Spitfire Mk. IXc

Published: July 25, 2013
Company: Eduard

The Aircraft

The Mark IX Spitfire was supposed to be an interim between the Mk V and the Mk VII and VIII. With the Fw-190 outclassing the Mk V to the point where the RAF couldn’t operate over France, something had to be done. The fix was to put the newer Merlin 60, 62 or later 66 or 70 engine in a Mk V airframe and call it a MK IX. This fix was so successful that the Mk IX and XVI (a… more

USAAF Boeing B-29A

Published: July 16, 2013
Company: Minicraft Model Kits

I’ve built several B-29s, one of them a Minicraft kit for an earlier review. That being said, I’m still waiting for the moment of inspiration to strike when I get out another B-29 kit and build the Tu-4 “Bull” which is almost identical to the B-29. Or a Washington, also a B-29 with RAF decals.

Minicraft has reissued this kit with very different markings. Little attention has been paid… more

Tupolev Tu-22M3 Backfire C

Published: July 1, 2013
Company: Minicraft Model Kits

The Aircraft

The Tu-22M3 Backfire C has had a somewhat confusing development history. The original Tu-22 was NATO code-named Blinder. It had two pod-mounted engines above the rear fuselage, one on either side of the vertical stabilizer, and fixed sweptback wings. Then Tupolev came out with what I think is almost a new design, with the engines mounted in the rear fuselage and intakes… more

B-17F/G Decals

Published: June 12, 2013
Company: Kits-World

I was given Minicraft’s B-17G for a review. Just as I was about to start the project, I was at IPMS Las Vegas “Best of the West” contest, and found a set of 1/144 decals for the B-17G. The decals included in the kit were perfectly OK, but the subject matter of this sheet made me drag out my wallet and buy it.

The first plane on the sheet is “American Beauty”, 2S*G. A friend and co-… more

B-17G Flying Fortress "Flak Eater"

Published: June 10, 2013
Company: Minicraft Model Kits

OK, it’s a 1/144 B-17G. I have 1/144 B-17Gs in the stash from Crown, Revell, and Academy/Minicraft. Nevertheless, I’ve never gotten around to building any of these, so this one is the first of several B-17Gs I’ll be doing as I get around to it.

First reason to like this kit – they’ve completely redone the clear parts. Trust me, this mold has been around the block a few times, and these… more

Ki-46III, Command/Recon Plane Hyakushiki (Dinah)

Published: May 16, 2013
Company: Aoshima

The Aircraft

The Mitsubishi Ki-46 Dinah was a reconnaissance platform for the Imperial Japanese Army. The crew of 2 were in separate cockpits, with the pilot and observer separated by a fuel tank (shudder!) The Ki-46II version was faster than any Japanese fighter in the 1940-41 time frame, and the IJAF thought it should be immune from interception. The advent of the P-38 in Pacific… more

Su-22M-4/UM-3K

Published: April 18, 2013
Book Author(s): Krzystof Barcz and Dariusz Warszsawski
Company: Kagero Publishing

The Book

Kagero Publishing of Poland has a series of photo books called Topshots. They feature lots of photos of a single subject and include a decal sheet.

This book contains photos of Su-22s in Polish Air Force service. It’s got one page of history in English, and 47 pages of photographs, many with details you’re not going to find in any other published source. The… more

Douglas C-124C Globemaster II

Published: September 11, 2021
Company: Roden

The Aircraft

The C-124 Globemaster II was the ultimate piston-powered cargo aircraft. The C-124 entered service in 1950, just in time for the Korean War. Based on the C-74 Globemaster, which first flew just after VJ day, the C-124 used the same wing as the C-74, but the fuselage was enlarged so the C-124 could carry 10 tons more cargo than the C-74.

Based on lessons learned… more

T-28B Trojan

Published: March 1, 2013
Company: Sword Models

When Steve Collins and Dick Montgomery announced that the 1/72 T-28B was available for review, I jumped at the chance. I have seen T-28’s flying, at Keesler AFB, Mississippi, when I was there in 1967, and my Guard unit flew T-28s in 1957-58 between the F-51s and the F-84s. Alas, both of these were T-28A’s, not B’s. But when I saw the back of the box, I immediately knew I had to build the one… more

Lockheed-Martin TR-1A

Published: February 16, 2013
Company: Dragon Models

The Aircraft

The TR-1A is/was a development of the famous U-2. The U-2 is a high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft with multiple sensor arrays, allowing photo, radar, electronic, and signals intelligence. The original U-2A was developed for the CIA by Lockheed, using a fuselage from the F-104 and extra-long, glider-like wings. This allowed the U-2 to fly at altitudes well above those… more