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Review Author
Floyd S. Werner Jr.
Published on
February 2, 2011
Company
Aires Hobby Models
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$20.00

Anyone who knows me knows I love the Bf-109 so when given the opportunity to review this set I jumped. Aimed at the Academy G-14 this is molded in light grey and clear resin, the cockpit set consists of ten grey resin pieces, one clear resin piece, a fret of PE and a clear acetate film. The level of detail is exquisite.

The resin side walls contain some of the best looking detail I’ve ever seen in a 109 cockpit. The modeler will have to do very little to get a great looking cockpit. Simply adding some PE parts and a good paint job would make this a good first upgrade for someone breaking into the aftermarket for the first time. One unique thing is the inclusion of a clear resin piece for the head armor. This ensures that the thickness of the armor panel is quite appropriately thick. Simply add a piece of PE to the top of it and the look is complete.

Review Author
Floyd S. Werner Jr.
Published on
February 2, 2011
Company
Aires Hobby Models
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$13.00

Designed for the Hasegawa kit this wheel well set is molded in light grey blemish and bubble free resin. The set includes two wheel wells and the six landing gear doors. Not included is the tail wheel well. The detail inside of the wheel wells is remarkable and suitably impressive. The hydraulic plumbing is very well represented. The actuators are represented and the modeler will have to use a wire to show the moveable part but that is very easy for any modeler.

Although designed for the Hasegawa kit this set should fit the Academy F4U-5 as well. I’m not familiar with any significant differences in the wheel wells. With careful painting the detail included should be quite noticeable.

Highly recommended

Thanks to Aires and IPMS/USA for the review copy

Review Author
Floyd S. Werner Jr.
Published on
February 2, 2011
Company
Aires Hobby Models
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$20.00

Molded in light grey and cream colored resin, the cockpit set consists of eight resin pieces, a fret of PE and a clear acetate sheet. The level of detail is exquisite. How they molded the control stick to the floor I will never know. These guys are incredible.

The parts breakdown is very logical. The instrument panel is a three piece affair incorporating a resin background, clear acetate film and a PE front. This makes for quite a nice looking cockpit. The rest of the cockpit builds up pretty conventionally, however the detail is anything but conventional. It is superb.

The cockpit will add dramatically to your Corsair. With a little bit of work I’m sure you can use this set in other kits as well.

Highly recommended

Thanks to Aires and IPMS/USA for the review copy

Review Author
Marc K. Blackburn
Published on
February 2, 2011
Company
Great Wall Hobby
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$63.00

Background

The Schwere Wehrmachtschlepper (SWS) was a heavy half track manufactured by Bussing-NAG and Tatra from December, 1943 to March, 1945. To streamline production, the SWS was simple to produce when compared to the Sdkfz 251 series. Approximately 825 were built. Beginning in mid-1944, an armored cab version was introduced and utilized for mobile flak guns. While this vehicle may not qualify as a paper panzer, it’s pretty close. I found one very fuzzy photograph on line, so it did exist; however there are no production figures for the variant depicted in this kit and so one can only assume that the numbers were low.

Book Author(s)
Tony Holmes, Cover Art by Gareth Hector
Review Author
Perry Downen
Published on
March 4, 2022
Company
Osprey Publishing
MSRP
$17.95

In the early months of WWII much of the air war in Western Europe and Southern England was carried on between Spitfires, Hurricanes and Bf 109s. Having gained a degree of success over Poland, Norway and France, German introduced its “heavy fighter,” the Bf 110 Zerstörr, into the fray. The story of how the Hurricane in particular bested the highly touted twin-engine fighter is covered in this book.

This soft bound 7-1/4” X 9-3/4” book consists of 80 pages.

The book contains numerous black and white period photographs. Each photograph is accompanied by a block of text explaining the action or activity seen. Artist Jim Laurier has provided full-color three-view, cockpit drawings and armament views of the two planes. The quality of this artwork is excellent. The cockpit drawings have each instrument, handle, lever, and switch numbered and identified.

The table of contents contains: