The 2010 iHobby convention/trade show was held 21-24 October at the Rosemont Convention Center outside Chicago. It's one of the biggest events of te year for the RC, train and model industries, and there's always a lot of night stuff to see.

Working from the back of the hall to the front:

Moebius Models has an ambitious release schedule planned for the end of 2010 and the first half of 2011. First up, the eagerly anticipated Battlestar Galactica (new series) should arrive in the country by the end of October, 2010. It’s a gorgeous piece of work – we’ll have a review next week as well. The 1/32 Viper Mk 7 (MSRP $29.99US) is coming along nicely and should be ready early next year. The new Cylon Centurion (1/6 scale, $29.99 MSRP) needs some tweaking before final approval from the license holder. Also planned is a 1/32 nuCylon Raider, a prototype of which was shown (here is FSM's image) but no other information is available. If all things work out and sales are strong enough, Moebius is eager to do more BSG models ... and I know I’m eager to see them do so!

A prototype of a Space Clipper Orion (2001: A space Odyssey) was on display. It will be the same size as the old Aurora and Airfix kits (so somewhat smaller than 1/144), but accurate. No idea on release date, but MSRP is tentatively set for $29.99US. Other kits on the 2011 releases schedule include:

• Mini Spindrift ($15.99US)
• Dark Knight Tumbler in 1/25 ($29.99US)
• Dark Knight Pod in 1/25 ($19.99US)
• Dark Knight Figure Set in 1/25 ($14.99US)
• 1/35 Space Pod/Chariot ($74.99US)
• Prefinished Moonbus ($69.99US)
• Prefinished Space Pod ($49.99US)
• Metal Jupiter 2 in 1/35 ($1500.00US)

• Bela Lugosi ($39.99US)
• Bela Lugosi with Female ($49.99US)
• 1/8 Elvira on couch ($34.99US) (very faithful to the actress!)
• 1/8 Iron Man MkIV ($34.99US)
• 1/8 Black Widow (Iron Man 2) ($29.99US) – yowza! Great pose and great likeness!

• 1/25 1953 Hudson Hornet ($28.99US)
• 1/25 1955 Chrysler C300 ($28.99US)
• 1/25 International Lonestar ($69.99US)

We got to the booth after Frank had packed up most everything, but pictures and more information can be seen at CultTVMan and CyberModeler so give those sites a look.

Round 2 showed off a aft of Star Trek reissues, Batman stuff and a few others. The Enterprise-B (1/1000) will be making a return next year. It will have a retooled lower saucer and upper "deck" to the secondary hull, plus all the decal goodness we've come to expect from them. Unfortunately, when AMT modified the tooling to make the Enterprise B, they made it so the Excelsior can't be reissued (at least without significant re-tooling) . The Romulan Bird of Prey (TOS) is on track. The Klingon Bird of Prey (TNG) will have landing gear and retooled wings/baffles. The venerable 18" Enterprise (TOS) is getting new decals for USS Defiant, plus two new Tholian webspinners, to be reissued as a "Tholian Web" kit. The new 1/25 scale Batmobile prototype (from the 60's TV show) was shown and looks really good. A snap kit and glue kit will be offered. Finally, the Interplanetary UFO kit is coming back again, this time close to its original incarnation as the Leif Ericsson, though this time the lights will be LEDs.

It’s always a treat to see what Pegasus Hobbies is up to, and they did not disappoint. The Alien Creature (from the Tom Cruise War of the Worlds movie) should be available in November. It’s a mix of the hard ABS plastic and malleable injected PVC, so it’s got some posability – like the little alien in the Alpha Centauri UFO. MSRP is expected to be $29.99US. The large scale Tripod is coming along but won’t hit the shelves until 2011. There will also be a smaller scale diorama kit with a pair of tripods (just like with the 1953 movie versions). The Mercury 9 concept rocket and launch complex is looking like it will be available later in the first quarter of 2011, and also run about $29.99US. A surprise announcement was “My Favorite Martian” Uncle Martin and his spaceship. It looks to be about 1/10th scale. The spaceship comes with positionable doors and a full interior, including a clear dashboard to facilitate lighting. It may be available by the end of December. Development of the Nautilus submarine continues to progress, but it will be later in 2011 before any expectation of release.

Pegasus also announced some new creatures. The first in a monster line is a new-tool Kathoga from Relic. The kit will be in the injected PVC (just like this year’s Martian) and come with a scenic base, including the Kathoga relic. They are also doing a great white shark, which will have two head poses (one with mouth closed and a separate one with it wide open, lunging for the kill).

Also on display were their diorama accessories, including some really nifty bases. I’m going to have to look further into those.

There were several repops of interest: the 1/72 Shuttle Stack, still a very nice kit despite its age, and a 1/72 B-52 and X-15 combo (the two original kits in one box - the B-52 has not been altered to accurately portray the mothership.

Hasegawa ahd a small booth and showd off their upcoming 1/35 Nutrocker/Nutcracker model. MRC is importing the Aoshima real space and Academy Leonardo Da Vinci kits.

We ran across some nifty tools in our travels. Xuron has several new hand tools with larger handles – and their new PE cutter is the best I’ve ever seen. No re-purposed surgical scissor this, but a hefty, straight-bladed snipper that means business. I’ll be looking into carrying these in the Store. The folks that bought Flexi-File have some fantastic-looking sanding sticks I have to try. Deluxe Materials from the UK had some really nifty adhesives and other supplies, including a capillary applicator for glue that has to be the best design I’ve come across, and an acrylic, water-soluble ‘superglue’ galled Roket Glue that they market for card models, but looks to be the prefect PE and clear parts adhesive as well (along the lines of Gator Glue, but a faster set). They have something called ‘Tacky Wax’ that lets you position a piece so you can bring the glue in after, and something else called ‘Liquid Gravity’ which is the last word in weights. No more smooshing fishing weights with your pliers – these are tiny pellets (probably bismuth) you pour into whatever cavity needs it (they showed a train car, but I was thinking AMT’s F7F Tigercat) so it’s weighted down. And then there was the Roket Powder: a fine powder you pour into a gap and then seal in with thin superglue. Far better – and stronger – a gap filler than most putties, and it sets faster too.

So there you have it. Wvwn in these tough times, there are a lot of exciting products coming. Hoor-ray!