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Kitset Packaging

Detail Set for the 1/72 Academy F/A-18A
Review Author
Jim Pearsall
Published on
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$34.95

The Contents

You get a heavy duty envelope with 4 plastic sleeves inside. You get:

  • 73355 PE, one self-adhesive mostly cockpit, and two really big PE frets for interior and exterior detail
  • CX257 Canopy and Wheel mask
  • 73008 Remove Before Flight Tags

You also get 2 full pages of instructions, folded so that you have 8 separate half pages of instructions, plus a half page instruction for the masks.

The Aircraft

The F/A-18 Hornet has been around for a while, and it looks to be almost as big a winner as its predecessor, the F-4 Phantom. One of the stories going around St. Louis in the 90s was that the plant wanted to build 5058 Hornets, one more than the production run for the Phantom. Well, the production line is still open, and they’re past 1100 now.

Box Art

Jagdpanzer IV A-0
Review Author
Greg Wise
Published on
Company
Cyber-Hobby
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$29.95

The Jagdpanzer IV was a tank destroyer based on the Panzer IV chassis and built in three main variants. As one of the casemate-style turretlessJagdpanzer (hunting tank) designs, it was developed against the wishes of Heinz Guderian, the inspector general of the Panzertruppen, as a replacement for the Sturmgeschütz III (StuG III). Guderian objected to the needless, in his eyes, diversion of resources from Panzer IV tank production, as the Stug III and Sturmgeschütz IV were still more than adequate for their role. After the Battle of Stalingrad in September 1942, the Wehrmacht arms bureau, the Waffenamt, called for a new standard for assault weapons: 100mm of armor to the front, 40–50mm on the sides, wider tracks, ground clearance of 50cm, top speed of 26 km/h, and the lowest possible firing positions. The new Panzerjager (tank hunter) design would be armed with the same 7.5cm gun as fitted to the Panther: the Pak 42 L/70.

Cover

Battle Ground - The Greatest Tank Duels in History
Book Author(s)
Stephen Zalgoa, editor
Review Author
Marc K. Blackburn
Published on
Company
Osprey Publishing
MSRP
$25.95

One of the newer series of Osprey Publishing is the “Duel” series. As the name suggests, it provides an in-depth look at two pieces of equipment and compares and contrasts their capabilities in the context of a particular battle. To date, there are forty separate titles. Many of these concentrate on armor. Osprey has packaged five of these titles into one book:

Cover

King Tiger vs IS-2, Operation Solstice 1945
Book Author(s)
David R. Higgins
Review Author
Marc K. Blackburn
Published on
Company
Osprey Publishing
MSRP
$17.95

Osprey’s series “Duel” is adding another title - King Tiger vs. IS-2. As with previous publications, the book focuses on the design, development, and capabilities of these two well-known vehicles that debuted in the last eighteen months of the war in Europe. While the book does not offer much in terms of reference material for building the penultimate King Tiger or IS-2, it provides the necessary context for understanding the origins and development of these vehicles and how they performed on the field of battle.

Box Art

German Military Car Type 170V
Review Author
Michael Novosad
Published on
Company
Master Box Ltd
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$33.99

History and Performance

The Type 170V made its first appearance as a military vehicle in 1937. The frame was made from a tubular X-shape, with independent front and rear suspension. The car was powered by a 38 hp, four-cylinder engine. A total of 86,615 170V cars were built by 1942, and it was the most popular “civilian“ vehicle used by the Wehrmacht.

The vehicle was also built after the war by Daimler-Benz in a diesel-powered version. It proved to be very popular based on its proven wartime experience. With some research, the modeler may be able to depict a post-war vehicle with this base kit.

Master Box Ltd originates in the Ukraine. This is my first build by this manufacturer.

Kit Review

Instructions

The instruction sheet is an oversized fold-out map style, with instructions on both sides.