August 24, 2026

Preview: ICM's six August releases...

A Hudson & shades, a big but small Tarhe, a big bucket, high firefighters & a daring heist are the subjects of ICM's August releases. We update you with the contents, CADS, history & artwork in our preview...


Preview: ICM's six August releases...

S-64 Skycrane crew
Kit No. #53103
1/35th scale
Three figures are included in this kit.
The ICM 1/35 scale S-64 Skycrane crew model kit (Item 53103) features a highly detailed set of plastic injection-moulded figures designed to bring your heavy-lift helicopter build to life. Inside the box, you will find sprues containing components to assemble three uniformed flight crew members, complete with realistic facial expressions, flight helmets, and gear. The figures are posed to fit the distinct cabin layout of the Skycrane, which includes a standard forward-facing pilot and co-pilot, alongside the specialised aft-facing rear crewman that monitors the external cargo loads. This kit serves as an essential, high-quality companion piece that adds a realistic sense of scale and human element to the massive ICM S-64 cockpit.

The crew of this firefighter version of this kit in 35th scale.


Lockheed Hudson Mk. III 
Kit No. #48331
1/48th scale
Pieces: 180
Includes 3D-Printed IP details
283 х 420 mm
Lockheed Hudson Mk. III RAF Reconnaissance Bomber - A British Purchasing Commission arrived in the United States in April 1938 seeking maritime patrol aircraft for the RAF. In response, Lockheed offered a modified Model 14 Super Electra airliner, which legendary designer Clarence “Kelly” Johnson redesigned overnight – notably adding a glazed nose for a navigator and bomb aimer.
A contract for 200 aircraft was signed in late June 1938, making the newly named Lockheed Hudson the first American aircraft to enter RAF service in World War II.
Though adapted from a civilian design, the Hudson became a vital warhorse. It executed diverse roles – including anti-submarine patrols, convoy escorts, bombing strikes, and covert insertion missions for resistance fighters in occupied Europe – before shifting to transport and training duties later in the war.
Among its variants was the 1940 Hudson Mk III, powered by twin 1,200 hp Wright Cyclone radial engines and fitted with a retractable ventral gun for lower-rear defence.
-Lockheed Hudson Mk. III T9465 «Spirit of Lockheed-Vega Employees» No. 269 Squadron. Kaldadarnes, May 1941
-Lockheed Hudson Mk. III T9390, No. 269 Squadron. Kaldadarnes, late 1941
-Lockheed Hudson Mk.III V9232, No. 53 Squadron, Guantanamo Bay, August 1942
-Lockheed Hudson Mk. III NZ2014, No. 2 (GR) Squadron (RNZAF), Nelson, 1942

3D-printed decals for the instrument panel are included.
Decals of the kit


Sikorsky CH-54A Tarhe with M-121 bomb
Kit No. #72002
1/72nd scale
length 376 x 271 mm
338+8 parts
During the Vietnam War, the U.S. Army deployed the CH-54A Tarhe heavy-lift helicopter to deliver the massive M-121 high-capacity bomb. Detonated just above the canopy, these heavy munitions were used to blast open immediate landing zones in dense jungle for army aviation.
Carrying the ordnance required minimal aircraft modification: a dedicated mounting system was fitted under the fuselage to securely carry the bomb beneath the airframe. To control its fall, engineers developed a specialised parachute that stabilised the bomb and slowed its descent. Achieving a precise airburst roughly one metre above the ground required a long nose probe housing the fuse. During descent, a small propeller at the tip of the probe spun to arm the fuse prior to impact.
A typical bombing mission required four precision passes over the target. On the first three runs, the crew dropped smoke markers to gauge wind conditions. The aft pilot, serving as the bombardier, tracked the smoke drift and relayed steering corrections to the flying pilot. On the fourth pass, the crew pickle-released the M-121 and immediately applied full collective, climbing steeply to escape the violent blast wave.

The M-121 remained in combat service until existing stockpiles were exhausted, with its final operational drop taking place on August 8, 1970.

Decals of this kit


S-64 Helicopter Fire Tank
Kit No. #53202
1/35th scale
73 parts
L: 155 mm x W: 66 mm
The Sikorsky S-64E is a premier heavy-lift helicopter adapted for large-scale aerial firefighting. Outfitted with a specialised 10,000-litre aluminium tank (typically loaded to 9,000–9,500 litres for optimal flight dynamics), the aircraft drops water, foam, or fire retardant directly onto major fires. Internal vertical baffles stabilise the liquid payload in transit to maintain helicopter control. With a surge capacity of up to 30,000 gallons (114,000 litres) per hour, the system can execute a full load release in 2.5 seconds or perform up to four precise, partial drops per mission.
Plastic parts
Operated by a geared door mechanism, the tank can be refilled in flight using two intake options:
-Pond Snorkel: A 12-metre flexible hose with an end pump that draughts water from sources as shallow as 45–50 cm while hovering.
-Sea Snorkel: A surface-skimming intake that fills the tank while taxing across open water at 35–45 knots.

Decals of the kit


"Daring robbery"
Kit No. #24055
1/24th scale
203+37+14 parts
Three figures included
During the late 1920s and 1930s, American organised crime evolved from small street gangs into powerful, structured syndicates. Their leaders achieved national notoriety, fueled largely by daring bank heists that relied on high-speed automobiles and modern paved roads to execute swift strikes and escapes.
Central to these operations was the Thompson submachine gun. Costing roughly $200 – nearly half the price of a contemporary Ford Model A – the weapon reflected the significant capital criminals poured into their armaments. These high-speed raids were devastatingly effective; for example, the Dillinger gang’s Greencastle heist yielded the equivalent of $1.5 million today. By the late 1930s, economic stabilisation and modernised law enforcement tactics finally brought an end to this era of high-profile gangsterism.

Clear and vinyl parts are supplied in this kit.
The three figures of the kit
Decals of the kit


Acrylic paint set for Lockheed Hudson
Kit No. # 3102
6 x 12 ml paints are included in this set.
A set of six twelve-mil paints that were put together to suit ICM's Lockheed Hudson kits.

Due in next month, you can find out about ICM's other releases on the ICM plastic model kits website