It's that time again where Clayton Ockerby treats us to his top ten of upcoming releases that caught his eye this past month in his video preview...
Kit countdown... Clayton's top ten upcoming releases of the month...
Here are some of the announcements from August that caught my eye, in the hope I might highlight something you have missed!
Shenyang J-35A Gyrfalcon
UMa Model
No. D7001
1/72nd scale
The J-35A is a 5th-generation twin-engine Stealth Multi-role combat aircraft developed in China that first saw flight in 2023… and was publicly unveiled in 2024.
Not that modern Chinese jets particularly appeal to me, but what excited me about this release is the manufacturer and that is Uma Model. Some of you may be familiar with the AV-8B Harrier II they released earlier this year, as it attracted great praise for its engineering and buildability.
While the Harrier was in 1/48th, this kit is in 1/72. These modern jets are surprisingly large, so don’t be fooled by the scale; this will still be a reasonably sized kit. I’d suggest this is a release for the Chinese market, but if the kit is anything like the Harrier, it may win its way onto the benches of many a modeller.
Australian Army M113A1 LRV w/DIEHL 513B tracks
AFV Club
No. AF35377
1:35th scale
With a degree of bias, I’m calling this one out and that is the latest boxing of the Australian M113A1. Yes, AFV Club have been pumping these M113s out and have obviously found a market in particular for the Australian version of this iconic vehicle.
The AFV M113 isn’t without a few challenges but with a little patience can be built into a nice-looking model. What makes this boxing unique is the tracks included with it. These Diehl 513B tracks were an upgraded track. It featured wider links, larger rubber pads with smaller connectors and double pins. This resulted in greater track life with far fewer failures. It also required a different drive socket to accommodate the new design.
From what I understand, this style of track was not only adopted by the Australians but also by the German and Danish armies, although there could be more given the widespread use of this vehicle. The modern Australian 3-tone is one of the more attractive schemes in my opinion, so that is the reason why this one made the list.
Hurricane Mk I
Arma Hobby
No. 40015
1/48th scale
Arma Hobby kits are generally well regarded within the hobby, and September sees them adding another Hurricane to the mix. This is the Mark 1 and is the first boxing of this version in this scale. This is not just a rebox from their line of Mk2s, as the fuselage, wings, radiator and propeller have all been designed from scratch. This boxing also includes the Mk1 variant with metal wings, which is a significant detail because many of the early Hurricanes had fabric wings. While often overshadowed by the Spitfire, the Hurricane comprised around two-thirds of the RAF's frontline strength in 1940 and was credited with around 60% of all kills during the Battle of Britain. It was quick and easy to produce and repair and saw service in nearly every theatre of war.
IJN battleship parallel world Yamato 1965
Border Model
No. BS-007
1:350th scale
It can be nice to step outside the boundaries that scale modelling can sometimes impose on us in terms of accuracy and finish, and that is where a kit like this has the potential to offer us something familiar but something completely unique all at the same time. This is the reimagined Japanese battleship, Yamato, in 1/350th scale, with the twist being the Axis powers won the war and reshaped the look of the world as we know it. After doing a little digging on this model, I am hearing that it is loosely based on the ship as seen in the series ‘Man in the High Castle’ – a show that ran on Amazon Prime from 2015 to 2019 – based on Philip K. Dick’s 1962 novel of the same name. It imagines what the Yamato may have looked like had she survived and received weapons upgrades as well as a helicopter on the back deck!
The kit looks like there is going to be some building with a plethora of 3D-printed parts and etch as well as a helicopter! Granted, this is going to be a release you either love or hate, but for me I like the creative angle and the willingness of Border to bring something so left of centre to the market. This is an opportunity to let your imagination run wild because no one can tell you you are wrong.
A-4M Skyhawk "Aggressor"
Magic Factory
No. 5005
1/48th scale
Magic Factory released the A-4M Skyhawk last year for the most part to glowing praise for the kit. If you missed it, check out Gary Wickham from Scalespot’s build on TMN. This release is the same kit so Gary’s build will give you an idea of what you get in the box, but what appealed to me the most was the Aggressor schemes that come with it.
So what is an aggressor scheme? Well, it’s the bright, high-contrast, multi-tone camouflage schemes used on the planes that performed as the enemy in training exercises, replicating the tactics, performance, and appearance of potential adversaries. The A-4M is regarded as the ultimate refinement of the scooter with the most powerful engine the airframe had seen as well as improved handling and increased capacity and accuracy… but the thing that I think gave the plane its character is its dorsal hump containing its modernised navigation and attack systems. I’ve always loved the skyhawk and I think this is going to be the perfect reason to pick up this boxing of the kit.
