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Book Author(s)
David Doyle
Review Author
Dave Koukol
Published on
Company
Squadron Products
MSRP
$18.95

The US Navy’s most widely-used torpedo bomber of World War II, the Grumman TBF Avenger filled a critical gap in combat capability shortly after the United States’ immersion into the war. The Grumman TBFs and license-built General Motors TBMs replaced the aging and obsolete Douglas TBD Devastator. Avengers operated in a host of roles through 1954, including torpedo bomber, level bomber, and anti-submarine duties.

Review Author
Roger Carrano
Published on
Company
Pro Art Models
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$23.99

Pro Art Models has come up with another idea for filling a simple niche with respect for modelers who build dioramas or need items to use as stowage on military and/or civilian models. This time Pro Art Models have put together 1/35 scale resin backpacks for military and civilian use. The detail is so precise that you almost can’t wait to paint them just to see how real they’re going to look. There are 10 different white resin pieces, of which there are two each (total of twenty pieces), with half being military and the other half being civilian. Even in close inspection, I could not find any apparent bubbles or flaws. Pro Art has positioned them on their resin stubs so as not to cut off any major details which would affect the detail of each piece. The handles, belts, buckles, and zippers can be seen so vividly that it seems to be almost real.

Review Author
John King
Published on
Company
Master Model
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$4.50

Master Model out of Poland has released a number of pitot tubes turned from brass. This 1/72nd F-104 pitot tube is similar to other Master Models pitot tubes in that it is turned brass and is a simple replacement for the kit part. For this review, I compared the Master Model’s pitot tube with the pitot tube from the Hasegawa F-104G. The Master Model pitot tube has a lot more finesse than the kit part, and it also looks a lot better than what the kit provides. That being said, the fit is a little loose. You can either use a little CA to solve this issue, or you can fill in the kit nose and drill out a new locating hole.

This brass pitot tube is a welcomed addition to any 1/72nd F-104 kit. It is a simple replacement to the kit part but provides a huge improvement in detail over the kit part. If you are planning on building an F-104, I highly recommend you pick up one of the Master Model pitot tubes; you won’t be disappointed.

Review Author
Ed Kinney
Published on
Company
HK Models Co.
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$174.95

I’ve always liked to let the pictures tell the story, but in this case, they can’t show you what a spectacular fit everything is in this kit. I must give them an A+ for pre-planning and engineering here. Every piece just click fits into where it was supposed to without issue, with only one exception.

Review Author
Dick Montgomery
Published on
Company
Afterburner Decals
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$15.00

This set of “upgrade” decals is another product by Afterburner in a long line of high-quality decal sets. Designed for the Hasegawa F-18 Super Hornet, this Upgrade Set provides well over 100 markings, stencils, instrument panel faces, restraint harnesses, and even red landing gear door edge markings for the awesome Hasegawa Super Hornet.

This set of decals easily achieves all of the standards for high quality decals. The decals do not allow for underlying colors to bleed through after application. Registry is dead on, and the decal proportions are correct and proper. There is very little carrier film that will need to be trimmed away. The sample taken from the sheet indicated that the decals are strong enough to withstand some handling during the application process, and yet thin enough to adhere to any raised or engraved detail upon which the decal is placed. The sample was treated with SolvaSet and did not show any sign of a negative reaction.