Hello, SWS fans!
In Japan, the depressing rainy season always starts in June, but somehow, this year the weather has been refreshing every day.

There was a tornado in the USA, a flood in Europe, and a forest fire because of the unusual dryness. Is the place where you live alright? Please be careful with this abnormal weather.

Old Man Blog No.42 Uhu Edition, Episode 5

- Contents -

* Finally, the long-awaited SWS kit, "He 219 Uhu," has started shipping, in order by reservation!

* I'm sorry to say that this is the last SWS Uhu episode for now.

* The SWS Uhu Concept Note also goes on sale at the same time!

* Thank you very much for reading the SWS Uhu episodes for all this time.

Finally, the long-awaited SWS kit, "He 219 Uhu," has started shipping, in order by reservation!

I've heard that all preordered kits within Japan will be shipped out by June 15. We're processing the overseas orders at the same time, but with the long journey and the customs process, there might be a little more of a wait.

At any rate, the SWS Uhu will reach you soon. Please look forward to the kit for just a little longer.
Although as I write this, I realize that there might be some of you whose kit has already arrived safe and sound, and you're reading this as you go through the parts.

How is it? What do you think of Zoukei-mura's work on the SWS Uhu?

How do you think the He 219 Uhu came to have its unique external appearance? As you finally begin to build your SWS kit, perhaps you will come to understand the enigmatic Uhu.

It's more than just a machine.

Furnished with astounding beauty and functionalities, you might say it is a masterpiece that has entered into the realm of art. With time, I'm sure you will become more and more engrossed and amazed by this aircraft.

Please enjoy it as much as you like. It is especially for people who own the SWS kit.

Anyway, I'm glad that we could bring you the SWS Uhu!

It seems like your Uhu, which you were worried about, arrived at your front door safely.

Have you successfully passed the usual strict surveillance network of your wife because of all your careful preparations? Uneventful and safe; well done. A round of applause for you.

Somehow, you seem to have lots of confidence on your poker face.

However, you should know that you can't use the same method in the future again.
You should consider yourself lucky this time. On the major strategy of the magnificent SWS kit collection, the worst enemy is your overconfidence.
Also, you need to keep your guard up right after the secret strategy has succeeded.

Always keep yourself in check, and be careful not to get conceited or overconfident.

Otherwise, from just a little thing, a rift will appear in your strategy, and you might have a crisis on the whole collection one after another. Please keep a strict poker face and bear further strict information management in your mind.

You can't follow in the footsteps of the staggering defeat from the Battle of Midway, which the Japanese Navy suffered.

Anyway, it is important to think that Uhu is easy, comparing the full picture of SWS kits, which the development steps forward one after another in the future.

The plans of the SWS No.8, No. 9 and all the next SWS kits are ongoing to throw you into the storm of joy, which is losing consciousness, an earthshaking, and dancing.

Please consider Uhu as a small food in an appetizer and prepare yourself to the future that the favorites in the main dish will keep coming up.

Just thinking about it sates me enough that I no longer have an appetite!

The SWS is actually going to be great from now!!!　

I will give you a developing airplane quiz in the next episode of this blog. I am looking forward to a lot of answers from you.

I'm sorry to say that this is the last SWS Uhu episode for now.

Well, well, what are your impressions after having a first look at the SWS Uhu kit?

Was it a suitable workmanship for the SWS kit No. 6!?

Perhaps some of you have already started the assembly, and are moving forward faster than me! Wonderful!!!

Today, I would like to show you the joining of the fuselage and the main wings as the final step of the assembly.

The entire kit and its parts could reach such a quality because of its 1/32 scale size – well no, that is because of it's an SWS kit!

The more I look at it and the more I get to know it, I feel like I can get a taste of the prominent talent of Dr. Heinkel.

It is like a mystery, or magic – the airplane is like a lump of human intelligence, which is kept inside of fuselage that has the fantastic and magical external design. This is the He 219.

Now it is time that you fully enjoy the several beautiful structures that the Heinkel He 219 shows, and that can be made only by a SWS kit, by your hands.

This is my office, in the Zoukei-Mura headquarters, located in Kyoto.
Even if it is true, perhaps that it looks like a torture room for the SWS development team. I have completed the torture… Whoops. I mean I have completed the fuselage and the main wings on my temporary work bench. Though it is just workshop on the parts only, it spreads enough of the wonderfulness and the splendor of the Uhu.

As the real airplane, the way the main wings join perfectly to the fuselage allows us to taste the atmosphere of the production factory of the Uhu.
The base, where the kit is, is a cutting board that I made myself to mold the parts. It is very useful when you need to carefully sharpen parts, such as the propellers pitch details for instance. Shall I make them for sale?

