September 04, 2026

Kit Countdown: Clayton's Top Ten Upcoming Releases This Month...

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 This Month...

G'day, guys—Clayton from Workbench Hobbies here: I'm going to go through the recent announcements in the hope I can show you something you may have missed!

10/ Container Ship "Colombo Express"
Revell
No. 051529090
1/700th scale
This isn’t a new kit; the moulding is actually from 2009, but it has seen a facelift with a new boxing, so I think it counts. For some reason this 700th scale container appeals to me, and seeing it announced this month reminded me how much I’d love to build one.
Being Revell, I’m sure the kit isn’t going to set the world on fire, but the subject is something completely different to the norm and offers the modeller an interesting pallet to try some weathering effects and create something truly unique.


9/ U.S. Medium Tank M4A3 76(W) Sherman
Meng Model
No. 72-019
1/72nd scale
Meng continues to expand their line of 72nd scale tanks, and I am here for it. 72nd scale armour is a little neglected, and often is the case that what is available is either hard to find or substandard with modern-day expectations. These 72nd-scale Meng armour kits look reasonably simple and should be easy enough to find given Meng's distribution reach.
The M4A3 76(W) was a later-war version of the Sherman, combining the preferred Ford V8-powered M4A3 chassis with the more powerful 76mm M1 gun. The “W” referred to wet ammunition stowage, designed to reduce the risk of ammunition fires if the tank was penetrated. It’s a recognisable subject that I am happy to see kitted in this scale by a modern manufacturer.


8/ Chinese ZTQ-15 light tank
From Meng
1/35th scale
TS048
Chinese Armour isn’t going to be everyone’s thing; I get that, but MENG has released another version of its 1/35th scale Chinese ZTQ-15 light tank, but this one looks very different. The ZTQ-15 was designed to give the Chinese Army a highly mobile tank capable of operating in mountainous and high-altitude terrain where heavier main battle tanks can struggle. But what makes this new ES-010 release interesting is that enormous protective cage surrounding the turret.
Often referred to as a drone cage, structures like this have become increasingly common as armies look for relatively simple ways of protecting armoured vehicles against FPV drones and other top-attack threats.
The structure has been created using a 3D-printed cage frame with photo-etched grilles.
It’s a fascinating example of just how quickly modern warfare is changing the appearance of the vehicles we build. PLUS, it is guaranteed to stand out on the competition table or in your display case.


7/ Challenger 3
120 mm L55A 1 smoothbore gun
Rye Field Model
No. RM-5166
1/35th scale
Rye Field Model has announced an all-new 1/35th scale Challenger 3, Britain’s next-generation main battle tank.
The Challenger III takes the Challenger 2 hull and combines it with a completely redesigned turret, improved protection, new digital systems and, importantly, the 120mm smoothbore gun, replacing the rifled gun traditionally used by British tanks.
And as far as I can tell, RFM is also first to market with a mainstream injection-moulded Challenger 3 in 1/35th scale. It also looks like they are using the same business model that allows us to purchase the base model, and then the upgrade sets should you be that inclined. There is a set for the tracks and a set with etch and 3D parts. It looks typically detailed for a Rye Field Model release, and for modern armour fans, this is a chance to build Britain’s newest main battle tank right before it enters service.


6/ I-400 Submarine Diorama
Aladdin Model
No. 00251
1:72nd scale
Something different in subject and company - Aladdin Model is essentially a marketplace for high-detail 3D-printable scale models. Rather than one traditional manufacturer designing everything themselves, Aladdin brings together independent designers from around the world and sells their designs through a central platform. Their range is already quite eclectic: armour, aircraft, ships, vehicles, detail sets and some wonderfully obscure subjects.
The I-400-class was a remarkable Japanese WWII submarine aircraft carrier. At 122 metres long, it carried three floatplanes inside a watertight hangar, which could be assembled and launched from a deck-mounted catapult. Originally intended for long-range surprise attacks, including plans against the Panama Canal, only three were completed before the war ended. Very cool scene, very cool subject and a new style of business model that might just be a glimpse into our future.


