I hate to say it, but if you live in the Northern Hemisphere you can see by the leaves flying off the trees - the looong winter is coming. But all is not lost, ohh no, more time for modelling! So to gear you up for lots of cold “knights” in, I have a kit from Pegaso for you, some tankers from around the world, an out of season Dragonfly with big tanks to keep it going, a jeep packed with destructive fireworks and a Korean Blackhawk?
Pegaso Models have sent us new images of some more stunning, and I mean stunning, kits in white metal from their newest releases. I’ll go through all three of them in a little detail.
The first – kit no 90-914 is from the “Crusaders” series. This one is called “Brother Knight of Saint John” Sculpted by Viktor Konnov, this kit is painted masterfully by Diego Ruina who is well known for his excellent work on many other kits. The texture and depth of the figure make painting it an easier job I suppose. But you can see here this man knows how to paint!
Made from thirty-two pieces of white metal, this kit is in large 1/20 scale and would look great next to the other kit in the range (90-915) shown here who he is locked in mortal combat with. Kit 90-915 which looks to me like a Saracen knight - what a diorama to own!
From this kit, we move on to item 200-039 - a large 1/9 scale (200mm) scale bust of a samurai simply called “Ronin”.
This resin bust comes in eight pieces and was sculpted again by master sculptor Victor Konnov, and this kit was painted by Pietro Balloni. The detail again in the sculpting is second to none, which we have come to expect from Pegaso.
Lastly in Pegaso’s new releases this month is their 75-080 kit in 75mm white metal called “Rissalder Major, 1st Skinner’s Horse”
Taken from their 14 Great Britain XVII-XIX Century series this 1/24 kit features ten parts in white metal. Sculpted by Benoit Cauchies, this cavalryman has exquisite detail in his garb and his weapons and medal regalia on his chest. Another impressive paint job by Massimo Pasquali, this figure is - like all of the figures shown here - on sale at Pegaso Models website.
Why am I showing you a set of resin droptanks? Well these are an add-on to the new Encore Models A-37 dragonfly kit that was announced earlier this year that’s why! These tanks are four in a pack and come in at a 10% off deal at US$10.79 from Squadrons online shop.
I really am impressed by these tanks as they will just add to the awesome wide presence of this little Dragonfly kit. The four resin 100 gallon pattern drop tanks, each with appropriate raised and engraved surface features, correct circular cross-section, ventral flange, and integral vertical fin and separately cast horizontal fins. They aim to fit both the new Encore and the older Revell/Monogram A-37/OA-37 kits.
Encore Models have added to the base Monogram plastic kit extensive resin upgrades by Avionix and True Details: cockpit tub, sidewalls, controls, instrument panel, glare shield, gunsight, ejection seats, nose and main wheels, Mk 82 bombs (x4) and LAU-32/A rocket launcher pods (x2); plus photo-etch details by Eduard (including FOD screens and colour instrument panels). The kit features historically accurate decals of three different aircraft including the famous John Lamb’s aircraft.
• USAF A-37B s/n 69-6350 of the 808th Special Operations Squadron, pilot Capt. John Lamb, Bien Hoa Air Base, Vietnam, 1971; • · USAF OA-37B Pennsylvania Air National Guard s/n 73-1094 of the 103rd Fighter Squadron, 1987 • · Fuerza Aéra Dominicana OA-37B cn 43265, s/n 3701 of the Escuadrón de Combate, San Isidro Air Base, 2000.
Legend Productions from Korea has updated our news section this week with a great add on for the 1/35 jeep from Tamiya to make it into a fully-fledged WWII SAS jeep.
This resin kit comes complete with extra fuel “jerry” cans, 6 light machine guns plus a mounted thirty calibre machine gun, several packs of stowage and personal items like binoculars and personal weapons like a German MP-40 machine pistol. This LRDG jeep certainly was loaded for bear. This set makes this jeep kit really look the part.
If these detail sets look as good as they do in the pictures, they can really cover up the basic details of some of these older base kits and transform them into something looking a lot more complex, giving more depth and adding something of the human touch to an otherwise plain vehicle. A great site for these SAS jeeps is here.
This kit and other news releases for Legend in Vehicles, aircraft and figure add-ons are available now from their site. MiniArt has come up trumps again with the 35th scale figures. If you have a spare tank in your stash, I guarantee they will have a crew to man it for you!!
Firstly and unusually, they have an Italian tank crew in 1/35 scale – kit number 35093 – called funnily enough “ITALIAN TANK CREW”
This kit contains five figures from WWII from the Italian tank force, two with the heavy leather coats and two tankers in standard uniform and the fifth in overalls. Here is the sprue containing 63 parts. The next tanker kit I want to show you is kit number 35126 - U.S. TANK CREW 
Designed with the help of Model Rectifier Corporation (MRC) in the US, this kit shows the five figures seemingly at rest or waiting in their tank for orders. This set compliments the winter tank crew soon to be released by MiniArt.
Kit no: 35121 is the BRITISH TANK CREW. WINTER UNIFORM The last tanker kit to be announced, also in 1/35th, should be with us soon. It seems if you have a crewless AFV Masterbox has you covered!!
Lastly and very interestingly, Korean model makers Wolfpack design have sent us news of this newest add on/conversion kit this month. It is the HH-60P conversion kit to suit the somewhat under-built Academy Blackhawk kit in 1/32.
The problem with the original is that the Blackhawk keeps on being updated and you want to have a definitive or standout kit when most of the ones out there seem to be Gulf War I standard. This kit features Forward looking infra-red and the associated new instruments in the Korean version, the large “gull” wing fuel tank pylons as seen on South Korean aircraft.
The 24 resin part conversion also features decals printed by the masters at Cartograf and an A4 colour printing manual so you have no chance of getting it wrong on the kit! At $30 this kit represents good value for anyone wanting to make their Blackhawk in anything but tan and sand camo! 
On the Wolfpack site they mention they have planned these exciting add-ons to the Academy kit: UH-60 Gull-wing type wing conversion set + HH-60P Black Hawk 'Medevac' conversion + the HH-60G PaveHawk update (me please) and the UH-60J Black Hawk JASDF conversion set. – sounds good to me!
Till next week check out these items if you get a chance and please do enjoy your modelling!
Adam