Building the Spitfire

Published: September 19, 2020
Book Author(s): Andy Evans
Company: Model Aircraft Magazine

If you are in the market for a single, thorough modelers guide to the venerable Spitfire, this new offering from Model Aircraft Publications LTD would certainly fit the bill. With photos and text of scale model builds of the plane in 1/72, 1/48, 1/32, and 1/24 scale, this book covers 17 variants of one of the most famous fighter planes of WWII. For fans of the Spitfire looking to create their… more

Masking Sheets

Published: September 15, 2020
Company: AMMO by Mig Jimenez

As I sit writing this review, I cannot help but think that I should just be returning from seeing some of you at the IPMS Nationals in San Marcos. Well, hopefully there are better days ahead, and I do already have my hotel reservation set for Las Vegas next year. Like many of you, I have met some great folks over the years and look forward to seeing at least some of those folks again in the… more

Shaders – Candy Red, Orange, Yellow, Violet

Published: September 3, 2020
Company: AMMO by Mig Jimenez

If reading this review feels a little like deja vu all over again, I previously reviewed five of the Shaders, and as four additional colors were still waiting for analysis, I volunteered to help out. Fortunately, I cannot plagiarize myself, so writing this was very easy indeed. Now go ahead and enjoy my assessment of some additional Shaders colors.

A recent arrival for the Review Corps… more

Shaders – Gray and Blue Colors

Published: July 14, 2020
Company: AMMO by Mig Jimenez

A recent arrival for the Review Corps were Shaders from Ammo by Mig Jimenez, which are a unique addition for modelers of just about anything. For this review in particular, I was provided with five of the colors including Light Gray (0856), Navy Gray (0857), Light Blue (0860), Marine Blue (0861), and Night Blue (0862). The full line consists of 20 different colors. The Shaders are unique to… more

F6F-3 Hellcat "VF-27 USS Princeton"

Published: July 14, 2020
Company: Platz

Platz Hobby produces a number of kits in 1/144 scale (currently 334 to be exact), and I was fortunate enough to receive this two-plane kit for review. In addition to the parts for two aircraft there are markings for three different planes included. Construction was quick, and the detail is very good for this scale. Modelers familiar with working with small parts should not have issues building… more

A-4F Skyhawk - Lady Jessie/Blue Tail Flies

Published: July 11, 2020
Company: Platz

Platz Hobby currently produces 334 kits in 1/144 scale, and in addition to their F6F-3 release, I was fortunate enough to receive this two-plane kit for review. In addition to the parts for two aircraft there are markings for three different planes included. Construction was quick, and the detail is very good for this scale. Modelers familiar with working with small parts should not have… more

Enrico Toti Class Submarine, Modernized

Published: July 9, 2020
Company: OKB Grigorov

The Enrico Toti (S506) was the lead boat in its namesake class of Italian submarines. The keel was laid in 1965, she was launched in 1967, commissioned in 1968, and was decommissioned in 1992. In 2005 the boat was moved by land to Milan, where she resides today in the Museum of Science and Technology “Leonardo da Vinci”. Called “pocket submarines” due to their diminutive size, the boats of… more

Soviet Submarine Project 705K Lira (NATO Name Alfa)

Published: March 26, 2020
Company: OKB Grigorov

Developed following the concept of a titanium-hulled design first seen in K-162, Project 705, or the Lira class, was a small, streamlined double hull design which was built to operate at depths in excess of 2200 feet, and allegedly deeper than 3600 feet. The submarines of this class (seven in all) were 265 feet-9inches in length, 31 feet at the beam, and had a draught of 26 feet-3inches. The… more

German WWII License Plates

Published: March 26, 2020
Company: Hauler Brengun

For those who prefer the smaller footprint of 1/72 scale WWII German subjects, Hauler has released this set of license plates, which look great for their size. While I typically start my reviews with a little history on the item that I am reviewing, when it comes to license plates, there is just not much to write. What I can tell you is that on a single photoetched fret, Hauler provides 58… more

Micro Quick-Change Drill Set (10 pieces)

Published: December 15, 2019
Company: UMM-USA

During the IPMS USA Nationals this year, John Vojtech was kind enough to provide several of his tools from Unique Master Models (UMM) to the IPMS Review Corps, and this was one of the items I was fortunate enough to receive. Consisting of an ergonomic plastic handle, eight drill bits, and a bit removal tool, everything you need for drilling small holes is provided in one convenient set.