Background

The Nord AS-30 is an air-to-ground missile. This two stage rocket propelled missile entered production in 1973. The initial booster section of the rocket motor exhausts on each side of the missile at the rear while the longer running sustainer rocket exhausts at the rear center of the missile. The impact speed is over 1000 mph. The missile carries a 240 kg. warhead of the semi-armor piercing high explosive type. Control of the missile is through the pilot using a small joystick to send signals to the missile. This requires the pilot to maintain sight of the missile. A later version of the AS-30 utilizes laser homing guidance for control. I am not sure if there are any visual differences between these variants. This weapon is used by the air forces of over a dozen countries.

Aires in their AEROBONUS line has started offering resin aircrew figures. This is a great initiative, because there have not been a lot of quality aircrew and ground figures for those of us who want to add one to a plane or scene; a figure can give a model context and a better sense of scale. This product lines includes pilot which are seated (molded to the ejection seat), standing and in the case of this review, climbing into the cockpit. What is nice about a climbing pilot is that you get the sense of animation as well as scale without the pilot obscuring all of the work you may have put into the cockpit.

Aires Quickboost has released an easy set to convert the AMK 1/48 Aero L-29 Delfin to the L-29R reconnaissance version. The major differences were the camera bay that fits under the forward fuselage and the installation of semi-permanent auxiliary fuel tanks on the wing tips. The supplied instructions identify proper placement of the new Quickboost parts. If you have the older Planet Models 12448 resin model kit of the Aero L-29 Delfin, this set will probably work on it as well, although I do not have that kit to test fit.

Quickboost has molded the camera bay and the auxiliary fuel tanks perfectly in light tan resin with no apparent bubbles. The Quickboost auxiliary fuel tanks and camera bay are supplied on two resin sprue with thin resin attachments to the parts that should minimize any cleanup.