Amazingly, there are no "must gets" on this list for me. However, the following come closest:
- HA1512 - SNJ / Quantico with a Coral Sea-esque scheme
- HA1413 - A-4 Skyhawk USS Ticonderoga
- HA7505 - P-26 'Canal Zone'
About the rest...
- For many, the P-51D "Cripes a Mighty" is a must get. I suppose it would be for me too if I didn't already have her in GMP's exquisite 1/35 version. Admittedly, this version is different than GMP's, but the way I figure it, there will be plenty of very decent P-51D liveries coming sooner or later.
- The rest of the P-51Ds can only be seen as HM trying to cash in on some of the 'must get every version' collectors before mould fatigue sets in. I mean, the Netherlands East Indies Air Force in 1945? I'm a Pacific Theatre collector (and I even have the poor Netherlands Buffalo), but even I find that one quite a stretch.
- The Eagle Squadron Spitfire Mk.II is nice enough, but it's not different enough to the first one, which I have, and I'm not so fussed to collect a Mk.II just for the sake of having a Mk.II (as I understand it the main visual difference is a blunter spinner).
- The F-22 in the 'Cripes-a-Mighty' livery looks awful. I guess there's no accounting for taste...
- The USS Essex Avenger is fine, but I have enough Avengers. In fact, I have an extra 'Flight 19' Avenger that I'll either gladly trade for or will eventually repaint into something.. but am having a hard time coming up with interesting schemes to paint it into. The closest that I can come up with is a Coral-sea-esque scheme that the very first avengers were painted in well before Midway (red/white tails and the like).
- A-26 Invader 'Stinky': Unfortunately, I called it correctly and HM is doing this 'Stinky' livery (though I predicted they'd do it first). Correspondingly, I think I'll hold off. I don't know how many A-26s there will be in my future, but if there were to be only one, I think a Korean War one is most appealing.
- The Alconbury USAF RF-4C is a nicely chosen livery. Unfortunately, I just ordered the Alabama ANG RF-4C, and that's enough for me. Even though I live in Europe, I'm not big on USAFE and equivalent birds.
- I love HM's Stukas - they are sublime. However, I have no particular historical interest in the Romanian Stuka, so will pass.
- MiG-15s for me are either NKAF or nothing. Interesting choice of livery on the Taiwan MiG-15! Though, HM does have a ROC bias - they seem to make a lot of Taiwan stuff.
- And on it goes with the others. The Australian A4 is a nice livery, but not for me. The Greek 106 is a livery that I predicted HM wouldn't make, so I lose a point there.
