Completed kit, painting in progress

Hitachi Zaxis 135US Excavator

Finished 4

Jonny Quest: The Dragonfly

Accessory Cargo Parts

German Cargo Truck L1500S

3

Volvo S40 BTCC 1997 Brands Hatch Winner

Finished model front view

Armstrong Whitworth Whitley MK V

Landing Gear, Missiles, Drop Tank

Mirage 2000 D/N

Left Side

V3000S/SSM Maultier "Einheitsfahrerhaus"

Lower Wing

Sopwith Camel F.1 “First World War Centenary”

PE Parts

Bf-109F Royal Class

Front

Dornier Do17z

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BF109E Cover

Messerschmitt Bf-109E, The Blitzkrieg Fighter
Book Author(s)
Marek J. Murawski and Jakub Plewka
Review Author
Dick Montgomery
Published on
Company
Kagero Publishing
MSRP
$29.95

Bf-109E is the most recent addition in Kagero’s Monographs Special series. The Casemate information sheet that accompanied the book states that, “This new book gives not only a thorough insight in the development, variants, technical features and camouflage of the “Emil”, but also an excellent overview of the aircraft’s service with the Luftwaffe.” True words!

Modelers vary in their focus for information regarding a subject being modeled, and this publication addresses most, if not all, of those areas of interest.

The text begins with comprehensive coverage of the Bf-109E variants. Detailed black and white images show the characteristics and design differences which separate one “Emil” variant from the next. In these 34 pages, the modeler will find much useful and detailed information that will significantly impact the authenticity of the “E” variant being modeled.

Box Art

MV-22B Osprey
Review Author
Ben Guenther
Published on
Company
Hasegawa
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$49.99

Hasegawa has produced the first production model of the Osprey VTOL transport in 1/72 scale, the MV-22B. In 1988, Italeri came out with a kit (# 175) of the preproduction version, which was designated at that time the V-22A (later to be changed to MV-22A). It would be very difficult to modify the MV-22A into the "B" model. Thankfully, modelers do not have that problem now due to Hasegawa's latest release. This article will not go into the long history of VTOL aircraft or into the difficult development of the Osprey that can be found in other sources. (such as The Dream Machine: the untold history of the notorious V-22 Osprey by Richard Whittle, 2010).

Package

Hawker Hunter Ejection Seat w/Safety Belts
Review Author
Roger Rasor
Published on
Company
Quickboost
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$8.50

Quickboost has added a well-detailed Hawker Hunter Martin Baker Mk.2H ejection seat to their growing line of detail parts. It is a replacement for the one found in the Academy (and Italeri) 1/48 scale kits and will greatly enhance the cockpit of a model built from either of those kits. It is reported that RAF Hunters were manufactured with either Mk.2H or Mk.3H seats (and some Hunters manufactured with Mk.3H seats were retrofitted with Mk.2H seats), so Quickboost has chosen to offer the MB Mk.2H. The Quickboost seat captures the look of the prototype very nicely with crisp and enhanced details and molded-in safety belts that will greatly improve the cockpit of any Hunter.

Box Art

MiG-21F-13 Fishbed
Review Author
Keenan Chittester
Published on
Company
Trumpeter
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$43.99

The MiG-21F-13 was one of the early variants of the MiG-21 series, and as far as I know this is the first injection-molded kit of the aircraft in 1/48 scale. The kit comes in an appropriately sized box with some nice artwork on the cover. Inside the box, there are 9 sprues of cleanly molded medium grey parts, four of which are dedicated to underwing and under fuselage stores. Most of the major parts have their sprue attachment points molded on the mating surface, rather than on the edge of the part, which means that you don’t have those ugly sprue attachment areas to deal with when cleaning up the seams. I thought that was a nice touch and I hope that other manufacturers will start molding their kits in the same way. The panel lines are recessed and nicely done, and the rivet detail is present but restrained. The surface seems to have a very slight roughness to it, but it disappears under a coat of primer.

Parts

Radio Compartment Details for HK B-17
Review Author
Rod Lees
Published on
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$33.00

This is part 4 of our long review of Eduard PE parts for the HK B-17 kit. The usual thanks to Eduard for providing us these sets…

The radio compartment on the B-17 had a large clear panel over it. On earlier aircraft, including some “G”s, the cover would drop down and slide forward, providing an emergency exit in case of ditching or belly landing, and was also provided with provision for a .50 caliber hand-serviced weapon. On later “G”,s such as the HK kit, this window could be removed, but was fixed in place, along with a standard “through the plexiglas” gun mount for the gun. Made for a much-less windy situation for the crew at -60 degrees below farenheit wind chill…