When the name John Vojtech is mentioned in the Modeling community, one of the first things that comes to mind if you are familiar with him is the level of detail usually associated in his models. Through John's desire for a higher level of detail he has created his own tool line to make it easier for modelers to achieve this level in their own models.

The Mini Punch and Die set is made with hardened steel and will allow you punch plastic and metal discs in sizes of 0.6, 0.8, 1.0, 1.2, 1.4 and 1.6. I found the punches to be very sharp so you don't have to apply a lot of pressure and makes a nice clean cut. This set is great for adding those little details found in many different types of models.

Just what the doctor ordered, a new seat for the Zvezda kit. The Zvezda kit offers an excellent cockpit, engine and everything else. It’s an awesome kit but its weakest point is the seat. The folks at Quickboost have come to the rescue with this excellent casting that includes safety belts. Besides this seat being overwhelmingly superior to the kit part, I will be using this seat over the Aires seat provided in the Aires cockpit set #4629. Personally I prefer a seat with well-molded seat belts to the photo-etch ones. As you can see in the photographs it’s a must have if you plan on building any of Zvezda’s La-5/LA-5F/LA-5FN and it should work with any La-5 kits available.

Bottom Line

I recommend this part for your next La-5 build and would like to thank; Quickboost, Aires and IPMS for the opportunity to present this piece to my fellow IPMS brothers and sisters.

Model Art has long set the standard for excellence when it comes to covering modeling subjects related to Japanese military history. The Model Art No. 06 publication is no exception, covering the Mitsubishi Zero variants.

The publication covers the A6M3, A6M5, A6M5 Night Fighter, A6M5C, A6M7, and A6M8. While coverage of the Zero variants dominates this issue, there are some other aircraft highlighted in some short “build” articles as well.

Beginning on page 96, Model Art changes the era of coverage from WWII to modern times with a great article on a 1/32^nd F-104J in JASDF markings. Eight pages filled with excellent images provides the reader with a visual “how to” for a natural metal paint scheme and some super detailing on the engine and in the cockpit.