Eduard continues their additions to the 1/32 scale line of armament with a pair of resin Lau-10 Zuni Rocket pods. These pods carried our 5” rockets with folding fins. There are multiple warhead configurations for these rockets. This set comes with one option which look s like standard high explosive. The set comes with fourteen perfectly cast resin pieces, a small photoetch fret and a set of decals for both pods.

Prep work is pretty straightforward as casting blocks need removed from the main body, the front and back body ends and the rocket heads. Cast into the back body end are representations of the end of the rocket and its find. There are attached with super glue and fit is good. One thing to note before committing to paint is that the resin does need a good scrubbing with soap, etc. to get rid of mold release. I added the ends, washed and primed the parts with Alclad gray primer.

Tamiya’s ever growing line of 1/48 armor kits has added one of the most produced armored figting vehicles of the Second World War, the Panzerkampfwagon IV, with this release being the ausf H version. The kit is molded in Tamiya’s standard desert yellow plastic. The tracks are plastic link and length type, and the only multi-media in the kit is two steel weights for the lower hull. Originally Tamiya 1/48 armor kits came with die cast metal lower hulls, but that has been replaced with a plastic hull in this release, with the two weights being a compromise. There is no zimmerit texture on the hull parts, a necessity for a German armor kit of this time frame. Tamiya recommends either buying their zimmerit tools and applying your own, or using the self adhesive vinyl zimmerit that they produce. I chose the latter for my build.

Master Model continues to provide delicate turned metal parts which not only provide greater detail closer to scale, but in the case of pitot tubes, are far more resilient during handling. For the modeler who chooses to take a model to a show or club meeting, indestructability is a consideration during the modeling process.

The MPM/Special Hobby 1/48 L-39 Albatros is back on the market after a long hiatus. The kit provides the aircraft’s two pitot tubes as separate moldings which are then glued to the leading edge of the wing. The pitot tubes are rather non-descript and require clean up to use. Master Model fortunately has released this set of two tubes as replacements. These are nicely turned pieces with all of the subtlety of the real tube. To use them, the modeler just needs to drill a hole in the wing after assembly of the wing and slide the tubes into the hole when the model is finished. There is plenty of base stock for attachment to the wing.