Master Box has provided 5 German infantry figures in dynamic poses that reflects the kit label “Cold Wind”. Typical of their products, the box front accurately reflects the final figures and the box rear has pictorial instructions on figure assembly. Pictures of the two sprues are provided on the rear, one is labeled A and the other B. The sprues themselves do not have this marking, but sprue A has parts for three figures and sprue B has parts for two figures. Part count for the sprues is 109 pieces, with 8 parts not being used. The plastic is a yellow/tan color, soft, and glues well with liquid cement.
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This volume continues the story of Supermarine Spitfire MK IXs used by Polish pilots in Britain during the years 1944-1946, both in Polish and RAF squadrons and auxiliary units. Information on aircraft and crew losses and officially credited victories is included.
There are over 200 photographs (about half of which have not been published before) and about 30 color profiles (plus top and bottom views for two representative aircraft). In several instances, full color renderings are included alongside period images of the aircraft. Very nice touch.
Wojtek Matusiak, the author who lives in Warsaw, Poland, is a well-known Polish aviation history author. He is a specialist on the Spitfire and has published both in English and Polish.
The Soviet fighter Yak-3 is part of Zvezda’s new “Snap Fit” series. You get 45 medium gray hard plastic parts and two clear parts with minimal flash. The instructions are very well illustrated with seven sequences of assembly. The detail is exceptional and surprising for a snap fit kit. The three piece pilot figure is a work of art, with the seat pan molded to the pilot. A seat without pilot is also provided, should you wish that option. The kit is designed for snap assembly and can easily be assembled with no glue. However, I plan on using glue. Areas of concern are the sink marks on the upper wings (part 40) and front top cowling (part 41). Filler will definitely be required. You also get two finely detailed instrument panels, one to be used with kit supplied decals and the other with raised details for the instruments if you prefer to paint yours. You also have the option for wheels down or wheels up.
Whenever you open the box for this set, there are so many parts that you feel like you’re opening a complete resin kit. Altogether, there are 33 resin parts, two photo etch sheets and a clear acetate sheet. It takes six 8” x 6” instruction sheets to show how to put it all together. These instructions appear to be a big improvement over past instruction sheets, because they are less confusing and leave little to be figured out. Only one kit part is utilized, and that is the cockpit floor. And, you only use part of it. There is one other portion of the right fuselage half that gets removed, but that’s it. There’s not a lot of thinning kit parts until they are transparent or major surgery required.
Eduard's color etch sets are really great looking and this one is no exception. This set is made for Trumpeter's 1/72nd F-100F and, when you first look at it, you wonder "where does all of this stuff go?" This set is also self-adhesive, which actually ends up being more trouble than advantage. By the time I had cut a few parts from the fret, I had basically destroyed the backing paper and the adhesive was no longer effective. But, that didn’t slow me down. Gator Glue to the rescue! The cockpit gray of the consoles and instrument panels is more of a light blue than anything related to cockpit gray. I could not find anything in all of my paints that was a close match, so I mixed my own. Don't ask me for the formula, because I have no idea, except that it came close.