History

The prototype Roland C.II first flew in October 1915 and quickly proved to be faster than most fighters. 50 Roland C.II’s were ordered in December 1915 and was equipped with a rounded rollover hoop as well as other minor early features. The second production batch ordered in early 1916 had many improvements, including strengthened wings, and the ability to install a bomb rack between the rear landing gear legs. This version became the C.IIa and 90 were ordered. The late C.IIa, the version this model represents, had a stick type control column and an enlarged vertical fin for better maneuverability. Nearly 130 of the late C.IIa’s were built. Unfortunately, by the time they saw service the initial advantage the type had, was lost due to the advancement in fighter aircraft design. As a result most of the Roland C.IIa’s were relegated to the infantry support/ground assault role or used as escorts.

Quickboost has recently added 1/32 scale undercarriage covers for the P-40E to their aftermarket parts line. They are specifically designed to replace those in the Hasegawa 1/32 scale kit. They are designed as drop in replacements for the kit parts. With some adjustment, they should work on the Revell kit as well. Detail is marginally better than the Hasegawa kit parts, but they offer one advantage: there are no seam lines or ejector pin marks for the modeler to eliminate.

First developed for the US Navy by Raytheon in the early 1950s, the AIM-9 (Air Intercept Missile) has been a mainstay for the United States and our allies for nearly 60 years. The AIM-9B represented in this offering from Eduard was the first production model of the Sidewinder, entering service in 1956. There have been several updates over the years, and the current model in use is the AIM-9X. Raytheon and General Electric produced approximately 80,900 of the B variant, and the model is credited with one Navy and 26 Air Force victories during Vietnam.