IPMS/USA says “thanks kindly” to Caracal Decals for supporting the IPMS USA reviewer corps with yet one more of their growing number of releases, with useful additions for those who build. And thanks to IPMS leadership for sending it to me to be reviewed.

Kurst does a great job on his products… accurate, perfect resolution, and handling subjects which we have needed for many projects others won’t touch. Caracal crams as many various color schemes into one sheet as will fit, and offers a second, “stencil and detail only” sheet to allow one to model a squadron of 16 different F-117 markings if so inclined. (You get one in this sheet) .

Thanks once again for another great set from SAC, and thanks to Bill and Phil for sending it out for review.

Recommended Kits:

• The most recent Revell Germany releases of this iconic night fighter and shipping interdiction aircraft are great; on par with the Tamiya kit. The SAC gear adds strength as a direct replacement for the kit items.

The review item is the typical high standard and normal from SAC; a direct replacement for the kit items except these are cast metal. Consisting of 20 parts (!!!), providing two main gear and two tail gear (one extended, one compressed), there is not much to describe except to remove the parts from the pour runners with side nippers, use flat 220 wet/dry to prepare the cut stub, then install the gear on the model.

IPMS/USA yet again sends regards to Piotr at Master Model for supporting the IPMS USA reviewer corps with yet one more of his turned metal and resin accessory releases, which are the gold-standard for those who do a lot of model building. And thanks to IPMS leadership for sending it to me to be reviewed.

This set takes the ante up on the previously reviewed AM-32-107 set… included in the -108 version is the brass machine work on the two MG 151 cannon, the very delicate pitot tube and IFF (Identification Friend or Foe) FuG 25 antenna, and also the MG-103 cannon in brass, as well as a brass blast tube for the centerline “through the engine shaft” cannon; more jewels appear in the form of what appears to be CAD machine-printed resin muzzle brakes for the MG-103.

IPMS/USA says “thanks kindly” to Brengun for supporting the IPMS USA reviewer corps with yet one more of their growing number of releases, with useful additions for those who build. And thanks to IPMS leadership for sending it to me to be reviewed.

This set has four parts… two nose gear and two main gear wheels and tires. Cast in medium gray resin, they provide a professional final touch for those of us who frequent the Lilliputian scale of 1/144. There are no instructions, nor are any needed if you are using them.

Clean the resin with your own mold release agent remover, paint with flat black primer, then use a touch of flat white on a 00000 brush or a toothpick… followed by a gloss on the wheel, so a bit of weathering dark gray or black pin wash can be used to bring out the detail.

This is an updated version of SAM Publications earlier book on the F-14 Tomcat. The book starts with a brief history of the origins of the F-14 and has separate chapters for each of the three variants of the Tomcat, the F-14A, F-14A+/B, and the ultimate Tomcat – the F-14D. Each chapter includes descriptions of each variant, covering things such as the avionics, air-to-air weapons, and other systems for that variant. The chapters are lavishly illustrated with mostly color photographs illustrating many of the squadrons that operated the Tomcat and each chapter includes a listing of the Bureau Numbers for that variant.