Plus Models continues its excellent details for dioramas with a portable US Filed Switchboard set. The set is 35 pieces of perfectly cast resin, 23 photoetch pieces and a piece of wire. The kit is actually four kits in one with a desk, two switchboards and the seats/wire parts. All of the parts are cast in grey-green resin and are bubble free and crisp.

The first thing I did was to remove all the resin parts from their casting blocks. This is simple but takes some time as there are a lot of small parts. I kept them in the correct pile for each part of the kit. A quick wash and we were ready for glue.

History Brief

The Westland Whirlwind was a British heavy fighter. Designed by Teddy Petter from the RAF's specification drawn up in 1937, the Westland Aircraft Company produced a single-seat, twin-engined monoplane, prototype which flew on 11 October, 1938 with Whirlwind production starting early the next year.

It was the RAF’s first single-seat, twin-engined, cannon-armed fighter and a contemporary of the Supermarine Spitfire and Hawker Hurricane. The aircraft’s small tube fuselage with its 'T'-tail was an advanced design for its time and the entire plane was built of stressed-skin duraluminium2. The pilot was seated in one of the first 'bubble' type canopies, giving the pilot an almost 360 degree view, and the low forward position of the wing gave the pilot excellent visibility.

The kit is a 1/35 model of a USA Kellogg Air Compressor used during and after WWII. The kit makes a nicely detailed little accessory for dioramas or vehicles. This kit is from Mirror Models, Ltd. Of Ireland, who produce plastic model kits and accessories.

The compressor kit contains two full models in the package, and comes on two sprues of taupe or a gray/tan plastic. The plastic seems a little soft. Many of the parts are quite small and have very fine detail, such as the pulleys and drive belt, part K15. Some of the parts have fairly large sprue connections that require care removing them from the sprue and need some extra cleanup. The sprue connectors seem large but the actual connection points are fairly thin.

Background

On July 25, 1909 Louis Bleriot assembled a tiny monoplane of his own design on a farm in Les Baraques, France. Weighing in at 500 lbs. and powered by a 25 HP Anzani three cylinder motorcycle engine, the airplane was the picture of utility. Still limping from a recent crash (one of many Bleriot had) he climbed into the monoplane after a short warm up flight and set out across the English Channel. 37 ½ minutes later flying at speeds up to 42 mph per hour at an altitude of 260 feet, Bleriot spotted the white cliffs of Dover and threaded his way through a gap in them to crash land on English soil. His goal in accomplishing this feat was not the prize money that totaled 20,000 dollars, but Bleriot wanted to sell airplanes and did he ever. As a result of the fame gained from the channel crossing, Bleriot would go on to build about 250 model XIs.

First: Thanks to Aires for providing IPMS USA this figure to review! One of six in this review series, each shows a passion and dedication Aires have to providing the finest resin products. We appreciate your support, with the usual nod to IPMS USA leadership for allowing me to review these figures.

Produced under the Aerobonus branch of Aires, this particular figure, a USAF fighter pilot in vietnam with equipment appropriate to 1960-1975, has outstanding detail and fidelity; consisting of four resin parts (main body, left and right arm, and flight helmet). The pilot is wearing the standard “Overseas hat”, which will require a deft hand for painting the silver piping and rank. The wearer does NOT have the obligatory “ducktail” in the back, so this guy can’t be a real fighter pilot; he must be a McPeak clone. (Had to say it…you old AF guys like me know what I am going with that comment).