As I get older, I’m appreciating things that make model building easier on the eyes. Instrument panels are a real challenge even when they come with a decal or in the case of the ICM O-2 kit, separate decals for each instrument on the panel.

Thankfully, Yahu models offer this set to upgrade a highly visible area of the kit. This set is comprised of two-color photo-etch parts covering the instrument panel/sub-panel and fuse panel for the left fuselage half.

Unlike some color photo-etch panels with dots on a circle, these look like actual instruments. They are built up in layers that allow the instruments to slightly recess and have a semi-gloss sheen for a glass-like finish over the dials.

Installation is easy. Remove any raised details from the kit parts-except the elevator trim wheel on the main panel-first. The panel part is cut into three sections since the lower panels are on a different plane than the top.

BLUF - Bottom Line Up Front

It has been a while since I built a helicopter. The last time was an aborted attempt in 2014 give or take. That did not end well. I feel that going outside your lane (mine is aircraft) improves your skills a bit. And that certainly happened with building the Cobra. The kit itself builds up to a very nice replica of a Vietnam era Cobra. The build is straightforward. The only thing I would do differently is attach the landing skids after the kit is built, painted, decals applied, and any weathering is done. Otherwise, you run the risk of damaging the skids as you handle, or mishandle, the kit as you accomplish those tasks. I must have broken the skids about 5 times. The last step, of course, is to attach the rotor blades.When the kit arrived, I inspected the box and its contents, and immediately noticed that a sprue bag had been ripped and noticed a number of loose parts floating around.

The “Images of War” book series that Pen & Sword offers has fast become a favorite of mine. Each volume has many wartime photos of the subject at hand, and always includes rare photos that the reader has probably never seen before. This issue is no exception. Covering the Germans’ motorcycle corps during WWII, the book is rife with 200 B&W period photos of the bikes in action. Most of the photos are crisp and clear, although a few are a little blurry.

Almost every photo has a caption written by the author describing the scene. In studying the photos, the reader can detect a myriad of details, which are invaluable to the modeler, or even to the motorcycle enthusiast. Seeing the details conveys a sense of what the Kradschützen Truppen put up with on a day-to-day basis. These bikes were used heavily as a reconnaissance platform, but also as up-gunned combat vehicles, and even stretcher-bearers to evacuate the wounded from the battlefield.