Hurricane Canopy

Published: October 20, 2018
Company: Brengun

This is a replacement canopy for Sweet’s 1/144 Hurricanes. The Sweet kit is a really great Hurricane, very nice to build, with great fit. The kit canopy is molded as a solid piece, very thick. Well, for a 1/144 kit it’s very thick. There’s no hollow part inside the canopy, it’s just a chunk of nicely molded clear plastic. But that’s not why I really, really appreciated this review item. When I… more

Gunships Raining Fire (1) - USAF/VNAF AC-119G Shadows & AC-119K Stingers in the Vietnam War

Published: September 10, 2018
Company: AOA Decals

When something in 1/144 scale comes up as available for review, I will quite often jump on it. There isn’t NEARLY as much in 1/144 as in 1/72 or 1/48, so I’m quite often looking at a list with nothing for me. When I saw the AOA Decals AC-119 decals in 1/144, I grabbed it. And I’m glad I did.

The Roden AC-119K Stinger is a pretty good kit, but I really wish the Eastern Europeans would… more

We March Against England, Operation Sea Lion 1940-41

Published: September 2, 2018
Book Author(s): Robert Forczyk
Company: Osprey Publishing

It’s June of 1940. The Wehrmacht has just crushed the armies of Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium and France. The British Army has escaped across the Channel from Dunkirk, and they’ve left a lot of equipment behind, not to mention a goodly number of soldiers. Germany has to get their act together in France, prepare for occupation of those conquered territories, and then there’s the thought of… more

The Panavia Tornado, A Comprehensive Guide

Published: August 25, 2018
Book Author(s): Andy Evans
Company: SAM Publications

The Panavia Tornado started out as the MRCA (Multi Role Combat Aircraft). The idea was to apply the latest (1970s) technology to an aircraft which could do a number of jobs, replacing “older” aircraft like the Fiat G-91, the Blackburn Buccaneer, and the Lockheed F-104. The Tornado is a cooperative project, with Britain, Germany and Italy participating in design and production tasks. The only “… more

German Rocket V-2 /A4

Published: June 25, 2018
Company: Brengun

The Missile

The V-2 was the first operational ballistic missile. It didn’t use an aiming system as such but was launched in the exact direction of the target. The engine was cut off when the missile was at the correct speed and altitude to allow it to coast to the target. The 2150-pound warhead could do a large amount of damage, and, unlike the V-1 there was no way to intercept a V-2… more

Hasegawa Pz.Kpfw IV ausf.F2 & 8t Half Track & 88mm Gun Flak 18 "Rommel Afrika Korps"

Published: June 18, 2018
Company: Hasegawa

The Kits

You get three 1/72 scale kits and a 54 mm figure in one box here. The kits are an 8-ton halftrack, (SdKfz 7) an 88 mm FLAK 18, and a Panzer IV ausf F2. The figure is Field Marshal Erwin Rommel. There are individual instructions for the vehicles, and the painting and assembly instructions for Rommel are included with the 88 mm FLAK.

I built the kits and figure… more

MiG-15UTI PE Set

Published: May 28, 2018
Company: Eduard

This is the photoetch upgrade set for Eduard’s 1/144 MiG-15 UTI kit, stock number 4444.

The PE fret contains parts for the cockpit, undercarriage doors, wing fences and antennas.

The PE is done concurrently with the kit build, as the tiny parts in the cockpit are just too small to manage while the parts are mounted inside the fuselage. The cockpit upgrade consists of instrument… more

MiG-15UTI

Published: May 28, 2018
Company: Eduard

The Aircraft

The MiG-15UTI is the two seat trainer variant of the MiG-15 fighter from the Korean War. It has been produced by the USSR, Czechoslovakia (S103), Poland(Lim-2), China (JJ-2 / Shenyang FT-2). The MiG-15 UTI has been used by a lot of countries, including the United States, which uses it as a test pilot trainer for foreign students. The Eduard instructions provides 8 sets… more

CH-47 Chinook in Action

Published: April 3, 2018
Book Author(s): David Doyle
Company: Squadron Signal Publications

This latest book in the “In Action” series covers the CH-47 Chinook from prototypes to current operations.

The Chinook began as the YHC-1 prototype in 1957. Vertol, which had been Piasecki until 1956 developed the YHC-1A and the YHC-1B. The YHC-1A became the CH-46 Sea Knight, used by the US Navy and Marine Corps. The YCH-1B, which was larger became the CH-47 Chinook.

The first… more

P-51D Mustang

Published: March 23, 2018
Company: Minicraft Model Kits

When Phil Peterson sent out an announcement that there were new items for review, I went to the list with only a certain amount of excitement. There are very few 1/144 scale items available for review, and that’s my scale. I was glad to find a new 1/144 item from Minicraft. A P-51D Mustang. I sent an immediate email begging and pleading for this kit. And I got it. And I’m glad I did.

… more