This special 1/35 decal sheet is designed for Werner's Wings US Coast Guard MH-60T Jayhawk conversion set as an add-on sheet and has been approved by Werner's Wings.

Four specific CGAS Kodiak MH-60T options are provided, all sporting Kodiak's unique dark blue tails with bear paw print and Big Dipper/Polaris markings, and each option with an aircrew award marking. Also provided are two options for CGAS New Orleans, the most recent MH-60T operator.

What does the conversion to MH-60T entail you may ask: refurbished air frames, new digital avionics, communication, navigation and flight instrumentation. Basically, the interior of the aircraft will be new

For those that don’t know, Floyd Werner is basically the helicopter guy for just about anything…..in a literal sense, and a prolific model builder. These days you can just about expect it if it involves a rotary winged system. He has his hands in it!

MH-60S

Background

There is not much information available on the history of the Messerschmitt Bf-109S trainer type. The most I could find about this version was in the book by Richard A. Franks “The Messerschmitt Bf109 Early Series (V1 to E-9 including T-series)” by Valiant Wings Publishing. It states that it was a tandem trainer with the student sitting in the front seat and the instructor behind. The S version was the same as the Bf-109E-3 one but was equipped with a Revi gun-sight, and although it retained the nose armament, it did not have the wing cannons. It also had an early style canopy without armored glass in the front. The most interesting fact in the book was that it was a project only and was never built.

The Kit

The AZ model kit of the Messerschmitt Bf-109S depicts three painting schemes: two from 1941 and one from 1942. I selected the first of the three markings for my build representing the first prototype from April 1941.

Quite frequently the aftermarket comes out with some great products, photo-etch, resin, masks or decals, and the Yahu models 3D instrument panels are definitely one of them.

I have a 1/32 Infinity Models SB2C-4 in my stash and when I saw this available I was able to get it.

The initial look at the package I thought, wow these look better than I expected.

The replacement panel comes with 3D photo-etch for the instrument panel and other sub panels in the cockpit. The instructions are not very detailed about where some of the other pieces go.

I’ve always been a fan of the early Allison powered Mustangs so it’s nice to see publishers filling the gap for historians and modelers alike. This publication goes even farther by including the merlin powered B and C models. This is a second edition of a book first printed in 2013. It is broken down into three sections, Airframe, Miniatures and Appendices.

BLUF - Bottom Line Up Front

It has been a while since I built a helicopter. The last time was an aborted attempt in 2014 give or take. That did not end well. I feel that going outside your lane (mine is aircraft) improves your skills a bit. And that certainly happened with building the Cobra. The kit itself builds up to a very nice replica of a Vietnam era Cobra. The build is straightforward. The only thing I would do differently is attach the landing skids after the kit is built, painted, decals applied, and any weathering is done. Otherwise, you run the risk of damaging the skids as you handle, or mishandle, the kit as you accomplish those tasks. I must have broken the skids about 5 times. The last step, of course, is to attach the rotor blades.When the kit arrived, I inspected the box and its contents, and immediately noticed that a sprue bag had been ripped and noticed a number of loose parts floating around.