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Review Author
Bill O'Malley
Published on
Company
Ampersand Publishing
MSRP
$9.99

Military Miniatures In Review (MMIR) is a bi-monthly publication by The Ampersand Group of armor and other military vehicles. Each issue typically contains new product reviews and detailing articles, as well as regular monthly features. The magazine is 8.5 x 11 and includes 80 pages printed on a high-quality gloss paper. MMIR is a high quality publication and my favorite modeling magazine.

Articles this issue include:

The M103, A Primer, Part 2

A walkaround and detailed photos of a M103 tank at the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment Museum at Fort Hood. This particular tank is a T43EI. Various details are shown in high-quality photographs of the tank exterior.

Review Author
Chad Richmond
Published on
Company
Pavla Models
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$16.95

Meng’s 1/72nd scale F-102’s are very nice kits with a nicely detailed cockpit interior. Of course, we all know that there is always room for improvement. The Czech company, Pavla, came out with a very nice replacement for the kit cockpit. You get eleven nicely cast parts in grey resin. Included are a new cockpit tub with detailed side panels, instrument panel, seat with seatbelts and shoulder harness and ejection seat guide rail, canopy elevating mechanism, new HUD, separate rudder pedals, new yoke and side console levers.

The instrument panel is crisply cast, but the kit gives you a nice instrument panel decal that will allow you to produce a very convincing instrument panel in this small scale. There is more detail in the Pavla instrument panel, however, so some careful painting and drybrushing can produce an exceptional instrument panel.

Review Author
Jim Coatney
Published on
Company
Iwata Medea
MSRP
$114.95

The NEO line is Iwata’s entry-level airbrush and is advertised as ideal for first-time airbrush users. Per Iwata, “Think you want to give airbrushing a try? Not sure you want to spend much to get started? The NEO is perfect for you…. AND you’ll have a great first experience! Iwata-Medea designed the NEO for the first time user.”

The Basics

The TRN1 is a gravity-feed, dual-action, internal-mix, pistol-grip brush. The paint cup is removable, and two sizes (10cc and 2cc) are included. The needle is .35mm. No air hose is included.

Impressions

This is the first-pistol grip airbrush I’ve used, and I was surprised by how immediately it felt ‘right’ in my hand. It’s heavy enough to feel solid, but no too heavy to feel cumbersome. It is nicely balanced, so I was able to get comfortable with it in short order.

Review Author
John King
Published on
Company
Pavla Models
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$29.99

Revell’s 1/72nd F-89D/J came out in the early 90’s and is a great kit. There are really only two shortfalls of the kit; the first being the lackluster cockpit and the second being the multi-part exhaust. Pavla has recently released resin detail parts for the cockpit and the exhaust.

The resin cockpit comes with twelve resin parts and two vac-formed parts. The vac-formed parts include the windscreen, canopy, and the rear blast screen. The blast screen is something that the Revell kit did not include. Overall, the resin parts are far superior to the kit parts. There was quite a bit of flash on the seats, which requires some careful trimming with a hobby knife. The cockpit set includes two rear instrument panels, one for the F-89D and one for the F-89J. The instructions call the F-89J instrument panel an “F-89C” instrument panel. Don’t let that fool you, as it is indeed an F-89J instrument panel.

Review Author
Scott Hollingshead
Published on
Company
Fujimi
Scale
1/700
MSRP
$16.99

If you are looking for something to build quickly, which I find relaxing after a particularly challenging build, you may want to consider this recent release from Fujimi.

Late last year, Fujimi re-released this combination kit of the I-15 and I-46 submarines, so I jumped on the opportunity to build these two boats once again, but with roughly twenty years of advancement in my modeling skills. The fits are good overall, making this a fun kit for both beginners and more experienced modelers with an interest in 1/700 scale WWII subjects.