A new F-16 one-piece 3D printed resin intake in 1/48^th scale is provided by Fab Scale for the Tamiya kit.This is a drop-in replacement for the Big Mouth intake for the GE F110 Engine. Sample comparison Tamiya kit is from Block 50.

Note: There is no official website for Fab Scale, a business card was inside the box referencing Scalemates.com

In The Package & Product Notes

The sample review came in a small plastic box and was wrapped in a Ziploc bag.

There is one (1) 3D printed part made from white colored resin. This part will replace H5 & H9 from the Tamiya kit.

The printed resolution of this intake is excellent and is an exact replica of the Tamiya parts but without the seam running horizontally on the sides.

Review Process

I started by separating the 3D part from its base using side-cutting nippers. Next, wet sanding to remove the support nubs.

Floyd Werner and Werner Wings produces wonderful aftermarket and decals primarily (but not wholly) aimed at helicopters. That not surprising as that was what Floyd’s does- fly helicopters. This set consists of parts and decals to convert the Kitty Hawk 1/35^th scale HH-60H to the Coast Guard version of the HH-60J Jayhawk. Wait, Kitty Hawk is out of business! Zimi Models to the rescue. They have reissued many of Kitty Hawks kits and that includes the Resue Hawk. Problem solved.

The set includes seven well cast resin parts. The bigger pats are in white resin and include the extra fuel tank and the front fairing in front of the cockpit. Three of the seven parts make up the search light with the modeler supplying the lens.The last two parts modify the instrument panel with a moving map panel and a correct set of gauges.

In addition to the resin, the set if completed by the addition of decals, set 35-13 which includes coast guard marking for five aircraft:

A new set of 3D printed F/A-18E/F Super Hornet exhaust nozzles (late version) in 1/48^th scale are provided by Detail & Wonder Studios for Hasegawa and Meng Kits.

Note: There is no official website for Detail & Wonder Studios, but a Facebook page is available.

In the Package and Product Notes

There are two (2) 3D-printed exhaust nozzles inside a small but very sturdy black box. Each nozzle is individually enclosed in a plastic Ziploc bag and cushioned with a foam insert. These are drop-in replacements for the Hasegawa and Meng kits.

The printed resolution of the nozzle is immaculate and there are NO visible build-up layers. There is a lot of fine detail throughout the entire nozzle and some contrast color weathering will make them pop during the finishing stage.

New P-47D Thunderbolt “Razorback” vacuformed canopies are available from Brengun for the 1/144^th scale Platz/Eduard kit.

There are two (2) canopies in the package. There are no instructions, but the product is self-explanatory.

The clear vacuformed plastic is thin and has very good clarity with very little distortion when looking through it.

Upon closer inspection of the canopies, there is a difference in the moldings. One is for an open canopy since there is a space gap between the windscreen and canopy. The other has no spacing thus making it a closed canopy installation.

Care must be taken when dealing with vacuformed parts. A new blade in you hobby knife will be a must when trimming away the canopy from the rest of the plastic. Light sanding will also be needed to smooth the rough edges.

This set is designed to provide replacement parts for Zvezda’s Pe-8 bomber kit. The package includes two complete sets of main gear struts and actuators and a new single-piece casting of the tailwheel fork assembly.

As with most of SAC’s landing gear sets, the metal main gear struts and actuator parts are intended to be one-for-one replacements for the kit parts. The parts are well cast, however, in my sample, one of the strut assemblies that hold the main gear wheels was misaligned (see photo), fortunately, as the white metal is easily manipulated, I was able to straighten it up with no issues.

SAC elected to cast the tailwheel fork as a single piece rather than as two parts as Zvezda did. I think this was a great decision as it eliminates the joint where the two kit parts meet, which could become a weak point over time.