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Review Author
Tim Wilding
Published on
Company
Trumpeter
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$31.95

The Soviet Union introduced the NKL-16 Aerosan during World War II, based on the earlier NGL-6. It was constructed from plywood and powered by a radial airplane engine. It ran only on skis and was designed for frozen lakes or snow-covered tundra.

This Trumpeter kit contains 151 parts on nine sprues, a clear window sprue, a short piece of copper wire, and a whopping 86 photo etched parts. Most of these PE parts are for the mounts on the skis and door hinges. The copper wire is to be cut to make ski cables, an engine part, and a probe for the front. We get a detailed dashboard to be used with the only decals with the kit – the five gauges on the dash, which you can kind of see through the windshields.

Book Author(s)
Andrew Thomas
Review Author
Mike Van Schoonhoven
Published on
Company
Osprey Publishing
MSRP
$22.95

This book follows the operational use of the Spitfire starting in Australia, moving into India, then onto Rangoon, The East Indies, and then with the last mission being flown on 10 August 1945. The last mission that day was a search for a Mosquito in distress.

The author takes you on a journey as the book goes along, using many first-hand accounts and after-action reports. It is interesting to read about how these pilots had thought that they had encounter one type of Japanese plane only to find out through the author’s research that it was a different type. Just goes to show how in the heat of combat everything becomes a blur and you just start relying on your training.

Review Author
Jeffrey Brown
Published on
Company
Master Box Ltd
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$42.95

This review is of the Master Box German Military Staff Car, WWII Era, Sd.Kfz.1 Type 170 VK, also known as the Mercedes Benz 170 VK. Since I am a lazy typist I am going to refer to this as the “Mercedes” during this review.

Well, this is one of those kits that is different, and therefore a welcome challenge. The kit consists of three main builds: the engine, the frame, and the carriage.

The engine is a complete engine minus the wiring and oil leak. It is a really neat thing to have, and it is INCLUDED! No extras to buy, no aftermarket stuff, but included. It went together without any problems. There is a little flash to clean up on the fan, but that was minor.

Next step is the frame, which also went together without any difficulties. There was some minor flash to clean up, but nothing too bad. The engine gets attached to the frame, and then everything is attached to the underside of the body.

Book Author(s)
Michael G. Johnson
Review Author
Ken McDevitt
Published on
Company
Osprey Publishing
MSRP
$17.95

This is another fine publication in Osprey Publishing’s Men-at-Arms series. There are 10 books in the series that covers the Indians of America. This publication covers the Indian tribes of the Southwest, which is mainly Arizona and New Mexico and some of the surrounding states. The contents cover the history of the tribes, the Spanish Invasion, and the approximately 35 tribes in the Southwest. This number includes all the major tribal groups along with their sub-tribes. There is a description of the major tribal groups and their main characteristics, hunting, gathering, and customs. The section on language and tribal accents is particularly interesting. The major tribes of Ute, Apache (with 4 variants), Navajo, Zuni, Hopi, and Pueblo are covered, as well as marginal tribes. Numerous photographs from circa 1870 up to 1910 are included, along with color art work, maps, and illustrations.

Content overview:

Review Author
Dick Montgomery
Published on
Company
Scale Aircraft Modelling
MSRP
$7.00

The June issue features a build of the classic F4U-4 Corsair by HobbyBoss. This six-page article by Brian Wakeman will serve as an excellent reference for anyone wishing to build the F4U-4 early version. Brian’s article details the process he used to build the kit and then to weather the model. The end result is stunning. Brian includes a list of the supplies he used to achieve the spectacular results seen in the images.

Brian’s article is immediately followed by a companion article by James Ashton. James uses the companion kit to HB’s #80386 Corsair, by using HB’s #80387 F4U-4 late. This article also provides a rich and detailed storyline of the build process. James weathered with acrylic over lacquer, separated by a coat of AKI fluid. The end result is a truly spectacular weathered effect. The article, similar to Brian’s, includes a list of materials used and is augmented by images that are rich in detail and superb in quality.