Reviews of products for scale aircraft models.

Review Author
Floyd S. Werner Jr.
Published on
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$49.95

The Bf-109F-2 was the first real variant of the Freidrich that was produced in significant quantities. Some F-0 and F-1s were issued but the F-2 was the first mass produced version. The new streamlined shape made for what many consider the ultimate version of the 109. There are no prominent bumps and bulges anywhere. It is a sleek and sexy version of the Messerschmitt.

Eduard has released the F-4 previously, and did release the F-2 in their Royal Class kit. This is the first time that they have offered the F-2 by itself. The light grey sprues are still blemish free and feature great detail. If you've built any of the F-4s or G-2s you are very familiar with the plastic. There is also a clear sprue with the canopy and the fuel supply line for the cockpit.

Review Author
Jim Pearsall
Published on
Company
Brengun
Scale
1/144
MSRP
$13.79

Background

The Spring of 1945 was not a good time for the Luftwaffe. Large numbers of Allied fighters were patrolling the skies over the Reich, bombers were decimating the factories, the transportation system, and the whole industrial complex. They were also bombing and strafing air bases wherever they found them. The Me-262 was slowing down the rate of attrition, but not stopping it.

The idea for the Bachem Ba-349 "Natter" was that it would be built of wood, and instead of factories, it would be built in woodworking shops, requiring no strategic materials except the rocket engine and the armament.

Review Author
Ben Morton
Published on
Company
Werners Wings
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$10.00

Werner’s Wings is proud to announce the release of our latest decal sheet WW Decals 48-15-UH-1D/H Stencils. Obstensively designed for the new Kitty Hawk UH-1D kit they will work with an 1/48th scale Huey.

Each stencil sheet offers the complete stencils to do one UH-1D/H aircraft. Decals are even provided for the various placards and stenciling found on the inside of the crew and passenger doors. Nice!

The stenciling was originally done in yellow with yellow step bars and red turbine warning strips. These markings were later changed to black. Werner's Wings has thoughtfully provide both markings in yellow and black. Additional unit markings and symbols are provided, as well as, numbers in black, white and yellow. The danger arrows (just forward of the tail rotor) are also included in English, Vietnamese, and Korean, so you can customize your Huey model.

Review Author
Pablo Bauleo
Published on
Company
Master Model
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$12.00

Master Model from Poland specializes in turned brass aftermarket details. In recent releases, they have added small resin pieces and also small photo-etch parts making them be a multi-media aftermarket supplier.

This particular set is devoted to the 1/48 P-40 fans, which I know many of us are. The set provides you with PE sighting rings (4x), sighting bead, pitot tube and pitot tip (resin), .303 cal browning cooling jackets (x4) and blasting tubes (x2). The blasting tubes can be installed with either a straight edge or with a tapered edge at the business end of the tube.

The pitot tube tip shape and the shape of the cooling jacket make this set appropriate for the P-40B/C in British service.

Review Author
Allan Murrell
Published on
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$34.95

Eduard has re-released this kit from 2009 as a ProfiPack of the Roland C.II with markings for four new versions including in the aircraft.

In the box is:

  • 3 x light grey sprues
  • 1 clear sprue
  • 2 x decal sheet
  • 1 mask sheet
  • 2 x photoetch detail set
  • 1 instruction booklet

While you get 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 four different versions.

Construction

First is the construction of the interior, which is well detailed. Photoetch helps a lot to make this a very impressive cockpit and rear compartment when complete. I will point out that you need to be careful when installing parts to ensure the fuselage halves joint without a clash.

When assembling the camera I found the PE 5 part was a little large so had to cut it down a little?

Book Author(s)
Artur Juszczak
Review Author
Mike Lamm
Published on
Company
Mushroom Model Publications - MMP Books
MSRP
$24.00

The latest title in the “Spot On” series published by Mushroom Model Publications focuses on Russia’s Yak-3 during World War II. The Yak-3 began development in the summer of 1942, with its first test flight conducted in early 1942. The plane was based on the Yak-1, with the Yak-1M eventually being replaced in production by the Yak-3 in March 1944. By 1946, approximately 4,800 of the aircraft had been built and the fighter distinguished itself as a fast and easy plane to fly, that was well suited for Russian operations in the late war.

Review Author
Pablo Bauleo
Published on
Company
Master Model
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$12.00

Master Model from Poland specializes in turned brass aftermarket details. In recent releases, they have added small resin pieces and small photo-etch parts making them a multi-media aftermarket supplier.

This particular set is devoted to the 1/48 P-40 fans, which many of us are. The set provides PE sighting rings (4x), sighting bead, pitot tube and pitot tip (resin), .30 cal browning cooling jackets (x4), and blasting tubes (x2). The blasting tubes can be installed with either a straight edge or with a tapered edge at the business end of the tube.

The pitot tube tip shape and the cooling jackets make this set appropriate for the P-40B/C in US service.

Review Author
Paul R. Brown
Published on
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$9.95

The R-73 (NATO designation AA-11 Archer) was designed as a replacement for the R-60 (AA-8 Aphid) close-in dogfight missile. The R-73 is an infrared homing missile with thrust vectoring and has been exported to a number of air forces around the world.

As a follow-on to its previous release of the R-60/AA-8 Aphid missile set, Eduard has now released the R-73/AA-11 Archer. The set includes parts for 4 missiles, including seeker caps and engine covers as well as 4 P-72 missile rails. A nice touch by Eduard is that in addition to the missile rails, the set is designed in a modular fashion, much like the actual rails, so you can construct the appropriate pylons for both the MiG-29 and the Su-27 simply by installing different pylon mounts. The set includes enough of the pylon mounts for you to construct four of either type. I elected to construct two of each for illustration purposes.

Book Author(s)
Author: Tomasz J. Kopański, Illustrator: Janusz Światłoń
Review Author
Frank Landrus
Published on
Company
Mushroom Model Publications - MMP Books
MSRP
$25.00

Tomasz J. Kopański authors the latest in Mushroom Model Publications’ series of aircraft used in the Polish Air Force. Tomasz has done several volumes in the Polish Wings series, including Volumes 3, 7, and 17 in addition to several other Mushroom Model Publication books. This includes MMP’s Barbarossa Victims: Luftwaffe Kills in the East (2001), Kosciuszko Squadron 1919-1921: American Volunteers against the Bolsheviks (2003), PZL P23 Karas (2004), PZL P.11c (2013). He has also worked with Kagero, writing the Legends of Aviation 3D on Fokker D.VII: The Lethal Weapon (2012).

Janusz Światłoń, a native of Krakow Poland, is an aviation history enthusiast and military modeler. He has retired for the Polish military after serving with the 6th Airborne Brigade. He has a long history of being published as an illustrator and as an author for many magazines and books from publishing houses as Osprey, Kagero, AF Editores, Chevron, and Mushroom Model Publications.

Review Author
Dave Morrissette
Published on
Company
Brengun
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$16.70

Note: There is an additional photoetch set for this- BRL48081 (Product Link) which includes a much better seat, vents, and plates.

The Yokosuka MXY7 Ohka was one of Japans last ditch Kamikaze weapons. It was a purpose-built, rocket-powered human-guided aircraft. The model 22 was to be powered by a TSU-11 thermojet (pulse jet) engine that increased the effective range of previous Ohka’s. This also reduced the size of the warhead to 600kg. The intent was to launch this from a P1Y3 Frances bomber and sink shipping. These never saw action but were produced and one now sits in the NASM.