The Aircraft

The Boeing 737 was developed in the 1960s as a low-cost development of the 707 and 727. It’s the only Boeing “narrow body” airliner still in production. There are 9 versions, ranging from 85 to 215 passengers. While not approaching the Bf-109 in numbers, the 737 is the best-selling jet airliner in history, with 6638 delivered, with 2186 more on order as of December 31, 2010 (Editor: Boeing source).

The 737 in this kit is the -400 version, with CFM-56 engines. Because of the low wing and large diameter of the engines, the lower side of the nacelle is flattened, giving a distinctive “hamster pouch” look. The -300 and -500 versions differ from the -400 in fuselage length, with the -400 being 10 feet longer than the -300 and the -500 is 8 feet shorter than the -300.

Master Model was a new name for me. I had not heard of them before nor had I seen any of their product lines. After this review sample arrived I can safely say I am more than impressed with the quality of their work! This new group from Poland has quite a line of brass detail parts on the market. Here I will be looking at one of their new sets: 1/72 WWII Japanese Type 99 20mm Mark 2 Cannon Barrels (set of 4).

Packaged in a small plastic bag, with a cardboard backing & header were four of the nicest brass parts I have seen. Master Model’s brass parts are very finely turned brass parts that look like the real thing – only much, much smaller! All I can say when I looked at these parts was “WOW – How did they do that?!?”

Number 173 in Osprey’s NEW VANGUARD series provides a concise history of FRENCH TANKS OF WORLD WAR I. In this soft cover book, author Steven J. Zaloga focuses on the three main tanks developed by France during World War I. In ten chapters, Author Zaloga describes how an innovative military concept was brought to reality, perfected and effectively employed in its intended role, and how the most successful of them soldiered on after the war and on to the brink of WW II.

Both France and Britain conceived and began developing the military tank at about the same time as an effective way of dealing with the virtual battlefield stalemate brought about by trench warfare. The book describes how France was the first to introduce the new weapon into combat and eventually fielded more of them than any other country. In the process, France arrived at a design that would become a standard for future tanks, with armament in a central turret and the engine in the rear.