The Barracuda and VVS turret-equipped Boston are joined in this month's Special Hobby line-up by the welcome re-release of the popular 1:48 Boomerang. It's been enhanced too, so it's definitely one to grab if you missed it first time around - or even if you've already got the original.

100-SH72306 - Fairey Barracuda Mk.II “Home Fleet” 1/72
The Barracuda carrier-borne torpedo and dive bomber aircraft was already kitted by our company many years ago, in a shape of the then-standards for short-run models. Now we would like to bring you something really completely different. This new Barracuda kit is being made using three all-metal mould tooling blocks and its highly detailed grey styrene plastic parts will be accompanied by one clear parts sprue. The decal sheet caters for two options, both of which saw action over the Atlantic, one adorned with a striking nose-art. There will be also an option for the modeller to arm his Barracuda with either the torpedo slung under the fuselage or to use a 1600 lbs bomb. The model comes also with under-wing bomb racks.

The Barracuda was a shoulder-wing aircraft fitted with a set of large Youngman wing flaps mounted at the wing trailing edge and featured also rather unusually looking L-shaped undercarriage legs. The aircraft was capable of anti-shipping torpedo attacks, level and dive (up to 70 degrees angle) bombing and was also used for long range reconnaissance duties. Its electronic equipment consisted of an ASV IIN radar set. Although the Barracuda had primarily been designed as a torpedo bomber, the number of actual attack missions with this weapon was rather low and these took place only in Norwegian waters. The Barracuda was most of the time used in a dive bomber role, saw action during the Allied landing in Italy, carried out attack against German battleship Tirpitz (some of the planes being equipped with ex-US 1600 pound AP bombs) and also, taking off from either land bases or aircraft carriers, flew missions against German maritime traffic off Norwegian shore and patrolled the sea against German U-boats.

100-SH72337 - A-20B/C Boston “with UTK-1 Turret” 1/72
The A-20 Boston was an American bomber plane, in fact one of the most successful military type of the war. The VVS and AVMF, or Soviet Air Forces and Naval Aviation, acquired almost three thousands of this aircraft, making them the second largest users of the type after the US Army Air Force. In the Soviet Union, it soon became clear that during the harsh winter conditions on the East Front, the rear gunners suffered far too much from the elements and also that the low-calibre machine gun was not up-to the standards for the battle field. Therefore, it was decided to equip the Soviet A-20 bombers with UTK-1 type turrets and sometimes also with different armament. The new turret changed the side profile of the plane rather dramatically.

In our reissue of the Soviet A-20 bomber, the decal sheet caters for two machines, one of which carried White 20 number and was flown with its original US camouflage scheme with repairs done using local-made paints and was also embellished with a caricature of the Nazi fuhrer Adolf Hitler. The other plane was Yellow 5 flying in British camouflage also with paint scheme repairs.

100-SH48117 - CAC CA-13 Boomerang 1/48
This already sold out model is still required by modellers so we have decided to make it available again in a shape of re-release. Thanks to our colleagues from Australia, we have been able to enhance the level of detail to some extent by adding resin interior components, also designed a new and corrected decal sheet, instructions and camouflage schemes. The up-dated instruction leaflet is now printed in full colour.

Four interesting decal options, injected clear parts, four grey styrene sprues, a set of resin parts and a PE-fret, all that is a re-edition of the Australian fighter kit, and possibly the most famous of all Australian aircraft ever built and flown.
Also have to mention a separately sold set of pre-coloured etched metal parts available under cat.no. K48003.

Please remember, when contacting retailers or manufacturers, to mention that you saw their products highlighted here - on AEROSCALE.