September 27, 2026

Preview: Special Hobby October Release

Special Hobby has several releases slated for October. Some are new, some (re)newed. See them in our preview...

Preview: Special Hobby October Releases

Special Hobby's October releases bring the new 1/72 TP-40N Warhawk and three attractive reissues of the 1/48 Maryland Mk. I/II, Heinkel He 178V-2 and AF-2W Guardian kits, as well as the re-released 1/72 SH72395 F-84F Thunderstreak.

Among the 3D-printed and resin-cast kits and sets, the fully printed Anatra Anasal kit is certainly worth your attention; they also bring other accessories for the M36 Jackson and the Baltimore.

Maryland Mk.I/II "Warburton's War"
48th scale
Item Number: 100-SH48077
The History
The American light bomber Martin Model 167 was not included in the US Air Force's inventory. But both the French and the British ordered it. The British machines were given the combat name Maryland. While the French machines managed to join the defence of France in 1940, the British machines operated in Africa and the Mediterranean, within the RAF and SAAF squadrons. Some Marylands were used for reconnaissance. This machine was most famous for the excellent reconnaissance pilot Adrian Warburton. His machine from Malta, originally French, is offered in the kit. Along with it, there are two other RAF machines and one SAAF.
The kit comes in four sprues of grey plastic parts that complement the sprue of clear parts, etch and resin parts. 
The Kit Highlights
- attractive colour options
-    machine associated with the fate of one of the best race pilots, Adrian Warburton.


Heinkel He 178 V-2
1/48th scale
Item Number: 100-SH48093
The History
On 24 August 1939, the Heinkel He 178 with pilot E. Warsitz took to the air for the first time over the airfield; the actual flight took place three days later. These were the flights of the first jet aircraft in the world. During the ongoing tests, the aircraft was demonstrated to the RLM executives on 1 November. Later, the machine received a more powerful HeS 6 engine, a longer wing and retractable landing gear. This variant is referred to in some sources as the He 178V-2.
The He 178 V-2 with retractable landing gear and a longer wing includes two sprues of parts, an injection-moulded canopy, resin parts and decals featuring the prototype markings. We are returning the kit to the offer in limited quantities.


AF-2W Guardian "Submarine Hunter"
1/48th scale
Item Number: 100-SH48158
The History
In the 1950s, a pair of AF-2 Guardian anti-submarine aircraft operated from aircraft carriers of the US Navy. While the AF-2W carried a bulky APS-20 search radar under the fuselage, the second version, the AF-2S, carried anti-submarine attack weapons (anti-submarine torpedoes, depth charges or missiles, and attack radar) in the bomb bay and under the wing. The development of the Guardian began during World War II, but the US Navy originally requested a torpedo bomber. This project was designated G-70 by Grumman and designated by the Navy as XTB3F-1. The XTB3F-1 was to have a combined propulsion system, with a P&W R-2800 radial engine in the bow driving a four-blade propeller and a Westinghouse 19XB turbojet engine in the tail section. The turbojet engine was removed before its first flight. This happened on 19 December 1945. However, on 24 December 1945, the US Navy changed its requirements and demanded a conversion to an anti-submarine aircraft in the two above-mentioned versions. The prototype of the “Hunter”, as the AF-2W version was called, flew for the first time in November 1948, the prototype of the “Killer” in January of the following year. 
In 1950, the first AF-2s of both versions were included in the US Navy's inventory. Later, they were joined by the AF-3S version. This corresponded to the AF-2S version but carried an additional magnetic anomaly detector. AF-2s operated from both aircraft carriers and land bases. During the Korean War, they provided protection for US Navy aircraft carriers in combat areas. They were withdrawn from the front line in 1955 but served in reserve units until 1957. The Guardians became the first specialised anti-submarine aircraft of the US Navy operating from aircraft carriers. They also hold the record for the largest single-engine piston aircraft in regular service ever to operate from the decks of US Navy ships.
The kit consists of eight sprues of grey plastic parts, a sprue with clear parts, a set of resin cast parts and a fret of etches. The decals offer two all-blue machines with white trim and markings. One operated from the aircraft carrier USS Bairoko, the other from the deck of USS Badoeng Strait.
The Kit Highlights
- the largest single-engine, piston-engine aircraft to have ever served on aircraft carrier decks
-    nicely detailed resin cast parts and photo etches already in the box


