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Review Author
Phil Peterson
Published on
Company
Iliad Design
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$12.00

Iliad Design is a Canadian company that not only makes decals but also offers aircraft colour charts and books.

As the name of this sheet implies, this is the third in the Stars in the Sky series. While the names might not be as recognizable as the first two sheets, the choices for the marking are very diverse.

We have two WWII bombers, a Korean War fighter and a fast jet. So who is up in this latest offering?

First up is a British Lancaster II flown by Robert Clothier, a Canadian actor. This would be a lovely option for that very nice Airfix kit.

Second is an AU-1 Corsair flown by Baseball player Jerry Coleman. Jerry flew this bird in Korea while serving with the US Marines.

Our third offering is a F-4C flown by Pop Singer Dean Paul Martin. Martin was a Captain with the California Air National Guard when he was killed flying this Phantom during a snowstorm.

Review Author
Floyd S. Werner Jr.
Published on
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$4.95

Packaged in a typical Brassin blister pack are these little gems. Let’s face it, one of the issues with plastic parts is the requirement to clean up the molding lines on a part. Even the finest kits in the world have them. It is a function of the molds and injection process. Cleaning up these parts is a requirement. If the part is small or fragile it is a pain in the seat pan. Resin parts can work around this and provide even more detail. Again, that is just a function of the material.

Review Author
Floyd S. Werner Jr.
Published on
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$4.95

If you are like me, I can become ham handed when modeling and anything sticking out will get knocked off. The Eduard BF-109F/G is a perfect example. Eduard molded the pitot tube on the wingtip and sometimes I knock it off. Well, you can use the kit supplied extra pitot tube or you can elect to use the Brassin one. The Brassin pitot tube is significantly better and easier to clean up. There are no mold lines which must be cleaned up on the plastic piece.

There are three pitot tubes on the pour block. They are simple to remove. Also remove the little tip at the end and it is ready to use. You will have to drill a hole in the wingtip. The pitot tube angles down slightly. Attach with super glue and you are ready for paint.

While designed for the Eduard kit these pitot tubes can be used on any 1/48th scale Bf-109F/G/K kit. I used mine on an Eduard and a Zvezda kit with no problems.

Review Author
Jarrod Booth
Published on
Company
Italeri
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$41.99

The Hawker Hurricane needs little introduction. It was one of the finest fighters of the Second World War. It usually took second place to the more glamorous Spitfire. The “Hurri” served Britain and the Allies faithfully throughout the war and was adapted to many different environments. The subject of this build is a Hurricane Mk I Tropical that flew in North Africa.

The kit comes packed in a sturdy box with a nice picture of a Hurri about to turn in and take a shot at an Italian Marchetti bomber over a desert landscape. The side of the box shows six different aircraft that can be modeled, as well as other useful information like paint colors. There are four individually packaged sprues, a photo etch fret, clear parts, decal sheet, and instruction booklet.

Before detailing how it went together, I’m going to first break this kit into the good and not so good points.

Review Author
Gregory Hansel
Published on
Company
Revell
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$22.95

Introduction

The other night I was watching a movie from 1953 called The Band Wagon starring Fred Astaire. It dawned on me while I was watching the movie that a person who watched it during its theatrical run may have well gone home after the show to work on this exact same model! The Revell kit was first issued in 1953 and is now 64 years old! The initial kit did not include the flotation gear, that was included in a subsequent issue of the kit. The kit stands up pretty well for its age and gives the builder the option of the flotation gear and regular gear. There is also a stand which was a common feature of kits from the era.