Sukhoi Su-9 Landing Gear

Published: October 13, 2015
Company: Scale Aircraft Conversions

SAC has filled the niche of replacement landing cast in white metal. In most cases these are copies of the original parts cast in white metal. Some are upgrades that fix noted errors. These products are convenient for many multiple reasons:

• Replace inherently weak landing gear (Pro-Modeler F-84G)
• Add strength to a model that has a lot of resin aftermarket
• … more

Price of War: European Civilian 1944-1945

Published: October 13, 2015
Company: Master Box Ltd

This is my first experience with Master Box products, which is primarily known for its figures series for military and aircraft models. I decided to step outside my comfort zone and build a subject I don’t typically build. This is the first bicycle model that I have assembled since building the old MPC Schwinn Ten Speed 40 plus years ago! The “Price of War” set is a multimedia kit which… more

BMD-2

Published: October 9, 2015
Company: Panda Hobby

The BMD is an air-droppable infantry combat vehicle built originally for the Soviet Airborne Forces. It was one of the first vehicles into Afghanistan in 1979 and like BMP soon proved to be inadequate to the task. Like the BMP, the BMD was upgraded as a result of the war experience, being fitted with a 30mm 2A42 automatic cannon and 7.62mm PKT machine gun and the AT-5 Spandrel anti-tank… more

Sukhoi Su-9 (Fishpot)

Published: September 18, 2015
Company: Trumpeter

The Su-9 was a Soviet interceptor from the later 1950s until the late 1970s. It superseded by the Su-15 Flagon and Mig-25 Foxbat. Often mistaken for a Mig-21 because of the delta wing, it was in fact a much larger aircraft with greater range. It was the second Sukhoi fighter with the Su-9 numerical designation, the first being a prototype early twin engine early jet fighter similar to the Me-… more

MiG and Sukhoi Static Dischargers

Published: April 3, 2015
Company: Master Model

Master Model continues to “turn” out metal details for the model maker. Here they are offering the static discharge whips that you see on all high performance Eastern Bloc built jets. You know - the ones on the trailing edge of the wings and tail surfaces that, if they are molded, quickly snap off never to be seen again. Plus molded discharge whips are often out of scale. Previously I… more

Aero L-29 Delfin

Published: March 24, 2015
Company: Avantgarde Model Kits

The Aero Vodochody L-29 was a Soviet and Warsaw Pact primary jet trainer developed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia. The design won a Warsaw Pact competition beating the Yakovlev Yak-30 entry and the Polish PZL TS-11 Iskra. The L-29 competition represented a clean-sheet approach and gave the Eastern bloc its first jet trainer not derived from a fighter. Rugged and reliable the L-29 has since… more

KH-25ML (AS-10 Karen)

Published: November 30, 2014
Company: Eduard

The KH-25ML is a Soviet/Russian LASER guided surface to air missile, designated AS-10 Karen by NATO. Its primary use was/is against hardened targets like fortifications, bunkers, or armor. In Afghanistan Su-25 crews started employing the weapon in the mid-80s to try to collapse cave entrances used by the Taliban. The CEP is cited at 4 meters. In addition to the Su-25 other Soviet era strike… more

TBD-1A on Floats

Published: November 30, 2014
Company: Great Wall Hobby

The Douglas TBD-1A was a one-off aircraft built to compete for a Dutch requirement in 1939 for a float plane bomber, the Netherlands being blessed with a vast inland sea from which to operate. The Dutch were not interested and the aircraft was sold to the Navy for testing at Naval Air Test Center (later this center would outgrow NAS Anacostia and NAS Patuxent River would be built). The Navy… more

Albatros D.III

Published: July 8, 2014
Book Author(s): Illustrators: Henry Morshead James F. Miller Adam Tooby
Company: Osprey Publishing

The Albatros, with its torpedo shaped fuselage is one of the more iconic German aircraft of WWI. Not without its shortcomings, it never the less gave the German air superiority mid-war and remained a mainstay of the German and Austrian air forces to the war’s end. To meet the demand for aircraft, production of the D.III was seconded out to three other companies: Johannisthal, OAW and Oeffag.… more

Antonov AN-2 Floodlight

Published: April 17, 2014
Company: Quickboost

The AN-2 “"Annushka" (NATO designation “Colt”) bi-plane is a throwback from a very earlier age as a rugged biplane used in a STOVL role. The Hobby Boss kit is a nice replica of this plane, yet there are some details that require improvement. One shortcoming is the landing floodlights on the leading edge of the lower wing. The kit provides the lens for the lights, but they are blanked off and… more