One problem that has plagued ship modelers for years is trying to replicate the “cage” masts which first appeared on the South Carolina battleship series. Kits have tried to replicate them in plastic and it just can’t duplicate the fineness. Photoetch has been done but it requires a deft hand to bend and even then, it’s flat. Enter 3D Model Parts. This set contains two masts for USS Colorado/Tennessee class ships which require both masts. The masts are done in orange plastic and come two to a set packed in a sturdy plastic tube in a pouch. Instructions include where to cut. These are printed parts and printing is starting to make a real inroad to the hobby.

The Product

My sample arrived in the standard Brassin blister package, a folded paper information/assembly guild doubles as the cover art. Also included are fourteen pieces of resin in varying shades of grey and a small photo-etch fret. The parts clean up easily and are very highly detailed. The photo-etch parts are extremely small and delicate. The instructions are easy to understand and covers the build in four steps. However, the Bren gun can be configured in several options (see Eduard’s photo attachments). The most distinct option is the drum or clip types of magazines. The set also contains a bag for empty shells and support legs.

The Build

The build was completed in a couple of hours and proved almost non eventful. All the pieces fit very nicely and build an impressive 1/35th gun. The photo-etch parts were the hardest thing involved, simply because of their size.

Introduction

June 6, 1944 “D” Day was the day when the allied armies crossed the English Channel en mass and landed on the beaches of Normandy to begin the slow march across Western Europe This battle was the start of the allies invasion which ended in Berlin with Hitler’s surrender. 2014 marked the 70th anniversary of this monumental event. Each day, we lose more of those who participated or lived through this battle. Kits, like this one, help us (and especially the younger builders out there) remember what happened on that day and why it was so important to the course of WWII. The P-51 has been covered by many other sources, as has the “Bluenose” 352nd Fighter Group based in Bodney Norfolk, UK.

Brief History of the Marque

The first generation Challenger bowed its head in 1969 and was a stable mate to the Plymouth Barracuda, the original Chrysler “pony car” to play in that segment as started by Ford’s Mustang. The second generation “Challenger” from 1978 to 1983 was a badge engineered Mitsubishi Galant Lambda. The current generation of Challengers was introduced in early 2008 again to do battle with the fifth generation Mustang and Camaro segments that were exploding in popularity.

The P-40B kit from Airfix has been pretty popular because of good detail, accurate interior and a great price. But for those of you who want to add that bit of extra something, this set is for you.

You get eight pieces of nicely cast resin just as we have come to expect from Aires. The pieces fit inside the fuselage behind the cockpit area and are not replacement parts for any kit parts.

Construction looks fairly simple once you cut off the casting blocks. Removing the radio door molded on the left fuselage shouldn’t be too hard, drill a hole and then use files to clean up the corners. The only other modification to the kit is to remove one of the kit alignment tabs on the right fuselage.

Then it is simply a matter of adding the interior piece and the radio parts. Attach the supplied door in the open position after painting and you are done. Test fitting looks like you may not even have to shave down any of the inside fuselage for the interior piece.