Thank you to Bruce Herke of Osprey Publishing and the IPMS Reviewer Corps for allowing me the opportunity to review this in-depth and sobering history of the Army Air Corps’ operational role in the D-Day invasion. Author L. Douglas Keeney provides compelling descriptions of the challenges, dangers, and slim survival odds of European air operations.

When Steve Collins and Dick Montgomery announced that the 1/72 T-28B was available for review, I jumped at the chance. I have seen T-28’s flying, at Keesler AFB, Mississippi, when I was there in 1967, and my Guard unit flew T-28s in 1957-58 between the F-51s and the F-84s. Alas, both of these were T-28A’s, not B’s. But when I saw the back of the box, I immediately knew I had to build the one from VT-27, as it was based just down the road at Davis-Monthan AFB in Tucson, Arizona, in 1983. Some day I’ll find out what the Navy was doing flying out of DM.

THE AIRCRAFT

The North American Aviation T-28 Trojan is a piston-engined military trainer aircraft used by the United States Air Force and United States Navy beginning in the 1950s. Besides its use as a trainer, the T-28 was successfully employed as a counter-insurgency (COIN) aircraft, primarily during the Vietnam War. T-28s were built from 1950 to 1957.

Years ago, Eduard produced a photo etch set for the Monogram Devastator that really breathed some life into that venerable old kit. With the release of the new Great Wall Hobby Devastator, once again Eduard comes through with a PE set that pushes detailing well beyond the already superb lever that the kit itself provides. I had hoped to receive this set in time to use it with the GWH Devastator that I was building for IPMS review. As it turned out, the Devastator build was nearly completed before this set arrived. Nevertheless, here’s a rundown of what you get.

This new Big Ed set is a combination of four photo etch sheets and a complete set of vinyl canopy and wheel masks. The Flap sheet has supports, bracing, and flap parts for both the upper and lower wing. This is especially helpful, as there is a noticeable gap created with the joining of the kit’s lower wing to the fuselage. These parts should hide that opening completely.