“Last Exile” Vanship w/Torpedo

Published: February 1, 2015
Company: Hasegawa

I will not hide the fact I enjoy watching Japanese anime and the original “Last Exile” anime is one of my favorites. (No kidding). It represents a wonderful fusion of Sci-fi and the golden age of flight. The show centers around the orphaned brother & sister pair of Lavie Head and Claus Valcaat and their fathers old Vanship. Claus and Lavie work as commercial pilots who deliver messages,… more

EMB-314 Super Tucano Exhaust, Control Lever, and Gun Barrels

Published: January 8, 2015
Company: Quickboost

Normally, I don’t build outside of my pre-1945 comfort zone, but I’ve always liked the shape and look of the Tucano and Super Tucano aircraft. When HobbyBoss released their 1/48 scale kit of the Super Tucano recently, I couldn’t pass on making the purchase. As with any decent kit, there is always room for a little improvement. To that end, Quickboost has released three new resin details for… more

Toyota AB Phaeton

Published: December 31, 2014
Company: Tamiya

The AB was a soft-top variant of the Model AA, and inherited features such as the 3.4-liter inline-6 engine and live axle leaf spring front/rear suspension. It differed from the AA in its folding cloth roof, dedicated windshield design, and front-hinged door layout. To make room for the new folding auxiliary seats, the rear seat bank was moved somewhat further back. Of the 353 produced by 1938… more

Bf 109G Cockpit

Published: September 26, 2014
Company: Eduard

Without a doubt, the Eduard 109G-6 has to be one of the most controversial kits in the past year or two. Personally, I’ve had a good look at completed examples as well as a good look at the plastic in the box, and I’m pretty happy with the kit.

For this review, I’ll be looking at the Eduard Brassin Bf 109G cockpit made for the Eduard kit. I did not try to fit this set into another… more

Bf 109G-6 Wheels

Published: September 6, 2014
Company: Eduard

Without a doubt, the Eduard 1/48 scale Bf 109G-6 has to be one of the most controversial kits released in the past year or two. Personally, I’ve had a good look at completed examples, as well as a good look at the plastic in the box, and I’m pretty happy with the kit.

For this review, I’ll be looking at the Eduard Brassin Bf 109G-6 wheels made for Eduard’s kit. Without diving into my… more

Space Pirate Battleship Phantom Death Shadow

Published: August 16, 2021
Company: Hasegawa

Death's shadow rides on solar winds

Sleek, magnificent, deadly. A single look at the Phantom Death Shadow will tell you all you need to know. She's a predator angled and shaped with a single purpose: destruction. Lethal Pulsar cannons in triple mounts sit idle 'til they reduce enemy warships to cosmic dust; the blade ram waits to split hulls and spill crews and cargoes to the cold,… more

French Tanks of World War II (1) - Infantry and Battle Tanks

Published: February 10, 2020
Book Author(s): Steven J. Zaloga
Company: Osprey Publishing

The first of two volumes covering the French armor of World War II, this title looks at the infantry and battle tanks that faced the onslaught of the German Blitzkrieg in 1940. Many of the French tanks were intended as replacements for the World War I-era Renault FT, and various modernization efforts throughout the inter-war years had given rise to a number of new infantry tanks, including the… more

Spitfire Vb MesserSpit

Published: May 3, 2014
Company: Brengun

In November 1942 a Spitfire VB EN830 NX-X of 131 Squadron made a forced landing in a turnip field on Jersey Island. This aircraft was repairable and started being test flown in German markings and colours at the Luftwaffe's central research facilities at Erprobungsstelle Rechlin. There it was proposed that the Spitfire's Merlin engine should be replaced by a Daimler-Benz DB 605A inverted Vee-… more

Siebel 202 "Hummel"

Published: March 14, 2014
Company: Master-X

I was not familiar with the Siebel 202 “Hummel” (Bumble-bee) prior to this review, and the internet is not overflowing with information about this little gem. This build crosses a couple of firsts off my list: 1) a full resin kit, and 2) a kit from the Czech company Master-X. Up front, I will say that if given another opportunity to build one of their kits, I will do so again.

What you… more

F4F Wildcat Pitot Tubes

Published: March 7, 2014
Company: Quickboost

Upfront, I want to thank Aires and Quickboost for providing these fine aftermarket bits for our beloved models and to the IPMS USA a big thank you for allowing me to review this Quickboost product.

Admittedly I am proud of the fact I love the stubby World War II fighter. The Rita, Buffalo and certainly the Grumman Wildcat. I have several in my stash including the Hobby Boss and Tamiya… more