Hobby Boss SPz Puma IFV – 1:35

Hobby Boss SPz Puma IFV is an upcoming release from Trumpeter’s subsidiary in 35th scale. As far as the information goes so far, this is a 2018 release but it is not yet clear when this will happen during the forthcoming 12 months. Based on the fact that there is still no boxart for the SPz Puma, it might take a while for the Chinese company to make this happen.

Hobby Boss gave a number to the Puma IFV kit – 83899, which is pretty much a guarantee that this will happen soon. So, for the impatient ones – stay calm, we will soon have it! 35th scale market begs for more vehicles like that. SPz Puma is a tracked Infantry Fighting Vehicle and it is a relatively new design. Since not many new vehicles of that kind are being developed lately, it will be a good addition to Hobby Boss’ line. Other than that, we have a lot released lately, but mostly those are vehicles that are re-designed and look slightly differently, although based on one same base platform. Like T-72 for example. If you roam through the timeline that Trumpeter has, you will see that there are tens of options, but that is basically the same thing.

SPz Puma is different. This is a German Army vehicle, designed in the 2000s, with production started around 2010 and currently replacing old vehicles. That will continue until 2020 based on the predictions. The vehicle itself looks a bit futuristic and features a standard NATO camouflage scheme, a turret and a spacecraft-like gun on it, more or less making it a step aside from the road well known in modeling. It is far from a Leopard, Abrams, Bradley or any of the T-series that we are used to build.

It is a good thing of course, since NATO armor fans will have more for their collections. That, with the fact that Hobby Boss and Trumpeter are constantly improving their designs makes this release a tempting one. In my personal opinion, that is a bold move in a direction that is still un-explored widely enough and that is always welcomed in scale modeling!

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