Спасибо! THANKS VERY MUCH Mikhail and Victory models for importing and distributing these sets, and also sending IPMS USA another of your growing line of resin accessories for Russian/Soviet aircraft. Much thanks also to IPMS USA leadership for sending it on to me to review….

A word about customer service; Mikhail, the Proprietor of Advanced Modeling, provided Dave Morrissette with reference pictures of the actual MER installed on three aircraft; it looks like Sukhois and one TU-22m; Dave then forwarded to me. THAT saved me a lot of time on correct colors. Most excellent service Mihail!

The PBK-500U glide cluster bomb dispenser (the Russian acronym translates to glide bomb cassette, 500-kg) is a single-use weapon that houses either a single warhead or multiple elements. Unlike the previous generation, the PBK-500U can deploy at longer distances to enable standoff attack capability for tactical aircraft acting against targets with pinpoint anti-aircraft defenses.

Master Model produces finely crafted small detail parts for models which have been damaged or may be subject to rough handling. Their collection of antennas and pitot tubes are invaluable for the modeler whose friends (or former friends) handle models less than carefully. There’s a picture below. This particular set is the guns for a Spitfire IXe.

The Spitfire IXe had a pair of 20mm cannons in the wing. These had been moved outboard to allow more ammunition for the Browning .50 caliber machine guns. The cannons stuck pretty far out from the wing, but the Brownings barely showed. The “fix” for the Brownings was to put the muzzle inside a tube which extended from the wing.

Two Bobs decals provides some nice aftermarket decal options for the venerable (and gigantic) 1/48 Revell B-1B, presenting current day –at time of writing- markings for the B-1B Lancer strategic bomber as follow:

• B-1B S/N 85-0089 489^th Bomb Group, Dyess AFB, TX (2015)
• B-1B S/N 85-0077 77^th Weapons Squadron, Nellis AFB, NV (2015)

Both of them are finished in overall Gunship Gray (FS36118). Instructions include color stock number for Federal Standard, Testors, Humbrol, Gunze and Xtracrylics. The instructions are printed in color with very clearly indicated call out for the location of all the decals, including stencils.

The short version -- I liked the kit. Hasegawa has engineered this kit well.

Now, the details.

History

The final and most built series of the Mitchell, the B-25J looked less like earlier series, apart from the well-glazed bombardier's nose of nearly-identical appearance to the earliest B-25 subtypes. It had the forward dorsal turret and other armament and airframe advancements. Also produced was a strafer nose first shipped to air depots as kits, then introduced on the production line in alternating blocks with the bombardier nose. The solid-metal "strafer" nose housed eight centerline Browning M2 .50 caliber machine guns. All J models included four .50 in (12.7 mm) light-barrel Browning AN/M2 guns in a pair of "fuselage packages"; conformal gun pods each flanking the lower cockpit, each pod containing two Browning M2s. Total J series production was 4,318.