With development beginning in 1946, the Hughes AIM-4 Falcon, or more precisely, a version of a missile that would become the Falcon, was first launched for testing in 1949, and would become the first operational air-to-air missile of the U.S. Air Force. The AIM-4D, or GAR-2B, was the final version of the original missile, and around 4000 of these missiles were built with the first of them entering service in 1963. The missile had a less than spectacular combat record in Vietnam claiming five aircraft (four MiG-17’s and a single MiG-21) for 54 missiles launched, and by 1973, the AIM-4D was no longer operational. The missile was 79.5 inches long, had a 20-inch wingspan, and weighed 135 pounds. Travelling at Mach 3 on its solid fuel Thiokol M58 rocket, the missile had a range of six miles to deliver the 7.6-pound warhead.

Aires Hobby Models has come out with an excellent upgrade for the Trumpeter MiG-23 MF / ML kits with their Correct Air Intakes set. There are six parts cast in a durable resin material along with four resin clear parts. The Aires parts provide improved air intake detail. The instructions show where the additional parts go and then its simply a swap out for the Trumpeter intakes.

Aires has molded the air intakes perfectly in tan resin with no apparent bubbles. The Aires air intakes are supplied on a four resin sprue with thin resin attachments to the parts that should minimize any cleanup.

Although most paints will adhere to resin alone, I would recommend that washing the parts to remove any remaining mold release and prime them first. They will need to be installed with your favorite CA (super glue) or epoxy, as the normal plastic glues or solvents will not react with the resin.

Sincere appreciation to Model Rectifier for providing yet another review item, and to the IPMS USA reviewer corps leaders for sending it to me!

The progeny of this kit goes back to 1992, when it was first released by Academy. It has been available on several occasions with different markings, and parts of it (Most notably the wings and stabilizers) have been re-released as a B-50 and a KC-97 with appropriate additional sprues to address the major differences on these aircraft. I originally reviewed this kit back then, and can say the same observations on that kit are valid today.