues of the kit...
Armament consists of three 7.62 mm FN MAG machine guns, including one in a remote turret that the crew can control from within the cabin by a Rafael Overhead Weapon Station (OWS). The vehicle also has a 60mm mortar and two launchers for smoke grenades.

Photo-etch, single track links & vinyl road wheels, chain and copper cable included in the kit.
Model Length: 343.6mm   Width: 133.2mm   
Total 32 sprues, upper hull and lower hull
copper cable, copper chain included
The kit consists of over 1200 parts
- Two-directional slide moulded lower hull
- individual tracks links
-  photo-etched parts included

These two new kits are available from Hobbyboss' Distributors Worldwide...