Background

As featured in the movie Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Federation starship USS Reliant was the vessel commandeered by the despotic Khan Noonien Singh, a late 20th century superhuman product of genetic engineering. Khan first appeared in an episode of the original Star Trek TV series, “Space Seed,” where he and his crew were discovered in cryogenic stasis while drifting through space aboard the SS Botany Bay. Revived by USS Enterprise’s crew, Khan and his followers were permanently exiled on a remote planet by Captain James T. Kirk after a failed attempt to seize Enterprise.

The North American T-6 Texan was the premier advanced trainer through World War II and later. It was also used as a FAC (Forward Air Control) aircraft in Korea and Vietnam. The AT-6 was also known as the SNJ by the US Navy and the Harvard by the RAF. 61 countries have used some variant of the Texan. If you can’t find markings that interest you, just keep looking.

My personal attachment to the T-6 comes from my friend Tom Kelly, who gave me a ride in his T-6G. We went to Oshkosh for the Air Rendezvouz in 1986. You get a really respectful greeting when you arrive in a warbird, even if you’re only in the back seat.

A Thank You goes to Aires for this item to review and to IMPS/USA for allowing me to do the review.

Nicknamed the Flying Wheelbarrow by some, the de Havilland DH.100 Vampire was designed and developed during World War II. It entered service with the RAF in 1945, a little later than the Gloster Meteor. The Vampire was in front line service until 1953 and was finally retired in 1966. During that time it served with the RAF, the Royal Navy and numerous other countries around the world. In total, almost 3,300 Vampires were built.

A couple of years ago Trumpeter released a 1/48 FB Mk.9 version of the Vampire. See Pablo Bauleo’s excellent review of this kit. As Pablo mentions there is no pitot tube supplied with this kit.

Tamiya has recently released a great kit of the Jagdpanzer IV/70(V) (Stock 35340). This detail set is designed to enhance an excellent kit.

This whole detail set is meant to improve the gun, and only the gun. It provides an extra sprue to build the gun breech –in plastic, and provides an aluminum turned replacement gun.

The breech/loading mechanism builds together beautifully and without any fuss, as can be seen in the pictures. The metal barrel is flawless and incredibly smooth. So smooth that actually the paint peeled off the first time I painted it. Make sure to use a primer.

If you add this detail set, you are instructed to not install the torsos of the crew or they will interfere with the gun. The kit itself is designed in such a way that you can remove the upper hull after the kit is finished, I guess to be able to see the cannon detail. Or you can keep the hatches open and admire the detail if you have a flashlight.

History Brief

The Sikorsky Sea King became operational with the United States Navy in June 1961. When introduced, the Sea King was a considerable advancement over previous helicopters. It was used primarily for anti-submarine warfare: detecting and tracking Soviet submarines. During the Cold War, the Soviet Navy built a submarine fleet that at one point included more than 200 operational submarines. Luckily for the Soviets the highly capable Sea King never had to kill one of their subs.