Spitfire Mk 1 Landing Flaps

Published: July 31, 2015
Company: Eduard

Thanks to Eduard for providing more of their excellent aftermarket parts for IPMS USA review, and to IPMS leadership for sending it to me!

Here we go. According to the flight manual, the average Spitfire pilot will retract the flaps as soon as he/she is on the ground because the flap interferes with cooling air exhaust from the radiator, which leads to overheating on the ground. BUT, sometimes flaps must be down for maintenance, which is how Eduard approaches the situation.

This set is not for the faint of heart. it requires patience, dexterity, skill, and a lot of luck to pull off a successful installation. I get four of 10 on this one for my lack of the above.

HOWEVER, many will do just fine with it. Remember rule 1: Metal work hardens every time you bend it… more

Spitfire Mk.I, Mk.Vb Landing Gear (AX)

Published: July 18, 2015
Company: Scale Aircraft Conversions

Thanks again to our prolific IPMS supporter, Ross at SAC, and to IPMS leadership for providing this set for review.

This set simply replaces the main and tail gear on the Airfix 1/48 new release (2014) Spitfire Mk I and Mk V.

BUT wait, there’s more! Included in this set are two different versions of the spine-mounted Radio aerial post, and the underwing Pitot tube. Very nice, and good use of a small set’s versatility, particularly since there is not much to this set as far as metal volume. Might as well amortize costs, and this does it.

Notice on the stock kit that the main gear is in two parts; the upper strut and pivot assembly, along with the uplock arm, which attaches to the trunnion pivot points, and then later in the build, the lower shock strut. Why was… more

Halifax B III

Published: January 23, 2021
Company: Airfix

Thanks to Airfix for providing an excellent “blast from the past” for IPMS USA to review, and to IPMS leadership for providing it to me to review.

This kit first saw the light of day back in 1961; I remember seeing the advertisements in “Flying Review International”… Yes, that pretty well dates me as a ‘60’s child. So, now that you know the heritage, what can you learn from this review?

This kit is old technology. OK… The fit is not exemplary; in particular, the nacelles for inboard engines do not fit up to the wing. Same for just about all the clear parts; there were plenty of issues with the fit of them. But it’s a 1/72 Halifax BIII.

The rivets are not huge, but they are all over the model. If you want to remove them, be prepared to spend a lot of time sanding… more

"Blue Devil" Fletcher-class Destroyer

Published: June 29, 2015
Company: Round 2 Models

Thanks to Round 2 models for sending us this “blast from the past” kit, and leadership for generously firing it my way to relive what could have been for a very young modeller…

First, this is a BIG model. A yard’s worth…(36 inches)… Suitable for R/C (Many have tried and succeeded), display (with work) or free-running (for those with big enough pools… it’s too easy to lose a non-controlled ship in a local pond).

The box art is an attention-getter: using the original 1964 box art is a great idea; nostalgia sells. (Yep, I was six at the time when I first saw this kit). It was what got my “COOL MODEL” factor spun up. (For those interested, I saw this kit at “Who hobbies” in Rapid City, South Dakota, where my father was stationed at the time as a missile support helicopter… more

F6F-5 Hellcat Late Armament Covered .50 cal Brownings

Published: June 10, 2015
Company: Master Model

Thanks to Piotr at Master-models for providing these metal gun barrels to improve our Hellcats, and thanks to our IPMS leaders for sending these my way!

The Eduard Hellcats have been around for a while now, and are great kits in their own right. Master details provide late-model covered .50 caliber Browning barrels to replace the kit items; these directly replace the kit plastic parts…

In side-by-side comparison, Master Model’s gun barrels provide improvement on the kit items by providing depth and three-dimensional appearance over the kit parts, and improve the appearance by having finer detail than can be provided with injection molding processes. These are exactly the same as the version with the cooling jackets having holes drilled in them, without a separate barrel… more

F6F Hellcat Early Armament .50 cal Brownings w/ Drilled Cooling Jackets

Published: February 3, 2020
Company: Master Model

Thanks to Piotr at Master-models for providing these metal gun barrels to improve our Hellcats, and thanks to our IPMS leaders for sending these my way!

The Eduard Hellcats have been around for a while now, and are great kits in their own right. Master details provide six astoundingly detailed 1/48 gun barrels to replace the kit plastic parts… read on!

Side-by-side comparison, Master Model’s gun barrels provide improvement on the kit items by providing depth and three-dimensional appearance over the kit parts. The kit guns are sufficient, but these bring the kit up that little bit…

Simply replace the kit gun barrels with the metal versions; the cooling jackets slide over the barrels themselves; I recommend thin superglue and careful application to prevent… more

AM-48-109 F6F Hellcat Night Fighters Barrels w/ Flash Hiders

Published: June 9, 2015
Company: Master Model

Thanks to Piotr at Master-models for providing these fantastic metal flash hiders to improve our Nocturnal Hellcats, and thanks to our IPMS leaders for sending these my way!

The Eduard Hellcats are still the best out there in my opinion, and Master details provide late-model covered .50 caliber gun barrel tips with flash hiders, which directly replace the kit plastic parts…

As you can see on the “before” picture, the kit-provided gun barrels are a bit lacking in the flash-hider department. Adequate but not quite there…

Master Model’s gun barrels tips and flash hiders provide improvement by providing depth and almost impossible three-dimensional appearance over the kit parts, and improve the appearance by having finer detail than can be provided with injection… more

Folland Gnat T.1 Pitot tube

Published: June 5, 2015
Company: Master Model

Thanks to Piotr at Master models for providing one more great pitot tube to improve our models, and thanks to IPMS Reviewer Corps leaders for sending this my way!

This pitot tube/air probe is a simple upgrade to Airfix’ most recent 1/48 Jet model, the Folland Gnat T1. Previously reviewed as a build kit, I figured it would only be a matter of time before Master released this for the Gnat…

On side-by-side comparison, it is evident Master Model’s pitot is an improvement on the kit item. Finesse, is, as usual, the key word to describe what Master model products provide over kit injection molded pitot tubes. There is just no way plastic, (or frankly resin replacements), can compete with metal. Cleanup of the plastic version’s injection port is “dicy” at best, particularly on… more

F-104G/S Starfighter Airbrakes

Published: May 24, 2015
Company: Aires Hobby Models

Thanks to Aires for providing their excellent aftermarket parts for IPMS USA to review, and to IPMS leadership for providing it to me to review.

Once more Aires improves an already great kit; in this case, the 1/32 Italeri F-104G receives an upgrade in the form of improved speed brakes.

A grand total of eight parts are provided: two speed brakes (or speed boards, or air brakes, depending on your background), two fuselage wells to place them in, two actuating rods, and two brace frame assemblies.

In the side by side comparison, Italeri has provided an acceptable speed brake well and boards. Aires has taken the kit parts, and raised the detail bar. There are rivets incorporated in the well, the frames are more delicate, and the speed brakes themselves appear to… more

F-104G/S Starfighter Control Lever

Published: May 24, 2015
Company: Quickboost

Thanks to Aires/Quickboost for providing more of their excellent aftermarket parts for IPMS USA to review, and to IPMS leadership for sending it my way.

Quickboost has earned (rightfully) a reputation for providing just a bit more detail on a given area of a model; seats, cowlings, engines, can all be improved drastically with their parts. This is also the case with this set - control levers for the New Italeri F-104G/S.

One pour stub holds six parts: three control column boots/bases, and three control columns with much improved detail on the grip assembly. Room for error or second kits.

In the side by side comparison, Italeri has provided an acceptable and accurate control column. Where Quickboost has been able to improve on the kit item is incorporating a more… more