Another awesome kit from Plus Models is a milling machine which would fit in many dioramas such as an auto or machine shop. The kit is a true multimedia kit with 29 resin parts, a photo etch fret, a length of wire and decals to make a duplicate of a LeBlond No. 3 Plain Milling Machine. The parts are perfectly cast and the photoetch is nicely engraved. The decals represent the metallic plates on the machine and are excellent also.

Construction involves removing a lot of casting gates. This is true for all parts except the sprue that have the handles. Once the gates are removed, I added the motor and main arm to the base. I also added the controls and electrical boxes and the main arms and the end guard. I left off tray and adjustment guide as they can be added later. The main drive belt guard was also added. I also made the mistake of adding the tiny handles to all of the arms. More on that later. I also assembled the parts for the tray and adjustment guides.

The “original” Mini was produced from 1959 to 2000 by the British Motor Corporation and its successors, British Leyland and the Rover Group, designed by Alec Issigonis and marketed under the Austin and Morris badges. The Mini Cooper was the “Sports” option that was developed by legendary race car maker John Cooper. The key here is that not all Minis are Coopers although most Americans know the Mini line of cars as “Mini Coopers”.

Ultracast has released a series of four highly detailed resin seats for early P-40s. This, the third one in the series (#48257) correctly represents the early square back export style seat with British Sutton harness that was standard issue for Curtiss P-40 Tomahawk fighters that were in service with the RAF, RAAF and SAAF. One seat comes packaged in a zip-lock bag stapled to Ultracast’s familiar folded card. The seat is cast in a light tan color resin and comes on a small casting block with a minimum amount of casting flash that is easily removed with a sharp #11 blade.

The review sample was first airbrushed with Mr. Color Interior Green and details were hand brushed with Vallejo acrylics. As the photo below shows, the finely cast details sculpted into this seat come alive when they are painted.