5/ A-20G Early
Eduard
No. 548002
1/48th scale
Eduard brought us the A-20G Havoc in 48th scale, but I fear I may have brought you this a fraction late, as it was a pre-order scenario limited to just how many pre-orders they could get. Eduard is doing what Eduard does and loading the box full of Eduard goodies to allow you to create the A-20G by using the HK Models Boston as the base plastic. The A-20G gunship sees the glazed bomber nose replaced with a solid nose packed with six .50 calibre machine guns.
You can expect things like Bassin wheels, colour photo-etch, canopy masks, metal landing gear and six different marking options covering aircraft from both Europe and the Pacific. If you missed the pre-order, I am sorry, but you just never know what might be out there… It’s a great-looking package of a seriously purposeful aircraft and definitely one of the more interesting 1/48th scale releases on the way.


4/ Super Jerry Heavy Armoured Fighting Suit
Wave Corporation 
1/20th scale
MK-083
WAVE Corporation is bringing back a real Maschinen Krieger classic with the 1/20th scale H.A.F.S. Super Jerry, and this will be the first time we’ve seen this kit reissued in around 12 years.
What makes the Super Jerry particularly interesting is its heritage. At its core is the original NITTO Jerry tooling from 1984, so there are more than 40 years of Maschinen Krieger history sitting inside this box.
WAVE takes that original design and turns it into the much more heavily equipped Super Jerry, adding extra armour to the front and rear, redesigned feet and, most noticeably, that fantastic triple rocket launcher mounted over the shoulder.
You also get the option of building the Gigant Floh, so there’s actually a bit of choice in the box as well.
It’s old-school science fiction modelling at its best: part military machine, part industrial equipment, and completely unmistakable as Maschinen Krieger. The Super Jerry is scheduled to return in December 2026.


3/ Pz. Kpfw. IV Ausf. H - Early Production
Takom
No. 8019
1/35th scale
I know a lot of you won’t be overly thrilled with the announcement of a Panzer 4, but for me it signifies Takom stepping into the Panzer 4 and all of the opportunities it opens for all of its variants. The Panzer 4 was arguably one of the most important tanks of the war and is highly collected and sought after in the modelling world.
This is being marketed as part of their Blitz line, which is supposed to offer a simplified build, but from my experience some of their Blitz kits are anything but fast.
Armed with the long-barrelled 75mm KwK 40 L/48, the H version was a capable opponent for Allied armour and was easily recognised by its Schürzen side armour skirts. With roughly 3,000 produced, the Ausf. H became a workhorse of German Panzer units during the middle and later years of WWII.
Watch this space as they expand on the line.


2/ The Brave Transport Squad & SBD T Seaplane Transport
FlyHawk Model
No. FH3606
1/72nd scale
Product Link
It’s quite the mouthful, and I was confused as to what this actually was, but after doing some digging, this is actually the fourth part of the Iron Ears series, which is a collaboration between Flyhawk and renowned artist Li Ping and master modeller Di Shu.

This kit pairs the Flyhawk SBD Dauntless in 1/72 with a small, whimsical vignette setting.
The Dauntless is completely reimagined with a full set of aftermarket-style floatplane conversion parts, and the kit includes three beautifully sculpted 1/72 humanoid animal figures as well as the bits and pieces to make a beautiful little fictional scene. This gives me the feel of a Japanese-style cartoon or perhaps an illustration from a children’s book. In a hobby that can take itself a little too seriously at times, it’s nice to have the opportunity to immerse yourself into something as limitless as this.

I would imagine these will be highly collectable too!


1/ German Tractor RSO/01
Tamiya
No. 35394
1:35th scale
This is one of those subjects you are either going to love or hate, and I for one absolutely love it, and I am of course talking about the newly announced Tamiya RSO/01 in 1/35th scale.
It’s not like there have been other RSOs out there for us to sink our teeth into; however, they have been either very old or drastically flawed in terms of scale and proportions. Yes, Miniart brought us their range of RSOs, which are really lovely, but the parts count and fiddly build experience will deter a lot of people. So finally, to see Tamiya produce a buildable, accessible, reasonably priced RSO to market was really exciting.
As many of you would know, I have built the kit and can highly recommend it for those of you looking for a trouble-free build that isn’t going to clog up your workbench for months on end.
I enjoyed mine so much I might just pick up another one for a rainy day.

So, what did you think? What did you like? What did I miss? Let me know in the video comments down below.
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