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Introduction: The primary organization of the IPMS/USA Review website is by IPMS/USA National Contest Class. Within each Class there are sub-menus by kits, decals, books, etc. The Miscellaneous Class is for items that are not class specific or that cross two or more classes.

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Review Author
Fred Wilms
Published on
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$33.00

Items in the Box

The items are made from photo-etched sheets, two in quantity, made from metal. The assembly instructions are a fold out sheet, printed both sides.

Construction

The build is very basic, as I followed the instruction sheet. Many tiny parts are noted on the photos enclosed.

Finish

None. Same as exterior of aircraft.

Conclusion

The items went on the model well. Care must be taken as the parts are tiny. I would like to thank IPMS and Eduard for allowing me to review this product.

Review Author
Fred Wilms
Published on
Company
Fine Molds
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$62.00

History

The type 73 light truck is one of a series of light utility vehicles used in the Japanese self-defense forces. JSDF deployed these vehicles from 1973. Almost all of them were phased out by 2010.

Items in the box

The model is made of injection molded plastic, olive drab in color. The instructions were made up of a foldout form, printed on both sides. Clear molded plastic window and headlight lenses were supplied.

Review Author
Scott Hollingshead
Published on
Company
Quickboost
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$5.75

Attached to the front of the powerful Pratt & Whitney 2000 horsepower R-2800 that moved the Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat was a thirteen foot, one inch Hamilton Standard propeller. This new release from Quickboost provides a replacement for the kit-provided propeller, and is a nice upgrade for the Cyber Hobby kit. The detail set comes with a single runner with the four parts attached, as well as the tool used to set the proper pitch on the propeller blades. If you have some experience in working with resin, this will be an easy upgrade to put to use, and if you have little or no experience with resin, this could be a good item to start with.

Review Author
Scott Hollingshead
Published on
Company
Cyber-Hobby
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$34.95

Cyber-Hobby has recently entered the model aircraft community, and their latest offering is that of a 1/72 scale F6F-3 Hellcat. The kit builds up reasonably well, with good fit for most of the parts, and options such as extended or retracted landing gear, open or closed canopy, and extended or retracted wings. Cyber-Hobby also does a nice job of including the markings for six different squadrons, and in the case of VF-27, there are markings for three different planes with the legendary “cat mouth” motif. The kit itself contains 124 light gray parts spread across seven sprues, as well as 5 clear parts on a single sprue and 4 photoetch pieces on a single fret. The directions are on eight pages (a single sheet of paper with three folds), and are printed in black and blue. The kit will make a great addition to the collection of any modeler who is interested in the venerable Hellcat in this scale.

Review Author
Luke R. Bucci, PhD
Published on
Company
Master Model
Scale
1/700
MSRP
$9.00

History

In the mid-1930s, Italy began design studies for a new naval antiaircraft gun to replace the 100mm/40 mounts, which was too slow to elevate and track modern aircraft. After calibres from 6-127 mm were evaluated, Regia Marina opted for a compromise between firepower, rate of fire, and system weight. Ansaldo did the initial design work and developed the 90mm/50 Ansaldo 1938, OTO 1939 model heavy antiaircraft gun and stabilized mount. Performance was similar to the famed German 88mm, and these guns remained in service for many years after WW2. These guns were installed in the Littori class battleships and the reconstructed battleships Andrea Dorea and Duilio. Plans for fitting out other ships were never carried out. Although the guns were satisfactory, the stabilization system was prone to breakdowns and the ammunition had limitations.

The Parts