June 05, 2026

Kit countdown... Clayton's top ten upcoming releases of the month...

It's that time again when Clayton Ockerby from Workbench Hobbies 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...

G'day guys – Clayton from Workbench Hobbies here to go through the recent announcements in the hope I can show you something you may have missed! Stick around because I’ll be sharing some of my Patreon’s models with you. Some rippers in there!!

Fukuiraptor
Tamiya
No. 28501
1:35th scale

Fukuisaurus
Tamiya
No. 28502
1:35th scale
Product Link
Hear me out on this one…

I was really disappointed with Tamiya’s announcements at Shizuoka this year, with the news essentially being a couple of 35th scale dinosaurs. Definitely not for me, but then I thought, maybe they weren’t meant for guys like me. 
There is a world of ‘non-modellers' out there obsessed with dinosaurs, all ages, mind you, and these kits being clip lock – requiring no glue – means they are easy to build and a nice entry into the modelling world for that demographic who may not have been otherwise exposed. 


Italian L6/40 light tank.
MM35009
Italian L6/40 (m6) light tank prototype. 
MM35010 
Italian L6/40 light tank series interior kit.
NM3502
1/35th scale
Lanmo continues to explore a subject many manufacturers avoid — Italian armour. The little L6/40 may not have had the fame or battlefield impact of a Sherman or Panther, but it represents an often-forgotten chapter of World War Two. The tank served everywhere from the to the frozen battlefields of the Eastern Front, and now Lanmo are giving modellers several ways to approach it.
The boxings on offer are the M6 prototype or the regular Battlefield L6/40. The interior also comes as a stand-alone kit for those of you who would like to include it. I’m really hoping Lanmo comes to the party and gives us something buildable.


GERMAN-US JOINT MAIN BATTLE TANK Kpz.70
DRAMi
No. DM3550
1:35th scale
This is another 'hear me out' announcement, but this one made the list because I am intrigued by how Zimi Models are going to present and price these re-popped Dragon kits. I’m sure most of you saw the cryptic Dragon announcement a couple of weeks ago and then the subsequent announcement that Zimi would be reboxing the old kits under the Drami brand, and this was their first release of the line. 
A lot of the complaints around Dragon kits were the hard-to-follow instructions. So hopefully Zimi has done something to address that.  I get the vibe they have chosen a fairly vanilla subject to test the process before tackling some more of the more popular product lines. 


P-51D Mustang (pre-coloured) 
Border Model
1/35th scale
I know a lot of you guys cringed when they saw this announcement, and that is the Border Model P-51D in 35th scale, nonetheless. So why so much cringe? Well, this release comes with pre-coloured parts on the sprues, which some saw as a bit of a gimmick. Whilst that may be the case, it’s still a pretty serious kit. The fuselage comes with a stressed skin as well as 3D-printed parts and etch. 
Being 35th scale, this could be a nice entry for 35th scale armour builders to dabble in the world of aircraft modelling, maintaining a true scale without having to tackle some of the more intimidating parts around finishing a plane, like masking wings and painting canopies. 
I’ll be really interested to see how this one goes. 


Limited Edition PBY-5A Catalina
Eduard
1/48th scale
The Catalina is a beautiful-looking plane and played a major role in WWII. As Eduard often does, they have based this release around Revell plastic sprues and then filled the kit with their signature, high-end multimedia upgrades such as resin parts for the wheels, exhausts, and antenna mounts, plus photo-etched details to completely overhaul the cockpit and exterior. 
There’ll be 5 camouflage schemes to choose from covering various naval aviation and search-and-rescue units, including the USAAF OA-10A variant. 
From what I understand, the Revell/Monogram tool is famous for its massive size and accurate shape, making it the perfect canvas for Eduard's precision updates. The box art is absolutely gorgeous and instantly hooked me. 


