Reviews of products for scale aircraft models.

Review Author
David Dodge
Published on
Company
Airfix
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$29.99

This is one of The New Airfix 1:48 scale Releases on the Heels of their 1/72 scale release. Compared to Legacy Airfix, this kit is cleanly molded with great detail and amazing fit. There are some different Approaches to the moldings and how the kit fits together I will highlight those in the Review. Some will complain about the panel lines. But that is opinion and they can be filled and sanded.

Background

We can thank North American Aviation for proposing to the British a more modern aircraft design. The Brits wanted someone to build P40s. The prototype appeared 102 days after contract signing. Initially fitted with an Allison engine, it suffered from poor high altitude performance. Once fitted with the Rolls Royce Merlin Engine the design came into its own as a world beater. The rest is the history we all know.

Review Author
Rod Lees
Published on
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$24.99

Once more a rousing THANK YOU VERY MUCH to our friends at Eduard in Czechoslovakia! How I ended up doing this review? A co-reviewer ran into some personal difficulties and I volunteered to finish his review for him. Thanks David for sending these items, and John for supporting my effort to help a fellow reviewer.

When I received the box from David, I knew what I was getting. The review will be in four separate tomes: first, this one, to cover the Overtree kit, the resin Brassin wheel set, a brassin etch detail fret, and the Overtree stencil decal set.

Review Author
Rod Lees
Published on
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$9.95

EVEN more THANKS VERY MUCH to our friends at Eduard in Czechoslovakia!, and Phil and John in the specialized shipping to reviewers business.

This review is for the resin wheel and tire assembly (plus masks) designed for the early version of the Tempest V. Superb detail, Manufacturer info on the tire wall, inflation stem peeking out from one of the cooling vents, and detail on the brake cover plate on the back. Follow my instructions for success: (BTW, I cleaned off the wheels with Blech white to remove any mold release, and used Duplicolor® brand flat black primer in a large spray can; this ensured I had NO problem with paint adhesion over resin).

Review Author
Jim Pearsall
Published on
Company
Brengun
Scale
1/144
MSRP
$4.56

This is one of those little “add-ons” that make your carrier deck look real. The US Navy has always been very careful about parking their airplanes on the deck, and keeping them there. It’s considered “not good” when the deck pitches and a plane slides into the plane next to it, or even “more not good” if it slides off the deck into the water. Tying the plane down works, but the chocks certainly help, especially when you’re moving the plane.

The Kit

The package contains 4 chocks, each on its own pour sprue. There are two parts to each chock. One of the parts has a rod attached to the chock block. The other part has a hole the rod goes through to allow the chock to be adjusted to fit the wheel.

You get two sets of two chocks in the package.

Review Author
Rod Lees
Published on
Company
Scale Aircraft Conversions
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$18.95

IPMS/USA again thanks Ross and his Team at SAC for supporting the IPMS USA reviewer corps with one more of many timely releases, with extremely useful and well-thought out landing gear additions for the modeling crowd out here in the modeling world. And thanks to John and Phil for sending it to me to be reviewed.

This is one of SAC’s more complex gear… That should be expected, because the B-52 gear is appropriately labeled in the “Steampunkt” realm. Working in the wheel well reminds one of movies on the Thames River in the UK where closeup of bridges and other ironwork would be right at home in the B-52 caves.

Book Author(s)
Mick Davis, Managing Editor
Review Author
Dick Montgomery
Published on
Company
Cross & Cockade International
MSRP
$36.00

Cross & Cockade International is a non-profit UK based group known as the First World War Aviation Historical Society that publishes their journal four times a year. They also provide a free newsletter. Those interested in the newsletter can subscribe by visiting the C&CI website.

The "lead" article, "Miles Jeffrey Game Day 1896-1918?" by Ian Burns, traces the too-short life of Jeffrey Day. Day was a pilot known for his ability to handle aircraft which had rather skittish flight characteristics. Day was also a talented poet, and this article features some text penned by Day. Day was involved in a rather risky project involving a seaplane and a Bristol Scout, the Scout piggybacking on the upper wing of the Porte Baby. The article is supported with some stunning photographs of the aircraft, ships, and other personnel that played a part in Day’s experiences.

Review Author
Dick Montgomery
Published on
Company
Hauler
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$11.50

Hauler-Brengun is well known as a supplier of high-quality aftermarket detail parts for aircraft, as well as other subjects. Many of these aftermarket items are resin, P.E., or a combination of the two mediums.

Marketed under the “Brengun” label, this review looks at the Brengun BR48107 Mark 24 Mine “Fido” Torpedo. The name is a little confusing. Is it a mine or a torpedo? A little history is appropriate at this point.

Googling Mk.24 Mine “Fido” Torpedo received a number of hits. I chose the Wikipedia site and the explanation for the name, as well as a description of the “Fido” and its operational history. The following paraphrases the introductory paragraph found on the Wiki site.

Book Author(s)
Lechoslaw Musialkowski; Illustrator: Karolina Holda
Review Author
Frank Landrus
Published on
Company
Mushroom Model Publications - MMP Books
MSRP
$25.00

Lechoslaw Musialkowski author the latest in Mushroom Model Publications' series of aircraft used in the Polish Air Force. This volume's focus is on the Petlyakov Pe-2 / Upe-2 and the Tupolev USB. This volume represents Lechoslaw Musialkowski’s fourth book for MMPBooks. MMP was founded in 1996 by Roger Wallsgrove, to publish "Mushroom Model Magazine". This quarterly modeling magazine was developed from "Mushroom Monthly”, a club newsletter which ran from 1985 to 1995, achieving a worldwide reputation for quality articles, fearless and honest reviews, and a great sense of humor. From 1997 the magazine was produced in collaboration with Robert Peczkowski and Artur Juszczak (Stratus), which meant a big leap in print quality and design. MMP expanded into book publication in 1999, and since then we have built up a list of books on aircraft and aviation, naval, military vehicles, and military history.

Review Author
Jarrod Booth
Published on
Company
Master Model
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$10.00

The Gloster Meteor was one of the iconic, pioneering jet fighters to become available during the final year of World War Two.

Master Models is a Polish company that produces some of the finest aftermarket brass accessories to enhance just about any scale model. I have used their offerings before, and love the final look and relative ease of using them.

Airfix has released a couple of Meteor kits over the last few years, and I recently snapped one up from my local hobby shop.

The kit pitot is represented as a straight plastic tube with no relief whereas, I believe, it should taper in towards the end. I clumsily broke the plastic tube when removing it from the sprue and super glued it back together for the pictures here.