US Helicopter Pilots (Vietnam War)

Published: February 13, 2022
Company: ICM

Figures from the Vietnam War are few and far between, especially helicopter crew. With the ICM release of the 1/32nd scale AH-1G they have released a kit of THREE Vietnam helicopter crewmembers.

Packed inside a typical sturdy box are three plastic sprue of light grey plastic that features the parts for the three figures. Two of the sprues are the same with both APH-5 and SPH-4 helmets… more

Do-217N Wheels & Paint Masks-Early B

Published: February 6, 2022
Company: Aires Hobby Models

The Do-217N is a unique version of the venerable Do-217. Designed as a night fighter it was really just too slow to catch the bombers. It wasn’t useless but it did have its share of problems.

ICM released their kit of this airplane in 2020. It was… more

AH-1G Late Production

Published: February 6, 2022
Company: ICM

Before I begin this review I think it is important to know that I flew Cobras in the Army and now fly them with the Army Aviation Heritage Foundation, so I am intimately familiar with them. So I tend to be a little bit of a nit picker or rivet counter when it comes to Cobras. Please forgive me.

When ICM released the AH-1G Cobra in 1/32^nd scale there was much rejoicing in the… more

Wings of the Black Cross-Special Number Two- Junkers Ju-87 Stuka

Published: February 5, 2022
Book Author(s): Mark Proulx
Company: Eagle Editions Ltd.

Eagle Editions is synonymous with Luftwaffe subjects so it comes as no surprise that their latest book in the Wings of the Black Cross series is an airplane that just evokes memories of the Luftwaffe, the iconic Ju-87 Stuka. The name and the noise of the airplane became a symbol for Luftwaffe dominance of the air in the early part of the war. By the Battle of Britain, it was grossly outclassed… more

AH-1G Cobra (Early) Landing Gear

Published: February 5, 2022
Company: Scale Aircraft Conversions

Having built two of the ICM 1/32^nd scale Cobras I can tell you that the mounting point is a fragile joint. On my first one I broke it off twice and had to pin and glue it back on. It was frustrating as it was near the end of the build.

Well SAC has taken that frustration out of the equation. Inside their typical blister pack are two white metal landing gear and four parts… more

Presentation Spits, Part III: Spitfire Mk.IX Decals

Published: October 25, 2021
Company: Foxbot

Let’s face it, British aircraft are pretty standard as far as camouflage goes, however, they sometimes exercised some individualism in personal aircraft. This release from Foxbot decals deals with just that.

Inside of the resealable baggie, is a single sheet of 8.5 x 11 heavy stock paper folded in half to provide some protection. The instructions are printed in full color and feature… more

Flying Revenge: Ilyushin Il-2 (Early Type), Part 1 Decals

Published: October 25, 2021
Company: Foxbot

The Il-2 Sturmovik is THE iconic Russian aircraft for me. It wasn’t fast. It wasn’t maneuverable, but it was a deadly ground attack aircraft. It could take a lot of punishment and was produced on larger numbers than any other aircraft in history. So you know it had to have some colorful markings. Well thanks to Foxbot we have some examples to add to our collections.

Packaged in a… more

B-25 Pin-Up Nose Art, Part 1

Published: May 31, 2022
Company: Foxbot

Maintaining aircraft in hot and humid conditions often meant that they would sit around getting worked on. This gave the crews time to personalize their aircraft and since there weren’t any women around most of the time the aircraft sported some beautiful nose art. Foxbot has taken on some very sexy nose art.

The decals and instructions are packaged in a resealable baggie. The… more

Yak-9: Slogans in Combat

Published: October 4, 2021
Company: Foxbot

Russian aircraft are really starting to take-off. Pun intended. With the release of new kits out of the Ukraine we are seeing an influx of well-engineered kits from Zvezda and AMK. One thing that always struck me as ‘cool’ about VVS aircraft was the slogans painted on the sides of them. American aircraft had pinup nose art, but the patriotic slogans of the Russian aircraft have always… more

T-55 PE Set

Published: September 29, 2021
Company: Hauler

Armor builders have long used photo etch parts to get realistic thickness of parts. So why wouldn’t they want the same in the smaller scales? With Tamiya revitalizing the 1/48th scale armor market it was just a natural fit. The latest is the Soviet T-55 and Hauler has you covered.

Inside of a resealable package are two light grey resin pour blocks that feature new ammo boxes and some… more