TP-40N "Two-seat Warhawk"
1/72nd scale
Item Number: 100-SH72543
The History
The American P-40 Warhawk fighter is one of the iconic types of World War II. It was also supplied to the Allies, named the Kittyhawk. The P-40N version is the last mass-produced version. A limited number of this version were converted into a two-seat fighter trainer. The instructor's cockpit was situated behind the original pilot's cockpit. Due to the limited visibility, the instructor used a periscope mirror system for forward vision.
The kit combines P-40N styrene parts with new clear parts and 3D-printed parts of the rear cockpit. Since it is necessary to cut a hole in the fuselage for the second cockpit, it is intended for more experienced modellers (the cuts are simply made along the panel lines). The decals offer three USAAF machines, two in olive drab and one in a natural metal scheme.

The Kit Highlights
- The kit also contains a mask set for the fuselage national markings.
-    limited number of releases featuring this unusual version
-    Plenty of accessories and figures are also available for the kit


M36 Jackson Machine Gun Travel Locks 1/35 / for Tamiya and other kits
1/35th scale
Item Number: 129-P35055
The Kit
The machine gun mounted on the turret of the M36 Jackson tank destroyer had to be secured during transport to prevent damage from shocks or unwanted movement. The detailed 3D-printed machine gun barrel lock offers details that cannot be produced in plastic for technological reasons. The parts of the set replace the plastic parts.


M36 Jackson Fuel Tank Filler Caps (A type) and Extinguisher Pull Handles
1/35th scale
Item Number: 129-P35056
This set gives the modeller the armoured tank filler caps and external fire extinguisher control as a 3D-printed set with significantly better details than the plastic parts of the kit. The set parts replace the plastic parts.


Anatra Anasal Czechoslovak Version
1/72nd scale
Item Number: 129-PLT291
From Planet Models, a part of Special Hobby, bring you the first kit completely made by 3D printing. The Anatra Anasal aircraft was built in the factory of the Italian entrepreneur Anatra in Odessa, Ukraine, designed by the French designer Elysée Alfred Descamps and based on a licensed German biplane. The name Anasal was an abbreviation of the designation Anatra Salmson. The Anatra was created by modifying the older Anade aircraft, into which a radial, water-cooled 150HP Salmson engine was installed. The aircraft were ordered by the Russian tsarist government, which took over only a few of them. The rest fell into the hands of the Austro-Hungarian troops, which occupied the territory that Soviet Russia had given up with Lenin's signing of the Brest-Litovsk Peace Treaty. The A-H army ordered another 200 aircraft, under the designation Anatra C.I. In the turbulent period at the end of World War I, in the Ruso-Polish War of 1918-20 and in the Russian Civil War, Anatras were finally used by the A-H army, Poles, White and Red Russians, Ukrainians and communist Hungarians. The next operator was the newly formed Czechoslovakia, which acquired 23 of Anatras. They were used by the Czechoslovak Army Air Force; after they were decommissioned, some Anatras were bought by civilian flying clubs. One of the machines has survived to this day and is exhibited at the National Technical Museum in Prague.

The Czechoslovak Anatras had a modified exhaust system compared to machines of other users. The kit offers one Army Air Force machine, one Civilian Flying Club machine and the machine in the form in which it is exhibited in the Technical Museum.


Baltimore Mk. II. Armament Set (for SH kit)
1/48th scale
Item Number: 129-P48057
Twin machine guns for the dorsal and ventral gunner stations that defended the rear hemisphere of the Mk. II Baltimore bomber. The armament comes as a 3D-printed set with a fret of etches, all designed for the new Special Hobby kit set.


ARSAERO CT-10 Target Drone 
1/48th Scale
Item Number: 129-P48054
A 3D-printed kit set portraying the French CT-10 target drone, which was reverse-engineered in the post-war years from the German Fi-103/V-1 missile. The CT-10 went to serve with the militaries of France, Great Britain, Italy and Sweden. The kit offers French and British (Royal Navy) drones.


M36 Jackson Towing Eyes, Horn Guard and Antenna Base (for Tamiya and other kits)
1/35th Scale
Item Number: 129-P35057
The towing eyes, horn with frame protection and antenna base, printed on a 3D printer, offer significantly better detail than the plastic parts of the kit.

These new kits are available on Special Hobby's website or from Hobbylink Japan