US Navy Portable Fire Extinguishers

Published: April 8, 2016
Company: Aerobonus

Sometimes when you are building a diorama there is that one thing that will set yours apart from the rest. This is one of those items.

Aerobonus has provided unique pieces for the aircraft diorama buffs in the past and these little gems are just what the doctor ordered.

On airfields, regardless of eras, there are always fire extinguishers. They are in the background but always around the engine, just in case of engine fire. Aerobonus provides you with four fire extinguishers cast in blemish free grey resin. The resin encompasses the cylinder, the horn and extinguisher handle. You will have to supply the wire to make the hose. That alone would be quite nice but that’s not all, Aerobonus also provides you with decals to make your individual fire extinguishers. While the… more

P-51B/C Mustang Control Surfaces

Published: April 8, 2016
Company: Aires Hobby Models

The Tamiya Mustang kit is one of my favorite kits. The fit is good and it looks the part. Sure the cockpit floor is not right but that is the only thing.

One thing that real aircraft often have is displaced control surfaces, especially the elevators. Until now if you wanted to do that you had to perform surgery and thin and bevel the tail then fill the elevator and shape it too. Let’s face it, this was a pain in the …. Thank God that Aires also likes to see aircraft with the drooped elevators and has provided an easy answer.

Perfectly molded in light grey resin this set provides both side horizontal stabilizers and both elevators. The parts are simple enough to remove from the pour stub and they are perfectly formed for adding them. The horizontal surfaces are direct… more

MiG-21UM Air Scoops

Published: April 8, 2016
Company: Quickboost

Ever have one of those things that you just couldn’t do or at least couldn’t do well? For me that is hollowing out exhausts and air intake scoops. That is why I need gems like these from Quickboost.

Molded in light grey resin, these perfectly cast pieces are very thin. They are a direct replacement for the kit intakes which are solid plastic. On this mold block are seven intakes, it is amazing to see how thin they are able to get the lip on these intakes and still cast them. I know I could never do that. The hardest part will be to remove them, but once you get that done adding them is simple.

These intakes will add to the look of your MiG with minimal work. The realistic look of hollowed out intakes are easily seen on the model. Making this set well worth the money.… more

Free French Fighter Pilot WWII Normandie-Niemen (1942-1945)

Published: April 7, 2016
Company: Aerobonus

Normandie-Niemen were Free French fighters who flew for the Russians following the fall of France. Their exploits while flying Yak-3s is the stuff of legends. Until now, if you wanted to have one of these pilots in your diorama, you had to settle on a Russian pilot in Russian flight gear. Not anymore.

Molded in light grey resin, this pilot figure contains four parts: the body; arm; and two heads, one with a dress hat and one with a flying helmet on. The pose is completely natural with the pilot standing upright with a parachute draped over his shoulder. You can put either head on him. I’m going to put the dress cap on mine, since it is uniquely French. Both faces are well sculpted and very high quality.

Assembly is easy, just remove the parts from the block and assemble… more

Russian Pilot WWII

Published: February 29, 2016
Company: Aerobonus

Aerobonus has been putting out inexpensive and impressive figures for aircraft modelers for quite some time now. They have been beautifully sculpted and easy to assemble. This new figure is no different.

Molded in light grey resin this Russian pilot comes in four pieces: The body, the helmeted head, and two arms. The body will require some very minor cleanup between the legs but that is about it. All the other parts are easily removed from the pour stub. Assembly is easy enough. Then it is just a matter of painting the figure. I like his pose as he is ‘flying’ his hands.

If you are looking to learn figure painting without breaking the bank, these Aerobonus figures are just the ticket. They are perfect additions to any model airplane or even as stand-alone figures. This… more

F-4D Canopy Mask

Published: November 14, 2020
Company: Eduard

The Academy F-4 series finally brought the Phantom into the present with regards to mold technology. I’ve said it many times I hate to mask canopies. Eduard’s masks are made out of Kabuki tape which makes them flexible and able to conform to bends in the windows. In my opinion Kabuki tape is the premier masking medium.

This set is designed for the Academy F-4D, but it will fit the Academy or Eduard F-4C as well. You will need to use liquid mask to complete this set. There are 12 masks included in the set. This set will ensure that the canopy has crisp edges with minimal work.

These worked to perfection on my recent Eduard F-4D. They were easy to add and easy to remove. They performed flawlessly. If you are careful you can replace them back on the sheet and maybe able to… more

The Dogs of War - USA/USAF/USMC/VNAF O-1 Bird Dogs in the Vietnam War

Published: February 28, 2016
Company: AOA Decals

When you mention the Vietnam Air War, most people think of the F-4 Phantom or the F-105 Thunderchief, not some slow-moving, single-piston-engined airplane like the O-1 Bird Dog. But this little airplane played a pivotal role in close air support role over South Vietnam. The Model USA kit has been out for some time, but the markings options have been limited until now. Thanks to AOA Decals we now have plenty of marking options.

Contained in a 6x9-inch ziplock-bag are two decal sheets. The instructions are printed in full color on four 8.5x11 double sided pieces of paper. The cover is a beautiful full color shot of an O-1 on a mission over Vietnam. It will aid the modeler in weathering the model. Some color call-outs are listed and the back side of the sheet has the stencils. The… more

Spitfire Mk.XVI High Back with Early Wings Overtree

Published: December 31, 2015
Company: Eduard

Ever heard of an Eduard Overtree kit? You would not be alone. Eduard offers overtree kits occasionally, for a very limited time and ONLY through the Eduard website. They contain only the plastic parts. No box art, no instructions, no decals, no masks and no photo etch. No nothing, just plastic. Why do this? To keep the costs down. Eduard also offers the modeler the parts that you may want to add separately. If you have aftermarket decals then you aren’t paying extra for the decals. I personally like to use the Zoom sets to spruce up the instrument panel and some other odds and ends, like seatbelts. This is what I consider an essential set. Everything else is nice. The instructions are available for download online in the Profipac or the Weekend Edition releases. Maybe you own the Dual… more

Spitfire Mk.XVI Bubbletop with Late Wings Overtree

Published: December 31, 2015
Company: Eduard

If you’ve built a weekend edition of an Eduard kit you would think that is as cheap as you can get an Eduard kit. Well then you haven’t seen an overtree. Eduard occasionally release an overtree kit for a limited time of their new items and it is only available through the Eduard Store online. The thing about an overtree kit is it only comes with the plastic pieces. It does not come with instructions, decals, masks, or photo etch. You can download the instructions online from the Profipack or weekend kit. You have to be careful and order the correct kit. Like me I chose to review a Bubbletop Mk.XVI with Late Wings. I should have ordered the Bubbletop with Early Wings. So note that you only get one set of wings and one fuselage. You need to know what you are going to build before you… more

Hurricane Camouflage Scheme B Mask

Published: December 31, 2015
Company: Eduard

British aircraft have hard edged fairly standard paint schemes. This can be a blessing and a boon for modelers. Well it has been made infinitely easier thanks to Eduard.

Packaged in a ziplock bag, Eduard provides you two sheets of Kabuki tape masks which I think is the best masking medium out there. If you aren’t familiar with Kabuki tape, it is the same stuff that Tamiya tape is made of. You can tell if it is properly down because it is slightly see through. The one sheet has the fuselage halves on it and the other has the wings, tail and some extra strips. They are all easy to apply and they fit perfectly.

I’ve used these types of masks from Eduard on some Spitfire kits and they work perfectly. This makes the arduous task of masking simple and easy. If you are careful… more