Reviews

Review Author
Pat Villarreal
Published on
Company
ICM
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$122.00

ICM has reboxed its He 111 kit for a unique Captured Heinkel scheme in 1/48th scale. The Part 2 review is a continuation and conclusion of what was written from Part 1.

Review Process for Part 2

This is a box stock build with no aftermarket products used during the assembly process. From Part 1, we move on to painting and final assembly.

The landing gear parts are thin and fragile. It is highly recommended to use good side cutting nippers to remove them from the sprue tree. For assembly, I used the wheel wells as a jig to put the parts together but waited to permanently install them later down the road after painting.

The model is primed with Mr. Surfacer 1000 gray. The engine nacelles, vertical tail edges, rudder, and some windows were painted flat white in preparation for masking to match the box illustration.

Book Author(s)
Managing Editor: Robert Tisdale
Review Author
Frank Landrus
Published on
Company
The Great War Aviation Society
MSRP
$20.00

The non-profit UK based group known as the Great War Aviation Society publishes their journal, Cross & Cockade International, four times a year. Issues are available in English as printed [Softbound, A4 (8.27” x 11.69”), 80 pages plus centerfold] as well as digital copies (or both). A new magazine, Contact!, is now available in both print and digital download. The Society also provides a free newsletter (sign up on their website) and occasionally publish WWI themed books like the Sopwith Dolphin monograph I reviewed earlier for IPMS USA. This Journal is the sister of the US Journal, Over The Front. The Great War Aviation Society also hosts a lecture series available through Zoom. If interested, you will need to register early as the call is limited in attendance.

Book Author(s)
Michael Claringbould and Peter Ingman
Review Author
Andy Taylor
Published on
Company
Avonmore Books
MSRP
$48.95

If you believe the Pacific Air War, particularly the Solomons and Southern Pacific theaters haven’t been properly chronicled, you have never heard of author Michael Claringbould. As a fan of his Pacific Profiles series, I was eager to read more of his series, and I was not disappointed. I was introduced to Peter Ingman in this book and thrilled to learn that he partnered with Michael Claringbould for the aforementioned series with three volumes of the Solomons Air War and this, the sixth volume of the South Pacific Air War.

From the Casemate Publishers website,

Volume Six of this series chronicles aerial warfare in the New Guinea theatre in the critical period of January to March 1943. It can be read alone or as a continuation of the previous five volumes which span the first thirteen months of the Pacific War.

Review Author
Andy Taylor
Published on
Company
ICM
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$27.00

The Armed Forces of Ukraine use a wide variety of trucks for different purposes. One notable example is the all-wheel drive ZiL-131, which was mass-produced throughout the 1970s and 1980s for both civilian and military use. Known for its high reliability and exceptional off-road capabilities, the truck proved versatile in many applications.

In the Armed Forces of Ukraine, some of these vehicles received field modifications—being equipped with heavy machine guns or light artillery weapons. Notable examples include ZiL-131 variants fitted with DShKM heavy machine guns, mounted on various pedestals or mounts in their cargo beds. These modifications transform the trucks into fire support vehicles, capable of engaging lightly armored targets and slow-moving aerial targets.

Book Author(s)
David Doyle
Review Author
Frank Landrus
Published on
Company
Schiffer Publishing
MSRP
$24.99

David Doyle's book on the US Coast Guard Cutter 37 is one of the latest entries in the 'Legends of Warfare' series with entries in Ground, Naval, and Aviation. Schiffer Publishing’s The Legends of Warfare series has expanded rapidly since its 2017 debut in the market with now over 100 titles released. This hard cover series covers a wide variety of monographs at a good price point. Catch up with Schiffer Publishing at https://www.facebook.com/schifferpublishing.

Review Author
Mr. Harold Osburn
Published on
Company
Italeri
Scale
1/56

The Tiger I, or Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger Ausführung E, remains one of the most iconic tanks of World War II. Its reputation for firepower, armor, and sheer presence on the battlefield has made it a favorite for scale modelers. In 2015, Italeri offered a New Tool 1:56 scale rendition of this legendary vehicle that targeted the Wargame Community.

Inside the box, you get two sprues, both sealed individually, a set of directions and a set of decals for two similar paint schemes.

First is Tiger ‘3’ from Schwere Panzerabteilung 508 (Heavy Tank Battalion 508) in Italy, September of 1944.

Second is Tiger ‘211’ from Heavy Tank Battalion 504 in Italy, early 1945.

Both paint schemes have a Dunkelgelb base with Olive Green and Red Brown wavy stripes covering the entire tank. Color references are provided.

Review Author
Chris Vandegrift
Published on
Company
Syhart Decal
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$16.27

A great surprise upon opening these decals is finding a set of masks as an alternative to the decals themselves. Then the secondary surprise was finding out that you’re provided enough information to do either the 2001/2002 early type or the 2003/2004 late type Demo scheme. This isn’t obvious from the cover sheet for the decals so it was definitely nice to find in the package. Someone who really knows the display teams would probably recognize the different schemes by year without needing a reference on the cover page. The decals are for the early type and the masks are for the late type. The decals on what I’m learning are a classic dark blue and white background for Syh@rt, making them stand out clearly. All of the decals for the paint scheme are in the gloss black striping. The modeler will need to paint all of the other shades of gray and silver.

Book Author(s)
Stefan Draminksi
Review Author
David Wrinkle
Published on
Company
Kagero Publishing
MSRP
$37.00

For some time now, I have been wanting to check out a Kagero publication. I see them for sale at the IPMS shows from time to time and I can’t believe I waited this long to get my hands on a copy. The only Aircraft Carrier I have in my stash is the Akagi so I thought this a fitting edition to start with. First of all, I have to say I was gob smacked at the quality of the print. The book is softbound, and contains amazing color images on a full color, gloss A4 sized paper.

Review Author
Andy Taylor
Published on
Company
ICM
MSRP
$12.99

ICM continues to be prolific with both kits and paint sets. The Acrylic Paint Set for F-16 continues this trend and consists of six 12ml wide-mouthed paint bottles. The packaging includes a picture of a Ukrainian Air Force F-16AM in the typical USAF three-gray color camouflage scheme. The back shows a three-profile view (top, left, and right) of the F-16AM with color callouts. This paint set is designed to be used with ICM’s recent release of their F-16AM of the Ukrainian Air Force (Kit No. 72145).

Thanks to Cybermodeler Online for the quick paint reference. The colors include: