Master Model from Poland specializes on brass and resin drop-in replacement parts. In this case there are 4 parts: two barrels and two flash hiders for the Flak 18 used in Ju-87G, but also seen in Bf-110, Ju-88 and other airplanes.

The turned brass parts mean that no mold line is present and that alone is enough of a reason to consider upgrading your kit. Another reason is the beautiful perforated flash hiders and the hollow gun barrel end, which adds realism to the airplane weaponry.

Assembly is straightforward and simple. First you superglue the flash hider to the gun barrel. Then you remove the plastic gun from the plastic part and make a small hole (1 mm in diameter) to mount the brass gun barrel.

I would personally leave the barrel off the model until the very end. Not only that means less masking (for painting), it also ensures the barrel won’t get knocked off the model during handling.

Brengun, based in the Czech Republic, is known for producing a range of photo-etched and resin accessories for airplane models. They also produce a small number of 1/72nd and 1/144th aircraft model sets. One of their latest airplane kits is the North American A-36 Apache.

The A-36 Apache was a dive bomber version of the P-51 Mustang. It was based on the fuselage of the P-51A, but with completely redesigned wings strengthened to support the added stress of dive bombing. Also, to aid in dive-bombing, rectangular slats were added to the upper and lower parts of the wings. Approximately 500 bombers served in units in the Mediterranean Theater and the China Burma Theater.

The Mitsubishi ‘Zero’ fighter was Japan’s premiere fighter at the beginning of World War II. By the time the A6M7 Type 62 appeared, the airplane had been outclassed by American fighters and in the waning months of the war, they were used in Kamikaze attacks primarily against U.S. Navy ships.

Hasegawa has done an excellent job of reproducing this aircraft. There are plenty of details provided, and nice touches such as the tape over the rivets on the fabric flight controls are there. The kit comes with a total of 147 pieces molded in a light grey and clear plastic. The fit of the parts is excellent, and I needed just a minimum of filler putty on several joints.