topic for another time. In any case, I was

impressed by Udet, and the impression

has stuck all these years. Today, at fifty-eight, I don’t see him in as a completely

positive aspect as I did in the past, but

I have the unshakeable sensation that

I understand the man. And think what you

will, the aircraft that he flew, the Fokker

D.VII Du doch nicht!! and the Siemens-Schuckert D.III are beauty exemplified!

I apologise for the history here, but with

it, you’ll understand that a Limited Edition kit dedicated to Udet has long been

on my mind. Very long! And now the time

has come to bring it on, and the Limited

Edition kit, under the name DU DOCH

NICHT!! is here, and in a somewhat symbolic way. The two exclamation marks are

not a mistake, and the actual significance

of the slogan is not clear, and probably

never will be. I have my own theory about

that, but it’s not important here. The kit

will contain three kits, the Albatros D.V,

Fokker Dr.I and the Fokker D.VII (OAW).

The aforementioned symbolism comes

through the fact that at the time when

these were flying, the world was suffering

an epidemic of the Spanish Flu, which

a few months ago would not be much

more than a footnote, unlike now. I don’t

know to what extent the epidemic then

affected Ernst Udet, and not much is written about the affect of the disease on

aviation in the First World War, but I don’t

personally believe that there was no

effect at all. The details of the kit can be

seen below in this newsletter, and an edited version of the instructions’ forward

are presented in the historical section. Besides the kits described that are included,

and the usual masks and photoetched

accessories, there are two bonuses. One

is a figure of Ernst Udet that is designed

to go with the D.VII kit, and a small replica

of the Pour-le-Merite medal. I hope you

like this kit, and you should know that this

one is really close to my heart.

Besides the above noted kits, we are

also releasing the next item in the SUPER44 1:144th scale line, the A-4E Skyhawk. There are two Weekend kits being released, too, in 1:48th. The Tempest Mk.V

Series Two features markings for Clostermann’s JF-E. This the second of Clostermann’s JF-E from the summer of 1945.

This aircraft replaced the one that was

lost while being flown by Clostermann on

a return flight from Kodan and belonged

to No.3 Squadron, where Clostermann

ended his career. The other marking option is that of an No.80 Squadron RAF aircraft from the summer of 1944, in which

four different pilots achieved four different kills. The other Weekend kit represents the Tempest’s adversary on many

occasions, the Bf 109G-10, the version

built by Messerschmitt AG in Regensburg.

INFO Eduard - April 2020

In the accessory lines, we have some

things being released that I think are extremely well done, and I think this will be

reflected in their demand. I would probably first point to the next sets for the

HKM 1:48th scale B-17G. For this, you’ll

find a Brassin set of engines, but these

are not designed to be displayed with removed covers. I must point out that these

are an improved replacement for the kit

parts only. Another two sets are photoetched, and these go into the kit’s interior.

Among the interesting aspects with these

are the pre-painted wood grain parts. Although we, understandably, prefer to have

our photoetched sets custom made to fit

our own kits, we certainly won’t discriminate against other manufacturers. In

April, this will be expressed through the

release of new photoetched brass sets for

two 48th scale Mustangs, Airfix’s P-51D-5

and Modelsvit’s P-51H. Mentioning our

own kits, we have stuff for both of the

month’s Weekend releases, the Tempest

and the Bf 109G-10, for the MiG-21PF

and even for that little Skyhawk. The set

for the Miniart T-55 comes across rather

well, too, with its moveable hinges to the

storage bins on the kit exterior. Another

interesting set covers Panda’s anti-aircraft 9A37M2 BUK-M2. Yes…THAT BUK!

In 1:32nd scale, we are covering the Kitty

Hawk Mirage 2000, and, from the same

manufacturer, but in 1:48th scale, the FJ-2

Fury. And while we are on the subject of

48th scale items, I can’t forget my own

personal favourite, the Airfix Tiger Moth.

In 1:72nd scale, we are releasing sets for

the Hobby Boss A-4F Skyhawk and Great

Wall Hobby’s F-15I, which, incidentally, is

a really nice kit. For the ship people out

there, we have two more sets for the USS

Yorktown in 1:350th, for the Trumpeter

kit. Bear in mind, too, that most of the noted photoetched sets will have their mask

counterparts issued as well.

In the Brassin line, we have a several

items that are designed for use with our

own kits. We’ve got the cockpit and seat

for the MiG-21PFM in 1:72nd scale, and,

in the same scale, the R-3R and wheels for the MiG-21PF. In 1:48th, we have

a new LooK set for the MiG-21MF. There

are more LooKs too, a classic rendition of

the concept designed to fit the Tamiya Il2, and two expanded versions of the line,

LookPlus, for the Tamiya P-38F and G, all,

of course, in 1:48th scale. Still in 48th, we

have wheels for the ICM He 111, and Hobby Boss’s B-24 in 1:32nd. We also have

some more weapons sets coming out,

which, more or less, is par for the course every month. There are no BigSins for

April, and I will admit that we just can’t

keep up with demand with what’s already out. This will, in all likelihood, change

in the near future. There are four BigEds.

We have also readied another three decal

sheets, including a set of readable Japanese stencil data for the 1:48th F-104J.

That’s it for now. I hope that this

newsletter provides a pleasant distraction

in these unpleasant times. Enjoy!

Happy Modelling

Vladimir Sulc.

eduard

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