TMN: Preview: A monitor & a pocket-sized rocket from HobbyBoss in November...

A WWI Monitor & China's latest ICBM Launcher from Hobbyboss in November. We look at the colours, decals & built-up kit in our preview...

Preview: A monitor & a pocket-sized rocket from HobbyBoss in November...

HMS General Wolfe

by Hobbyboss

Model: 86519

1/350th scale

Product Link

HMS General Wolfe was a Lord Clive-class monitor built for the Royal Navy during World War I, designed specifically for coastal bombardment. She was laid down in January 1915 by Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company and launched on 9 September 1915. Commissioned later that year, Wolfe was one of eight monitors in her class, which were equipped with 12-inch guns salvaged from obsolete Majestic-class battleships. These ships were slow and heavily armed, ideal for delivering powerful artillery support near shorelines without engaging in fleet actions. Wolfe served exclusively with the Dover Patrol, a Royal Navy unit tasked with defending the English Channel and bombarding German positions along the Belgian coast.

The colour scheme presented in this kit

The decals in the box

Her primary role was to shell fortified German installations, including batteries and troop concentrations, from a safe distance offshore. In 1918, she was fitted with a massive 18-inch gun, making her the only ship in her class to receive such an upgrade. This weapon enabled Wolfe to achieve the longest-range naval gunfire in Royal Navy history—firing a shell over 36,000 yards (20 miles) at a target near Snaeskerke, Belgium. After the war, HMS General Wolfe was decommissioned and eventually scrapped in 1923. Though her active service was brief, Wolfe represented a unique chapter in naval warfare, where monitors played a crucial role in static coastal operations. Her nickname, “Elephant and Castle”, reflected both her size and perhaps her ungainly appearance, but she was a formidable presence on the battlefield. Wolfe’s legacy lies in her contribution to the evolution of naval artillery and the strategic use of monitors in World War I.

Model Length: 292.3 mm / Beam: 76 mm

Total Plastic Parts: 250+

Total of 7 sprues and deck

Metal anchor chain

-hull split into two parts

-Contains display stand and engraved nameplate

- Photo-etched parts included

The kit made up by hobbyboss modellers

DF-61 ICBM

by Hobbyboss

Model: 82964

1/72nd scale

Product Link

The DF-61 is China’s newest intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), officially unveiled during the 2025 Victory Day Parade in Beijing. Developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), the DF-61 is a three-stage solid-fuel missile with an estimated operational range of 12,000 to 15,000 kilometres, placing it among the longest-reaching ICBMs in the world. It is equipped with an inertial guidance system, likely enhanced by China’s BeiDou satellite navigation network, and can be launched from both silo-based and road-mobile platforms, including massive 16-wheeled transporter-erector-launchers (TELs).

The colour scheme presented in this kit

The decals in the box

The DF-61 marks a significant step in China’s nuclear modernisation and its push towards a fully credible nuclear triad. Its debut coincided with the first public display of all three legs of China’s strategic deterrent: land-based ICBMs like the DF-61, submarine-launched ballistic missiles (e.g., JuLang-3), and air-launched systems (e.g., JingLei-1). Analysts believe the DF-61 may be a successor to the DF-41, offering improved mobility, survivability, and possibly multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRVs). Although its operational status remains unconfirmed, the DF-61’s appearance signals China’s growing capability to conduct long-range, second-strike nuclear operations.

Model Length: 295.5mm / Width: 55.5 mm

A total of 10 sprues , chassis and tires

copper tube

Photo-Etched Parts

The kit consists of over 220 parts

- Newly tooled parts in accurate detail

- Rubber tyres

- 3D-printed hubs

The kit made up by hobbyboss modellers