Postcard from the
2007 IPMS Nationals - Part Three
In Full Swing

by Brett Green

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The 2007 IPMS USA Nationals moved into top gear with a very busy start to the morning.

Some interesting news was to be had from a number of manufacturers:

Eduard

As the piles of Eduard's 1/48 scale Messerschmitt Bf 110 E kit boxes were being demolished by conventioneers, the next all-new Eduard release was already on display. Test shots of the sprues from Eduard's forthcoming 1/48 scale F6F Hellcat kit were at the stand.

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Vladimir Sulc, President of Eduard, advised that the kit will be released as an F6F-3, an F6F-5, plus a single boxing containing the FAA Hellcat Mk.I and II. He also confirmed that the rear window behind the pilot will not be an insert or a cutout, but that the -3 and -5 kits will have different fuselage parts.

The surface detail even on these test shots is excellent. The fuselage panels are "overlapped", a very convincing effect, combined with subtle rows of rivets. All control surfaces are separate and poseable.

The Hellcat is due for release around February 2008.

In addition, during 2008 Eduard will release perhaps their final all-new 1/48 scale WWI kits for the time being. These three kits will be a SPAD XIII, Fokker Dr.I and a Fokker Eindekker. These kits are due around Spring/Summer 2008

By Summer 2008 we should be seeing Eduard's brand new and super detailed 1/32 scale Messerschmitt Bf 109 E family, with the initial release being a Bf 109 E-1. Vladimir kindly gave Lynn Ritger and myself a quick spin around the CAD drawings, where we saw plans for the full engine, cowl guns and detailed cockpit. Vladimir stated that this big Bf 109 will have equivalent detail to the recent 1/48 scale Fw 190 A kits.

Autumn 2008 will see the debut release from Eduard's MiG-21 family, a 1/48 scale MiG-21bis.

2009 is already a year to look forward to. Vladimir today announced these three exciting developments for 2009:

• 1/48 scale Focke-Wulf Fw 190 D family

• 1/48 scale Messerschmitt Bf 110 F/G family

• a comprehensive family of all new 1/48 scale F-4 Phantoms!

Stay tuned for more news from Eduard.

MRC

MRC was present with a busy stand full of new and forthcoming releases.

These included a 1/72 scale Messerschmitt Me 262 from Academy, due for release very soon. This is a nice looking kit with petite surface features and plenty of options including two different rudders (early and late versions), three piece poseable canopy, open main wheel wells, full sets of both R4M and W.Gr 21 rockets plus drop tanks and bombs.

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Also under the Academy label was the 1/72 scale Dragon Wagon, still impressively sized in this small scale.

A number of new and soon to be released Italeri kits were also present, including a built up 1/35 scale Staghound that we should be seeing in the coming months, the new 40mm Bofors gun, S.L.C. 200 "Maiale" and a 1/48 scale Chinook HC.1 (CH-47C).

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Obscureco

Chris Bucholtz from Obscureco brought samples of several forthcoming releases, including a 1/48 scale resin PBJ-1B/J Mitchell radar nose for Accurate Miniatures' kit. This is hollow, so you will have plenty of space to install your nose weight.

 

 

Chris also had a 1/72 scale P-47D spine and fin with fillet for Tamiya's kit (due for release later this summer), and a number of 1/72 scale Mustang enhancements.

Stay tuned.

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Avionix

All the latest releases in 1/48 and 1/32 scales from Avionix were on display, including a number assembled, painted or installed.

 

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Model, Images and Article Copyright © 2007 by Brett Green
Page Created 24 August, 2007
Last updated 24 August 2007

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