Graham M. Simons is an English professional aviation writer, publisher and historian. Graham M Simons is one of the founders of the world famous aviation museum at Duxford near Cambridge. His interest in aviation was piqued watching the making of the ‘Battle of Britain’ film and from the days when you could go ‘aircraft spotting’ at London Heathrow and local airports. Graham’s engineering background led him to membership of a number of aviation societies, including sitting on the British Aviation Preservation Council. He was responsible for overseeing the restoration of a De Havilland DH89 Dragon Rapide airliner to flying condition and placing this aircraft - with official approval — in the colors and markings of the first aircraft of what was then the Kings Flight. It was during this period that he was contacted by Ian Allen Ltd to write the first ever history of this classic De Havilland type.

Following the changes with Revell USA over the last few years, Atlantis Model Co. has acquired molds of classic Revell and Monogram kits. Some have not been released in quite a long time.

The Allison 501 D13 (civilian), or T56 (military) engine entered service in 1954 and is still in production under the Rolls Royce name and designated T56. It was originally developed to power the C-130 Hercules and has since been used in aircraft like the P3-C Orion, Electra, E2C Hawkeye and many others.

I understand Atlantis worked to improve the molds. I could see that the molds in this kit had either held up really well, or had some work done to improve and clean them up.

The F8U Crusader (later re-designated as F-8) was the first operational supersonic carrier aircraft serving for the United States Navy and Marine Corps in the late 1950s. Often considered the last gunfighter, it was well loved by pilots for exceptional performance. One interesting feature was the movable wing assembly. While it’s often believed that the purpose of the raised wing was to improve lift, the fact is that raising the wing allowed the fuselage of the aircraft to assume a lower angle of attack on landing, permitting greater visibility for the pilot, while maintaining optimal aerodynamic performance of the wing, slats and flaps.

ICM has produced a fine decal set specifically to be used with ICM kit no. 48281, B-26-50 Invader. The decal set includes markings for four aircraft, the most notable of which is B-26B-61-DL “The 7th Chadwick” piloted by Lt. Col. R. Fourtney, CO of the 13th BC 3rd BG in Korea of Spring, 1953. Other markings are included for B-26C-30-DT “Marth Ann” of the 3rd BG, B-26B-55-DL of the 95th BS, 17th BW and B-26C-45-DT of the 3rd BG.

Reviewer’s Comments

Each of the four options are intended for black-painted aircraft. A double-sided, full-color instruction guide is provided. Only side views of the aircraft are given. Placement markings are fairly understandable; however, cross-referencing is recommended.

The paints were provided by Tru-Color Paint. https://trucolorpaint.com/

This is a combined review of the 1/48 Italeri Mirage F.1 “Bye-Bye Mirage” and a selection of Tru-Color paints provided for the build review.

When you open the box you find a total of 5 sprues (one clear) with many parts marked as “not for use” -weapons for the most part. The overall look of the plastic parts is good. No flash, smooth surface, finely recessed panel lines and the transparent parts are free of scratches. You also get an excellent decal sheet with markings for 3 airplanes, all of them in the retirement scheme of the Mirage F.1