Spring Hobby Showcase 2020: New model kits from around the world, open for preorder now!

HLJ is happy to present an in-depth look into the new hobby reveals and releases for Spring 2020!

The Shizuoka Hobby Show may have been cancelled this year, but that doesn't mean we'll miss out on giving these excellent new additions the spotlight they deserve! We'll be showing off what various manufacturers did prepare for the Shizuoka Hobby Show, including Fine Molds, Hasegawa, Kotobukiya, Dragon, NuNu and more!

We've also decided to add a bit of flavour with HLJ's own picks of what we're excited to see - so strap in for one exciting showcase!

Click to jump to a manufacturer:

Fine Molds Bandai Hasegawa Kotobukiya NuNu Aoshima Pit-Road Meng Fujimi Platz Wave Dragon Eduard AZ Model MikroMir Special Hobby Other

 

Fine Molds continues their masterful line of military and other model kits with their 1/72 model kit of the F-4EJ Kai fighter-bomber! This kit includes its updated antennas and other equipment, and comes with two unique photo-etched instrument panels: an engraved one, and one without engraving to make the use of decals easier!

Fine Molds also has an entirely new-mold 1/72 kit of the JASDF F-4EJ fighter bomber for 2020, based on the latest research on Japan's iconic fighter jet! Slide-molded parts mean a high degree of accuracy coupled with ease of assembly, and decals are included for 3 versions.

Everyone knows about the U.S. Navy's elite Top Gun squadron, staffed with pilots experienced in both U.S. and foreign battle tactics! This 1/72 F-14A Tomcat from Fine Molds comes with U.S. Navy and "Russian camo" decals, for use in mock battle!

Fine Molds combines plastic parts from Tamiya for the Kubelwagen Type 82 German light military vehicle from World War II with an easy-assembly kit of a lovely and assertive young lady in uniform to match, along with a poster!

And finally, here's something unique for your collection! This intricate model kit of the Yamazaki Mazak CNC Quick Turn 200MY industrial lathe was originally sold at the Yamazaki Mazak Machine Tool Museum for a limited time; due to its popularity, it's now available to everyone! Thanks, Fine Molds!

 

Bandai brings the giant-robot action with its new lineup of Gunpla and other amazing kits! One of the stars of the show is the new Gundam Hajiroboshi, featured in the upcoming mobile game "Iron-Blooded Orphans Urdr Hunt, and it's spectacular with its variable claw-equipped shield and armored rear thrusters. Don't miss out on this new Gundam!

Speaking of spectacular, check out the Figure-rise Standard Amplified BlackWarGreymon! He's power-packed with massive wings that can be mounted to his back, or transformed into a shield to be carried on his arms.

The unique-looking Baund Doc from "Mobile Suit Z Gundam" gets a new kit too, with the ability to transfrom from its bipedal Mobile Suit form into its Mobile Armor mode! Its flexible power pipes add to its smooth posability, and at 19cm tall, it'll tower over your other HGUC Gunpla!

Even more iconic mecha-warriors join the fun with Getter Dragon! This bright-red beast from ""Getter Robo G"" joins Bandai's Infinitism model-kit lineup, and its Mach Wing can be combined with the Long Tomahawk to create an all-new weapon!

And Evangelion Unit 02 gets a new RG Evangelion kit release, with full posability after assembly without interference from the armor parts, and a huge selection of interchangeable hands to hold its various weapons! The intricately colored structures of its complex head are created with separate parts molded in color, so painting isn't required. Get ready for a robot riot rumble with any or all of these amazing new kits from Bandai!

 

Hasegawa's well-known versatility is on full display with their newest kits including sci-fi, legendary cars and bikes, and much more! Their new kit of Captain Kowalski's heavy space cruiser, the Cordoba, from the iconic 1983 anime film ""Crusher Joe"" is a must-have for classic anime fans! Its uniquely detailed form is carefully reproduced, and it comes with in-scale models of the Crusher Team's Minerva, four assault boats, and Fighters 1 and 2 as well, to recreate space-battle displays. You'll love it!

