Ron Moore’s reimagined Battlestar Galactica series has been a hit with sci-fi fans for over a decade. As with any series that takes place in space, the ships are just as important as any of the characters. The Cylon Raiders seen in this series are interesting because the ships are characters! Rather than being piloted by humanoid shaped Cylons, as seen in the 1970’s series, the new Raiders are, themselves, Cylons. The 1/32 scale Raider offered by Moebius has been very popular with modelers over the last couple of years, and now, Moebius is offering a 2-pack of these ships in 1/72 scale.

The Kit

The kit includes 2 complete Raiders, each of which has 11 parts, and 2 clear bases that consist of 2 parts each. Each ship and base is on its own individual sprue, which makes finding the parts, and keeping them separated easy. I was happy to see that all of the panel lines are recessed rather than raised. No decals are included, or needed, with this kit.

For modern aircraft modelers looking to add even more detail to their next 1/72 scale F-16, Master Model has introduced static dischargers that can be installed on the wings and tail, just like the real plane. Modelers often overlook the static dischargers, but these brass items, which are finely machined, will make installation an easy task for most modelers. The directions have you simply scribe a shallow socket to receive the new part, and I would recommend your favorite cyanoacrylate glue to attach the parts.

Static dischargers, or wicks, are used on aircraft to relieve the static buildup that typically takes place when flying through rain, snow, ice, or dust. The high resistance of the discharger provides a relief path that does not interfere with onboard communications or navigation equipment. Without dischargers, the relief of energy can be through any protruding surface of the plane, such as wing tips, vertical and horizontal stabilizers, and antennas.

Aires continues their wonderful pilot release, this time in 1/32 scale of a German WWII pilot wearing a Kapok life preserver. The parts are perfectly case and have both arms, the body and a separate head. Also included is a full color painting guide and also a printed map and booklet which can be cut out and added to the models right hand.

Assembly is simple. Start by removing the arms and sanding as needed. Same for the head. The body takes a little more work cleaning out along the inseam but nothing too difficult. The arms and can be attached and the head painted separately.

I primed with Alclad gray and let dry overnight. I used Scale 75 painted for the face. If you haven’t tried these, they are wonderful with a great range of flesh colors. The body was painted with Tamiya and Liquitex acrylics. Shading was done with oil washes and acrylics dry brushes.