Quote Originally Posted by john zulu View Post
Quite curious as to what project requires this new plane? Beading or hollow perhaps?
Relative to the small plow it adds support for reeding cutters, fluting cutters, and larger beading cutters. I expect that it's also a bit more "confident" with wide plow and tongue cutters than the small plow with its optional second skate. It adds nickers on both skates, which are significant when working cross grain. Finally, it appears to have a number of usability refinements, which are always welcome in a combination plane.

I don't think it can support hollows or rounds, unless it can accept the 45's "accessory soles" and corresponding cutters (does anybody know if it can?). To support non-trivial applications of hollows/rounds/etc without a dedicated sole the second skate needs to move in the vertical and the fences need to rotate. Not coincidentally those happen to be the major differences between the 45 and 55. The Veritas combo plane appears not to have either feature.