ZOUKEI-MURA Official Website

It's spring time! Hobby season has come!!

Hello to all the SWS fans and scale models fans!

It's spring time! Spring is the season to enjoy your hobby!!

Here in Kyoto, Japan days are finally getting hotter; "sakura" (cherry blossoms), the flowers that represent the heart of the Japanese people have already bloomed and gone and "tsutsuji" (azaleas) are changing color waiting to bloom too.

Soon eyes will be stricken by the view of "tsutsuji" and "satsuki" (both azaleas) coloring the streets of Kyoto. The happy season is here!

How's spring where you live?

Like every year, "sakura", the flowers that represent the heart of the Japanese people have bloomed out, showing all of their beauty here and there.

The Old Man's soliloquy on a spring night

It's been 60 years since I started collecting and building plastic models kits.

Including the SWS kits that we create at Zoukei-mura, I believe that building the plastic model kit of an airplane, no matter what company or what kit it is, gives you a "taste" of that kit. What do you think about that?

What is the "taste" of a kit?

Well, just as you may feel different feelings, "tastes", with food or music, you can enjoy the "prior", "present" and "later" taste of building and working on a plastic model kit.

The "prior" taste of a kit is when you live that long to come period from the kit development to its release, when you think of how the development is going, get the latest information, and get full of expectation. I think you know what I mean.

Preparing the development by studying the history and the documents of the real aircraft, thinking about the painting, considering upgrades and equipment, and then where to display your model once it's complete, or why not whether you may bring your kit to a modeling contest or not.
Determined like you don't fear even god, troubled like a young girl who chooses her clothes, that's how that crazy period tastes like.

That's why you keep reading again and again the same information on the advertisement page of a magazine.

Get ready, the next new SWS kit will be the 1/32 Ta 152 H-0.

What you've been waiting for! See the brave figure of the Ta 152 H-0 that challenged the large formation of B-24! This beautiful package art has come to life by the hands of Mr. Vincenzo Auletta.

And then the period going from the time you had prospected to get the kit you were interested in, to the moment you finally get it.

And that time when you went to the store and saw a nice kit on the shelf but you didn't have enough cash to buy it. So you remember that kit was there reserved! Yes, you remember that time, right?

I think that the mix of rage and sadness you feel when your favorite kit that you reserved was mistakenly sold to someone else is something that can be understood only by experience.

Oooh, where's my baby now…

But that's how it goes, no use crying over spilt milk.

When I'm caught by that kind of feelings, I usually outburst my anger on my wife. I remember one or two old bad memories that doubled my bad luck and damages.

No, actually it's not enough, even if I keep moving hands and feet fingers!!

Same as you right? Yes it is! I'm sure it is!!

It's a dream when you are asleep, and an illusion when you are awake…..but what was that?

It's what makes your pillow wet in your restless nights. Right, brothers?

The "prior" taste actually resembles love to some extent. You have just nice and beautiful things running up and down inside your head.

"Aaaw that's hard. I can't bear it"
"What should I do to escape from this??? Tell me!!!」

The "prior" taste actually has some bitter feelings with it.

By the way, our next new SWS kit is the Ta 152 H-0!!

That is a "prior taste" too.

Ta 152 H-0
H-0 seen from the rear left part. It's still a mock-up but this shape has just been reproduced as it is in the kit.

Ta 152 H-0 seen from the top.
This shape will break into the hearts of Luftwaffe aircrafts fans!
Aren't these beautiful main wings and fuselage balance beautiful?

From H-1 to H-0.
The molds of the H-0 wings' under surface without the fuel tank equipped are reproduced in details.

Pay attention to the shape of the nose cowling.
According to our research, the reproduction of the heat radiation louver has been added to the new cast. A new mold for the H-0 has also been implemented to the fuselage cover.

The canopy has also been completely reproduced thanks to a new tooling.
The shapes of the bullet proof glass with electro-thermal heater and the mold of the cleaning liquid in the triangular side window are much closed to the real thing.

From the central section of the fuselage to the cockpit, and until the canopy, from tiny details to the overall structure, see what the SWS kit can reproduce!
We're going to do our best with painting too!!

Up to the nose.
Inside of the cowling and the fuselage cover, the charming Jumo 213 is calmly waiting to be turned on. You will be stricken by the power of the VS9 wooden propellers, built by Junkers.

Based on a long research conducted at the Smithsonian Museum! The charm of Ta 152 H-0 explored to its core! A more detail-rich SWS kit is about to come out!

More than the already available H-1, the H-0 has been equipped with as many elements as possible.
This is a subject for all you fans of German aircrafts. The Old Man is confident that you'll be amazed!!