RANGERS AT POINTE DU HOC
Black Snake Model
1/35th scale
Companies are releasing 35th scale figures now, seemingly by the hundreds every day…but this set really captured my imagination and inspired me to use them in a diorama. Blacksnake Model is an independent French miniature brand specialising in ultra-high-definition 3D-printed resin figurines and light military vehicles. The vision of these soldiers scaling the cliff and engaging the enemy, each with a unique pose, has already set my mind ticking with how I would go about building the base and posing them on the side of the cliff. 
A great set that wouldn’t take a lot to make an amazing scene. Very impressed with these. 


Panzer III Ausf. G
FOREART
1/35th scale
The new Fore Art 1/35 scale Panzer III Ausf. G features brand-new tooling. This highly anticipated kit includes a complete turret interior, workable suspension and tracks, and a metal barrel. It offers modern slide-moulding and details designed with modularity for future variants. The kit will include functional suspension and workable track links to enable dynamic posing, adding realism to your display or next diorama.
Fore Art is relatively new to 1/35 scale armour but has already built a strong reputation for highly engineered ship kits and 1/72 scale armour. There are lots of Panzer IIIs on the market, but this one looks to be very desirable. 


American Hughes OH-6 Loach Prof pack
Light Observation Helicopter
AMP
No. 32005
1/32nd scale
AMP Models might not have the instant name recognition of Tamiya or Eduard, but this Ukrainian manufacturer has built a reputation by doing something many larger companies won't — taking risks on unusual aircraft subjects. May see the announcement of the American Hughes OH-6 Loach in 32nd scale.
This little chopper saw action in Vietnam and served in a reconnaissance role and became one of the most vital, popular, and widely used observation helicopters of the conflict.
I don’t know much about the kit yet, but the renderings I have seen look really nice. I just wish they had done this in 35th scale rather than 32nd. I feel that scale for a subject like this is a bit of a wasted opportunity. Still cool nonetheless.


PCF – Patrol Craft, Fast – Swift Boat
B&L Models
1/35th scale
You might recall I called out B&L models and their ATC “Tango” last month? Today they are again making it hard to save my money by announcing their version of the PCF Swift Boat in 1/35th scale. 
As mentioned previously, I have been interested in the Vietnam War ever since my early teens, and for such a long time the options around that conflict were few and far between. 
B&L is a company producing 3D-printed models specifically around the Vietnam conflict.
This one looks to be quite a simple kit, so I’ll wait to see how this one develops – but safe to say I’m looking forward to seeing one in the flesh.


Australian Stuart MK. I
From MiniArt
Kit No:
1/35th scale
I love the Stuart and I love pretty much any Australian subject I can get my hands on – So thank you, Miniart, for me missing a couple of meals this week… I just have to have it.
This boxing depicts an Australian-modified reconnaissance – an "Australian Stuart Mk.I", based on the unique vehicles operated by Australian forces in the South West Pacific. It’s the latest in MiniArt's recent Stuart series, so you can expect a full interior and a detailed engine and fighting compartment. Individual track links, photo etch and a high level of detail, although these MiniArt kits are for people with a decent level of build experience. 
Fighting through New Guinea and Borneo, the Australians played a major role in stopping the Japanese advance.  This is going to be very popular here in Australia, but I’m sure it will be around the world too. 


MIG-21MF
Rye Field Model
No. RM6001
1/48th scale
This one is significant because Rye Field Model is stepping into completely new territory. Until now RFM have built their reputation producing some of the most detailed armour kits on the market, particularly their incredible full-interior 1/35 releases. But with the announcement of their first-ever aircraft, the 1/48 MiG-21MF, they’re taking that same engineering philosophy into the aviation world. If they bring the level of detail and precision we’ve come to expect from their tanks, this could be a very interesting new chapter for aircraft modellers. 
It also opens the question of whether RFM might become a serious competitor to Eduard, Tamiya, and Great Wall Hobby in 1/48 aircraft.
Interesting times indeed, which is why this one came in at number 1!
Check out Clayton's video that accompanies this story on his YouTube page—Workbench Hobbies.

See more of Clayton's amazing works on his YouTube Channel, his modelling portal "Workbench Hobbies" or his Facebook page