The Stalin tank series was developed in the Soviet Union during WW II to deal with the German Panther and Tiger tanks. It had heavy, well-shaped armor and a powerful 122mm gun that could pierce the frontal armor of nearly any Axis tank at over one thousand yards. Its greatest drawback was that the main gun used two-piece ammunition, which slowed down the re-loading time, thus putting the tank at a disadvantage in a “shoot out” situation.

Aires has provided the Reviewer Corps with a resin replacement set of USAF/VNAF A-1H/J Skyraider wheels in 1/72^nd scale. USAF/VNAF Skyraider wheels used stamped steel rims which are different than the spoked US Navy version. This resin set will allow a more accurate build of a USAF/VNAF Skyraider.

In the Package and Product Notes

The sample review came in a plastic bag with paper instructions and vinyl paint mask. The instructions detail the use of the vinyl masks. For the Hasegawa kit, these are replacements for parts C10 & C11 (wheel & rim).

There are two (2) wheels from the traditional pour moldings for these resin replacements (not 3D generated). The quality is excellent, and the rim edges are pronounced for those who prefer to paint the rubber part of the wheel.

Review Process

I started by giving the resin part a warm soapy bath to remove any release agent. Then I cut away the flash at the base.

MMP was founded in 1996 by Roger Wallsgrove, to publish "Mushroom Model Magazine". This quarterly modelling magazine was developed from "Mushroom Monthly”, a club newsletter which ran from 1985 to 1995, achieving a world-wide reputation for quality articles, fearless and honest reviews, and a great sense of humor. From 1997 the magazine was produced in collaboration with Robert Peczkowski and Artur Juszczak (Stratus), which meant a big leap in print quality and design. MMP expanded into book publication in 1999 with Stratus, and since then they have built up a list of hard cover and soft cover titles on aircraft and aviation, naval, military vehicles, and military history. Stratus / MMPBooks are distributed in North America by Casemate Publications. One can find additional information available on their Facebook page.