News from the 2005 Shizuoka Hobby Show by Martin Waligorski

News from the
2005 Shizuoka Hobby Show

by Martin Waligorski

HyperScale is proudly supported by Squadron.com

2005 Shizuoka Hobby Show

The 44th annual Shizuoka Hobby Show took place during the weekend of 14-15 May at Twin Messe in Shizuoka, Japan. For all Japanese hobby manufacturers, the Shizuoka show is the place to be when it comes to presenting news and product releases. Also this time, there are high hopes for a long array of new items to be released soon - although to be fair, most of them have probably already been mentioned on these pages...

Thanks to IPMS Stockholm we already have a report on new and forthcoming kits presented during this show.

New Kit news

Dragon has revealed its "secret" catalogue item for this year. This kit will be Panzer IV in Ausf E and D guises. And of course, their new 88mm Flak 36 is on display, this model is being officially released at the time of the show.

Panzer IV boxart:
http://runchick.hp.infoseek.co.jp/hs2005may/20.jpg?link
88mm Flak 36:
http://www.dragon-models.com/html/6260color.htm

AFV Club continues to clash head-on with Dragon with their kit releases, after the Tiger I here is the 88mm Flak 18 also from this company.
http://d0011.superpay.cc/image/adv/myindex.jpg?link

AFV Club will also respond to Dragon's forthcoming Tiger I late (surprise) by issuing this, Wittmann's last Tiger I.
http://www.hobby.co.jp/hobby_show/japan/pla/85.jpg?link

Also Tristar seems to have read Dragon's intentions (or not), announcing their own Panzer IV Ausf. C. However, Tristar says that this kit is strictly limited edition and will be produced in only one series.
http://runchick.hp.infoseek.co.jp/hs2005may/27.jpg?link

Revell comes to the Shizuoka show with the entire range of vehicles fomr the movie Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.
http://www.hobby.co.jp/hobby_show/japan/pla/25.jpg?link
http://www.hobby.co.jp/hobby_show/japan/pla/26.jpg?link
http://www.hobby.co.jp/hobby_show/japan/pla/27.jpg?link
http://www.hobby.co.jp/hobby_show/japan/pla/28.jpg?link
http://www.hobby.co.jp/hobby_show/japan/pla/34.jpg?link

In car department, the German company will release 2005 Chevrolet Corvette C6.
http://www.hobby.co.jp/hobby_show/japan/pla/13.jpg?link

One quite unexpected aircraft release from Revell is this 1/32 Schleicher ASK 21 glider. An nice diversion in a hobby dominated by military subjects!
http://www.hobby.co.jp/hobby_show/japan/pla/24.jpg?link

Fine Molds finally showed test shots of a long-anticipated Star Wars 1/72 Millenium Falcon altogether 17 sprues (!).
http://www.hobby.co.jp/hobby_show/japan/pla/204.jpg?link
http://www.hobby.co.jp/hobby_show/japan/pla/205.jpg?link
http://runchick.hp.infoseek.co.jp/hs2005may/24.jpg?link
http://runchick.hp.infoseek.co.jp/hs2005may/25.jpg?link

As mentioned previously, this company will also continue their line of 1/72 Messerschmitt Bf-109s with a G-6, to be released this summer.
http://www.hobby.co.jp/hobby_show/japan/pla/198.jpg?link

Hasegawa's 1/72 Lancaster will be available in July.
http://www.hobby.co.jp/hobby_show/japan/pla/21.jpg?link

Another new Hasegawa aircraft scheduled for July is the 1/48 FA-18F Super Hornet.

Also, Hasegawa's 1/350 Batlleship Mikasa should be available on the market at any moment.
http://www.hobby.co.jp/hobby_show/japan/pla/65.jpg?link
http://www.hobby.co.jp/hobby_show/japan/pla/43.jpg?link

Otherwise, Hasegawa continues with the tradition of exploiting existing moulds for new versions of the same subject, one example of that is the 1/48 Curtiss P-40N or 1/72 Sd.Kfz.234/3 8-Rad Stummel.
http://www.hobby.co.jp/hobby_show/japan/pla/5.jpg?link

Fujimi tries to answer the need of those with big wallet, no spare time and soft spot for big ship models. These hobbyists will now be able to purchase an assembled and painted 1/144 battlehip Yamato from Fujimi. The price is "only" 860 000 Yen - I'll leave it to you to see how much that is in your currency...

Tamiya comes with interesting items in their 1/48 armour range, for example Citroen 11CV Staff Car and British Universal Carrier, prototype models of both were on display.

In 1/35, still the only really new Tamiya item is a Leclerc:

In the aircraft division, Tamiya will release a Henshel Hs 123, due in July.

Additional images from the show can be found at these Japanese pages:
http://www.rainbowten.co.jp/english/news/hobbyshow2003.htm
http://www.hobby.co.jp/hobby_show/japan/pla/01.htm
http://runchick.hp.infoseek.co.jp/hobby2005may.htm

This article has been provided by Scale News, hobby news column of IPMS Stockholm web site.

The original version of this report may also be viewed on the IPMS Stockholm website.

Article provided by the gracious courtesy of IPMS Stockholm. Visit their website by following this link

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