Quickboost has provided the modeling market with a whole series of useful aftermarket items that give a little extra detail or convenience without breaking the bank. These small sets tend to focus on one aspect of a model needing improvement ; thus, the modeler can choose where to spend his energy, and money, on kit improvements. This small set from Quickboost provides replacement gun barrels for the F-5 series of aircraft by AFV Club.

Use note

A few notes on using this set. First, both “barrels” are not truly gun barrels. Only the port (left) side contains the gun, while the other is an air inlet for avionics. Now, going one step further, not all F-5 airframes have the guns installed, and some don’t have the tubes installed either. Many F-5 airframes in the adversary/aggressor role have neither the gun nor tubes installed in the nose. So be sure to consult your references and make sure that the aircraft you are modeling does indeed require this set.

The B-24 Liberator has long been one of my favorite aircraft from WWII. While it could never be considered an attractive airplane, and was very ungainly while on the ground, it did have a certain elegance once the wheels were up and the plane was in the air.

I was pleased when I was selected to review the latest In Action book from Squadron-Signal Publications. It features the B-24 Liberator, and is chock-full of period photos in both black & white and color. It follows the typical format of this type of book, covering the entire range of B-24 variants. Starting with the XB-24, it tracks the development of the airframe to its final incarnation, the F7A. Along the way, there are sections dedicated to variants, with photos to show how one differed from the next.

Back in 1986 I was in Great Britain to attend the British Grand Prix. I wasn’t aware of the fact that between the support races they staged an air show. I was very impressed with the vintage British aircraft which included a Lancaster, a Spitfire, a Hurricane among a vast number of classics. The one aircraft that impressed me the most was the Avro Vulcan. When this big bomber passed over, it blocked out the sun and deafened all around. It made several passes both at low speed and also at high and also dirty with everything opened. Since that time, I have always wanted to build a model of this unique big bird.