Reviews of products for scale aircraft models.

Review Author
Rod Lees
Published on
Company
Scale Aircraft Conversions
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$34.95

First, the usual “thank you greatly” to SAC for providing this set to IPMS USA. We appreciate the continual, long-term support from this manufacturer, and it’s always a good day when a package arrives from SAC HQ.

This metal gear is exactly what SAC says it is; an improved version of the kit gear. From their website: “The Trumpeter main gear is too long. Our set corrects this problem. Also, we recommend the modeler purchase a set of ResKit wheels because they have much better detail and they lower the model by an additional 1 mm”.

Out of the box, the kit has two different landing gear options; Plastic gear parts for a standard build, incorporating brake lines and other details, (which will begin to fail over time), and a cast- steel copy of the plastic gear without the brake lines. These lines are provided for by black vinyl add-ons in a bag containing the vinyl/rubber tires for the basic kit.

Book Author(s)
Bert Kinzey
Illustrators: Rock Roszak
Review Author
Frank Landrus
Published on
Company
Detail & Scale, Inc.
MSRP
$21.99

Detail & Scale published its first two books on North American’s P-51 Mustang in 1996. Thirty years later, a new set of three publications, P-51 Mustang in Detail & Scale, significantly revises and expands the original coverage of this iconic fighter. This latest series of Detail & Scale started with Volume 1 in 2018 with the F3H Demon.

Book Author(s)
Ben Skipper
Review Author
Paul Bradley
Published on
Company
Pen & Sword
MSRP
$24.95

According to the publisher’s website, the aim of the FlightCraft series “is to provide model makers and aircraft enthusiasts with a new standard of primarily visual reference to both full-size aircraft and their models, using detailed line drawings, plans, profiles and photographs, many in full colour. The series will provide colour references for paint schemes, summaries of design histories and careers, and critical reviews of available kits. ..The series will provide varied coverage across a range of different criteria, showcasing the best of the world's aircraft types and providing invaluable insight and guidance to model makers.”

I have quite a few of this series, now up to 32 in number, and, on the whole, they do what that statement of intent says. Some, however, are better than others.

Review Author
Pat Villarreal
Published on
Company
Yahu Models
Scale
1:48
MSRP
$8.99

Yahu Models has provided the IPMS reviewer corps with a 1/48th scale detail set for the Yak 1/3/7/9 wing fuel gauges. This is a generic set that will work on any Yak 1/3/7/9 airplane kit.

In the Package

The fuel gauge detail set is enclosed in a plastic bag with one photoetched fret. The parts come packaged in an individual Ziploc bag and cardboard backing which also has instructions printed on it. Assembly is required to install the bezel to the gauge face, and you will need to reference the instructions to determine the correct gauge for a particular Yak variant. I would also recommend adding a drop Clear Gloss (like Future or clear UV resin) on the gauge once the bezel is installed to give it a glassed in look.

Conclusions

Overall, this is a nice detail set to upgrade your 1/48th scale WWII Yak kit. The close-up picture shows off the small detail printed on the PE parts and the fidelity at such a small size is amazing.

Review Author
Keith Gervasi
Published on
Company
Arma Hobby
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$23.50

History

(From the Arma web site): The Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa (Falcon) fighter, nicknamed ‘Oscar’ in Allied code, was Japan's equivalent of the Spitfire and the Messerschmitt Bf-109 - it was a core piece of the Imperial Japanese Army Aviation throughout the Second World War, and was refined and produced in successive versions during all that period. Although it remained somewhat in the shadow of the naval Mitsubishi ‘Zero’, famous on the Pacific front thanks to its spectacular carrier battles, the Hayabusa played a major role in the battles over the Asian continent: over China, Burma, and Malaya, but also over the Philippines and New Guinea. There, it fought effectively against the air forces of China, the USA, Great Britain, Australia, and the Netherlands, making a major contribution to the initial great victories of the Japanese.

