Reviews of scale model detail sets.

Review Author
Michael Reeves
Published on
November 11, 2023
Company
Value Gear
Scale
1/16
MSRP
$12.50

Value Gear resin products are well known to most modelers for the excellent quality resin stowage and gear to use on your models and diorama scenes. Owner Steve Munsell is a quality guy who, more often than not, throws in some extra pieces into most of the packages and one package can often inhabit more than a couple builds if used wisely- or you can completely deck out one model if you wish. His 1/16 product lines are growing as more companies release more 1/16 scale kits.

What’s Inside the Box

This set contains a small zip bag with five 75mm ammo crates for whatever 1/16 scale StuG or Panzer is sitting in your stash. A card with preparation and priming instructions are included. The quality is excellent in this scale and one might want to ding them up a bit to add some variety to the five– but the details of the wood grain, nail holes for the cross slats, and strap enclosures are amazing.

Review Author
Michael Reeves
Published on
November 10, 2023
Company
Value Gear
Scale
1/16
MSRP
$25.00

Value Gear resin products are well known to most modelers for the excellent quality resin stowage and gear for models and diorama scenes. Owner Steve Munsell is a quality guy who more often than not throws in some extra pieces to most of the packages and one package can often inhabit more than a couple builds if used wisely- or you can completely deck out one model if you wish. His 1/16 product lines are growing as more companies release more 1/16 scale kits.

What’s Inside the Box

This set is the perfect complement to the Andy’s Sherman kit or to any American tank in the scale you may have. As always, the quality is amazing on this scale and there are exactly 14 pieces as the label says. In the first photo, there are five identical packs that can be strapped to a turret or placed inside a vehicle, a wrapped-up tarp with rope and strap around it, and a large piece of stowage for the deck with a number of wooden crates covered by a tarp.

Review Author
Andy Taylor
Published on
November 4, 2023
Company
Brengun
Scale
1/144
MSRP
$9.90

Manufactured by Jan Sobotka, this 2022 new tool package comes with one PE fret (measuring 1 ¼” x 1 1/16 ”) containing two pry bars, three wire cutters, four wrenches, eight axes (four with closed tool clamps), eight hammers (four with closed tool clamps), two each of two sets of German towing hooks, seven shovels (two with closed tool clamps), two (what I believe to be) track tensioners, and four MG 34/42 MGs). This outstanding set is incredibly detailed for its miniscule size. This PE set will bring your German vehicle to the next level.

Tools are ubiquitous on military vehicles in the field. To say these are tiny is an understatement, but they are very well detailed and will make micro panzers pop (if you can see them).

Review Author
Andy Taylor
Published on
November 4, 2023
Company
Brengun
Scale
1/144
MSRP
$12.97

For anyone hardy enough to tackle a WWII Fiat G.50 fighter plane in 1/144 scale, this PE set is for you. Measuring in at 1 ¼”x 1 9/16”, there are extra PE details for the cockpit (including the seat), engine and landing gear; there is also a small piece of film to be used on the interior of the cockpit door. This PE set is made for the Italian G.50, specifically the Mark I Models kits (of which there are three).

As this PE set is for an Italian fighter plane, it could also be described as “piccino”, “minuscolo”, or “minuto”, no matter how it is described, it is tiny and the whole fret could be lost in a deep shag carpet. To really appreciate the detail, take a look at the completed PE in the model on the Brengun webpage (https://www.brengun.cz/e-shop/1-144-accessories-19/fiat-g-50-(mark-i-ki…).

Review Author
Michael Reeves
Published on
October 14, 2023
Company
Green Stuff World
Scale
22mm
MSRP
$5.10

Green Stuff World is a recent addition to IPMS’ review line, and it is welcome indeed. They make amazing modeling tools and products to aid you with your models and dioramas. In the case of this line, there is a vinyl sheet full of these tufts. I am reviewing the three here:

  • Burnt
  • Dry
  • Beige

There are also Light, Winter, and Dark varieties.

Review Author
Brian R. Baker
Published on
October 8, 2023
Company
Squadron
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$6.95

This product consists of two vacuformed canopies for FW-190 and TA-152 kits in 1l/72 scale. One canopy is the early flat variety, while the other is the “blown hood” type. The instructions state that they can be used for the Airfix, Frog, and Revell kits, but given the fact that there are numerous kits of FW-190 variants in 1/72 scale, these canopies should be useable for almost any of the available kits, although my experience shows that many of the available FW0-190 kits have totally accurate canopies, and do not require replacements. One use might be to use this type of canopy to display an open canopy to show cockpit detail, as they are very clearly molded.

Order several of these from Squadron and you’ll have one when you need it. Highly recommended. Thanks to Phil Peterson and Bill O’Malley for the review sample.

Review Author
Brian R. Baker
Published on
October 8, 2023
Company
Brengun
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$11.47

Historical Background

Although the Heinkel HE-162A was manufactured in quantity for the Luftwaffe at the end of World War II, no HE-162A ever was credited with the destruction of an enemy aircraft due to its late arrival into the Luftwaffe inventory. The story of the He-162 has been published many times, and there are quite a few good accounts of its design and development. Designed to be a high performance jet fighter that was easy to produce, it was planned to use pilots with minimal training introduced into combat.

Review Author
Paul R. Brown
Published on
September 17, 2023
Company
Brengun
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$10.85

This Mk. 77 is an unguided incendiary weapon used by the U S military. The Mk. 77 uses a fuel gel mixture that is similar to napalm, with similar effects when dropped. The Mk. 77 was used in Operation Desert Storm to destroy oil/fuel filled trenches and obstacles created by the Iraqis.

The set includes parts for two complete cannisters, each comprised of a tapered nose section, a barrel shaped center section and a tapered tail section. While the nose and tail sections are similar, they are not identical. The set also includes three different types of fuses for each cannister, and the instructions illustrate some of the fuse combinations available.

Review Author
Floyd S. Werner Jr.
Published on
September 10, 2023
Company
Red Fox Studio
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$12.00

The MRC/Academy AH-1W and AH-1T+ are the only kits available of these versions of the Cobra in this scale. Like all Cobras, the interior is very visible through the big canopy. The kit cockpit cries out for detail and Red Fox answers.

Red Fox Studios has designed an instrument panel set for these kits. It comes in a small baggie with a hard paper backing. The actual parts are protected in a separate Ziplock. The parts are slightly different than some other 3D Acrylic parts. Red Fox 3D acrylic renderings are on a metal backing with the raised acrylic over that. The parts come off the protective backing quite easily. All you’ll have to do is remove the molded-on detail and add the Red Fox parts with superglue or PVA. No further modifications are necessary.

Review Author
Floyd S. Werner Jr.
Published on
September 10, 2023
Company
Red Fox Studio
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$12.00

The new ICM/Special Hobbies AH-1G Cobra kit is well overdue. With its release the AH-1G Cobra has come into the new millennium. One of the nice features of the ICM/SH kit is the five-piece canopy that will allow you to pose the canopy doors open and view the interior. Even closed up the canopy is very clear and you’ll be able to see the interior very well.

Red Fox Studios has designed an instrument panel set for these kits. It comes in a small baggie with a hard paper backing. The actual parts are protected in a separate Ziplock. Red Fox 3D acrylic renderings are on a metal backing with the raised acrylic over that. The parts come off the protective backing quite easily. All you’ll have to do is remove the molded-on detail and add the Red Fox parts after dipping them in water. No further modifications are necessary.