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Review Author
Rob Benson
Published on
November 22, 2011
Company
Quickboost
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$4.95

This delightful kit enhancement part come on a crisply cast frame in neutral tan-gray resin. The part replaces the nose pitot on any F-14 kit. Three tubes are included, allowing you to dress up three models, unless you operate like I do and retain spares for post-construction damage. The parts are all well supported with nice extensions. These extensions will allow you to drill out the nose and slide the new tube in, making a much stronger join with the model. The parts have sharp definition and no bubbles or sinks were found. The resin was just soft and flexible enough to allow easy trimming and sanding. The parts appear to be in scale, although I was unable to confirm this.

These parts will certainly dress up any F-14. I recommend them.

Thank you to David Lajer of Aires and the IPMS Reviewer Corps for the opportunity to review this gem! Your generosity is much appreciated.

Review Author
Rob Benson
Published on
November 22, 2011
Company
Quickboost
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$6.50

These delightful kit enhancement parts come on a crisply-cast frame in neutral gray resin. The parts replace and complement details on the recommended Hobby Boss A-7D kit, and it appears that the Quickboost parts will work equally well on the Hasegawa A-7D version. Two pairs of blade sensors/antennas and a pair of pitot tubes will allow you to dress up one model.

Review Author
Chuck Herrmann
Published on
November 18, 2011
Company
Polar Lights
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$23.99

The Subject

The Batmobile is the car of the fictional comic book superhero Batman, an iconic American character. The character of Batman first appeared in DC Comics’ Detective Comics #27 (May 1939). By 1940, Batman proved popular enough to spin off into his own dedicated comic, Batman. In the years since, there have been other comics, books, radio shows, television shows, and films featuring Batman and his related characters and equipment. The car used by Batman, called the Batmobile, appeared in the very first stories in 1939 and has evolved over the years. Perhaps the best known version is the vehicle that appeared in the 1960’s hit TV series Batman, which is the subject of this kit. Designed specifically for the TV show by famous customizer George Barris, the car was a heavily modified former Ford Corporation concept car called the Lincoln Futura.

Review Author
Mike Hinderliter
Published on
November 18, 2011
Company
Aires Hobby Models
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$15.95

Aires now offers a resin cockpit set for the Fujimi F-22 Raptor. This set has very well detailed resin pieces as well as photo etch. They are molded in the standard Aires grey resin and are flash and bubble free. They also include a 4 page, blue paper diagram, which is also a real help.

The resin pieces include a cockpit tub, ejection seat, control console and the hydraulic lifts to hold the canopy in the open position, as well as a very nice looking HUD display. The photo etch is also exceptionally good. It comes with everything else you will need to detail this small work of art. The cockpit that comes with the Fujimi kit will make an acceptable office but the detail that can be added with the Aires set is exceptional. There is just that much more detail when compared to the Fujimi parts. The seat is also beyond comparison. The kit seat is the usual multi part seat that has decal seatbelts while the Aires is much more detailed with photo etch bits and seatbelts.

Book Author(s)
Nicholas Millman
Review Author
Bill Kluge
Published on
November 18, 2011
Company
Osprey Publishing
MSRP
$22.95

Prior to the outbreak of the Pacific War, the Japanese air force pilots (both Army and Navy) were some of the world’s foremost proponents of dogfighting, and the fighters they flew reflected their demand for aircraft that would give them the edge in that realm of aerial combat. Flying lightweight and agile Type 97 Ki-27 s (“Nates” to the Allies), the Japanese Army Air Force’s pilots easily outmaneuvered their opposition in the skies over China and Manchuria in the late 30s, and during the opening days of World War II, JAAF Ki-43 Hayabusas (“Oscars”) more often than not flew rings around Allied fighters over the Southeast Asian battlefields.