A-20G Havoc Test Shot

Published: February 1, 2023
Company: HK Models Co

The Douglas built A-20 havoc first flew on October 26, 1938.  Designed by Jack Northrop and Ed. Heinemann, Douglas produced over 7000 of them, making it the most produced light bomber.

Originally ordered by the French, the American Army Air Corps quickly caught on and placed an order three months later.  Nearly half of the production run went to the Soviet Union under the Lend-Lease… more

S. M. Unterseeboot U-9

Published: April 19, 2021
Company: Das Werk Scale Models

When I heard a 1/72 scale World War I submarine kit was coming out, I was excited. It ended up being the U-9 class from Germany. The kit is molded in light gray plastic and comes packed in a nice large, sturdy box. In fact, it will fit back in the box all the way until the completion of the build.

When I first saw the instructions I thought they were ruined, but they are… more

A-26C Invader

Published: April 6, 2021
Company: Hobby Boss

The A-26 is a lesser known twin engine bomber from World War II which got its ancestry from the A-20 Havoc. After World War II it was re-designated B-26 and also served in Korea. At first glance Hobby Boss’s 1/32 scale A-26C Invader is impressive.

The kit is molded in light gray plastic, with crystal clear transparencies and rubber tires. There are decals for two options, a night… more

A-26B Invader Landing Gear Set

Published: April 6, 2021
Company: Scale Aircraft Conversions

The SAC replacement gear seems to be an exact replica of the parts from the Hobby Boss A-26 Invader kit. The metal is soft but easy to clean and file. The set consists of main gear, nose gear, and nose wheel well. I decided to use the nose gear and its well to help balance the model since I have never tolerated tail sitters.

The nose gear well needs a little filing to fit. Even after… more

Vosper MTB 74 with Crew- Part 2

Published: September 20, 2020
Company: Italeri

In Part One, I alluded to some issues I had with the windows in the kit so I’ll start with that.  The portholes had acetate to represent the glass, which turned out to be larger than the flat spots they were intended to nestle into, so most had to be trimmed down.  The same needed to be done for the ones that were in the deck.  

Vosper MTB 74 with Crew (Part 1)

Published: September 1, 2020
Company: Italeri

Italeri’s 1/35 scale version of the Vosper MTB 74 which was used on the 28 March 1942 Operation Chariot Saint Nazaire raid comes in a big box. It was a specially configured boat having most of its offensive armament removed and having two torpedo tubes added to the foredeck. It also had special muffler silencers added. It successfully hit the nets which protected the docks, torpedoed the lock… more

Browning .50 and .30 Caliber Shells and Cartridges

Published: March 11, 2020
Company: Master Model

Total number of parts: 25 each package.

As I’m scratch building a 1/16 scale PT boat, when I saw these neat little shells and cartridges I was curious. What arrived was 4 small packages which included 25 shells or cartridges each in both .50 caliber and .30 caliber. For a large scale I was surprised at how small they were. I was able to compare the .50 caliber ones with a real .50… more

North American B-25C/D Mitchell

Published: January 24, 2021
Company: Airfix

A versatile twin-engine medium bomber, the B-25 was to find its first fame on April 18th, 1942, as the Bomb Group led by Jimmy Doolittle flew them off the carrier USS Hornet and made the first attack on Tokyo. Mitchells were flown by many of the United States’ Allies, were used throughout WWII, and were in service up into the 1960s.

The new Airfix B- 25C/D was sorely needed in… more

Kawanishi H8K1 Type 2 Flying Boat Model 11

Published: February 25, 2018
Company: Hasegawa

When I heard about a new Emily I was excited, as I had built the 1972 issue which had fit problems and a canopy that was too wide. I had sanded off most of the raised detail and scribed in new ones, but overall I remembered it as a tough build.

However, the price of 149.95 for Hasegawa’s new issue seemed steep, and as I had already built one Emily… more

Armstrong Whitworth Whitley MK V

Published: January 23, 2021
Company: Airfix

The Armstong Whitworth Whiley was a British twin-engined bomber that was in service at the start of WW2 and was the first to drop bombs on a German-held territory. Although it was slow and could only reach 15,000 feet loaded, it was a significant contributor at the beginning of the war.

The kit comes molded in a light gray plastic that is somewhat soft, but has a sturdy box. Looking… more