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Review Author
Chris Smith
Published on
Company
Airfix
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$32.99

So often we see warbird models built to represent the battle-tested mounts of our aviation heroes. The subject of this review, the B-25 is certainly no stranger to famous pilots and war theaters. Underrepresented are the aircraft chosen for less glamorous tasks like domestic patrol, supply runs and training. With the help of Airfix and Iliad Designs, I have attempted to address that.

Airfix's rendition of the Mitchell has been around for a bit so I won’t give you a parts tour. Suffice to say, it lives up to the standard of the new generation Airfix kits. Recessed panel lines, detailed interiors, poseable control surfaces and hatches are features of this release. Fit and finish is almost too good in that a coat of paint seems to interfere with it. The bottom line, with proper care you can build a great model out of the box.

Review Author
Jim Pearsall
Published on
Company
Master Model
Scale
1/144
MSRP
$3.66

The Master products are very fine and well done brass parts to update or repair your kit. In this case, it was an F-5A which I built several years ago, and the pitot tube was badly bent. Also, the guns were barely visible.

This set consists of a brass pitot, two 20mm guns, and a fairing which can replace the left gun.

The upgrade is pretty simple. You get a .3mm drill. Remove the kit pitot and drill a hole there. The guns require a little more work, as there isn’t a good place to start drilling. I began by using a #1 blade to dig the guns out, then drilled the .3 mm holes. Then I installed the pitot and the guns. I had to use a little filler under the guns to get them looking good.

I painted the area with the same gray I used to paint the model, then highlighted the guns. I used Testors “Burnt Metal” for these, as I find gun metal to be too dark.

And the project was done. Looks good.

Review Author
Michael Reeves
Published on
Company
AMMO by Mig Jimenez
MSRP
$20.09

For a good long while, Mig Jimenez has been designing and producing products that make modelers lives so very much easier. In the case of this set of washes, AMMO has packaged up a “basic” set that includes an assortment of colors that would fit the bill for anyone trying to create a foundation for weathering their model of any sort. This set provides the easiest solution to the novice modeler who is just starting in the hobby and does not really know what is needed, and adds another tool to the toolbox for the intermediate or advanced modeler.

The set includes the following five washes:

Book Author(s)
David Doyle
Review Author
Bill Kluge
Published on
Company
David Doyle Books
MSRP
$19.99

Launched on the last day in April, 1919, and commissioned just over three years later, on June 3, 1920, this sixth vessel to carry the name Tennessee was the name ship of her class (which included her sister, USS California) and the last US battleship to carry 14” guns. In this Naval edition of his extensive “Legends of Warfare” series, author David Doyle provides another extensively illustrated history of this famous warship. While each chapter - covering Construction; Launching, Fitting Out and Commissioning; To War (with subsequent descriptions of her collision with USS California and participation in the action in Surigao Straight); and The End of the Line - includes a brief introductory written description, the bulk of the written information comes as captions to the hundreds of photos (the vast majority in sharp black & white, with four color photos of her following decommissioning).

Review Author
David Horn
Published on
Company
Brengun
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$19.00

The RQ-7B Shadow is a small unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that is currently in service with the US Army and a few other countries. The primary role is reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition. The Shadow may be small in size but its capability rivals the larger platforms. Being small, it can be launched from a trailer mounted catapult and recovered using an arresting gear similar to Navy carrier aircraft. The wingspan is only 14 feet (3.87 m), 11 feet (3.4 M) long and empty weight under 200 Lbs. (77 Kg) and gross weight 375 Lbs. (170 Kg). It is powered by a 38 hp (28.5 Kw) rotary engine (gasoline).