B-17 Seats with Cushions and Belts

Published: June 18, 2021
Company: RESIN2 Detail

This upgrade provides a 1//32 scale improved seat for the HK B-17. It comes in three different options, with two seats to a package. One is the plain seat, one has basic seat cushions and backpad, and one has seat cushions, backpad, and the lap-belt, as the B-17 was (from my references) rarely equipped with over-the shoulder harnesses until later versions. The lap belt is the ultimate in final detail. As you can see in the side-by side view, the kit seat (in basic gray plastic) is about 3/8” taller than the Resin2detail seats; I believe the Resin 2 detail seats are more accurate.

All three seat sets were the same, with the exception of the additional details for the modeler’s requirement. This seat has cushions and lap belts. I (Carefully) used a razor saw to remove the seats… more

Soviet Fighter Pilot with Ejection Seat for SU-27 Flanker

Published: December 28, 2016
Company: Aerobonus

The usual Thanks to our friends at Aires/Aerobonus for producing and providing IPMS USA this figure for improving our models… And thanks also to the reviewer corps leaders for making it available to me to review….

This upgrade provides a 1/48^th scale pilot figure seated in a K-36 seat for use in one of the Academy SU-27 family. It most certainly can be used in other kits as well… Superb details include leg restraints, the ejection handles molded in place, and all the basics you need to improve your model…

Preparation was use of spray white Tamiya primer; once it dried, the basic figure was painted “In situ” on the pour stub. I opted to give this gent a temperate flight suit color verses the blue-gray commonly worn in Russia. You can also paint the seat orange… more

F-4C/D Undercarriage Doors

Published: December 18, 2016
Company: Quickboost

THANK YOU to our friends and suppliers at Aires/Quickboost (“QB”) for this excellent improvement set for the Academy F-4C/D! And thanks also to the reviewer corps leaders for making them available to me to review….

This set takes the kit components and improves them in the usual “Quickboost” manner … in this set, we are presented with all undercarriage doors to improve the Academy F-4C/D. Included in this 10-part set are all the doors for an F-4C/D, including the main gear doors, the main wheel follow-up doors, the main gear follow-up doors, two different Nose gear forward doors with two clear light lens covers, and the nose gear sideways-opening door. As usual with Quickboost, these items are more refined and defined than the kit bits. Check the side-by-side photos for… more

Tornado IDS Antennas

Published: December 17, 2016
Company: Aires Hobby Models

THANK YOU to our friends and suppliers at Aires/Quickboost for this excellent improvement set for the new Revell 1/48 tornado! And thanks also to the reviewer corps leaders for making the set available to me to review….

This six-part resin upgrade replaces the kit air data probes, the pitot tubes, and the Comm blade antennas. Once again Aires does the hard part; Basically you remove the parts from the pour stub with a sharp blade, clean up, and install them in place of the kit items. Be careful, because they are HYPER fragile and prone to destruction. That makes the scale fidelity worthwhile, but if you play sky-pilot with your models, well…expect them to disappear or just break off. Forewarned!

The pictures tell the story. I did not get the blade antenna seated… more

Tornado IDF Undercarriage Covers

Published: December 15, 2016
Company: Quickboost

THANK YOU to our friends and suppliers at Aires/Quickboost for another improvement set, in this case for the Revell DE Tornado IDS/GR-4 undercarriage doors. And thanks also to the reviewer corps leaders for making them available to me to review.

This set improves the kit components by replacing them with fine, pressure-molded resin parts. These are very thin and fragile. Included are five doors in gray resin, (two main, three nose gear) and two clear taxi lights.

Remove the parts from their pour stub, and superglue in place. These fit in place of the kit items, no additional sanding or kit plastic removal required. Quick and improved kit appearance with scale size and thickness.

The kit parts are good; the Aires parts are better. Improved, more “scale” detail,… more

Panavia Tornado IDS Electronic Bay

Published: December 15, 2016
Company: Aires Hobby Models

THANK YOU to our friends and suppliers at Aires for this excellent improvement set for the new Revell 1/48 Tornado! And thanks also to the reviewer corps leaders for making the set available to me to review.

This resin upgrade takes the kit and adds a simple electronics bay improvement. Included in this six-part set are two electronic bays, two bay brackets, and two doors. Detail on everything is superb, and is just the thing for a diorama or servicing display on the Tornado.

Use of this set requires the modeler to remove the avionics bay doors molded on the side of the model, and install the bays. As the kit was already assembled, I had to devise a way to Install the bays from outside the opening and cement the doors in place afterward.

This set is highly… more

He 51b Antennas

Published: December 15, 2016
Company: Quickboost

THANK YOU to our friends and suppliers at Aires / Quickboost for another improvement set, in this case for the Roden He 51b series biplane (which was also released by Eduard in a double set along with their ME-109 for the 1936 Spanish civil war. And thanks also to the reviewer corps leaders for making this set available to me to review….

This set provides seven antennas to directly replace the kit items. The detail provided is an improvement in that the antennas are more scale in size than the kit items, are very fine in appearance, and you don’t have to clean up mold lines, etc. on these antennas.

Quick installation: Remove the parts from their pour stub, clean up with a sanding stick, and superglue the antennas in place. Paint and move on!

This set is a most… more

Panavia Tornado IDS Air Brakes

Published: September 6, 2021
Company: Aires Hobby Models

THANK YOU to our friends and suppliers at Aires for this excellent improvement set for the Revell tornado! And thanks also to the reviewer corps leaders for making them available to me to review….

Revell continues to be one of the companies that provides excellent value for modelers; any addition to their kits is worthwhile in that the basic kit is a canvas for improvement. Revell’s 1/48 Tornado kits are perfect examples; a bit complex, and you have to work carefully as they tend to be a bit modular, but at the end of the day you have the best of the lot, if you will, of the 1/48 Tornado series by price, value, and finished product.

This set takes the kit components and improves them in a major way. Aires provides additional, third-dimension rivets and hydraulic detail… more

He 51b Control Surfaces

Published: December 15, 2016
Company: Aires Hobby Models

THANK YOU to our friends and suppliers at Aires for another improvement set, in this case for the Roden He 51b series biplane (which was also released by Eduard in a double set along with their ME-109 for the 1936 Spanish civil war. And thanks also to the reviewer corps leaders for making this set available to me to review….

This set provides two stabilizers and two elevators.. The detail provided is an improvement in that the stab has a recess for the elevators, and the elevators are rounded on the front. The stabs and fin have drill locating holes in them so you can prepare for rigging; only requires a bit of microbit work and they are ready to install. The rib and fabric detail appears a bit more refined, so you don’t have to sand them down to make them look better.

… more

Metal Landing Gear for Roden C-141B

Published: December 15, 2016
Company: Scale Aircraft Conversions

More metal gear from Ross at SAC; another winner… THANKS VERY MUCH for sending IPMS USA another of your expansive line of metal landing gear, and thanks also to IPMS USA leadership for sending it on to me to review….

This is the SAC-standard metal landing gear improvement over the kit plastic. Roden, bless’em, makes kits nobody else does. WE NOW HAVE A 1/144 C-141B thanks to them! Buy them up so they can finance other models (Hint: a decent 1/144 C-5A next we hope… the “R” re-engined version with the CF-6 can come later!)

I’m impressed with this kit; fit is ok, few locator pins, but the exterior is definitely the right aircraft with the right appearance. The engine intakes are very well done, with positive installation for the nacelles into the wing. The ‘141B is a… more