Ka-52M Super Alligator Attack Helicopter
Arma Models
No. AM48337
1/48th scale
Don’t be fooled by the name because Arma Models is a completely different to Arma Hobby… and given they are Russian-based, it's pretty safe to say we probably won’t be seeing this release anytime soon… But it did, however, catch my eye. Detail is hard to come by, but I did manage to see what their Ka-52 kit looks like, and it looks amazing – check out worldinminiature for a full review of that earlier kit. You’d imagine this will be of a similar nature.
The Ka-52M Super Alligator is a modernised version of the Ka-52 – which is just a regular Alligator and not a super one… This helicopter can operate in all environments as well as night and day. Often paired with drones or other aircraft for reconnaissance and targeting
Its coaxial rotor layout improves agility and allows continued flight even after damage to one engine; crew seats are armoured and have ejection seats (which are rare for helicopters).
Ukrainian M142 HIMARS ATACMS/GMLRS
FOREART
No. 2008
1/72nd scale
ForeArt first caught my attention when they released a couple of beautiful-looking 72nd-scale Schnellboots and they later produced a couple of warships – the HMS Sheffield being the one that caught my eye. This month sees ForeArt release the M142 HIMARS in 1/72. The M142 HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) is a U.S. wheeled multiple-rocket launcher mounted on an FMTV 6×6 truck chassis, designed to deliver precision rocket and missile fire while being highly deployable and mobile. This boxing is a Ukrainian example supplied via US Aid.
The kit has etch and 3D-printed tyres, and even in 1/72 should be a reasonable size… But for those of you looking to upscale to 35th, this model was released in that scale earlier in the year. And what makes this more attractive after learning about it is the fact that Australia is acquiring 20 of these vehicles, due to drop in the coming couple of years.
CT-114 Tutor Snowbirds
From Joycraft
1/32nd scale
Material: 3D-printed resin.
I'll have to hand in my armour modelling badge because I keep throwing up things with wings… but I saw this one over on the modelling news and thought it was kind of cool.
It’s the CT114 Tutor Snowbird in 1/32 and it’s being released by Joycraft. The plane is a Canadian-built trainer jet, but more importantly, the Snowbirds are a symbol of Canadian national pride and are the Canadian Air Force's national aerobatic team. Similar in stature to the Blue Angels or the Red Arrows.
This looks to be a combination of injection-moulded and 3D-printed parts and probably won’t appeal to everyone but it's certainly something you don’t see every day. This announcement was more of an expression of interest, as I see it, so if this floats your boat, then you should let them know!
British Stuart Mk. I Late Prod
Interior Kit
MiniArt
No. 35441
1/35th scale
I have found a new appreciation for the Stuart after reading James Holland's book brothers in arms. That story essentially follows a group of Shermans from the D Day landings right up to the German surrender.
SO what does a Stuart have to do with that ? Well from time to time a stuart pops into the story and the fondness the crew have towards it seems to have stuck with me. The Stuart was loved for its speed and mechanical reliability, especially early in the war when many other tanks were underpowered or prone to breakdowns. Commonweath Crews remarked that it was “a real honey” to drive and hence the phrase stuck, and “Honey” became the informal British nickname for the Stuart in Commonwealth service.
This is a full interior kit and the latest release in the Stuart line from Miniart, the first being last year. The way the frontal armour opens and the ability to open the hatches on this tank make the interior option an interesting proposition.
Grumman Goose G-21 Civilian
LukGraph
1/32nd Scale
This will test you ! Who of you out there remembers the Tales of the Golden Monkey ? It was a tv series that ran from 1982 to 83 and was set in 1938 in the South Pacific. Very much in the mould of Indianna Jones the Show saw the Main character – Jake Cutter run a cargo business but managed to find himself in all sorts of trouble.
Jakes plane, Cutters Goose was always the highlight of the show watching it take off and land which was of course a Grumman Goose… and seeing this announcement brought back so many memories for me.
I don’t know a lot about the model but I know is 1/32nd and will come with fully detailed engines and have posable hatches and doors. Realistically Ill probably never build one but purely from a nostalgia trip, this one caught my eye.
Check out Clayton's video that accompanies this story on his YouTube page—Workbench Hobbies.
Clayton Ockerby.
See more of Clayton's amazing works on his YouTube Channel, his modelling portal "Workbench Hobbies,"or his Facebook page