In 1993, the 425th Fighter Squadron was reactivated to provide Singapore’s F-16 pilots with the latest weapons and tactical training. For the 20th anniversary of the training, certain Singapore Air Force F-16Ds were painted for the occasion.

There are roughly 140 parts in the kit, however some of them aren’t used, as they are spares for the different block version. The kit also comes with the additional spline sprue so the original tail isn’t used. There are 18 total sprues, one of which is clear, and the decals allow you to make two different tail numbers. Unfortunately you’re not given all the pieces to make it look like the box art so I deviated from the instructions a little. The only molding issue I saw was with the cockpit glass also had a line down the middle from the molding.

I've used more than a few masks on my models lately and have always been happy with the results. This X-29 set from RES-IM continues the trend and performs as advertised. Printed on yellow Kabuki type tape and laser cut, the sheet provides masks for the windscreen, canopy, and the three wheels. The only omission was the instruction sheet - there was none to be had. Fortunately, the X-29A has a very simple windscreen/canopy with frames only around the edges of the Plexiglas. Consequently, the positions of the individual masks are easy to decipher. They are also easy to see on the sheet and easily removed. Masks for the clear parts were "outlines" leaving the modeler to fill the openings. I cut some pieces from unused sections of the sheet for this task, but any suitable masking tape or liquid would suffice.

A somewhat neglected kit of a very interesting aircraft, Testors 1/48 OV-10 gets an excellent decal set from Caracal Models. For those unfamiliar with the plane, the OV-10 was designed for counter-insurgency (COIN) operations and served the US military with distinction from the Vietnam War to the first Gulf War. It is a tough plane for operating in difficult situations. This set of decals covers the Air Force, Navy, Marines and also the Venezuelan Air Force with marking for 11 planes. They are: