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

MiG-21F-13 Decals

Published: February 3, 2020
Company: Iliad Design

The MiG-21F-13 was the first operational version of the fighter. It was used throughout the Soviet sphere of influence. It was used in the deserts of the Mideast to the Jungles of Vietnam. Trumpeter’s kit of the F-13 is a really nice kit but the kit decal options could use some updating. Enter Iliad Design and this sheet.

Packaged in a ziplock bag is a single sheet of instructions. Printed on a double-sided page are seven aircraft from around the world in full color. The instructions show left side profiles and upper plan views. There are descriptions and FS callouts for each aircraft.

The decals themselves are very well printed. I’m not sure who printed them. They are thin on the sheet and it perfect register. The colors all look accurate. There are no stencils… more

Tomcats at War-Pt 3- F-14B/D Bravo Delta Haze Gray Decals

Published: December 29, 2021
Company: Fightertown Decals

The F-14 Tomcat, was a movie star and retired way too soon. This beautiful fighter led a long and distinguished career and sported some unique color schemes. At the end of its service life it was predominately shades of gray. That doesn’t mean it was a dull collection of markings, just the opposite. Some of these grays made for some colorful markings.

Fightertown Decals has been producing some great decals for the F-14 Tomcat and this sheet is no exception. Included in the marking options are 6 Squadrons with 16 marking options. There are at least four different variants of grey paint schemes on these subjects.

The decals and instructions are packaged in a large Ziplock style bag. The instructions are printed on high quality bond paper in full color, on three double… more

AH-64 Apache Wheels Set

Published: October 12, 2019
Company: Reskit

This set is designed for any 1/48 AH-64 kit. Included in a self-sealing package with a card stock backing. There are no instructions included in the kit. Five dark grey resin pieces are on four pour blocks. They are blemish free. The set includes two main wheels, one tail wheel and two small parts that look to be a additional wheel retention nuts.

The detail is exquisite throughout. There is a flat spot on the bottom to represent the weight of the aircraft. It is easy to overdo but Reskit has got it down perfect. Actually the tail wheel could even be flatter. The circumference tread is nicely deep and perfectly formed. The brake assemblies are beautifully rendered as well.

These wheels are significantly better than the kit offerings. They are perfectly formed and… more

P-40B Warhawk Cockpit Set

Published: July 21, 2019
Company: Aires Hobby Models

The new Airfix P-40B is an excellent example of the iconic fighter made famous by the Flying Tigers. The kit is nice but there are some things in the cockpit that need to be ‘fixed’. Aires has released this new cockpit set for the kit.

Inside the typical Aires blister pack are 21 pieces molded in light grey resin. My example was flawless despite damage to the blister package. The set also has a small fret of photoetch that includes the instrument panel and seatbelts. A film of acetate is also provided for the instruments.

This set will require some thinning of the sidewalls to get it to fit properly. But once you get past that, the set fits together simply and easily. The parts breakdown is very similar to the kit breakdown. The pour stubs are easy enough to remove.… more

Flight Craft 14: Messerschmitt Bf-109

Published: February 3, 2020
Book Author(s): Robert Jackson
Company: Pen & Sword

The Bf-109 is an iconic fighter of the Third Reich. Developed in 1935 the single engine monoplane fighter struck fear into the enemies of the Reich until the end of the war. Continuously developed throughout the war the fighter even survived the fall of Germany in the air forces of Spain, Czechoslovakia and ironically the fledgling Israel.

This softbound book contains 80 pages of high quality paper and 100 color illustrations and pictures. The book includes a variety of black and white historical images, as well as, a number of contemporary color photos not just of the Bf-109 but also its opponents. There are eight pages of color profiles that are quite nice and run the entire production from the first 109 to the last Spanish and Czech ones.

This book is geared towards… more

Desert Storm: Eagles-When Eagles Fly, MiGs Die

Published: May 13, 2019
Company: Sprue Brothers

The F-15, no other aircraft in history has been as successful in air-to-air engagement, as the Eagle. Prior to Desert Storm, the Eagle was used successfully by the Israelis but had been unproven in use by the US Air Force.

The F-15C is a beautiful aircraft and during Desert Storm it proved itself so successful scoring 32 aerial victories of the 41 victories achieved by the US forces.

Bullseye Model Aviation has produced another stellar sheet. This one focuses on the MiG killing Eagles used during Desert Storm by the 1^st Tactical Fighter Wing (TFW), 33rd TFW, and the 7440th Composite Wing (Provisional). There are markings for 24 F-15Cs. TWENTY-FOUR aircraft. That is impressive in itself. The research is impeccable. Aircraft markings are shown during and… more