Review Author
Ed Kinney
Published on
October 13, 2011
Company
Scale Aircraft Conversions
Scale
1/32, 1/48, 1/72

Recommendation – most high

Well, it’s October and, as usual, Ross McMillan and company have not rested (at least for very long). This is only a guess, but with a model as potentially heavy as the 1/32nd He-111, I can’t help but think that metal gear could easily be a necessity. Also, the 1/48th Hasegawa kit (of which I have built 2) was a request from yours truly in that the plastic kit gear is weak. In any event, here are this month’s offerings. Make sure you visit their website for these and the ever-increasing selection of replacement gear available.

Book Author(s)
Alex Clark
Review Author
Bart Cusumano
Published on
October 13, 2011
Company
Osprey Publishing
MSRP
$39.95

I have a number of Osprey’s “How-To” Masterclass books in my library and have benefited from and enjoyed every one of them. This latest volume by Alex Clark is no exception. “Small-Scale Armour Modelling” (yes, I know, it’s not spelled correctly in US English) is a wonderful look at the world of small-scale armor - my favorite modeling subject.

This book (like the Osprey Steve Zaloga armor Masterclass book I reviewed earlier this year) is presented in a hardcover format with a spiral-type wire binding. I really like this feature because it allows you to use the book as a handy desk reference while working, since it stays open to the page you need without having to crack the binding to keep it open. The page stock is nice and heavy and the printing quality is top-notch, with full-color photography used throughout to illustrate many of the how-to ideas in the book.

The book is presented in eight concise and easy to read chapters. They are as follows:

Review Author
Roger Carrano
Published on
February 20, 2022
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$22.95

Eduard has recently released a few Photo Etch items for the AFV Club Nashorn kit. This review encompasses the Nashorn Ammo Boxes.

In general, Eduard has replaced the back, the top and the folding doors of these boxes, which when shown closed the hinges can be clearly seen. When the box is viewed open the doors are “collapsed” and folded on top of each other and sit on top of the box. I built it open to also show the enhancements inside and also when the model is finished I intend to show the boxes mostly loaded with ammo and with a slight weathering on the inside. If you look close you might notice that I am using the “salt method” for the weathering process.

Review Author
Robert Folden
Published on
October 13, 2011
Company
Aires Hobby Models
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$36.00

NOTE: Two cockpit sets are virtually the same, with only a few parts different.

To go along with Aires’ new A6M5 Zero wheel bay set, Aires released two cockpit sets. The sets are virtually the same, and are intended for use with the same base kit. The differences are that one set offers an A6M5 Zero, while the second set is the A6M5b Zero. The -b Zero featured various upgraded avionics within the cockpit. Comparing the two sets, minor differences are seen, including different controls and avionics boxes. As with all Aires sets the castings are well done and are cast in grey and beige resin. While the casting in grey resin was excellent in my samples, the beige castings featured quite a bit of flash, and did not seem to have the crisp detail that Aires is known for. In my opinion, this is not a fault of Aires, but more due to the type of resin used.

Review Author
Robert Folden
Published on
October 13, 2011
Company
Quickboost
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$21.95

One of the leaders in resin detailing parts, Aires recently released a detail set for the wheel bay of the Tamiya 1/36 A6M5 Zero. Cast from resin, with no flash or flaws, the set comes with the two main gear bays, detail parts, and partial gear doors. As with all Aires sets the detail is superb. I did not have the Tamiya kit on hand to compare to, but a comparison to the 21st Century Zero kit showed a serious improvement over the kit bays. It is also noted that the Aires parts do fit the 21st Century kit (it was rumored that the 21st Century kit had detail copied from Tamiya).

Once again, I am very impressed with Aires’ latest release. They have an eye for detail, and an amazing skill for casting resin parts. This is one highly recommended resin set. My thanks to Aires for providing an excellent sample for review.