We sincerely appreciate the manufacturer Kittyhawk for providing this kit to IPMS/USA for review! (and the usual thanks also to IPMS USA Reviewer corps leadership for sending the kit my way).

Kittyhawk, as a relative newcomer to the plastic model aircraft arena, is breaking new ground with each new release. First, they are delivering kits we old timers never thought we’d see. A look at their website shows a commitment to stepping up to the plate. Right now the 1/32 kits are causing extreme excitement, and rightfully so. Read on.

We customers are provided with a box espousing six marking options (one United States Air Force Gray, Two United States Marine, one Thai, and one Philippine Air Force. All are colorful options, and cover the bases for markings. By the way, the wing mounted zuni pods are NOT included in this kit; they are from a 1/32 crusader, more later.

We all need a cutting mat for our hobby area. Not just as a cutting surface, but as a work area and to prevent damaging the table/surface we are working on.

Squadron has released the latest on their tool line with a cutting mat on A3 size, with a 10x15 inch working area. One side is just plain green for general work and cutting, while the other side has a square inch pattern plus angle lines at 30, 45 and 60 degrees.

The surface is made of a self-healing material, meaning that your cuts would “heal-up” (i.e. disappear) and you will have a smooth surface to continue your work. I did a few test cuts -gentle ones, just drawing the blade on the surface- and next morning I couldn’t see any cut or “scar” for what matters.

This cutting mat is likely to last you a long, long time (I would bet at least a decade if you take care of it) plus it will protect your blades and your working surfaces. Get one, you won’t regret it.

Recommended.

John Vojtech made a big splash at several nationals a while back with his magnificent builds of a B-2 and C-130 to name a few. To build these models, John actually fabricated some of his own tools and over the years has refined them and is now selling them. This UMM-USA tool is the VojTech Hand Sanding Bar. These bars come in five convenient sizes: Extra Large, Large, Medium, Small, and Fine. Made from polished aluminum and with 6 flat surfaces, these tools are useful in many applications.

The part reviewed here is the extra-large bar. Using it is simplicity itself. Get a piece of the appropriate sandpaper cut a strip the width of the sanding bar or a little less. Wrap the sandpaper around the bar of the side you need. One end of the sanding bar is longer and comes to a sharper taper. The other is wider and not as sharp of a taper. You can also use tape to attach the sandpaper also