Ta 152 H-0 Kit Special Feature (new mold and additional parts).
* Engine cowling, nose shape, propeller, wing mold, canopy, landing gear and others. You will perfectly notice the difference between H-0 and H-1!
* Release: Scheduled for August

So, for you who have been so patient to read until here,
here's the information on the SWS development that you were waiting for!

Since it is SWS, Do 335 A-0 will be reproduced just like this!!

The hugest twin-engine aircraft of the Luftwaffe, equipped with two powerful DB 603 engines on the fuselage, back and forth.
The shape of the Do 335 kit is finally getting clearer.

Even in 1/32 scale, its full size is going to be 433mm (length), 431mm (width) and 156mm (height)!
People will be really overwhelmed with this amazing build!

According to the current estimation, there will be 341 parts!
With this kit too, you will be able to see the inner structure from the outer panels as well as the finished mechanisms thanks to the clear parts.

This kit is still going to take time to be completed. For now, enjoy the basic structure and the mock-up that I am going to introduce you.

This is a complete view of the latest mock-up of the Do 335.
The peculiarities of this aircraft, capable of incredible performances have all been wonderfully reproduced: the suspension system of the DB 603 engines installed on the back and front, the wings, the particular shape of the cockpit structure etc.

Traction and propulsion.
The propellers installed back and forth, extended axis and bearing axis. Then, look at the slightly different shape of the spinner. The fuel tank, the representation of the partition of every section, the storage of the wheels, everything is faithfully reproduced based on the real machine. As all the SWS kits, the assembly is going to be surprisingly funny and the final result incredibly beautiful. Look forward to it.

DB 603 engine, front and rear propellers, precisely reproduced engine suspension, and then all the DB 603 suspension system represented! It will be just like assembling the real machine.
The mold of the circular radiator, the assembly process; this is an invitation for you to a new scale model world.

Look at how perfectly reproduced the cockpit is!
The carved instrument panel, the control stick, the batteries, the ladder pedal, and all auxiliary equipment included in side panels: everything has been reproduced faithfully.
No need to say that the MG 151 machine gun, its attachment area of the magazine, and the sculpture of its partitions are also very interesting.

The solid landing gears reproduced in all their solidness!
From the struts' design, the attachment angle and the auxiliary equipment, to the style and the structure of the housing system, all been reproduced with this Do 335.
Of course, the design of the tires and wheels is also very beautiful.

How is it? With the Zoukei-mura SWS kits, I think that we have succeeded in challenging the reproduction of the real thing, haven't we?

As for your collection of Luftwaffe aircrafts, this Do 335 will surely have a strong impact with its great presence.

Anyway what you see in these few pictures is still a mock-up.
We are still working on this model to get a better shape and cleaner details in the kit.

It's still going to take time until the release.

As for your "prior taste" of scale models, please look forward to the completion of SWS Do 335.

From the SWS Kit Development Team of Zoukei-mura: "Regular Meeting" Announcement.

A must-see event for all the modelers at VOLKS Akihabara Hobby Paradise,
in Akihabara, Tokyo!

"Metalwork Lecture" to be held by our master finisher: Mr. Naoki Kobayashi!

On the same day, from Germany here comes: Mr. Alexander Glass.
Head of Uschi van der Rosten company, he will give you a unique chance to learn "how to attach wood grain decals"!

Don't miss this chance to come! And I will take some time to make my speech too.

- Event day
May 23rd (Sat) from 1PM to 5PM
- Event Location
VOLKS Akihabara Hobby Paradise 7th Floor Event Hall
Location Details (Japanese Site)
- Lecture
"All about Metalwork" by Mr. Naoki Kobayashi
"All about Wood Grain Decals Attachment" by Mr. Alexander Glass
- Free Admission
- On the Event day, at our store;
1/32 Do 335 Mock-up Model Displayed
1/32 Ta 152 H-0 Finished Model Displayed
1/48 Ho 229 Horten Test Shot Displayed (scheduled)
1/32 Fw190 Package Art Displayed

We also schedule to display the instrument panel, control stick, sighting device and more equipment from the real Fw 190!
All items must be absolutely seen!!

Then, the day after:
On May 24th (Sun) at HOBBY ROUND 13, to be held at Tokyo Metropolitan Industrial Center, you will be able to see the same contents.

- Event Name
HOBBY ROUND 13　Event Website (Japanese Site)
- Event Day
May 24th (Sun) From 10AM to 4PM (Free Admission)
- Event Location
Tokyo Metropolitan Industrial Center, Hamamatsu-cho Building 4th Floor

Official Website URL :http://www.sanbo.metro.tokyo.jp/