Make your 1/24-scale 1980s car dioramas even better with Hasegawa's set of unpainted resin figures of two young ladies from the '80s! They're ready to bring some period-accurate pizazz to your collection; prototyped by Satoshi Tsujimura, they're as cute as can be, and assembly is easy with 22 total parts.

Hasegawa's 1/24 kit of the stylish NERV official business coupe comes with an in-scale unpainted resin figure of the irrepressible Asuka Langley Shikinami in her school uniform! Asuka was prototyped by Taro Mochikomi, and decals are provided for her eyes.

Gentlemen, start your engines! Hasegawa's kit of the iconic Porsche 944 Turbo Cup competitor from Shell's racing stable marked #2 comes with decals for its vividly colorful race livery!

A completely new-mold kit of a classic motorbike rounds off Hasegawa's biggest highlights! The Kawasaki 500-SS/MACH III (H1) made its debut back in 1969, built with the intent to create the world's fastest motorcycle, and before long it had won many fans in North America and beyond! There's plenty more in store, and we can hardly wait for these awesome new kits from Hasegawa to arrive this summer!

 

Kotobukiya's ready for summer with an impressive array of new kits and sci-fi-style weapons! Their kit of the Rayleonard 03-AALIYAH Supplice armored fighting robot from the high-speed mechanical action game "Armored Core 4" is bristling with lots of futuristic armaments and weaponry, and is posable after assembly for rompin' stompin' battle-bot action!

Your Frame Arms Girls deserve their own custom weapons, and Kotobukiya's got what you want! The highly popular Samurai Master Sword from their Weapon Unit lineup gets a new release in a color keyed to their Frame Arms Girl Gourai kit! The Stylet-color version of this versatile weapon features a scabbard that can be used as a weapon extension. Jinrai's version of the Samurai Master Sword, like the other versions, comes with a joint to attach it to the figure kit's hip or back for easy wielding. And with her own custom Samurai Master Sword at her side, your Frame Arms Girl Ray Falx will be ready for anything!

 

Specializing in highly detailed model kits of race cars, NuNu has a number of new offerings on the way! First away from the starting line is their new-mold 1/20 McLaren MP4/2C in its bright yellow and white colors -- a competitor in the 1986 Portuguese F1 Grand Prix!

Entries in NuNu's 1/24 Racing Series include the newly molded Audi Quattro S1 that Audi sent to the Olympus Rally in 1986, the Japanese entry in the World Rally Championship, the Chevrolet Cruze driven by Ivan Muller that won the World Touring Car Championship driver's title in 2013, and the BMW B-ing Kegani M3 E30 that competed in the 1990 All Japan Touring Car Championship. Detail-up parts by NuNu are also available for all three of these kits, to make them even more spectacular!

 

Cementing its reputation as one of the leading model-kit makers in Japan, Aoshima's upcoming lineup of kits touches on a wide variety of subjects. Their 1/72 kit of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force's Assault Amphibious Vehicle (AAVP7A1 RAM/RS) is loaded with details, and comes with a figure of a water team member wearing a boonie hat, too!

Turning the spotlight to the futuristic race cars from Cyber Formula Sin," Aoshima's 1/24 kit of the bizarre-looking (and very pointy) Spiegel HP-022 features an extremely low center of gravity, contributing to its unearthly speed!

Get ready to cruise the streets! Aoshima's 1/24 kit of the 1995 RN80 Hilux Custom pickup truck comes with a gimmick that allows its height to be changed whenever you want, as well as lots of custom parts for an awesome look!

Here's another model kit from Aoshima for car-customization fans! This 1/24 kit of the Nissan KPGC110 Skyline HT 2000 GT-R from 1973, as customized by the legendary Ken Mary, includes lots of authentically styled custom parts to make it far from stock!

Aoshima's kit of a 2010 Toyota HiAce showcases an example of this versatile and sturdy vehicle serving as a fire department inspection public relations vehicle, with additional red lights on the roof and front bumper! No matter what type of model kit you prefer to build, Aoshima's got you covered, and we're pretty excited to get our hands on their newest offerings!

