For many modelers the airbrush is one of the most significant tools that they possess, and it can also be one of the most finicky tools. If not kept clean then the airbrush will not provide the “quality” paint job for which it was purchased in the first place. We all have our accessories for cleaning these devices and I found a “cleaning set” by Iwata that combines a number of these tools into one package. Don’t tell the Iwata folks but I also use a Grex, a Badger, and a Passche, and I’ve found that the Iwata Cleaning Kit works on all of the airbrushes.

The price varies from around $20 to $28.95, the former being a “sale” price and the later being the MSRP. Do some shopping and you’ll find a low price. Also be aware that these items are popular and it is not uncommon to find them “out of stock”.

Inside the plastic box are some items that you’ll recognize and some that you won’t, so let’s look at each item and its purpose.

Special Hobby provided this kit to IPMS in August, 2013. “Real life” intervened and the original reviewer thought it best to return the item so another reviewer volunteer to take on the review. That process began in mid-October, 2014 and the kit was completed in mid-December, 2014.

Instruction Sheet

Error – Page 13, Shows two part “PUR 13”s. The upper illustration (Step 20) uses two arrows to indicate the correct placement of two rear-facing machine gun barrels. These barrels are centered on a small ridge formed by the trailing edge of the cowl where it fairs into the upper wing skin. The arrow showing the placement of the port-side barrel is in error. Both barrels should be centered on the aforementioned “ridge” on both the starboard and port sides. Further, machine guns were not installed on the “B” version but were installed on the “C” version according to “Warplanes of the Third Reich”.

Quickboost has added a highly detailed set of P-40E Warhawk exhaust pipes to their aftermarket parts line that can be used to replace the two-part ones found in Hasegawa’s 1:32 scale kits (Note that the pipes are correct for the early P-40Es [and Ds] that had the circular shaped pipes). The twelve one-piece Quickboost pipes provided in this set allow model builders to avoid the repetitious assembly of the kit’s 24 parts, thereby making the whole process of installing exhaust pipes a bit easier and faster (see the comparison photo below of the Quickboost parts and the kit parts that had been pre-painted on the sprues). In addition to the convenience they offer, the Quickboost pipes will add a little higher level of detail. They capture the look of the prototype very nicely with crisp (and more refined) details that include the raised weld beads that easily can be lost when assembling and cleaning up the kit parts.