Revell graced us with the re-release of the “Can Do” and now the “Will-Do” 14 wheel Peterbuilt 359 Heavy Wrecker. This kit contains close to 700 parts of which nearly 40 are not used. The box alone is massive in size, some 20” x 14” x 5”, which sizes up well with the completed model of 18” long with everything folded up for travel. If you choose to build the kit with all the options in wrecking recovery pose it is well over 30” long and 10”wide and as much as 15” tall.

Speaking of options, both of the cab doors, the hood, and the outrigger doors can be posed in the open or closed position, the side and rear outriggers can be set as in use and the boom may be raised, extended and transversed to the left or right. I chose to build my wrecker in the travel mode but definitely played with all of the other options.

Background

First entering service in October of 1917 with French forces, the Salmson 2-A2 was enthusiastically received by its crews as a rugged and dependable improvement over earlier designs. It soon entered service with the United States Air Service in June of 1918. In its brief service with the American Expeditionary Force (AEF), a reported 705 examples of the 2-A2 were delivered, although they saw limited combat duties, and went on to serve with the occupational forces in Germany following World War I. The 2-A2 continued to serve with French forces until 1921, and saw further limited service with Russian, Czechoslovakian, Belgian, and Japanese forces. The Japanese version was built under license as the Japanese Type Otsu 1 Reconnaissance Aircraft through 1933.

This is one of Model Art Modeling Magazine special editions. The text is mainly in Japanese with some English subtitles throughout. One feature of these magazines is the high quality of the photographs and the models.

Model Art has done it again. Back in April 2013 they released "Air War Over Vietnam U.S. Navy Aircraft Part 1". This is the third followup and they have made some changes to the layout from the excellent first issue.

The magazine is laid out in several sections. The sections consist of mostly Japanese writing, but there is some English captions and wonderful color photographs.

The first couple pages consist of new releases that will soon hit the market and a New Kit Selection article. It features three of Airfix's new tool kits, the 1/48 Gloster Javelin FAW.9/9R, 1/72 Gloster J-8A /Gladiator Mk. II and 1/72 Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR.1.