Building the Revell 1/32nd Scale Bell AH-1G in a Vietnam Vignette

Published: May 23, 2020
Book Author(s): Richard Marmo
Company: Scale Publications

This is my first time reviewing a PDF book. The author, Richard Marmo, is a long time IPMS member. His IPMS/USA number is #2 so that means he has been modeling for years. So he may know a thing or two about modeling and being an author.

Richard has taken this 52-year old kit and enhanced it with some Cobra Company (now Lonestar Models) upgrades and placed it into a neat vignette. He describes how to build the model and the entire vignette, including a cover for it. As a former Cobra pilot, I couldn’t wait to see what he had to say.

Utilizing the 1967 release of the Revell Bell AH-1G, Richard puts a unique camoflage scheme on the model, but first he tells you how to build it. There are plenty of pictures of how to build it included. There are 47 photos interspersed… more

MiG-17F Zoom

Published: November 13, 2020
Company: Eduard

The Hobby Boss 1/48^th scale kit of the MiG-17 series are THE kits of this fighter plane. The kit does have good detail but like anything, it can be improved upon. Included in this photo etch set are some major upgrades.

Packaged in the typical Eduard resealable package with card stock support. This pre-painted single nickel-plated photo etch fret features some prominent upgrades.

Most of the parts are designed for use in the cockpit. The biggest being the instrument panel. The instrument panel is a two-part affair with the instrument faces having glass like faces and over that is the visible panel with its various switches and buttons. On top of that there is a HUD for the gunsight. It is a single piece of photo etch that replaces the kit clear plastic… more

MiG-17F Seatbelts STEEL

Published: November 13, 2020
Company: Eduard

The ejection seat in the Hobby Boss kit is a little sparse. It needs ‘help’. That help comes from Eduard.

Packaged in their typical self-sealing package. The pre-painted nickel coated fret contains nine pieces that make up the seatbelts. They are steel so they are easy to bend and don’t lose their color coating unless you are excessive with the bends. The instructions are easy to understand. They do have you cut the kit seat and add part C6 in place of C3. Then it is just a matter of adding the belts. Simple, easy and effective.

The ejection sheet is the most visible item in the cockpit. This little fret will add dramatically to the interior of your MiG-17. This set, along with FE1000, will make your cockpit ‘pop’.

Highly recommended

Thanks to Eduard and… more

T-38 Talon, F-5B, RF-5A/E/S Pitot Tube and 20mm Gun Barrels

Published: April 8, 2020
Company: Master Model

The release of the Wolfpack and Trumpeter T-38 Talon/ and F-5B/ RF-5A/E/S Freedom Fighter kits brought this light weight multi-role fighter into the modern age. I hate having to remove the mold lines. I can never keep the roundness of cross section. Then there is the strength of the brass itself. No plastic can withstand the same amount of pressure as the brass can.

Packaged in a resealable plastic bag, with card stock backing, are three beautifully turned metal pieces. One pitot tube and two gun barrels. Depending on what aircraft variant you want to do depends on what you will use. The T-38 only needs the pitot tube. Any variant of the F-5 would need the pitot tube and the gun barrels. Again, it depends if one or two guns are used.

The instructions are printed on a… more

Helicopter Crew Vietnam

Published: March 28, 2020
Company: PJ Production

Figures in 1/48^th scale, in particular helicopter figures, are like hen’s teeth. So when a new set comes out I am all over it. The latest of these releases is from PJ Production out of Belgium.

Packaged in a small end opening box, with a ziplock baggie inside of that, are three pour blocks of light grey resin and a tiny M-60 machine gun. The small M-60 is loose in the baggie so be careful you don’t lose it when opening the bag. There are no painting instructions inside, but the cover photo of the finished figures is adequate for the job.

The three resin figures represent two pilots and one door gunner. This would seem to indicate that it for a Loach since they sometimes flew with a crew of three and Hueys flew with a crew of four. All the figures have chicken… more

Bf-109G-10 WNF Photoetch

Published: November 13, 2020
Company: Eduard

The Eduard OVERTREE and Weekend Edition kits are really nice kits, but I think they benefit from having the pre-painted photoetch added to the model. I personally love the pre-painted photoetch. There is detail printed on them that I could never be able to replicate with a paint brush.

Packaged in the typical resealable package with a card stock protective backing is one fret of pre-painted PE. This single fret contains many essential interior parts, but the biggest impact would have to be from the seatbelts, shoulder harness and the instrument panel. Besides these key parts there are photoetch deflectors for the engine exhausts, as well as, some other panels and rudder pedals. These parts are all important. There are oil cooler faces as well. Personally, I don’t use them as I… more

MH-60L Masks

Published: January 31, 2020
Company: Eduard

I hate to mask canopies and helicopters, especially transport ones, have plenty. I am a huge fan of pre-cut masks. Building the Kitty Hawk MH-60L was a lot of fun.

The Eduard masking set offers masks for the front windshield, overhead panels, pilot doors, window sliding doors, chin bubbles, cargo doors, and wheels. You also get masks for the landing lights. This is really a complete set which will help in making this kit.

The masking set comes in a typical resealable package with card stock inside, which protects the masks. The masks themselves are precisely cut from Kabuki tape. This is the best material for the compound curves. There are two sheets, the one is for the sliding cargo doors, and the other has masks for all the other pieces. You will have to add masking… more

Best of the Best - Top Gun

Published: February 3, 2020
Company: Fightertown Decals

Ok to start off, WOW! Now that I got that out of the way Fightertown Decals always produces great sheets with multiple marking options. This one is one of the best yet. This was previously released but this set has been adjusted to fit the Tamiya kit, as well as, any other F-14/F-18 kit, and this sheet even includes some new aircraft.

‘Top Gun’- the movie, has produced more dreams in the minds of little kids of my generation than any propaganda movie ever. I know I was in love with the high speed, low level flying and the good story. Okay so it wasn’t believable, but it was a good story. Anyhow the aircraft, especially the F-14, was the actual star of the movie. With the new Top Gun 2 being made currently the interest is sure to grow again, even if Maverick will be flying an F/… more

Tomcats at War-Pt 2 - F-14B/D Bravo Delta Showboats

Published: February 3, 2020
Company: Fightertown Decals

Navy jets can be boring in their all grey color schemes, however, that is not always the case. The CAG birds tend to get the full color treatment, hence this sheet and the title of Showboats. These aircraft sported all kinds of markings at different times in their lifecycle.

With the release of the Tamiya, and now the AMK F-14 Tomcat kits, there is a need for some colorful markings for them. Fightertown Decals has the answer for those markings.

Fightertown Decals has produced decals for 14 different aircraft. Well that isn’t quite true. They provide markings for eight aircraft at different timeframes to show 14 different marking options. Fightertown produces some great looking Tomcat decals. This sheet is no different.

Included in the large ziplock bag are three… more

Anti-Slip Paste

Published: October 15, 2019
Company: Mig Productions

The anti-slip surface on tanks and airplanes are a unique feature and often not represented, especially on airplanes and helicopters. In the past the ways to replicate this were barely passable. Well that has now changed.

Ammo by Mig Jimenez has released not one but, three different versions, of this anti-slip paste. Of course, there are different scale models and so there are different ‘scales’ of this new paste.

The first anti-slip paste is in sand color for 1/35^th scale. These would be used on vehicles like the M1 Abrams and Bradley fighting vehicles.

The second paste is designed for 1/72 and 1/48^th scale models, in particular airplanes can benefit from this paste. The ‘grit’ is a finer one that is typical for airplanes.

The… more