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!

Having built their Dash-60 Power cart earlier this year, I was aware of the quality of Videoaviation products… and this continues with this simple, effective set of two firebombs.

The BLU-27 firebomb set will produce two, Vietnam-era Napalm with stabilizing fins. The BLU-27 was utilized as an effective anti-personnel weapon during a war where the world was less concerned about environmental issues. Common employers of this weapon were the A-26, A-1, F-100, F-4, and F-105 (not so much when their mission changed later in the war). I don’t know if these were certified for use on other aircraft.

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.

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).

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.

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.