B-29 Antennas and AN/APQ-13 Radomes

Published: May 23, 2015
Company: Brengun

Thanks to Brengun for providing this upgrade set for the Academy B-29; and to IPMS USA for sending it to me to review!

This is a very simple set which is designed for the Academy 1/72 B-29, but could also be adapted to the Airfix B-29.

Consisting of two resin Radomes, and a fret of PE antenas, this will go a long way towards improving the plastic items in the kit.

First, the Radomes. The AN/APQ-13 antenna fit were used on some B-29’s early on; the later “bathtub” radome is in the kit, and you need to check your sources before you commit to installing these radomes. The resin is flawless, with easy to remove Pour stubs. The only thing you will need to do is hold a sheet of sandpaper over the assembled model fuselage, and sand the appropriate curve into the… more

M.B. Mk GQ-7A Ejection seat

Published: May 23, 2015
Company: Aires Hobby Models

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

This looks like a simple item to replace the kit ejection seat, and in practice it is. However, be forewarned that the harness assembly is not a “do it and done” loom job. Ejection seats tend to be cluttered affairs, and the Marin Baker series of seats are considered to be some of the more complex seats on the market. They WORK, but they are tough to buckle into. Tab “A” into slot “C”, when it is supposed to be slot “B”, can really ruin your day. So it is with this model seat.

There are four extremely-detailed, hard gray resin parts, (the entire seat in one cast piece, two pull handles, an emergency oxygen bottle with fitting),… more

AH-1G Cobra Accessories

Published: May 16, 2015
Company: Brengun

Thanks to Brengun for providing this most excellent upgrade set for the Special Hobby AH-1G cobra; and to IPMS USA for sending it to me to review!

If you are interested in the “Snake”, the Special Hobby 1/72 kit is well worth acquiring. Y etc…turbine exhaust is a first in ANY scale, and two types of tail rotor mounts, one port side, one Starboard side based on the version you are building. And you get a set of not only 2.75” rocket pods, but minigun pods as well if you don’t use them. I purchased the M-35 kit, which has the externally mounted .20MM Vulcan short-barreled cannon, and the associated saddle magazine set for it. I hope they pantograph this one up to 1/48 or even 1/35, as it’s that good… and it’s appropriate for the Vietnam-era builders out there like me. The old 1/… more

Lancaster B.I/B.III Air Intakes

Published: May 13, 2015
Company: Quickboost

Thanks to Aires/Quickboost for providing more of their prolific output for us to review, and to IPMS leadership for sending it my way.

These are ridiculously simple additions to the basic Airfix BI/III merlin engine kit; they are drop in replacements for the kit air scoops, and as such have hollowed-out intakes in place of the kit items, which have the injection point where the hollow intake should be.

This is a great place to put the injection point, as it makes it blemish –free on the sides of the intakes…. If Airfix had over-engineered the intakes to have the injection points on the sides, along with two halves for the scoops, it would about be a nightmare to assemble correctly, and would have resulted in wailing and gnashing of teeth…

Quickboost once again… more

Rotol Propeller for Spitfire Mk 1

Published: May 13, 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.

The new Airfix Mark 1 1/48 Spitfire is, by all accounts, an excellent kit. Detail is on par with 1/32 kits… and will make a show-stopper if built to the max.

One area which can, however, be improved on,is the Rotol Propeller. The kit items are slightly heavy; a resin replacement is definitely in order!

The Quickboost item addresses two areas; the thickness of the propeller blades themselves, and the spinner itself. The kit item has a baseplate, to which a propeller assembly is attached (it is keyed, so you can’t really mess it up), after which you install the spinner itself.

The kit spinner is not as… more

Lancaster B.II Gun Barrels (Round Perforation)

Published: May 13, 2015
Company: Quickboost

Thanks to Aires/Quickboost for providing more of their prolific output for us to review, and to IPMS leadership for sending it my way.

Once more, a quick review for a quick upgrade; Quickboost have provided 12 miniscule Resin gun barrels with round cooling vents for use with the Airfix Lancaster B II. This is the Hercules radial-engined Lancaster release, but the gun barrels will work on this kit and their recent other Lancaster B I and III Merlin engine released kits as well. As noted in my other review of the .303 barrels with oval holes, these should work on just about any aircraft requiring .303 gun barrels.

The muzzles are hollow, and the simulation of the round perforations is well done. In my case, Painting them black, then using the side of a #2 pencil then (… more

Lancaster B.II Gun Barrels (Oval Perforation)

Published: May 13, 2015
Company: Quickboost

Once more, a quick review for a quick upgrade; Quickboost has provided 12 miniscule Resin gun barrels with oval cooling vents for use with the Airfix Lancaster B II. This is the Hercules radial-engined Lancaster release, but the gun barrels will work on this kit and their recent other Lancaster B I and III Merlin engine released kits as well. As noted in my other review of the .303 barrels with round holes, these should work on just about any aircraft requiring .303 gun barrels. As a note, the oval perforation gun barrels are slightly shorter than the round perforation barrels.

The muzzles are hollow, and the simulation of the oval perforations is well done. In my case, painting them black then using the side of a #2 pencil and (GENTLY) polishing with a soft cloth, I was able… more

Panavia Tornado Landing Gear

Published: May 2, 2015
Company: Scale Aircraft Conversions

Thanks again to a great IPMS supporter, Ross at SAC… and to IPMS leadership for providing it to me for review. Metal gear rule!

This set provides 15 metal parts to replace the main and nose gear for the new Revell 1/48 Panavia Tornado. Besides the three struts, retraction arms, torque links, and associated extension and compression arms, there are also the torsion arms which fit at the top of the main struts which twist the gear as it retracts. Continuing their recent business model, Revell’s kit is a superior, cost-effective alternative to past 1/48 Tornado kits; detail is there, and out of the box you will have a show-stopper. Adding the metal SAC gear is, however, an excellent option.

One thing to note up front: the kit gear has two-sided struts; the SAC gear is one-… more

PV-1 Ventura Propellers w/Tool

Published: April 18, 2015
Company: Quickboost

Thanks to Aires for this excellent upgrade to the great Revell PV-1 Ventura model, and to IPMS leadership for providing it to me for review.

This set replaces the incorrectly shaped propellers with new, accurate paddle bladed Ventura props.

Step 1: Remove the prop hub and boss from the pour stub. Carefully mark the base of the hub, then use a razor saw or (better yet) a photoetch saw to cut through the pour base. Lightly sand to bring it all flush and even, and then on to the jig!

This set has a jig to allow you to drill out the prop hub to accept a shaft. There are two holes in the jig; the first has a raised circle of resin around it, into which you place the prop hub. Be CAREFUL, as the hub details are fragile. Then, using a 5/32” drill bit, carefully drill… more

PV-1 Ventura Correct Cowlings

Published: April 18, 2015
Company: Quickboost

Thanks to Aires for this excellent upgrade to the great Revell PV-1 Ventura model, and to IPMS leadership for providing it to me for review.

This set simply replaces the three-part kit cowling with a more detailed, one-piece cowling. Read on.

All you have to do is use a sharp knife, some quality CAREUL cutting time, and possibly a razor saw to remove the pour block from the back of the cowing. It uses gravity to ensure a full pour, and the resulting pour block might have utility in other places. I just used the multiple-cut pass method on the extreme-aft recessed panel line. A light draw of a sanding board on the back of the cowl when released, and I was done.

The kit cowlings require you to assemble two cowl halves, and a forward intake and cowl ring section.… more