I recently received the Hasegawa 1/48 scale F6F-5 Hellcat “Pacific Aces” version. This is a very nice kit, and I was actually impressed by the details, especially in the cockpit. From my research, this is a re-release of their previous F6F-5 with a new set of decals covering a few late war aces. The two planes you have the option to build are ‘White 115’ of VF-83 from the USS Essex which was actually flown by three different Ensigns (Donald McPherson, Bill Kingston Jr. and Lyttleton Ward), and ‘White 12’ of VF-31 from the USS Cabot flown by Lt. J.G. Ray Hawkins.

This is the newest title in Osprey Publishing’s Modelling Masterclass series. Written primarily by Brett Green (author of several other Osprey books and webmaster of the Hyperscale website), this book covers several model builds of Luftwaffe jets, as well as some historical information.

The book itself is in a very sturdy format. The covers are thick, glossy, and hard, and they enclose over 180 pages of text and photos. The pages are spiral bound, so this book lies completely flat when opened to any page – a very nice feature if you are using this reference at the model desk. All the pages are of medium-weight paper, and in a satin finish. All the model photos are in full color, and there are also many black and white photos in the historical sections.

There are 7 chapters in this book, as well as tables at the end listing references and available kits of the subject.

Once again, Archer Fine Transfers is out with another awesome product which will be helpful to the diorama builders. This particular sample is the U.S. Victory Posters set. It consists of twenty Victory Posters of the WWII era which include posters like the “I Want You” poster to the “Victory Garden” poster, and even some posters that the younger crowd has probably never seen. Some are serious and some have a mild comedic effect about them. They definitely reflect the mood of the times. These posters can even be used in the interiors of models as pin-ups.

The set is in 1/35 scale and is made with waterproof inks. This becomes very important because the major difference between this product and the usual transfers that need to be burnished is that these posters will have to be cut out and glued on. Mildly diluted white glue is enough to make them stick to almost anything, and after drying a coat of clear paint or varnish should hold them down indefinitely.