Reviews of products for scale aircraft models.

Book Author(s)
Marat Khairulin
Review Author
Frank Landrus
Published on
Company
Mushroom Model Publications - MMP Books
MSRP
$75.00

Following up the first two in this series, The Russian Aviation Colours 1909-1922: Camouflage and Markings, Volume 1 Early Years and Volume 2 “Great War”, comes MMP’s latest tome. This book, focused on the ‘Red Stars’ is planned to be followed by at least one additional volume on ‘White Armies’ (Volume 4). The authors leaned heavily on Russian private archives, as well as archives, libraries, and museums.

The book is a nice hardbound unit, with a nice glossy cover, and 167 pages on high-quality stock with a matt finish. Mainly clear black and white period photos are supplemented with modern day color photos, color period posters and postcards, colour side and top views, and colour unit emblems and personal markings. The text is in English and quite readable. I counted 311 black and white photographs to go with an additional six color pictures. There were 99 color side profiles and another 132 color drawings highlighting markings details.

Review Author
Mark Costello
Published on
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$32.95

This set is designed for the Italeri 1/32 scale F-35A Lightning II kit. This set contains 1 sheet of etched brass details for the exterior of the aircraft as well as details for the weapons and weapon pylons. There is an afterburner ring for the engine exhaust, ladder and ladder door details, refueling bay details, screens for the exterior and details for the weapons. The instructions are the normal Eduard instructions with clear drawings showing where the PE parts go and what details need to be removed from the kit plastic parts.

Review Author
Mark Costello
Published on
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$14.95

This set is designed for the Italeri 1/32 scale F-35A Lightning II kit. This set contains 1 sheet of etched brass details for the landing gear bays and weapons bays. There are panel faces for the nose gear bay, boxes for the weapons bay, nose gear doors, main gear and other miscellaneous details. The instructions are the normal Eduard instructions with clear drawings showing where the PE parts go and what details need to be removed from the kit plastic parts.

The first step deals with the nose gear bay and doors. There are a few panel faces to be placed in the bay replacing the molded detail. There are also a couple of boxes to be folded up and added to the gear doors. The added details improve the looks of the kit parts.

Review Author
Rod Lees
Published on
Company
Videoaviation
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$21.12

Videoaviation is a small company out of Italy manufacturing big things. In this case, they provide large scale modelers the items missing from many of our 1/32 models to bring them to life, particularly in a diorama setting if you have room!

This set is simple but detailed. In it you have parts for the cart, the bomb adaptor trailer, and six A/N (Army/Navy) M64 500 Lb. HE bombs. The fuse and anti-roll lugs are integral with the bomb body. Once you remove the pour disk from the bomb body tail, drill a hole in the extreme center and install the aft fuse propeller and extension rod NOW verses later like I did. It’s hard to install with the fin assembly in place.

The fins themselves need to be carefully removed from the pour stub with a very fine razor saw, that way you won’t break them off. These simply slip on the tail of the bomb, and line up perfectly with the mating surface. Best bomb fins ever; thin, scale-like, and durable if you drop them. (I know).

Review Author
Rod Lees
Published on
Company
Scale Aircraft Conversions
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$13.95

SAC once again provides a very nice set of cast metal gear to help your model stand out in public places. And this one is as simple as it gets. THANKS ROSS for providing this set to IPMS USA, and to Dick and Dave for sending it to me. Particularly Dick, who HAND DELIVERED the item (along with other cool things) to me at the Nationals.

This set is the usual SAC total replacement of the kit items, with improved assembly and ease of installation.

Review Author
Michael Novosad
Published on
Company
Hasegawa
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$69.00

History

From Wikipedia

The Nakajima E8N was a Japanese ship-borne, catapult-launched reconnaissance seaplane aircraft of the Second Sino-Japanese War. It was a single-engine, two-seat biplane with a central main-float and underwing outriggers. During the Pacific war it was known to the Allies by the reporting name "Dave".

Ordered into production and designated Navy Type 95 Reconnaissance Seaplane Model 1 in October 1935. A total of 755 E8Ns were built by Nakajima and Kawanishi, production continuing until 1940. It was subsequently shipped aboard all the capital ships then in service, 16 cruisers and five seaplane tenders.

It was used successfully in the Second Sino-Japanese War not only for reconnaissance, but also for dive-bombing and artillery spotting.

Review Author
Camden Koukol
Dave Koukol
Published on
Company
Italeri
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$24.99

Background

Originally developed as the Navy's primary fleet defense interceptor in the 1950'ss, the F-4 Phantom II rapidly evolved into the mainstay multiple fighter for the Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps by the mid '60's. During the Vietnam War air war, the Phantom became the exclusive mount of all 6 American "ace" (airmen scoring 5 or more air-to-air victories) emerging from that conflict.

In this release, Italeri presents 4 of the F-4's flown by Americas Vietnam aces. Markings and parts options are included for Navy F-4J "Showtime 100" flown by Randy Cunningham and Willy Driscoll, Air Force F-4C flown by Robin Olds, an F-4D flown by Jeff Feinstein, and an F-4D flown by Steve Ritchie and Chuck DeBellevue.

Review Author
Rob Benson
Published on
Company
Furball Aero-Design
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$19.96

Thank you to Furball Aero-Design for providing excellent specific markings set for this very unique aircraft. I am certain that F-4 fans will be thrilled with this set! Thank you to the IPMS Reviewer Corps for letting me review them, I am very appreciative of the chance to contribute back to the scale-modeling community.

The words that capture this decal set are “stunning detail.” Furball chose the striking color scheme of Vandy 1, the gloss black test F-4J aircraft operated by VX-4, providing both the original 1969 markings and the later “bunny” markings. What makes this set different from kit decals and aftermarket decal sets are the nearly 200 crisply-printed stencils printed in white. Modelers often correctly make the argument that stencils are often quickly worn off and not visible, but this aircraft was maintained in “high-polish” with all markings likely there.

Review Author
Allan Murrell
Published on
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$39.95

Eduard has re-released this kit from 2008 as a ProfiPack of the Fokker Dr.1 with markings for six versions included in the Aircraft.

In the box is;

  • 3 x light grey sprues
  • 1 film sheet
  • 1 large decal sheet
  • 1 mask sheet
  • 1 photoetch detail set
  • 1 instruction booklet

The kit consists of 3 main sprues, the sprues are extremely well molded with a little flash but great detail; the decals allow you to finish the aircraft in two different versions with 6 markings to choose from.

Construction

First is the construction of the interior which is well detailed. Photo Etch helps a lot to make this a very impressive cockpit. The fuselage halves joint perfectly.

Next, you join the middle wing.

At this stage, I choose to paint the main colors and add the main decals as I selected to build the D scheme.

Review Author
Rob Benson
Published on
Company
Zoukei-Mura
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$75.00

I am honored and privileged to review a beautiful new scale model offering in the Super Wing Series from Zoukei-Mura, Inc. I also wish to extend a very deep appreciation to the IPMS/USA Reviewer Corps for choosing me to review the F-4S variant of the famous McDonnell Phantom II.

The kit was released on 26 JUL 17, following on the heels of a previous F-4J release in the same scale and series. This review will be the first of two sequential reviews. I thought at first I would compare the F-4S kit with the earlier F-4J and describe the build planning in this first review. I actually couldn’t wait to get started, so construction of the cockpit is described here as well. The second and related review will include my adventures in completing the kit build. Both of these reviews will dovetail with previous IPMS reviews of the earlier F-4J kit.