Reviews of products for scale aircraft models.

Review Author
Rob Booth
Published on
Company
Quickboost
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$6.38

Quickboost has produced a replacement prop for the Trumpeter and ICM 1/48 scale Mig-3 kits. The resin replacement is a simple drop-in for the kit’s plastic parts. The supplied items include a separately cast spinner, post and blades with a cast resin assembly tool for inserting the blades at a consistent pitch. There is no modification required to the kit to use this prop assembly.

A side by side evaluation (see photos) and shots of my completed Trumpeter Mig-3 “Early” indicates a replacement of superior detail that will provide a more accurate and “crisp” blade representation of a Mig-3 propeller. The kit parts have the brown spinner cap, and the Quickboost prop assembly spinner is gray. Note, however that using the tool will cause the prop blades to be installed at the incorrect rotation pitch. My web research found that Mig-3 props rotated clockwise (when viewed from the front of the aircraft), as depicted in the kit’s propeller assembly.

Review Author
Timothy Gidcumb
Published on
Company
Scale Aircraft Conversions
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$16.95

Recently I was given the opportunity by IPMS USA to review Scale Aircraft Conversions adaptation of the F-16 Light landing gear in white metal for the 1/48 Kinetic kit.

The set contains the aft gear bulkhead along with the retraction struts. The nose gear includes a separate nose gear and its retraction strut and oleo scissor.

This set is for the light versions of the F-16 (-1 to -20 versions or the F-16A/B variants).

Also included in this set is a nose gear door landing light, and an altered main gear bulkhead, which makes the installation of the main gear easier.

These are a direct replacements for the ones found supplied with the kit with just a little more detail.

Overall this is highly recommended for stronger landing gear and added detail and is a great addition to the Kinetic kit.

Review Author
Rod Lees
Published on
Company
Master Details
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$14.95

Product provided by: Master Details via the reviewer’s wallet

Master details produces and distributes an expanding range of pilot figures and details for 1/32 scale projects; for now their focus is on the HK B-17, but they have other items in their lineup including an HE-111 Cockpit for the massive Revell kit.

In this case, the pilot figure is an early Vietnam-era U.S. pilot with four different heads cast in metal (One with just the helmet and chin strap, one with the visor up and oxygen mask in place, and one with the visor down and oxygen mask in place, and one with visor down and no oxygen mask), an oxygen hose for the mask in metal, and seven resin body parts including two legs, and four separate arms, with a torso. The kit also includes a unit patch decal sheet for the shoulder patches frequently displayed on the flight jackets of the time.

Review Author
David Wrinkle
Published on
Company
Lifelike Decals
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$13.00

The 244th Sentai (Fighter Group / Fighter Regiment) was formed in 1941 and charged with the defense of Tokyo. As apparent from the options included in this decal set, the unit started flying Nates and later turned in their Ki-27s for Ki-61s & Ki-100s.

Review Author
Keith Gervasi
Published on
Company
Academy Models
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$42.00

History

Ju 87G-2…The First flight of a Ju 87 occurred in 1936, and although obsolete by 1943, the airframe found a new lease on life with the addition of two 37 mm (1.46 in) Flak 18 guns under the wings. The first flight of the G model occurred on January 31st, 1943. In April of '43 the first production G models were delivered to frontline units and, even though obsolete and outnumbered, proved very successful in their role as tank killers.

JS-2…. Designed as a breakthrough tank with armor that could withstand the fearsome German 88mm gun and an armament that could take on the Tiger and Panther tanks, the JS-2 (named after Joseph Stalin, IS-2 Iosif Stalin in the original Russian) entered service in 1944. Armed with a massive A-19 122mm main gun and up to 120mm of armor in vital areas, the JS-2 was a very formidable weapon that was better in every way than its predecessor, the KV-1.

Review Author
Clarence Wentzel
Published on
Company
Quickboost
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$5.49

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 wing mounted pylons. The AMK kit provides combination pylon and fuel tanks. These look good but there are cases where the modeler may want to build a model without the wing tanks. The modeler may want to include some wing mounted munitions or they may simply want a model with only the pylon. Many photos of the L-29 on display etc. show the plane with only the pylons.

Book Author(s)
Yefim Gordon and Dmitriy Komissarov
Review Author
Frank Landrus
Published on
Company
Specialty Press
MSRP
$56.95

Yefim Gordon was born in 1950 in Vilnius, Lithuania (then part of the Soviet Union) and graduated from the Kaunas Polytechnic Institute in 1972. He has been researching Soviet and Russian aviation history for more than 40 years. A professional photographer, Yefim Gordon has published hundreds of features and photographs in Russian and foreign aviation magazines. He has authored and co-authored more than 120 books on Soviet and Russian aviation.

Dmitriy Komissarov was born in 1968 in Moscow and graduated from the Moscow State Linguistics University in 1992. He has worked as a translator ever since, with the most of his work associated with his interest in aviation. Dmitriy Komissarov has authored two books and translated or co-authored more than 50 others. He has also written numerous magazine features in two languages on Soviet and Russian aviation.

Review Author
Clarence Wentzel
Published on
Company
Aires Hobby Models
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$6.99

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 to give modelers some additional options.

The L-29 Delfin was produced in several variations, including a photo reconnaissance version. This was accomplished by installing a specific conversion package under the fuselage. This version was used by the Czech Air Force and other Warsaw pact countries as well as by several export customers including Egypt and Vietnam.

Review Author
Allan Murrell
Published on
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$29.95

This is a photoetch exterior upgrade set to for the Revell Ventura MkII. The set adds some great additional details to the kit.

In the packet is

  • 1 large photoetch steel sheet
  • 1 instruction sheet

Summary

This is a fantastic set and adds some really nice additional details and parts to the kit. The set includes machine gun details, light surrounds, engine wiring, lots of access panels, Main door, and many may more parts. The set does require some hard work when it comes to adding all the engine wiring but it’s well worth the effort. The only issues I found were A- the items 48 and 49 were a little too big and may have been better installed at stage 10 of the build. B- The parts 24 and 25 were a little short. If you have the Revell kit you have to get this set as it adds details that make the kit really look great!

Review Author
Jason Holt
Published on
Company
Hasegawa
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$65.00

History

The Bf-109G-10 aircraft is rather unique by the fact that it was somewhat of a ‘Frankenstein’ aircraft put together with available resources at the time. The airframe consisted of a standard G model and incorporated a DB 605 D-2 engine. The reasoning for this was an attempt to create as little disruption to factory production of the Bf-109K’s.

Other external differences from the standard G model were deeper air cooler intakes, wide blade props, larger rudder, a Morane antenna, larger main wheels, and an extended tailwheel to provide a slightly better forward view.

There was a total of 2600 G-10 built after 1944 and one lone survivor resides in the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio.