SAC once again provides a very nice set of cast metal gear to help your model stand out in public places.

This set is the usual SAC total replacement of the kit items, with improved assembly and ease of installation.

The other benefit I n this case is the axle assemblies are metal verses plastic. No broken off axles after a hard landing (just bend the gear back into place). The debris deflector is strong and in two halves and cleans up well after assembly. I only installed ½ of the deflector on the photographs as the kit is still in the construction phase, and this review is more about the gear and how it works…

This book is a general collector’s guide to classic Tinplate toy cars from the 50’s and 60’s made in Japan. It covers cars from a classic era of tinplate toy cars and covers all the major companies and countries they were sold in. The book shows the most known and collectables of the time period. The book has great pictures and lots of detailed information. This book brought lots of memories back to me as a kid getting a few of the cars shown in the book as birthday and or Christmas gifts from my family. The book may have a limited audience but I for one loved it!

I recommend this book to everyone with an interest in tinplate cars from Japan and also all those who, like me, was a kid during the 50’s or 60’s.

Thanks to Veloce Publishing for providing this book to review and IPMS USA for allowing me to review it for them.

History

The Spitfire is perhaps one of the most famous fighters to emerge from World War II, combining performance, development potential, versatility, and beauty in one airframe. I cannot imagine a modeler who does not know the basic history of the type, so I won’t repeat it here. The Mk. VIII represented by this kit was an upgrade from earlier models, which gave improved performance. Developed from the Mk. VII, the Mk. VIII featured a 1710 HP Merlin 63 or 66 engine, and all were fitted with the Vokes tropical filter. While most had the standard elliptical wingtips, some had the extended wingtips for high altitude use. A few were also equipped with “bubble” canopies. Most Mk. VIIIs were used in the Middle East or with the RAAF in the Far East against the Japanese, where they were superior to every Japanese fighter encountered.