Bf110 C/E Exhausts

Published: July 20, 2011
Company: Quickboost

History:

The Bf 110 served with success in the early campaigns, the Polish, Norwegian and Battle of France. The Bf 110's lack of agility in the air was its primary weakness. This flaw was exposed during the Battle of Britain, when some Bf 110-equipped units were withdrawn from the battle after very heavy losses and redeployed as night fighters, a role to which the aircraft was well suited.

Quickboost has some of the best resin parts I have seen. For a 1/72 scale part the edges are sharp and the details are clearly defined. This will be a nice upgrade to the Airfix kit.

I would like to thank Quickboost.net, Aires Hobby Models and IPMS/USA for the opportunity to conduct this review.

Decal set: FW190 Part 2- Butcher Birds (A-'s)

Published: July 20, 2011
Company: Lifelike Decals

Lifelike Decals are some of the best designed and clearly printed decals on the market today. This set has a combination of Fw190A/F examples for four different Focke Wulf aircraft.

This decal set provides markings for:

• Fw 190A-3, 2/EJG2. West, Yellow 28, Cazaux AB, France, 1942
• Fw 190A-4, 9./JG 2, Yellow 4, Vannes AB, France, Feb 1943, as flown by Oblt Siefried Schnell
• Fw 190A-4, Commander JG 101, Triple Chevron, Pau AB, France, Summer 1944, as flown by Major Walter Nowotny
• Fw 190F-8, I./SG 4, Yellow 7, Wenden AB, Germany, Sep 1944

The color profile sheets show a Side, top and bottom views of each aircraft.

This set also comes with “swastikas” (Thank you Lifelike for including them on the sheet and not wasting… more

AH-1W Cobra Exhaust

Published: July 14, 2011
Company: Werners Wings

Werner's Wings has released a 5-piece resin set to transform the 1/35 Academy AH-1W NTS into the latest version flying in Afghanistan with turned exhausts to provide a lower heat signature. The parts look very clean and the edges are nicely formed with crisp edges.

The set includes the exhaust housing and outlets, 2 inserts for inside the exhaust outlets, the inner engine bulkhead, and a cover for the tail rotor shaft.

It also comes with a detailed instruction sheet showing you how to install the parts.

It requires that you cut part of old exhaust attached to the fuselage and replace it with the resin parts. Also warns about cutting the area around the driveshaft cover, recommends that you cut the exhaust area first then measure area for the driveshaft cover.

USS Rueben James

Published: July 10, 2011
Company: Academy Models

Short History

USS Reuben James (FFG-57), an Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided missile frigate, is the third ship of the U.S. Navy named for Reuben James, a boatswain's mate who distinguished himself fighting the Barbary pirates.

Reuben James was born in Delaware, Ohio about 1776. He joined the Navy and served on various ships, including the frigate USS Constellation. During the Barbary Wars, the American frigate Philadelphia was captured by the Barbary pirates, when it ran aground in the city of Tripoli, on the southern shores of the Mediterranean Sea. Lieutenant Stephen Decatur, along with a group of volunteers that included Reuben James, entered the harbor of Tripoli under the cover of darkness in an attempt to burn the Philadelphia so that the pirates could not make… more

Bf-109G-6 (Early)

Published: June 27, 2011
Company: Trumpeter

Short History:

Luftwaffe benchmark fighter, 'Gustav' 6 variant with up-gunned MG 131 cowl MGs and characteristic 'Beule' blisters over the gun breeches.

The Bf 109G-6 is an example of how higher management's requirements can result in a worse product. As the war was progressing, the Bf 109F series was being more and more outclassed by the allied fighters it was fighting. The primary weakness lay in speed, as the new Allied planes (primarily American) were becoming more and faster. Rather than convert all fighter production to the Focke-Wulf 190, or to some other design, the Powers that Be basically told Messerschmitt to put a better engine in the Bf 109. This was done (the Daimler Benz DB 605), but the new engine was heavier, adding weight, reducing the… more

JU87 Gun Barrels

Published: June 20, 2011
Company: Quickboost

PARTS

The Barrels in the sample are perfectly molded in resin. The details are sharp and the edges on the ends are thin and crisp.

I would recommend this Quickboost product to all model builders.

I would like to thank Quickboost for the sample and IPMS/USA for the opportunity to conduct this review.

Defender XD "Wolf" W.M.I.K.

Published: June 12, 2011
Company: Hobby Boss

Short History

Land Rover is synonymous to mobility in the British Army as Jeep and Humvee are to the US Army. Land Rover Defender was the main vehicle type for the British Army and the armies of the Commonwealth for many years, and in 1994, Land Rover created a new variant - the Defender XD (eXtra Duty) to replace the older vehicles in service. The XD is powered by a 300Tdi engine and was produced in 90 and 110 inch configurations.

These XD Defenders were called the 'Wolf' and these can be equipped with hard tops or soft tops and where needed, could be fitted with a Weapons Mount Installation Kit (WMIK). WMIK vehicles could carry a 12.7mm (.50 caliber) machine gun on a gun ring in the rear or the MILAN ATGM launcher. Gun mounts for squad weapons are provided for the… more

8" Self Propelled

Published: June 8, 2011
Company: Revell

Editor's note: This kit is a re-release of the Renwal kit of the late '50's. It set a standard in its day.

Short History

Right after WWII the US Army looked hard at its experience and decided it wanted most of its artillery to be armored and provided with overhead protection for future combat.

Designated the M55 by the United States Army, the 8 Inch Self-Propelled Howitzer was largely deployed in NATO areas during the Cold War and was used extensively during the Vietnam War by US forces. Manufactured by the Pacific Car and Foundry Co.® the M55 weighed 44 tons, carried a crew of six and had a top speed of 30 mph. The M55 was originally based on the M53 155mm self-propelled gun but was rearmed with an 8 inch 203mm Howitzer and used components from the M48… more

Panzerjager I, 4.7cm Pak(t) Early Production - Smart Kit

Published: May 27, 2011
Company: Dragon Models

Short History:

When WWII broke out in 1939, Germany relied heavily on the 3.7cm PaK 36 antitank gun. However, this puny weapon was no match for armored vehicles like the French Char B1 or British Matilda II. One solution was to mount the more powerful Skoda 4.7cm PaK(t) gun on the chassis of the Panzer I Ausf. B. This had a double advantage – a more capable antitank weapon was created, and it permitted an extended use of obsolete Panzer I tank chassis. Called the Panzerjäger I, this new vehicle was Germany’s first of many tank destroyer designs. Between March 1940 and February 1941, 202 such Panzerjäger I vehicles were converted in time for service in the Battle of France, in North Africa, and in the invasion of Russia. By the end of 1943, the Panzerjäger I had… more

USS Yorktown Aircraft Carrier

Published: May 11, 2011
Company: Revell

History

USS Yorktown, a 19,800 ton aircraft carrier built at Newport News, Virginia, was commissioned on 30 September 1937. Operating in the Atlantic and Caribbean areas until April 1939.

The U.S.S. Yorktown was among the first "true" aircraft carriers ever built. During the Battle of Midway, the Yorktown scored a decisive victory against the Japanese, with the help of the U.S.S. Enterprise and the U.S.S. Hornet. For the heroic sacrifices made by her soldiers in this battle, the Yorktown earned three battle stars. Kit features highly detailed hangar and flight decks with optional-position deck elevators and cranes, twenty Douglas SBD dive bombers, a display stand and official U.S. Navy marking… more