Early morning November 6th 2013.
The 5 members of the SWS development team depart Kyoto station aboard the "Haruka" bound for Telford England. It takes about an hour and a half to Kansai International Airport.

They take a detour in Dubai as they headed for Heathrow Airport. What was I doing you ask? That's right; I didn't participate in IPMS Telford this year.
I decided to put my ticket money and accommodation fees to better use and put it toward the costs of performing research at aircraft museums in England.

Now let us take a look at how the development team carries out their tasks now that they are light-hearted without me. I would like to take a peek along with all of you who are reading this.

The team makes a swift arrival at the venue, and as always the place is surrounded by an eerie silence prior to opening. There's no one at the booth yet; well yes of course, this was taken on the day before opening day.
By this point the entire Zoukei-mura team had already carried out their research mission on the actual aircraft at the museum. What were they researching you ask? That's still a secret!!

Finally! It is time to prepare the booth. Developer T and Chris lay out the red sheet on the display table. On the other side you can see the other members double checking the unpacking procedures. As you can see it's quite the payload.

They carry on slowly but surely, still at this point the end is nowhere near in sight. This is where everyone needs to stay focused. I can see that jet lag has also taken a toll on them, as they seem very fatigued. Fight on K and Chris. By the way Chris, aren't you hot in that scarf?

Here's Developer T. He's preparing the 1/32 He 219 Uhu display. When we came here last year, the Uhu we brought was still a prototype, finally it has arrived at the venue as a product on sale. I know it's a dual-engine aircraft, just look at its stature!

What have we here! Could it be a briefing meeting of Imperial Japanese Navy pilots? There wonderfully made 1/32 figures wonderfully portray a scene from the defenses of the imperial capital. The Raiden visible in the background is making its debut at this venue. For all of you Japanese aircraft fans, thank you for waiting.

And here we have the other meeting scenery. I can only wonder what kind of strategy these Navy pilots, all relaxed with their pilot caps off, are discussing. Please collect and enjoy these figures along with the kit itself.

We've realized the figure-i-zation of these maintenance crew members, currently working on the SWS Raiden engine. Please partake in the "stories" delivered only by Zoukei-mura kits. It goes without saying that they were a hot topic at this year's IPMS Telford.

A moment to relax. Finally the preparations are almost complete. By this point the clock points to 7:45 pm. I thank everyone for working so hard from so early in the morning. Please enjoy a wonderful meal back at the hotel.

And finally it is morning on opening day! I thought it'd be too early for the doors to open but there's already a long line-up at the Zoukei-mura booth! How can this be? Amidst this silence it's as though I can hear the breathing sounds of the fans. "Hurry up and give me my kit!" Yes yes patience my friend, it'll be all yours soon enough.

Splendid! The first in line scoops up a Raiden! The SWS kit lets off a blinding aura as it is carried off to the register. Thank you very much for waiting. I couldn't be more pleased by this handsome man's smile.

Oh, I see you've decided on the Uhu. I guarantee a marvelous finish. You've made a wonderful purchase after lining up for this long. I am told that the Uhus were sold out very soon, but I am glad to have been able to deliver it to you.

The Zoukei-mura booth gradually becomes packed to the point that it becomes almost impossible to move within it. The visitors are all curious about the kit, parts, and concept note brought to the venue all the way from Japan. It's true!

Who could this be? Could it be Mr. John "Tigger" Wilkes who had reviewed the SWS Skyraider on the Modelers International Magazine? Thank you so much for presenting your skills and magnificent model for all of us to see. I am honored to be able to deliver the kit to someone of your caliber! I beg for your continued support for SWS kits in the future.

Here we have Alan and his wife, they brought me a gift of whiskey! Thanks Alan! My wife and I think of you and Telford daily. Between you and me, my wife loves drinking whiskey diluted in water. Unfortunately however, that means the whiskey disappears at double the speed. (T _ T)

Hey! Look at these two with bright future ahead of them; they catch a sight of an Uhu Concept Note, and a Zoukei-mura pamphlet too! It's no secret that I myself have been a massive fan of aircraft since I was around 10 and in elementary school. I used to buy kits with the money I earned by delivering milk and newspapers. I'm shedding tears of joy here in Japan from the sight of you holding the Uhu's concept notes. Thanks!

