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Review Author
Marc K. Blackburn
Published on
Company
Italeri
MSRP
$3.50

As many modelers know, Italeri has recently released their own line of model paints. These are not formulated by another company and packaged under the Italeri label. Since I was working on a review with the Trumpeter Russian ChTZ S-65 Tractor kit, it seemed like a nice fit.

The paint comes in plastic bottles that hold 20 ml of paint. The paint is very thick, almost like craft paint, so it brushes on well, but I was interested in how it would airbrush. I thinned it down with water to about the consistency of milk and, for the most part, it seemed to airbrush well and evenly, but each person will have to use their best judgment on how thin the paint should be.

Review Author
Charles Landrum
Published on
Company
Aires Hobby Models
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$37.50

As a modeler afflicted with AMS, the one aftermarket detail that I have the greatest weakness for is a resin cockpit. This is especially true for jet cockpits, where I find it difficult to duplicate the detail. So when Aires made this cockpit available for review, I was excited, having a Kinetic F-16D on the shelf. In general, I find Aires cockpits to be very detailed, pretty accurate, and durable during fitting. However, the sets have a reputation for being ill-fitting. My experience to date has been positive, with the sets I have reviewed fitting as advertised or requiring just a little work. This set snapped that trend.

Review Author
Timothy Funnell
Published on
Company
Dragon Models
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$107.99

The Messerschmitt Bf-110, often called the Me-110, was a twin engine heavy fighter (zerstorer – German for destroyer) in service of the Luftwaffe during WW II, armed with four 7.92mm machine guns in the upper nose and two 20mm cannons in the lower nose. It was also equipped with a 7.92 mg15 defensive rear-mounted gun and could carry up to 4410 lb in bombs. The D-3 version was a long-range zerstorer with a lengthened tail for a rescue dingy, and either two 80 gal or two 240 gal drop tanks.

Upon initial inspection, the kit is very impressive in size and scale. At the same time, I have never built a 1/32 scale aircraft and found it a little overwhelming. The kit has great box art and standard Dragon instructions along with a decal sheet, 430+ parts on 17 plastic sprues, and a PE fret. The canopy sprue has 11 pieces for two different variations. At first glance at the decals, they are really crisp.

Review Author
Roger Carrano
Published on
Company
MiniArt
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$27.00

Since 2003, when MiniArt released their first kit, they have become quite a diverse company, with kits ranging from figures to tanks, with most of their emphasis on designing kits either to enhance dioramas or stand alone.

Review Author
Roger Carrano
Published on
Company
Dragon Models
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$10.95

Dragon had just added this Panzer Division set to their already large selection of plastic figure sets. The features of these figures are by far some of the best work I have seen in plastic miniatures. The facial features aren’t as soft like their competitive manufacturers have in this price range, and by far Dragon has some of the best detail, even when compared to some of the higher priced figures.