This is one picture taken from the rear part of the airplane.
When I assembled the kit this time, as I tried to build it using three different test shots, the mold color of the parts are different depending on the test shot samples. Also, because we have corrected one detail, some parts of the released kit may differ.

If I can complete all these parts, three Uhu kits will be here!
Just by hearing the part number, you might feel that you need a lot of time and effort to build it, but it is easy if you think of the pleasure of the assembly process. More than that, the joy of discovering the mystery of the Uhu with my hands makes my heart trembles!

At first, I was astonished by the massive size of the Uhu, but building it makes it familiar to me, and surprisingly, at last, I did not pay attention to its size. Perhaps that it is also because of my presbyopia, but I feel that a 1/32 scale is better to taste the beautiful structure perfectly reproduced in detail.

Well, what do you think of it?
Maybe it's this beautiful structure, or its expression of life, but as I build it, I feel so satisfied I can't help but grin like a fool.
I am sure that you, too, wish to stop time and to continuously stare at it.

And even for me, building the kit until this step made me realize once again that in fact I just knew a little part of the airplane, and so including its external shape!　

It was the continuity of assembly which I could learn what I did not know about the Uhu.

Well, on the contrary, the truth is that I could even say that I did not know almost anything about the Uhu.

The reason is that, since I began assembling the kit, I am immerged in the joy of rediscovering the Uhu once again.

Even for you who are so familiar with the Uhu, if you build this SWS kit, you should be surprised once again by the series of new discoveries you will make.

Oh, but the Uhu is really such a beautiful, mysteriously wonderful airplane!

The SWS Uhu Concept Note also goes on sale at the same time!

"I'm always excited when the latest SWS kit goes on sale!" With this sort of encouragement from so many SWS kit fans from around the world, we're finally at the point where we can release the Concept Note at the same time as the actual kit.

I think this time around, as per usual, you can expect the Uhu Concept Note to be spot on and filled with wonderful content.

The information on the actual aircraft was gathered directly from the Uhu undergoing restoration at the Smithsonian Museum, and the Concept Note is packed with photographs and detailed commentary from experts.
Actually, in some of the photos included in the book, you can see the Zoukei-Mura SWS development team all bundled up in their white work jumpsuits.
See if you can find them! (You'll find our development team members N, T, and K.)

In addition, in the kit's assembly commentary, you'll find everything from the most basic assembly steps to tips for the final finishing touches, as well as some notes about what to watch out for.

There are also finished kit examples from 3 famous modeler pros from around the world, plus articles written by them on their assembly process, as usual.

Oops, we can't forget the secretly popular "Novel" corner.

As even the detailed drawings of the Uhu and the 1/48 scale are specially included, it's quite the bargain!

This Concept Note is a valuable addition to your airplane collection, as resource for information about the actual He 219, and as a guide for the kit. I hope you will bring one home.

This is the SWS Uhu Concept Note!!
Read it first, then buy the kit, or buy the kit, then read it!
This is already an absolute must-have item for any SWS Kit collection. From the detailed photographs based on research of the actual aircraft to tips, tricks, and basic steps for building the kit, it seems like the correct answer would be to read the Concept Note first, then build the kit.

You can order online here → [ VOLKS Website Store ]

Well then, thank you for following along with the SWS Uhu development for all this time.

Starting with the next blog, you'll get to hear all about the noteworthy Japanese aircraft SWS 1/32 "Mitsubishi Raiden."

The vision I had, as I lay on my side on my hospital bed, gazing out the window on that hot summer day after my vocal cord polyp surgery, of black planes flying in formation rising against the blue of my eyelids, will finally become a reality.

It had a kind of stout feel. The aircraft, which was molded to have volume in all its parts, was designed in a style quite unlike other Japanese aircrafts of the time. But in truth, the aircraft was the most Japanese of Japanese aircrafts because of its atmosphere and its beauty.

Along the way, there was a moment when I had to push myself thinking, "this has to change!" and we completely redid the whole section, from the design to the metal molding.

But even by that roundabout way, the completed "Raiden" is so cool, so superb it sends shivers down my spine.

I'm getting excited about this project, as I strongly believe that it will reflect the graceful design concepts of Japanese aircrafts, and it will be second only to the elegant external design of the SWS P-51D Mustang, which is being developed at the same time.

Coming soon!! The ultimate scale model, the Raiden in 1/32 scale, is coming your way.

If you happen to be talking to a zealous fan of Japanese aircrafts who has yet to try an SWS Kit, I would definitely, highly recommend this Raiden to them as the finest example of Zoukei-mura's work.

I hope you'll look forward to the beauty of a Japanese aircraft that only Japanese designers and developers can create.

Here in the Northern Hemisphere, a hot summer is headed our way. For all your modelers, please enjoy your "hobby life" while taking care of yourself in this hot weather.

Well, until next time!

Farewell for now.

Hideyuki Shigeta
President, Zoukei-Mura

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