As for this individual, he got both the 32 and 48 scale Shinden! He truly has an eye for good products!! These two kits are sure to change your view of scale models! Welcome to the new scale model world!

You did it! Now that you have obtained the SWS Uhu, you are destined to experience the true essence of modeling! As I have always been saying, building this kit feels as though you're assembling the real thing!

This is the Zoukei-mura request ballot and raffle, by now a regular event at IPMS events. Once again the box was filled to the top with the dreams of aircraft modelers. Thank you very much everyone! I personally looked at each and every vote to take part in your dreams. I'm truly moved by the number of hopes and enjoyment I witnessed.

The raffle where you could win anything from SWS kits, t-shirts, concept notes, and badges is already peaking with excitement! I hear everyone responded with cheers and a show of hands to the questions asked by developer K! Everyone is so full of spirit! Gosh I would have loved to be there!

OOOH! Wonderful! A fan who had won the SWS Uhu smashes into developer K with a hug! I can understand how you feel! At this point of the event the Uhu had already been sold out, and you won one!

Excellent! A group photo with all the big raffle winners at this year's Telford venue. I can really see that you all enjoyed it a lot. I pray that all of you will continue to be blessed with the luck you had here! And I hope to see the reader in this photo next year too! I shall begin preparations for the prizes now!

This is the Zoukei-mura company pamphlet that we gave out at the venue. It was made in Japan to introduce our development concepts, development process, and our various kits to aircraft modelers around the world. We prepared quite a few but they ran out really soon from what I hear. I bet everyone was taken by the illustration of the 1/32 Ho229 Horten.

And look! This is the SWS 1/32 Ho229 Horten making its debut at the venue! Its total wingspan is larger than 500mm. Just imagine the meaning, shock, and surprise that this unique aircraft will make on your collection! At this precise moment, the excitement and anticipation was engraved into the hearts and minds of the fans at the venue. I can't help but say that this Horten has such an eerie presence!

Are they wings? Or is it the fuselage? In any case it is undoubtedly a design that was far ahead of its time. I can only express the ground-breaking design as being eerie or even chaotic.
Furthermore, it's even more surprising that this aircraft was being produced by the Luftwaffe as their game changing fighter plane, it's almost as though this were from some sci-fi movie! It goes without saying that the Zoukei-mura development team will perform exhaustive research on the last remaining Horten at the Smithsonian in order to recreate the aircraft as it is in 1/32 scale format. Please look forward to it!!

Here we have a reunion with Peter, the representative of the company that makes brass parts for SWS kits, providing them with the quality that they are known for. The various brass parts for the 32 Shinden to the He219 Uhu were all hand made by this individual. I solemnly ask for your continued support and assistance for future SWS projects!

Here we have Radu. He provides us with all kinds of advice and ideas for SWS kits. Once again he had given us some wonderful ideas and opinions here at the Telford venue as well. I look forward to continued cooperation with you into the future!

And here we have Steve, visiting the team at the Zoukei-mura booth. He is the marvelous sculptor that provides the SWS kits with their magnificent stories. He is currently working on figures for the He219, Ho229, and Do335. Once again, I kindly ask for your continued support!

Half of him says that he's glad it's over and that all went smoothly, but the other half is sad that it's gone. In any case the final moments of the 2 day-long event have arrived. Silence has returned to the venue that was buzzing with laughter, all that remains are the hopes and anticipations for next year's event. You can see the expression of relief on developer N's face. I thank you for making this long trip all the way to England.

And the moment has arrived, and the event has come to an end. Now to begin packing up. The booth has been all packed and is ready to be shipped off back to Japan. All that remains is to make the journey home.

1/48 scale SHINDEN
2-color molded parts (including clear)
Total Parts: 123
Release Schedule: Available Now !
[Order via Japan]
[Order via Volks USA]
Price: 4800 JPY (+fee)

1/48 scale Ta152 H-1
2-color molded parts (including clear)
Total Parts: Undecided
Release Schedule: 2014 (Expected)
Price: Undecided