The Aircraft

The B-52 has been in service since 1955. Which means that in about 2 years they should start sending them Social Security checks. Because there are still 58 B-52s in service, the type may still participate in combat again. It’s expected the BUFF will still be in service in 2050.

The aircraft in this kit are the types used in the 1960s and 70s in Vietnam, for Operation Rolling Thunder, Operation Arc Light and Operation Linebacker II. 31 B-52s were lost in the war, 17 shot down, one written off due to combat damage, 11 lost to accidents, one burned at the airport and one ran off the end of the runway and ran into a minefield.

Eduard has released a limited edition version of the B-24 Liberator GR Mk VI and GR MK.VIII in the RAF Coastal Command service. The kit is based on the Hasegawa kit plus two additional Eduard sprues, Decals, etc.

In the box is:

• 11 x grey sprues
• 2 x clear sprues
• 4 x poly caps
• 1 large decal sheet
• 1 mask sheet
• 2 x photoetch detail set
• Riders in the Sky 1945 book
• 1 instruction booklet
• 1 box artwork poster

The kit options and decals allow building 13 different aircraft, all the choices are great. I opted for the M version, an RCAF aircraft operated in Canada July 1945. The kit looks awesome in the box and all the additional items make this a great addition to any stash.

The MiG-21 attributed itself during the Vietnam War quite well against the US Air Force and US Navy. The small fast airframe accompanied with the limitations imposed by the US command allowed the Vietnamese Air Force to reach something close to parity.

Eduard has released the MiG-21PFM previously but this boxing is specifically targeted to the Vietnamese use of the airframe.

Academy as re-boxed the very good Accurate Miniatures SBD-5 and it has added value to it by providing a mask set and a small photo-etch fret.

Upon opening the box you find 7 plastic sprues -one of them clear-, plus a PE fret for minor details like seatbelts and a really nice mask set to take care of that greenhouse canopy. Please note that the mask set is customized to the open and closed canopy options, meaning you get a full spare set of masks for another SBD in your collection (and who does not have a few of them?). You are provided with markings for 3 Dauntless, one of them a Marine Corps one, with mission tally markings.

Despite the years, the molds hold really well with no flash anywhere to be found and the panel lines remain sharp and well defined.

Aircraft and History

The Beechcraft T-34A Mentor is a single engine, two place (tandem cockpit) military trainer developed in 1948. The design is based on the highly successful Model 35 Beechcraft V-tail Bonanza but uses a conventional tail and narrower fuselage seating two in a tandem arrangement. The T-34A first entered service with the US Air Force in 1953 and replaced the North American AT-6 Texan as the initial primary trainer. Two years later the Navy ordered the T-34B for the same role at the Air Force. The T-34A remained in service with the USAF for just a few years until it was replaced by the T-37 “tweet”. T-34’s that were not sent to flying clubs or foreign military sales were transferred to the USAF auxiliary Civil Air Patrol until they were retired in 2003.