Cockpit installed

P-51B Birdcage

Front detail

Porsche 935 K3 '79 LM Winner

Kawasaki KI-10

Biplanes of the 1930s and 1940s (Не-51A-1, Ki-10-II, U-2/Po-2VS)

Wheel Well

Henschel Hs-129B-2/RIII Wings, Cowlings and Things!, Part 3

Defiant Top Right

U.S.S. Defiant NX-74205

Parts

Townhouse

Sample sprue

HMS Warspite, 1915

Canopy masks

Bf-109F-2 ProfiPACK

Other detail

Fokker D.VII (Alb)

Completed Model

F4D-1 Skyray Part 3 - The Finish

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SAAB 91 Safir B/C/D
Review Author
Chris Smith
Published on
Company
Tarangus
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$49.00

Introduction

Seeing the end of WWII in sight SAAB decided to design an aircraft for the civilian market. That design, the Safir (Saphire), started as a three seater with a 147 HP Gipsy Major X inline engine. Subsequent versions had horizontally opposed four cylinder engines of 190 HP (B/C version) and 180 HP in the D model. The chief designer A.J. Anderson had previously worked for Bucker hence this aircrafts strong resemblance to the Bestmann trainer. The Safir was purchased by several air forces. The subject of this build is a SAAB 91D model operated by the Finnish Air Force, one of ten D models purchased by Finland. Several were purchased for the civilian market. A total of 323 Safirs were built.

Package

U-453 Camouflage Masking Set
Review Author
Dave Morrissette
Published on
Company
Gator Masks
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$15.00

Kenny Loup and Gator Masks and More have been around for a while supplying masking sets for ships and planes as well as Gator Grip Glues. For this review, we are looking at a masking set for U-453 in 1/72 scale for Revell’s excellent U-boat kit. U-453 was on active duty from 1941 to 1944 when it was sunk. The boat served in the Mediterranean Sea and carried a unique camouflage scheme that went with that locations. The ship had splotches of darker gray (Dunkelgrau52) which were hard edged along with an inverted V on the conning tower.

Inside the package you’ll find a long (over 3 feet) of precut vinyl masks, a picture of U-453 and instructions. The vinyl material is yellow and cut precisely to the blotches needed and the inverted “V” on the tower. There are masks for both sides. The profile drawing exactly matches the cut outs and the instructions give all the needed guidance plus contact info if there are questions. You can see by the pictures the size of the masks.

Package

US Navy Wheel Chocks (Modern)
Review Author
Dave Morrissette
Published on
Company
Hauler
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$8.50

Brengun has produced a detail set of modern US Navy Wheel Chocks. With all the 1/32 scale kit out there, these would make a great display item. The set consists of 8 nicely cast resin pieces. Four of these are the blocks, two are the rails and the last two are two tiny locks for the rails. The tread patterns and lines on the blocks is very well defined. The rails include the toothed pattern used to lock the chocks in place just like the real item. The lock are very small so caution will be needed.

Preparation of the set requires removal from the casting blocks. The large pieces are a snap. Be careful removing the rails. The resin is strong. I used a photoetch razor saw and slowly worked it off with no issues but patience is needed. Same goes for the locks. Due to the casting process, you will need a little clean up on the channel where the rail passes through. I used a sharp knife and micro file and it cleaned right up.

Cover art

Panzer II vs 7TP: Poland 1939
Book Author(s)
David R. Higgins, Richard Chasemore (illustrator)
Review Author
Marc K. Blackburn
Published on
Company
Osprey Publishing
MSRP
$18.95

In the modeling community, Osprey Publishing is well-known. I doubt that there is a modeler in this group who does not have something from Osprey in their bookshelves. They have several ongoing series that tackle a variety of topics, including the ‘Duel’ series. As the title suggests, each book concentrates on two similar pieces of equipment and how they stack up against each other. The sixty-sixth volume of the duel series tackles the opening campaign of the Second World War – the fall of Poland in the early fall of 1939. The author of the volume is David R. Higgins and the illustrator of the color plates is Richard Chasemore. At 80 pages of text, this is a fairly standard length for this series.

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Honda HSR500 “1989 WGP500 Champion”
Review Author
Tom Moon
Published on
Company
Hasegawa
Scale
1/12
MSRP
$62.99

After winning the 1988 WGP500 for Yamaha, Eddie Lawson jumped ship and went to ride for Honda. Despite extremely stiff competition at events all over the world, Eddie Lawson's finishes were consistently in the top two, with four first place finishes. With all his wins combined, Eddie won the 1989 Grand Prix Championships for the Rothmans-Kanemoto-Honda team, making him the only rider in history to win two consecutive championships with two different teams..