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Review Author
Patrick Brown
Published on
December 18, 2023
Company
Hobby Boss
Scale
1:16
MSRP
$248.00

Bottom Line Up Front

This reboot of the Panda Hobby Pz38(t) kit in 1/16 scale is a mixed bag. The full interior provides some exciting possibilities, but the kit is marred by some very sub-par engineering. This kit has a lot of nice features, but it really fights you in some places. It can be made into an award-winning model, but it will take patience, skill, and lots of coins for the swear jar.

I built this review as a ‘naked build’ so you can see all the features of the kit unobscured by filling, sanding, painting, or weathering.

Book Author(s)
Jon Feenstra
Review Author
Orlando Reyes
Published on
December 17, 2023
Company
Peko Publishing
MSRP
$42.95

Volume 25 of this series is dedicated to the Panzerwaffe and its many variants/types. The Panzerwaffe ordered 54,147 vehicles/AFVs in 126 versions on 28 different chassis. The book gives you a small representation of the vehicles/AFV built by the Germans during WWII. Although it is true that the German vehicles/AFV were top of the art in their time, they could not compete against the sheer quantity of Allied war production. That being said, the Germans, although under a tremendous amount of pressure due to fighting against superior numbers, still made good use of the equipment provided to them. The German Panzerwaffe defeated Allied opponents in many cases through superior training, tactics and not infrequently, by sheer bravado of their troops.

Review Author
Pablo Bauleo
Published on
December 17, 2023
Company
Italeri
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$59.99

Italeri has re-released its Hurricane Mk.IIC in 1/48 scale. The original release was from the early 2010’s and included a Hurricane Mk.I, Mk.I/Trop, Sea Hurricane Mk.I and Hurricane Mk.IIC. Inspecting at the parts (the photoetch sheet) you must wonder if at some point there the plan was to include a Mk.IIB in the family but to my knowledge it has never been released. Based on the engineering of the wing, you can probably model a MkIID and, if you get a replacement oil housing probably a Mk.IV as well, assuming you know your way around the Hawker Hurricane (there are plenty of online references).

Review Author
Pablo Bauleo
Published on
December 17, 2023
Company
Twobobs Aviation Graphics
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$17.00

Two Bobs has released a decal sheet covering an anniversary scheme for the 309th Fighter Squadron “Wild Ducks” back when it was flying the F-16 C/D.

Two paint schemes are provided in this sheet. The first one is a striking mix of blue, grey and white strips with Donald Duck holding a lightning bolt on the blue rudder. The second one is a great looking desert camouflage for the first F-16 to claim a kill on an Iraqi Mig-25 with an AIM-120 (although at the time of the kill the airframe was wearing the standard two-grey livery).

I want to point out that both schemes are special commemorative schemes for the 80th anniversary of the 309th FS. Both schemes were designed by Ssgt Michael Cichonsky (portrayed in the instructions sitting on the tail of the F-16C) and both look amazing.

The decal sheet includes all stencils needed for both aircraft, meaning one sheet allows you to build both the -C and the -D. You don’t even have to choose which one to build!

Review Author
Pablo Bauleo
Published on
December 17, 2023
Company
Iliad Design
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$14.00

Illiad Design continues to expand its line of 1/48 scale decals, this time with a set of markings for the Avro Anson. The decals were designed for the recent Airfix model

This decal sheet covers 6 airframes from the BCATP (British Commonwealth Air Training Plan). All markings cover airframes that saw service in Canada: Manitoba, Ontario and Saskatchewan.

Some of the airframes are in camouflage of Dark Earth and Dark Green with lowers in Sky, plus some high visibility markings in yellow, others are fully painted in yellow and there is everything in between (yellow bottom and camouflaged tops, yellow bottoms, and partially camouflaged tops, etc).