The Yak-38 Forger was the Soviet Union’s equivalent to the Harrier. Built to operate from the KIEV Class Aircraft-Carrying Cruiser, the Forger provided limited air defense and anti-surface ship capability. The Forger relied on the main engine to provide the forward thrust and the lift capability for the rear fuselage. Unlike the Harrier, it had two dedicated lift engines behind the pilot to assist with VTOL. Like the Harrier, the Forger had spring-loaded blow-in doors in the intakes to provide more air during takeoff and landings. And, like the Harriers, when the Forger was shut down, these doors could often be found in the open position. I have provided an image from a Soviet State Publication on the Navy of the period that shows the open intakes to good effect. Unfortunately, the Hobby Boss kit provides intakes with the doors closed. You could open these doors and make replacements from styrene strip. Quickboost, however, has done this for you with this set.

You may be familiar with other publications from Mike Mackowski and Space In Miniature, especially if you are a fan of “real space” related models. “Space Suits” is the most recent addition to the SIM’s outstanding list of publications and should be snapped up as quickly as possible.

The newest book in the SIM series is SIM #8 – Space Suits. Researched and written by Karl Dodenhoff, SIM #8 describes all of the space suits developed and used by NASA from Mercury to the International Space Station. This 60-page book has over one hundred line drawings and photographs that provide the model builder a comprehensive technical reference on this subject. Covering everything from early manned space gear, through the Apollo lunar surface exploration suits, and to the free-flying backpacks used by Gemini and Space Shuttle astronauts, this guidebook is a unique resource for the serious space modeler.

To the best of my knowledge, this is Ukraine’s MiniArt Ltd’s second set of injection molded British Tank Riders, which is two sets more than from any other manufacturer! The first set, #5835071, British Soldiers Tank Riders, provided five men wearing uniforms with shorts, suitable for the Desert War, Tunisia, and other “hot” theaters. This kit contains 71 grey styrene parts that will create five Tank Riders wearing 1940 Pattern battledress appropriate for all other theatres in all but the hottest and coldest climates. I’ll get into a detailed report on the uniforms and insignia in a moment, but first some modeling basics re these figures.