MPM news 13-04

Newsletter
MPM Production Ltd., Mezilesí 718, 193 00, Praha 9, Czech Republic
tel.:+420 281923 910, fax:+420 281 923 892, e-mail: [email protected]
official website and e-shop: www. cmkkits.com
04/2013
One of the Czech weather lore for April recalls this month's weather as volatile. This year's April weather is constant. At least
here in Czech Republic the winter's still out there. The snow laying everywhere and possible there's more of it than during
Christmas. Thankfully we can still build models despite the weather outside. Yet, we have new kit to come this month. Just
beforehand I'd like to announce future kits' releases. Soon, we will release Fairey Firefly Mk.4/5 in 1/48 scale followed by
another box of Firefly Mk.I (the first out will be Pacific Theatre camouflages), the hungrily sought Heinkel He 115 in 1/48
scale and in 1/72 scale similarly sought for Short Sunderland. But more earlier we will release 1/72 scale SB2U-1 and
SB2U-2 Vindicators (new kit produced from new mould), Vickers Vildebeest Mk.IV and two camouflage versions of Caproni
Ca.310. The first box will faeture Yugoslavian, Croatian and Hungarian machines while the second will feature Italian Regia
Aeronautica machines together with Spanish Frakists' machines. Moreover, we are working on 1/32 scale Fiat G.50 in two
versions. The April new releases follow:
SH72258 Messerschmitt Me 163C “Prototypes” 1/72
The Nazi Germany tried to stop the Allied bombing campaign with all that was available. This also meant the rocket fighters
such as Messerchmitt Me 163B. During the combat
deployment of Me 163B several structure flaws occurred.
Due to the limited rocket motor fuel capacity and sole
rocket nozzle the combat time was limited. Pilots also
complained about the canopy lacks efficient rear view.
These deficiencies should have been eliminated in Me
163C version. This new version featured tear drop shaped
canopy, the fuel capacity was increased but mainly the
rocket motor featured another nozzle cruise one. All those
modifications increased the motor working time to 12 minutes. Three prototypes were built in Peeneműnde. The proposed
mass production had never started, though. All three prototypes were destroyed to prevent their seizure by Red Army.
The kit of this rocket fighter contains one sprue with plastic parts including optional horizontal stabilizer parts,
injected canopy and detailed resin and photo-etched parts. Decals included offer markings for V-1 and V-2
prototypes (reconstructed according to sources) and one fictive machine in German and captured in RAF colours.
15
2
12
8
10
3
3a
4
9
16
17
18
11
1
14
5
13
7
7
6
6
SH72263 Messerschmitt Me 163C “What-If War” 1/72
During World War 2 Japanese empire had been purchasing
modern weapons production licenses in Germany. This also
comprised aircraft. Among the aircraft that were purchased
and produced was even Messerschmitt Me 163C. These
rocket fighters were produced for Imperial Japanese Air Force
that deployed them to 47th Sentai that protected Tokyo
against US bombers, mainly against B-32s and B-39s. During
the Allied invasion in spring 1946 allies captured part of these
machines.
The plastic parts of this kit are the same as of SH72258 with
different decals. The latter offer one machine in Imperial Japanese Air Force 47th Sentai markings, one machine
evaluated by Imperial Japanese Navy at Yokosuka Air Technical Arsenal, captured and subsequently evaluated
machine in US marking and the other by ATAIU-SEA (Allied Technical Air Intelligence South East Asia) tested at Tebrau
air base in Malaya.
SH72265 B-18 Bolo "War Service" 1/72
3
According to 1934 specifications issued by USAAC High command B-18 Bolo was designed. The DB-1 (factory
designation) design was derived from the design
of the famous civil Dc-2 aircraft. Unlike Dc-2, the
DB-1 was mid-wing design with bomb bay located
in the fuselage under the wing's cross section and
defensive armament consisting of three 7.65 mm
machine guns located in manually operated nose
and dorsal turrets and one in ventral hatch. Except
of the initial batch later on, additional machines
were ordered under designation B-18A. These
new machines featured new, picked nose. In total
350 B-18s were ordered but only 312 machines were produced. B-18 and B-18A then became the most widely used US
bomber of the pre war era. Bolos were stationed in continental USA so at Hawaii and Philippines. When the War had
broken out part of the machines stationed at Hawaii and Philippines was destroyed by surprise Japanese attacks. The
rest of Philippines based machines were used mainly for military transport to maintain the connection with Australia.
The surviving machines were ferried over to Australia and some of them were used by US Army for submarine patrols in
US coastal waters and in Panama Canal area and, also for training purposes. Except of US Army, B-18 Bolos were also
used by Canadian Air Force (designatecas Digby Mk.I
the Canadian version can be purchased under Cat.
No.SH72251) and Brazilian Air Force.
The kit contains four sprues with plastic parts, injected clear parts, resin and photo-etched parts. Decals included offer
applied camouflage. The other US machine operated from
Hawaii in 1943 and featured typical Hawaii and Panama
camouflage pattern. Both Brazilian machines featured
camouflage, too.
SH72265
B-18 Bolo
1/72
markings for 2 US Army machines and two Brazilian ones. Machine no.7 fought over Philippines and featured field
SH72259 Seafire FR Mk.47 Korean War Fighter-Bomber „Hi-tech“ 1/72
Development of the Seafire versions during the WW2 lagged a bit behind their Spitfire counterparts. After the end of the
war this trend continued, but this doesn´t apply for the
last versions of the Seafires. Fuselage of Seafire
Mk.47, the very last version of this aeroplane was the
same as for Spitfire Mk.24, but Seafire Mk.47 was
driven by RR Griffon 88 engine with counter-rotating
three-bladed propellers, and lower-fuselage air-intake
was moved front
to begin right behind the spinner. The wing of this
Seafire was also foldable. Spitfires Mk.47 began their
service in 1948 and during the next year took part in fighting the Malayan communist warriors, flying from the deck of
HMS Triumph. In 1950 the Mk.47 Seafires fought in the Korea war, operating from the same carrier. They remained in
service until 1954.
Box with model of this beautiful aircraft contains four sprues of higly detailed plastic parts and one sprue with clear
canopy parts, all identical to the SH72099 kit. In addition you can find another sprue with injected parts of the armament,
rockets and bombs. The kit also contains decals with stencils and coloured etched parts, that enhance cockpit and also
exterior of the model. The decals are for three different machines, two of them from the Korea war and the last one from
the British Isles.
Next month new releases:
SH72257
SB2U-2 Vindicator
1/72
SH48041
Fairey Firefly Mk.IV/V
SH72272
SB2U-2 Vindicator
1/72
SH72243
Vickers Vildebeest Mk.IV
A106
Caproni Ca.310 Italian&Spanish
1/72
1/48
1/72
A088
1/72
Caproni Ca.310 Yugoslavian, Croat & Hungarian Marking
Forthcoming new releases:
A075
Morane-Saulnier MS-410C.1
SH48110
Heinkel He 115
1/72
1/48
SH32044
Fiat G.50-II “Finnish Service”
SH32056
Fiat G.50bis “Regia Aeronautica”
1/32
1/32