Eduard has re-released its fantastic Spitfire Mk.IXc early version in the Profipack version. When I say fantastic I really mean it. You get 6 sprues (one clear), a set of masks for the clear parts, a fret of prepainted photoetch and decals to finish your airplane with 6 different options (2 in North Africa colors, 4 in European colors) and a small decal sheet with stencils.

Like most airplane models, construction starts with the cockpit. Please note that I used the included Eduard photoetch fret to enhance the cockpit looks. The original cockpit is nicely detailed, with a combination of raised and recessed details, plus decals for the instrument panel, if you choose to go that route. Note: there are no decal seatbelts in this boxing. Actually the in-box decals for the IP –and the IP itself- look so good that I am sure I will use them to improve others kits I have in my stash.

The Aircraft

The IL-76 has the NATO reporting name “Candid”. It came out about 2 years after the Lockheed C-141, and has the same mission, of strategic and tactical airlift. The aircraft are pretty similar in appearance. The IL-76 can haul about 60 tons of cargo, a C-141 can manage about 90.

The Scale Aircraft Conversions Set

The SAC set for the IL-76 consists of 5 parts, all in white metal. There are four main gear legs, with oleo scissors which use the kit wheels, and a nose gear leg. These parts closely match the kit parts.

Painting

I painted the parts light gray, and left the oleos metal. This was probably the easiest part of the whole thing.

The Imperial Japanese Navy ordered the N1K1-Jb in 1942 as an interceptor.

Hasegawa has come out with a fine representation of this Imperial Japanese Navy Kawanishi N1K1-Jb, with the Allied code name of “George”. The kit decals represent three factory-fresh “George” aircraft.

Building the kit is straightforward, with little flash on the sprues and pieces. Assembly begins with the cockpit. The instrument panel uses a decal for the instrument panel over a raised detail panel. A word of caution here: ensure that the cockpit is securely attached to the side of the fuselage, as mine broke loose during final assembly. I was lucky enough to be able to re-glue the cockpit on my model.

We at IPMS continue to thank Ross and his Team at SAC for supporting the IPMS USA reviewer corps with what has turned into a monthly release schedule with extremely useful and well-thought out landing gear additions for the modeling crowd out here in the modeling world. What started out as an “I don’t know if they will sell” idea a few years ago has flourished into a busy worldwide trade for modelers seeking just a bit more out of their model accessories…

This review is for the SAC landing gear released for the relatively new 1/72 F-15E from Academy. This kit is a jewel; there are two areas needing true replacements for a contest level model, that being the “featherless” open afterburner nozzles, which are supplied simplified, and the rather thick one-piece canopy over the extremely well-detailed cockpit. Those issues are for others to address… SAC provided us three metal parts to replace the kit-supplied plastic gear.

This is a new series for me at least. This is a nice hardback book that covers the Grumman F4F Wildcat and the FM series of Wildcats built by Eastern Aircraft Division of General Motors during WWII. The Wildcat continued in production and to fight throughout the war even as newer and better aircraft became available.

The book has 12 chapters each covering the different variants. The layout is the first chapter on the XF4F-2, followed by chapters each on the following: XF4f-3 and F4F-3, the F4F-3 in detail, XF4F-5, XF4F-6/F4F-3A, F4F-3S, XF4F-4, F4F-4, F4F-7, XF4F-8, FM-1, FM-2 and Wildcat in combat.