Masking sets first started making their appearance a while back and have been made in several materials including vinyl and tape. Eduard has settled on the kabuki style thin yellow tape for their masking material and makes a wide assortment of masks for many different subjects. I think tape is the best item as it is thin, conforms to the shapes well and provides a good seal.

The Grumman E-2 Hawkeye has been in service with the United States Navy since the 1960s, as well as serving in other nations’ militaries, including Japan, Taiwan, Mexico, Egypt, and France. The distinct look of the Hawkeye, with its high-wing, twin turboprop engines, multiple vertical stabilizers, and most noticeably, 24-foot rotating radar dome, make it readily recognizable. The ‘C’ version of the E-2 was first operational in 1973, and further improvements to the version continued into the 21^st century, most noticeably to the eight-blade propellers, which were incorporated to improve the harmonics with the critical electronics of the aircraft.

Aires Hobby Models provides a variety of high quality resin products to upgrade, or correct, a variety of models in the most popular scales. They also have a line of crew and pilot figures in 1/72nd, 1/48th and 1/32nd scale. These figures are relatively inexpensive, and make a nice addition to an aircraft diorama, or to add a better since of scale to a finished model.

Aerobonus continues their series of pilot figures. This release is a 1/72^nd version of a Russian pilot wearing an overcoat and parachute. The figure is posed standing wearing his flight gear, including headgear and a parachute, and holding his hands in a way that makes it look like he’s explaining something to someone.

The resin figure comes in four nicely cast pieces, with the arms, head, and body each molded separately on the pour stub. The flight suit, helmet, and parachute are nicely detailed, and the facial features are well done, especially for this scale.