Book Author(s)
Philip Jowett
Review Author
Gino Dykstra
Published on
October 10, 2023
Company
Casemate Publishers
MSRP
$28.95

Before World War 1, Finland had been part of Russia. However, during the Russian Civil War that followed, Finland was largely dominated by the non-Soviet White Russians, who successfully broke away from Russian to become their own independent country. This situation was to rankle Stalin, who still regarded the territories of Finland as belonging to his country.

Three months after the outbreak of World War 2, The Soviet Union invaded Finland. Having already made territorial demands of Finland and emboldened by their participation in Nazi Germany’s invasion of Poland, 600,000 Soviet troops crossed the common border with Finland on November 30, 1939, probably assuming such an invasion would be a cakewalk against such a comparatively weak opponent. Some argue that their aim was the ultimate annexation of the entirety of Finland. However, despite the massive flood of invaders, most Soviet troops were ill-equipped and often barely trained.

Review Author
Chris Vandegrift
Published on
October 10, 2023
Company
Platz
Scale
1:144
MSRP
$19.35

Intro

WOW, I’ve always loved the Platz kits and was I surprised to find 2 kits in the box! Initially, I was thinking about what a hard choice it would be to decide on wheels up or down. Not with this kit :D So, I love the box art for the 40th Anniversary livery and decided that had to be the in-flight version and the low-vis aircraft would be parked.

The Kit

Two things stand out, the way parts are designed to fit together and the detail. Engraved panel lines were clear everywhere except the nose of both aircraft. Some sanding and a fine scriber will clear this up. Parts are practically a snap fit I noted. A unique element in a kit this small is that both retracted and extended gear doors. No cutting and trimming to get a set to fit. And the ordnance! Wait till you check out the detail on those little sidewinders.

Book Author(s)
Andy Evans
Review Author
Damon Blair
Published on
October 10, 2023
Company
Phoenix Scale Publications
MSRP
$15.00

The A3 Skywarrior was originally designed to be a bomber capable of carrying 10,000 pounds of bombs or a nuclear bomb. It holds the distinction of being the largest aircraft to routinely operate on and off of aircraft carriers.

This book has a brief developmental history of the major A-3 variants, starting with the prototype aircraft. It includes 73 photographs, of which all but a comparatively few are of the aircraft and variants. A small section has some interesting detail shots of the aircraft that modelers will find useful.

One very unique feature is the “Modelers Walk Around”. This nifty little two-page article within the book covers some of the lumps and bumps of several versions. Also included is a review of a build-up of the Trumpeter 1/48 scale ERA-3B kit.

Overall, I found this book to be an informative guide to the A-3, especially from a modeler’s perspective. Many thanks to Phoenix Scale Publications for my review sample.

Review Author
Michael Novosad
Published on
October 10, 2023
Company
Phoenix Scale Publications
MSRP
$7.33

Regulars

Pages 6-7 The Newsstand. Here this publications previews new model kits and accessories. The paragraphs are short and are accompanied with color images of the subject matter.

Pages 8-10 Czech News. New releases from Airmastr and Planet Models/Special Hobby are featured with the primary focus on the latter's 1/72 and /48 scale kits of the HESA Shahid 136/Geran suicide drones. Color images included. AZ Model, Valom, Eduard and Kovozavody Prostejov (KP) offerings are also featured.

Pages 12-13 In The Box. The Infinity Models 1/32 Aichi D3A1 Val is featured with a two page spread including some images of the kit contents plus information on Infinity aftermarket accessories for the kit.

Review Author
Scott Hollingshead
Published on
October 8, 2023
Company
ICM
Scale
1:144
MSRP
$44.99

ICM is known for their production of detailed kits of various genres of military and civilian subjects. Even with the current events taking place in their home country Ukraine, the company continues to provide new offerings for modelers of nearly any interest. One of their latest releases is this 1/144 scale Kriegsfischkutter. I appreciated the detail available as well as the relatively compact size of the completed model. Modelers with some experience handling very small parts should enjoy this representation of a unique subject.