The early FW-190As have been overlooked in large scale, that is until Pacific Coast Models released theirs. Now the modeler can build any one of the early short-nosed 190As. Eagle Editions is well known for Luftwaffe reference material, excellent resin and decals. This release is no different.

Designed for the Pacific Coast early Focke Wulfs, these decals are printed in perfect register by Cartograf. I’ve come to regard Cartograf as THE best decals in the world; certainly the best I’ve used. They are thin and react well with all known setting solutions.

There are two decal sheets; one that contains the individual markings for the aircraft, and one sheet of stencils and ‘common’ decals such as the crosses.

Like most Soviet aircraft of their era, the Mig-23 and Mig-27 have dorsal air scoops over the engine compartment to provide auxiliary cooling. These are large scoops and are quite noticeable on the real plane. The only 1/48 scale kit of these aircraft is the 1980's era Italeri (ex-ESCI) kit, and ESCI broke out from most of the kits of the era and molded the scoops open. While this is better than many kits, the opening is simplistic, it is molded in two halves so there is a seam to clean up, and the scoop is not quite right in shape. Quickboost again steps in with another simple aftermarket set to correct these deficiencies. Rendered in resin are two crisply cast and highly detailed replacement scoops. The shape and detail is superb; it even captures the splitter plate inside! Installation is easy, just cut from the block and attach to the airframe. I continue to be impressed by Quickboost’s quality and range of offerings; they offer details rarely seen in the market before.

Most of you have heard of PT Boats, E-Boats, and MTBs. There have been movies, books, and some good models of these boats. But a class that doesn’t get that much attention is the British Motor Gun Boats or MGBs. This 48 page soft-cover book starts with the development of these craft. The Motor Torpedo Boats did not have the firepower to take on their German cousins, so the initial thought was to remove the torpedo tubes and add heavier weapons. Later, boats made specifically as MGBs were created and finally, some of these were rearmed with torpedos by the end of the war, making a full circle.