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Introduction: The primary organization of the IPMS/USA Review website is by IPMS/USA National Contest Class. Within each Class there are sub-menus by kits, decals, books, etc. The Miscellaneous Class is for items that are not class specific or that cross two or more classes.

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Review Author
Dave Koukol
Camden Koukol
Published on
Company
Hasegawa
MSRP
$14.99

What classic breakfast food is capable of propelling itself at “Mach 3+” and capturing the imagination of modelers of all ages? It must be none other than Hasegawa’s SR-71 Blackbird in its offbeat and popular Egg Plane Series.

Like it’s other egg-shaped cousins, this recent release is molded in a single color plastic with a sprue of clear canopy parts. Our SR came in black, and was crisply molded and snapped together in no time at all. A couple strategically-placed dabs of liquid cement ensured durability during an expected lifetime of little boy play. Camden, 6, was able to complete the majority of assembly without close supervision or assistance from “big hands” to get parts to snap together – very “kid friendly!” Overall assembly time was under an hour.

Review Author
Dick Montgomery
Published on
Company
Dutch Decal
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$18.50

This decal sheet is a “supplementary” set, meaning that it contains the “graffiti” used to mark up a specific F-104G, that being # D-8337. The markings inside the package do not include the national insignia, data, stencils, and other standardized markings that one would most likely find on any F-104 flying in the Royal Netherlands Air Force. Existing Dutch Decal markings that can be used to mark your F-104 prior to the “graffiti” being added is a product from Dutch Decal, product number “DD48043”. Just so you’ll know, these same markings are available in 1/72nd scale and 1/32nd scale, including the supplementary graffiti sheet.

The broadside, or “instruction sheet” if you will, included in the product package, contains a 4-view drawing that illustrates the location of the graffiti markings. While there is some text in English, you simply do not need any of the text to locate and apply these decals.

Book Author(s)
David Doyle
Review Author
Dave Koukol
Published on
Company
Squadron Products
MSRP
$18.95

The US Navy’s most widely-used torpedo bomber of World War II, the Grumman TBF Avenger filled a critical gap in combat capability shortly after the United States’ immersion into the war. The Grumman TBFs and license-built General Motors TBMs replaced the aging and obsolete Douglas TBD Devastator. Avengers operated in a host of roles through 1954, including torpedo bomber, level bomber, and anti-submarine duties.

Review Author
Roger Carrano
Published on
Company
Pro Art Models
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$23.99

Pro Art Models has come up with another idea for filling a simple niche with respect for modelers who build dioramas or need items to use as stowage on military and/or civilian models. This time Pro Art Models have put together 1/35 scale resin backpacks for military and civilian use. The detail is so precise that you almost can’t wait to paint them just to see how real they’re going to look. There are 10 different white resin pieces, of which there are two each (total of twenty pieces), with half being military and the other half being civilian. Even in close inspection, I could not find any apparent bubbles or flaws. Pro Art has positioned them on their resin stubs so as not to cut off any major details which would affect the detail of each piece. The handles, belts, buckles, and zippers can be seen so vividly that it seems to be almost real.

Review Author
John King
Published on
Company
Master Model
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$4.50

Master Model out of Poland has released a number of pitot tubes turned from brass. This 1/72nd F-104 pitot tube is similar to other Master Models pitot tubes in that it is turned brass and is a simple replacement for the kit part. For this review, I compared the Master Model’s pitot tube with the pitot tube from the Hasegawa F-104G. The Master Model pitot tube has a lot more finesse than the kit part, and it also looks a lot better than what the kit provides. That being said, the fit is a little loose. You can either use a little CA to solve this issue, or you can fill in the kit nose and drill out a new locating hole.

This brass pitot tube is a welcomed addition to any 1/72nd F-104 kit. It is a simple replacement to the kit part but provides a huge improvement in detail over the kit part. If you are planning on building an F-104, I highly recommend you pick up one of the Master Model pitot tubes; you won’t be disappointed.