Spitfire Mk.I/Ia, IIa Rounded Exhausts

Published: April 29, 2012
Company: Quickboost

Quickboost has always helped out the modeler by providing hollowed-out exhausts and other drop-in replacements for kit parts. This new addition is the round exhaust version of the Spitfire exhausts for the Airfix kit. They are molded perfectly in light grey resin with perfectly hollowed-out exhaust stacks. The tiny exhausts are perfect, far superior to anything that I could do with a pin vise and Opti-visor.

Like all of the Quickboost items, cleanup is easy and you just have to replace the kit part. Easy, inexpensive and perfectly cast.

Highly recommended.

Thanks to Quickboost and IPMS/USA for the review copy.

M197 20mm Gun Barrels

Published: April 29, 2012
Company: Master Model

If you know me, you know I flew AH-1F Cobras in the US Army for over 10 years. The weapon system that was on the nose was the 20mm M197 Cannon. To say I was familiar with the subject of this review would be an understatement.

Master provides you with three exquisitely turned metal cannon barrels and associated clamps. Also provided is a small photo etch fret that contains the various clamps, such as the mid and end-barrel clamps and locking devices.

I could not believe the level of detail that the barrels contain. Every facetted side and a hollow end exhibits superior quality. There is absolutely nothing missing from these barrels. They are perfect miniature barrels. Perfect.

The only thing you have to do to these is assemble them and replace the kit barrels. The… more

M61A1 Vulcan 20mm Rotary Cannon

Published: April 29, 2012
Company: Master Model

The latest gun used by the Air Force to arm its fighters is the M61A1 Vulcan. This cannon is a 20mm rotary type used on every fighter from the F-104 onward.

This little gem contains six turned metal barrels, metal mid-barrel spacer ring, and end barrel clamp spacer. There is also a fret of photo etch which has the cooling fins and barrel clamps.

The hardest parts will be assembling the cooling fins on the end barrel clamp. After that, it is gravy and more realistic than anything that plastic can do.

Highly recommended.

Thanks to Master Model and IPMS/USA for the review copy.

F-105 Thunderchief Pitot Tube

Published: April 29, 2012
Company: Master Model

One of the easiest things to do with an aircraft model, at least for me, is to knock off the pitot tube, especially on the nose of my models. Well, thanks to Master Model Poland, that won’t be a factor anymore.

This turned metal pitot tube is perfectly formed with the proper taper. Mounting it is as easy as replacing the kit one. Drill a hole and that is it.

I can’t find anything wrong with this upgrade. You won’t find a better product of this delicate item. This, as with all the Master items, is manufactured to exact specifications and it looks absolutely perfect.

Highly recommended.

Thanks to Master Model and IPMS/USA for the review copy.

Instrument Dial Decals for Early Soviet Jets

Published: February 10, 2020
Company: Airscale Model Aircraft Enhancements

Interested in adding an air of realism to your instrument panel? Well, the easiest way to do that is by using instrument faces. You know you can’t paint them as good as Airscale can print them. Well, at least I can’t.

The latest offering from Airscale is aimed at the latest release of Soviet aircraft. There are no fewer than 31 different instruments represented. Many of the instruments are duplicated so you can use this sheet on a number of models. The fidelity of these sheets is beautiful.

Besides the decals, you also are given a small clear acetate sheet to replicate the glass dial faces. This will require a punch and die set, but it is a nice touch.

How to use the Airscale decals is up to you. You can punch them out and add them as a typical decal on the… more

F-14A Tomcat Exhaust Nozzle – Varied Positions

Published: April 29, 2012
Company: Aires Hobby Models

The F-14, now retired from Navy service, is one of my favorite airplanes. Blame “Top Gun” and “The Final Countdown”. Who can forget the immortal line, “Splash the Zeros!”? Anyhow, the Academy F-14 is a nice kit and much cheaper than the Hasegawa kit. There are a couple of options for those wanting to add more detail. Aires provides three separate options for the turkey feathers – closed, open and varied positioned. This review is for the varied positioned offering.

The F-14 exhaust section can be seen in any of the positions, which is why Aires offers the varied set. Normally, while sitting on the ground following the shutdown procedures, the nozzles are controlled hydraulically. During the shutdown, it is normal for the right nozzle to be closed and the left one opened. It… more

Bf-110E/F/G Main Undercarriage Wheels

Published: April 29, 2012
Company: Eduard

The Eduard Brassin range of parts continues to grow from strength to strength. The latest set is no exception. Designed for the Eduard Bf-110 series of aircraft, this set includes four main resin parts and a set of masks.

The parts are molded in light grey resin that is perfectly cast. The resin pour blocks are easily removed. The level of detail is superb, including the raised portion of the rubber tires. The wheels are molded in two parts. The wheel where it mounts to the kit axle is perfectly sized for the kit strut. This will ensure that the wheel is properly aligned.

Painting is made easy by the inclusion of a set of Kabuki masks for the wheels. Only one mask per wheel is included, but that is because that is all you need. Since the back part of the wheel hub is… more

MiG-21SMT Interior Set

Published: March 20, 2012
Company: Eduard

There is no doubt that the Eduard MiG-21 family of kits sets the standard for this aircraft. The SMT variant is the ground attack version of the MiG-21. While the kit cockpit is nice and quite usable, there is room for improvement. I think it is nice that the manufacturer of the kit actually designs an aftermarket replacement set. This ensures that the resin will fit perfectly.

Inside a very sleek looking cardboard box, you are greeted by the six page color instructions. The drawings are quite impressive and should present no big problem. Below the instructions you see protective foam. This will ensure that the resin pieces will not move around and get damaged.

The resin pieces are contained in six small plastic ziplock bags, with the major items being… more

The IAR-80 & IAR-81 - Airframe, Systems, & Equipment

Published: February 21, 2012
Book Author(s): Radu Brinzan
Company: SAM Publications

I’ve loved the looks of the I.A.R.80 since the LTD model came out. There is something about the look of the airplane that makes it look like the Hughes racer. It is sleek and sexy and relatively unknown in the western world.

Prior to this book, there have been very few references available on the I.A.R.80. There was a book published in Rumanian, and later French, I.A.R.80 – The History of an Unknown Fighter, which is very good. I have a copy and the photos make it worth the price of admission. However, I can’t read it. This book by noted Rumanian aviation historian, Radu Brinzan, fixes that.

This softbound book contains 128 pages of high quality paper. The photos are mostly black and white, with a two page color section. The photos are high quality and will prove very… more

Bf-109 V-13 Conversion

Published: November 13, 2020
Company: Werners Wings

• Werners’ Wings Bf-109 V-13, #32-V13RS, $45.00
• Eduard Bf-109E Over the Balkans Peninsula, #1156, $89.95

I was given the opportunity to review the Eduard 1/32nd scale “Bf-109E over the Balkans Peninsula” and since I’d already built the Eduard kit I thought why not use it to build the V-13 Record Setter. Luckily for me, IPMS thought why not as well.

Eduard Kit

Before I get to the conversion, let me talk about the Eduard kit itself. Having built the first E-4 kit that Eduard came out with, I thought I would be seeing the same thing. I was wrong. There were some issues with the first kits, especially with the wheels, canopy, and slats. Well, thankfully, Eduard… more