Shizuoka 2010: Tamiya

Tamiya delivered at this year’s show, offering up very attractive new offerings in all the major product categories.

In armor, we get the Russian BT-7.  While certainly not the most technologically impressive thing to see action in WWII, its role in Russian military history is nonetheless and important one.

While we didn’t get any completely new toolings in aircraft, they still offered up a most-welcome 1/32 Spitfire Mk VIII, the first time ever this plane has been modeled in injection-plastic.  Of course it’s a derivative of last year’s stunning Spit Mk IXc, but a kit that good deserves as many variations as they can manage!  And in 1/48, the company rounded out it’s Zero collection with the Model 22, including, of course, the plane’s distinctive folding wingtips.

And of course then there’s the Lotus 79.  Unfortunately Hasegawa and Tamiya both decided to do precisely the same kit at the same time, to the joy of consumers and frustration of the manufacturers.  We can’t declare a winner since we haven’t seen any finished product yet, but as usual, Tamiya’s stunning kit looks to be hard to beat!