The bazooka was a weapon born of dire need. When World War II began, the U.S. Infantry had nothing to fight armor except the anemic 37mm anti-tank gun. Two U.S. Army officers, thinking outside the box, developed a rocket-powered weapon that was portable and able to defeat most armor of the time. Officially called a rocket launcher, it became known by the men who would use it as a stovepipe, or a bazooka, because of its resemblance to a musical instrument used by comedian Bob Burns.

The M1 Bazooka was first used by U.S. troops during Operation Torch in North Africa. Crates of the new weapon were rushed to the ships heading out for the invasion with no manuals or instructors. Officers who found the crates in the ship’s hold taught themselves how to use the weapon and held classes for the troops on the fantail of the transports.

The P-51 has so many options that it is hard to keep up with them all. The wheels are one area where you can have diamond, cross hatch, smooth, and radial tread. Don’t worry, Ultracast has them all in their product line.

Just like the rest of the Ultracast wheels, this set has exquisite detail throughout. Some may go unnoticed, such as the valve stem for adding air to the tire. The radial tread is perfectly proportioned and looks fabulous. When I think of radial tread, I tend to think of modern airplane wheels, so if you are going to do a post-war modern warbird, these wheels are essential.

Highly recommended.

Thanks to Ultracast and IPMS/USA for the review copy.

OK this is the neatest set I’ve seen in a while. You are treated to two intake covers, eight grab handles, and a decal sheet. A decal sheet? Yes printed in white lettering you can customize your cover with the squadron designation. I count over ten units before my eyes went buggy. That is a real neat treat.

The intake covers and handles are molded perfectly in light olive resin. The decal sheet has a protective cover that covers the 2.5 x 3.5 water slide decal sheet. Simply assemble the grab handles to the covers. Paint red. And then add the unit decals. You can weather them as you see fit. The real things are plastic and can get abused.

This is a great way to hide the seam on the intake trunking. Another great product from Quickboost.

Highly recommended

Thanks to Aires and IPMS/USA for the review copy. You can obtain yours by contacting www.quickboost.net or your local hobby shop or online retailer.