This set is designed for use with kits of the later models of the F-5E/F Tiger II with the so-called “shark” or flattened nose. I used on old Italeri F-5F kit that had been a shelf queen for a few years. The set consists of 5 brass parts – the nose pitot and a tube in which to mount it, two 20 mm gun barrels and a dummy fairing for those aircraft which only have one gun installed.

Kagero/Casemate Publishers has a Top Drawings series that showcases a single subject with high quality, blue print style line drawings and several colorful schemes of the specific subject.

The current catalog lists 110 titles, so there is a subject of interest for just about anyone. All of the titles from Top Drawings are geared for the fastidious amongst us who crave accurate representations on the subject of choice, be it aircraft, armor, or ship.

I built a lot of Airfix armor in my youth but never had this one before. Airfix has rereleased this kit as part of their Vintage Classics series and the kit is unchanged from the original 1963 molds except for newer decals.

There are 71 parts molded in a dark green plastic but there are no clear parts. There is very little flash which is nice but there are some seam lines that will need to be cleaned up, especially if you decide to use the crew. More about them later. The color scheme is shown on the back of the box and represents a vehicle of the 6^th Armoured Division probably in Italy though it is not spelled out.

The interior is pretty basic but does include seats for 6, steering wheel and a driver. The body goes together quickly, and the fit isn’t too bad with just some minor putty needed on some seams. The wheels can be built to roll if you are very careful, but I glued them for strength.