The L-29 Delfin was a jet-powered trainer airplane that was designed by the Aero Company of Czechoslovakia. An excellent kit of the Delfin has recently been released in 1/72 scale by AMK. Although this kit, in my opinion, is very good, our friends at Aires/Quickboost have found some areas where the accuracy of various parts can be improved.

This set from Quickboost provides replacement Antennas. The AMK kit provides a small “T” shaped antenna for under the left wing and a reasonable swept antenna for the top of the fuselage. The picture of my completed review model shows the kit upper fuselage antenna after painting.

The MiG-21 (NATO code name “Fishbed”) has the distinction of being the most-produced supersonic jet aircraft in history. It has served in the Air Forces of more than 60 countries around the world and continues to fly for a number of countries even today. Early versions of the MiG-21 were equipped with the SK-1 ejection seat while later versions were equipped with the KM-1 ejection seat.

One of Eduard’s newest lines of photo-etch is a series of seat belts and harnesses for a number of aircraft made out of photo-etched steel instead of brass. This set provides complete harnesses and ejection handles for two ejection seats. Based on the instructions for this set, it appears it is designed for the later KM-1 seat, so it would be appropriate for later versions of the MiG-21.

The Aircraft

The Me-163 was the first (and only) rocket powered fighter used in combat. It was also the first aircraft to ever fly at 700 mph, in 1944. As an interceptor, the 163 was less than outstanding, with only about a dozen Allied aircraft shot down, for a loss of 9 Komets.

The rocket engine used “C-Stoff”, hydrazine hydrate and methanol and “T-Stoff”, hydrogen peroxide. These were interesting to me because they are “hypergolic”. This means that they need no ignition source. Just mix the two chemicals in the combustion chamber and they burn. This proved very interesting when there was a hard landing and fuel lines leaked. There were also incidents when a fueled Komet would blow up just sitting on the tarmac waiting for the pilot to arrive.

The Kit

This is a double kit, containing two of everything in one plastic zip lock bag. The decal sheet has enough markings for three aircraft. Only one set of instructions, but that’s enough.

Like many limited-run model companies, Fly Models’ first kits were fairly small. I had the distinct pleasure of building one of their Ba-349 Natters when they first came out, and was impressed by the level of effort expended on this design by this fledgling company. It’s still one of the prides of my collection.

Thanks to Ross at SAC for sending us improved metal landing gear for the new 1/72 Airfix Jet provost T.3, and thanks also to IPMS USA leadership for sending it to me.

Another of SAC’s expansive line of white metal upgrades to the basic kit plastic! The set consists of six parts: Two duplicate sets of main struts and nose gear for the kit.

Not much to say here; build your kit, leave off the kit gear, and install the SAC gear. Paint, add the painted wheels, paint the nose tire, and you are done.

You can see by the ‘before and after painting” pictures that I’m getting old and sloppy, but you get the idea. The nose gear has the anti-shimmy tire incorporated along with the gear, which makes it a better option because the kit gear has the tire split to account for the raised side portions of the anti-shimmy tire. It’s easier!