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Review Author
Rob Booth
Published on
Company
Master Model
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$7.50

Master Model is a scale model metal detailing parts manufacturer located in Poland. Their lines include exquisitely detailed photo-etched and white metal replacement parts for aircraft and ships in the most commonly produced scales.

Master has produced a replacement nose pitot for the venerable old Monogram B-58 Hustler kit. Chances are that if you are tackling this aging kit, you’ll want some aftermarket goodies to dress up and/or supplement the old, brittle plastic parts where possible. The turned metal pitot is a clean plug-in replacement for the kit plastic part.

Book Author(s)
Paul R. Hare
Review Author
Brian R. Baker
Published on
Company
Albatros Productions, Ltd.
MSRP
$19.00

History

This book gives an extensive history of the BE2 biplanes acquired by the British military beginning in 1912. By the standards of the day, the BE2 was a very modern type, with wing warp lateral control, conventional biplane structure, and enough power provided by a 70 hp. Renault water cooled V-8 engine swinging a large wooden propeller. Unlike other contemporary types, the BE2 had an impressive performance, with a maximum speed of about 70 mph and a stalling speed of 32 mph., while most other types seemed to be only capable of full power flight at minimum speeds.

Review Author
Scott Hollingshead
Published on
Company
Aoshima
Scale
1/350
MSRP
$54.50

After building the Aoshima rendering of the Imperial Japanese Navy Cruiser Submarine I-16 a couple of years ago, I was interested in reviewing this release of the I-365 Transport Submarine. I took one photo for this review showing the two submarines side by side to show a size comparison of the two. Like the I-16 kit, the I-365 went together well, for the most part, and should not present too many challenges for modelers with some experience in dealing with small parts. The level of detail on the deck is good, but if I were building this for a competition, I would likely invest in a wood laminate deck and possibly photoetched rails.

Review Author
Keith Gervasi
Published on
Company
Airfix
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$17.99

History

Entering RAF squadron service in 1960, the Lightning represented a quantum leap in capability and performance over the RAF’s previous interceptor jets, offering Mach 2+ performance as well as a phenomenal rate of climb. Until its retirement in the 1980s, the Lightning had few rivals for outright speed and climbing ability, however it did have some shortcomings, most notably its lack of range as well as its limited armament of just two air to air missiles. The F3 Lightning introduced an enlarged ventral tank with later versions being equipped with over wing tanks, improving the range of the lightning further. These versions deleted the nose guns of the earlier variants, thus reducing the ability of the Lightning pilots to get in close with their opponents. They also did nothing to overcome its missile deficiency, with the Lightning still having to rely on just two missiles.

Book Author(s)
Dick Taylor
Review Author
Andrew Birkbeck
Published on
Company
Mushroom Model Publications - MMP Books
MSRP
$42.35

Thousands of books have been published over the years covering the various armored fighting vehicles utilized by British and Commonwealth forces in the Second World War, and many of them are sitting on my bookshelves, and I am sure yours. There are also numerous books on the various battles that took place involving these vehicles and the generals, officers, and enlisted men who took part. But it is rare that you get a book as detailed as this one on the individual crewmen who accompanied these machines into battle.

This book does not cover the training these men received prior to going into battle, nor does it cover their backgrounds prior to joining the armed forces. Nor does it cover the makeup of the units involved in the fighting. What it does cover, and covers it very well indeed, are the uniforms and other personal gear the AFV crews wore into battle, the badges and insignia adorning their uniforms, and their crew equipment and personal weapons.