Book Author(s)
Massimiliano Afiero
Review Author
James Kelley
Published on
Company
Casemate Publishers
MSRP
$28.95

The Waffen SS at Kharkov by Afiero offers a detailed and nuanced examination of the Waffen-SS’s role in the Battle of Kharkov, one of the key engagements on the Eastern Front during World War II. Through a combination of meticulously researched historical accounts and vivid battle descriptions, Afiero provides readers with an in-depth understanding of the SS units’ strategies, tactics, and actions, as well as the broader context of the conflict.

Kharkov, located in Ukraine, was the site of several significant battles during the war. The German forces, including the infamous Waffen-SS, faced off against the Soviet Red Army in a brutal struggle for control. Afiero’s book delves into the military operations, offering insight into the complexities of urban warfare, supply issues, and the harsh conditions the soldiers faced on both sides. It goes beyond just a tactical account, touching on the personal and psychological experiences of the soldiers who fought there.

Review Author
Pat Villarreal
Published on
Company
Yahu Models
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$6.99

Yahu Models has provided the IPMS reviewer corps a 1/72nd scale instrument panel for the J2M3 Raiden that will fit the Hasegawa, A-Model, and Sword kits.

In the Package

The instrument panel detail set is enclosed in a plastic bag with one photoetched instrument panel already assembled and one PE etched sheet for cockpit side panels. The parts come packaged in an individual Ziploc bag and cardboard backing which also has instructions printed on it.

Conclusions

Overall, this is a nice detail set to upgrade your J2M3 Raiden instrument panel. The close-up picture shows off the very small detail printed on the PE parts and the fidelity at such a small size is amazing.

I want to thank Yahu Models for providing the J2M3 Raiden instrument panel set and IPMS/USA for allowing me the opportunity to review.

Highly recommend!

Book Author(s)
Neil Page and Jean-Louis Roba
Review Author
James Kelley
Published on
Company
Casemate Publishers
MSRP
$28.95

From the Publisher:

On 10 May 1940, the Wehrmacht launched its assault on the West. One element of the West’s response was the dispatch of RAF Bomber Command ‘heavy’ bombers at night over German industrial centers. These raids had only limited effectiveness, but the inability of the Luftwaffe to chase down RAF bombers at night so annoyed Wolfgang Falck that it swiftly resulted in the creation of a credible night fighter force.

Initial trials had been flown with Bf 110s at dusk in Denmark on April 1. Nachtjagd Division was founded in the summer of 1940. Its first few months were chaotic, with constant reorganizations of units, and reassignment of aircraft, but soon enough the night fighter arm was achieving steady victories—and losing crews at a similarly steady rate.

Book Author(s)
Michael John Claringbould; Illustrators: Michael John Claringbould
Review Author
Andy Taylor
Published on
Company
Avonmore Books
MSRP
$42.95

B-17s didn’t just serve in the European Theater but began the war under the Japanese attacks on Pearl Harbor and the Philippines on 7 and 8 December, respectively due to the international date line. The Flying Fortress served on the front line as bombers from December 1941 through late 1943 before transitioning to B-24D Liberators. Flying Fortresses continued to serve throughout the war as transports and commander/VIP transports. This book does a tremendous job of telling the important role B-17s served in the Pacific Theater.

Book Author(s)
David Baker
Review Author
Hub Plott
Published on
Company
Helion & Company
MSRP
$29.95

This book contains 88 pages, 63 black and white photos, 16 color photos, 18 color profiles, 6 color maps, 5 black and white maps, and 2 tables. It covers war plans, policy, manufacturers, and the Strategic Air Command (SAC) from 1945 to 1990, and is divided into four chapters.

The bulk of this book covers the development of new weapons and aircraft, and how that led to the changes in US tactics, strategy, and doctrine. The changes were needed due to the ending of WWII and the developing Cold War along with the advent of nuclear weapons. These, coupled with the rapid development of jet aircraft, meant that the newly formed USAF would need to modernize its organization of squadrons, war planning, and overall approach on how to manage conflicts of the future. In addition, there were new, more powerful weapons along with lower numbers of more technologically superior aircraft than those that were used in WWII.