Master Model of Poland produces small brass parts for detailing models, be they aircraft or ships. They have parts for aircraft in 1/32, 1/35, 1/48, 1/72, and 1/144, mostly pitot tubes, refueling probes and gun barrels.

This product is a single pitot tube for a Revell 1/144 F-106. The instructions are quite simple. 1) Cut off the kit pitot. 2) Drill a hole for the brass part. 3) Install the brass part, using CA glue. 4) Paint the part.

This Master Model pitot was welcome because I had broken the pitot on my F-106, and replaced it with a piece cut from a straight pin. The replacement was too short and way too thick. The Master part fixes both of these shortcomings.

I was able to bypass part of the instructions because I pulled the pin replacement out with a pair of fine nosed pliers. This left a hole in the nose which was slightly larger than I needed to put the Master Model part in. I used gel-type CA, which also acted as a filler for the oversized hole.

Background

Hanomag (Hannoversche Maschinenbau AG) was a German producer of steam locomotives, tractors, trucks, and military vehicles in Hanover. During World War II, the car plant made military vehicle engines, a military version of their heavy tractor renamed the SS-100, and halftrack troop carriers. The single most important and iconic military vehicle to be designed and built by Hanomag during World War II was the Sd.Kfz. 251 half-track (commonly called simply "the Hanomag") with a total production numbering just over 15,000.

The Hanomag RL 20 wheeled tractor was manufactured from 1937 to 1942. The 1.9 litre, four-cylinder diesel engine produced 20 HP. At the beginning of WWII many of these tractors were put into service with the German Wehrmacht.

This kit is a special edition, re-release of the SR-71A Blackbird. This kit has markings for aircraft 17964, "Bododian Express", a SR-71A from the USAF 9th SRW Det.4 at Mildenhall Air Base England in 1981. This particular aircraft had to make a landing at the emergency recovery base for European flights, Bodo, Norway in 1981. I found the full story of the emergency at the following website - http://www.wvi.com/~sr71webmaster/bodo.html

Thanks to Ross at SAC for sending us improved metal landing gear for the new YAK-28 Firebar from a new manufacturer, Bobcat models, and thanks also to IPMS USA leadership for sending the SAC bits to me to review.

Another of SAC’s expansive line of white metal upgrades to basic kit plastic! The set consists of 15 parts: front and rear main gear, and replacements for the wing tip gear.

Model Art Modeling Magazine is a monthly periodical from Japan providing an abundance of modeling subjects in each issue. It doesn’t matter what your modeling focus is, each issue will provide something of interest for you, and more than likely, you’ll find something interesting that you didn’t know you would.

The magazine is published in Japanese, but even if you can’t read Japanese, the photography is fantastic and the old saying “a picture says 1,000 words” is very true. Each issue includes enough “work in progress” photos for even a layman to be able to follow along. The photos of the builds highlight many of the tools, materials, and techniques used by the master builders for each model built. Although I’m sure something is lost in translation, the photos go a long way in explaining the builds visually. Honestly, sometimes I find myself spending as much time looking at the many advertisements as much as I do the work in progress photos.