 

Pit-Road's newest masterful military-subject kits begin with a set of 1/700 military helicopters from all over the world, now including a pair of metal kits of the Russian Mi-8 Hip transport helicopter! You'll be diorama-ready in no time with this set! The U.S. Navy's U.S.S. Cleveland cruiser was one of 27 ships in that class, and she participated in various battles during World War II; Pit-Road's 1/700 kit comes with plenty of photo-etched parts for a heightened sense of realism and detail!

 

Meng has a varied lineup of exciting kits coming this Spring! In 1/35 armor, there's an all-new tooling of the British FV510 Warrior AIFV, and a Jagdpanther Ausf.G2 with crane. Also coming is an interesting resin set to build that Jadpanther in "travel" mode.

Next up, the Titanic has never looked cuter in Meng's new "MOE" series of mini ships! Watch out for cute icebergs...or icecubes, even. Too soon?

In a first for Meng, we have two mildly articulated figure kits from the Chinese epic SF movie, "The Wandering Earth." Han Duoduo and Liu Qi are depicted in their futuristic suits as they wander along with the Earth.

 

 

Fujimi's attention to detail is legendary, and their set of three Japan Ground Self-Defense Force military vehicles packs a powerful punch, with two Surface-to-Air Missile Launchers and a Fire Control System vehicle, all with metal axles and decals too!

On the lighter side of things, their Honda Super Cub 110 in Pearl Shining Yellow color is just the thing your 1/12-scale figures have been waiting for -- it'll be a perfect addition to your photo shoots and display shelf!

Get ready to upgrade your dioramas! Fujimi has a set of 1/32-scale figures: a bus tour conductor and driver for your bus diorama, and a pair of workers, a cardboard box for them to lift, and a truck driver to display with a semi-tractor truck or something similar! And if you've got a 1/24-scale city in need of some traffic control, there's a set of traffic lights that's just what you're looking for.

And finally, you can get some hands-on experience with Japan's geography, as Fujimi presents us with a detailed map of Japan with dimensional mountain ranges, prefectural borders, and an ocean-surface base to display it on! Display it flat or hang it up; it's prepainted and easy to assemble!

 

Adding to its considerable lineup of exquisitely detailed military subjects, Platz gives a shout-out to the 60th anniversary of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force with their kit of a sleek F-15J Eagle in special commemorative paint, including large-format decals for its unique digital camouflage!

Platz also brings modelers a set of two of the U.S. Navy's iconic F/A-18E Super Hornet single-seat fighter, and a 1/72-scale kit of the powerful German Jagdtiger tank used by the Kuromorimine Girls High School in "Girls und Panzer!

If your workbench needs some new tools, Platz has you covered! Their Ultra-Fine Shine Blade Uno measures a mere 1mm by 1mm, and is mounted on a handle to make it easy to slip into small spaces! It's perfect for smoothing out rough edges, taking care of small mold marks, and so much more; it makes cleaning up resin and plastic parts a breeze! And their New Cutler Palm-Size ruler is the ideal tool to assist you with making precise, straight cuts, and it's a convenient size that won't take up much space!

 

The Burglary Dog from "Armored Trooper Votoms" leads the way for Wave! This 1/35-scale battle mecha features snap-fit assembly and polycap joints for smooth assembly, plus a detailed cockpit interior!

Wave is also known for their excellent modeling tools, and their new HG Micro Rivet Punch features 23 stainless steel punches to allow you to create perfectly rendered rivet holes! A circular base is provided for storage of the punches and their handle, too. It's the perfect tool for any modeler!

 

Dragon salutes the Space Race with their 1/72-scale kit of the SH-3D Helo 66 and Apollo Command Module, reproducing the iconic image of the helicopter hovering over the ocean's surface and lifting the astronauts to safety! And their new kit of the workhorse rocket of the Apollo program, the Saturn 1B, will be nearly a meter tall when assembled, making it an eye-catching addition to your collection!

If you'd rather not paint and assemble a model kit, Dragon's got the answer with their randomly selected ZTL-11 eight-wheeled amphibious vehicle, available in twenty different versions, plus a rare one in dark yellow! Each one is assembled, painted and highly detailed, and ready for display right out of the box!

Dragon also knows how to please heavy-armor buffs! Next up is a kit of the JS-2 Stalin II heavy Soviet tank, which can be assembled as any of three versions: the JS-2, the JS-2m ChkZ, or the JS-1. It's got the intense level of detailing that Dragon is known for, as well as easy-to-assemble Magic Tracks!

And finally, Dragon's release of the WWII German heavy tank Tiger I, late production type, comes with Zimmerit armor plating and photo-etched parts for even more detail, in a collaboration with Griffon!

 

Some great aircraft kits coming from Czech maker Eduard are a 1/72 B-26B/C Maurauder, plus 1/48 kits of the German Fw 190A-6 and British Tempest Mk. V Series 1. Also up is a cute and tiny kit of the adorable and tiny "Kunkadlo," a wee Czech aircraft so named since it sounded like a frog in the Czech langauge.

 

AZ Model and KP Model of the Czech Republic keep the 1/72 aircraft coming with a flock of Curtiss Hawks (each with decals for three versions), the Storch (including decals for four versions), LA-5s and a Cessna T-50, which includes decals for three international aircraft plus "Songbird," the star of the 1950s American TV show "Sky King!"

 

MikroMir continues to produce models of some of the most fascinating subjects! Coming up we have the ungainly one-seater Welman W10 submarine in 1/35 scale, and the historical ironclad USS Monitor of U.S. Civil War fame in 1/144 scale. Equally ungainly is the huuuuge Kalinin K-7 experimental aircraft in 1/72 scale, with the super-sleek Supermarine S.5 race seaplane to balance it out. You'll never see anything commonplace from MikroMir!

 

Special Hobby keeps 'em coming with a 1/72 reconnaissance SF-37 Viggen, and an all-new tooling of the Heinkel He 162 Spatz in 1/72, plus interesting export variations of the J-20/Heja I Re 2000 in 1/48 and a limited-edition 1/72 Super Mystere set with two kits, a resin ejection seat, and decals, plus a book packed with photos and text in English!

Other Manufacturers

 

New kits from Takom include another great Takom Blitz release, the Porsche-suspensioned version of the monstrous German Jagtiger tank destroyer! Also on the list of new kits is a very welcome set of British Main Battle Tanks in 1/72 scale: the Chieftain Mk. 10 and Mk. 11.

Rye Field Models is offering WWII and modern armor, with the 1/35 M4A3 Sherman (with full interior!), and the imposing Challenger 2 TES, also nicknamed "Megatron."

If you like your aircraft on the weird side, then Avis has the kit for you! The donut-shaped Annular Monoplane-3 Lee-Richards is on its way. If you just can't wait, the 1/72 version is already on sale! And for those of you who can't do without a Max Henschel Aerosan in both 1/35 and 1/72 scale, Arsenal Model Group has you covered! It really is the Golden Age of modeling when you can get a release in two scales simultaneoulsy of such an esoteric subject.

Next up, you can't send a carrier into battle without its air wing, so Flyhawk will keep you soaring with this set of Hellcat fighters, Dauntless dive bombers, and Devastator torpedo bombers, all meticuloulsy detailed in 1/700 scale.

Vespid Models is a new maker, their first offerings being super-detailed kits of the German super-heavy tank Maus and the speedy British A-34 Comet cruiser tank. Both kits feature link-and-length tracks and PE parts.

We also have Wolfpack Design of Korea releasing a "Premium Edition Kit" of the plucky Seversky P-35A in 1/48 scale. PE parts (normal and colored), resin parts, canopy masks, and colorful decals all help to make this kit "premium." Meanwhile, Kinetic's Spring lineup features a 1/48 MQ-9 Reaper drone, and a 1/48 F/A-18 that can be built as A/C or D models, and comes with "aggressor squadron" markings. Then we have Dora Wings, venturing into the world of 1/32 aircraft with this stunnig release of the Dewointine D.500. But these aren't all, so be sure to check the full list for all of the upcoming new spring kits!