Reviews of products for scale aircraft models.

Review Author
Jim Pearsall
Published on
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/144
MSRP
$8.00

Eduard recently released a Quattro kit of the Avia B.534, a Czech biplane which participated in World War 2. I got to review the kit, and now I’m doing a second build utilizing Eduard’s PE upgrade for the Avia.

The Kit

You get a single PE fret with enough add-ons to do a single aircraft. There is a lagniappe here, as there are 4 instrument panels, so you can do another 3 with them.

The fuselage parts are side panels for the cockpit, a set of seat and shoulder belts, a control stick, front and rear radiator grills, and a step. There is also a “ring & cross” gun sight, a tail wheel add-on for the Bulgarian version and a tail wheel protector for the tow tug version. Unfortunately the last 3 items weren’t for the version I built.

For the wings you get the best part of this set…There are PE wing bracing wires.

Review Author
Frank Landrus
Published on
Company
Quickboost
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$6.50

Quickboost provides you with a F4U-5 engine reductor, distributor covers, and engine pump. Of note is the re-sealable packaging that Quickboost uses that makes the parts easy to review and then stuff back into the package securely. There supplied instructions note the swap out of the kit provided plastic parts with the new Quickboost replacements. One part, the magneto is not used with the F4U-5’s R-2800-32W Series E engine and appears to be a carryover for a F4U-4B R-2800 engine (QB 48 045). The F4U-5’s R-2800-32W Series E engine was a fairly unique engine and was not used in any other aircraft.

Quickboost has molded the parts perfectly in light grey resin with no apparent bubbles. The Quickboost exhausts provide you with no mold seams to sand off.

Review Author
Jim Pearsall
Published on
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/144
MSRP
$29.95

The Aircraft

When the first B.534 flew in 1934, the aircraft was well ahead of its contemporaries in other air forces. The British were using Hawker Furies, the US had Curtiss Hawks and the Russians had the I-15. With the German takeover of much of Czechoslovakia in 1939, many of these planes were taken over by the Luftwaffe. The B.534’s combat record is sparse, although some flown by Bulgaria did attempt to intercept the Ploesti raid, and a 534 flown by a pilot of the Slovak National Uprising shot down a Hungarian Ju-52 in October of 1944, the last recorded victory by a biplane.

Review Author
Frank Landrus
Published on
Company
Quickboost
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$8.50

Quickboost provides you with one set of Vought F4U-5N flame dampener exhausts. Of note is the re-sealable packaging that Quickboost uses that makes the parts easy to review and then stuff back into the package securely. There are no supplied instructions; you simply swap out the kit provided plastic parts with the new Quickboost replacements. These Quickboost parts are specific replacements for the kit exhausts which replicate a standard F4U-5 without the flame dampened exhausts. If you wish to do a post-war F4U-5N that had its flame dampener exhausts removed for the standard F4U-5 exhausts, I would point you to the Quickboost 48 661 set that is gorgeous.

Quickboost has molded the exhausts perfectly in light grey resin with no apparent bubbles. The Quickboost exhausts provide you with no mold seams to sand off along with a hollowed out exhaust.

Book Author(s)
Thomas M. Cleaver
Review Author
Walt Fink
Published on
Company
SAM Publications
MSRP
$28.47

Sam Publications has published another incredible reference work, this time on one of the mainstays of the navy’s air power in the Pacific theater. Author Thomas M. Cleaver has put together a 175-page opus with just about every aspect of the Hellcat one could want. Whether you’re a history buff, modeler, an aviation enthusiast or all of the above, this book will be a necessity for your files.

Review Author
David Wrinkle
Published on
Company
Aires Hobby Models
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$13.50

Normally I don’t build outside of my pre-1945 comfort zone, but I’ve always liked the shape and look of the Tucano/Super Tucano. When Hobby Boss released this kit I couldn’t pass on making the purchase. As with any decent kit there is always room for little improvement and this kit is no exception. Joining another resin aftermarket manufacturer, Aires is now offering a set of replacement stabs/elevators for the Tucano.

Review Author
Scott Hollingshead
Published on
Company
Master Model
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$6.50

For modern aircraft modelers looking to add even more detail to their next 1/48 scale F-16, Master Model has introduced static dischargers that can be installed on the wings and tail, just like the real plane. Modelers often overlook the static dischargers, but these brass items, which are finely machined, will make installation an easy task for most modelers. The directions have you simply scribe a shallow socket to receive the new part, and I would recommend your favorite cyanoacrylate glue to attach the parts.

Static dischargers, or wicks, are used on aircraft to relieve the static buildup that typically takes place when flying through rain, snow, ice, or dust. The high resistance of the discharger provides a relief path that does not interfere with onboard communications or navigation equipment. Without dischargers, the relief of energy can be through any protruding surface of the plane, such as wing tips, vertical and horizontal stabilizers, and antennas.

Review Author
Mark Costello
Published on
Company
Hasegawa
MSRP
$19.99

From the Hasegawa web page:

Set to strike

During the Pacific War, Charles MacDonald shot down 27 enemy fighters with his P-38, nicknamed "Putt-Putt Maru." These victories and his exceptional abilities as commander of the 475th Fighter Group made him one of the top Allied aces of World War II. P-38 Lightnings were the ideal aircraft for the Pacific; their long range, high speed and heavy armament let U.S. forces successfully engage Japanese planes at every turn.

Kit

This kit is a re-release of an older kit that comes packaged in a sturdy cardboard box with 1 bag of sprues, a single sheet of decals, and an instruction manual.

The sprue bag contains 4 gray sprues (36 parts) and 1 clear (1 part) sprue (in a small bag to prevent scratches).

The decal sheet is for 1 P-38 in the markings of Lt. Col. Charles Henry “Mac” MacDonald’s P-38 “Putt-Putt Maru”.

Review Author
Dick Montgomery
Published on
Company
Aviaeology
Scale
1/24
MSRP
$6.00

Please note that Aviaeology has a website that is currently under revision. Aviaeology requests that purchases be made through their eBay store.

For those who have purchased decals from Aviaeology before, you are already aware of the high quality of their products, and you are also aware of the excellent documentation that Aviaeology provides to its customers.

Review Author
Dick Montgomery
Published on
Company
Aviaeology
Scale
1/24
MSRP
$16.00

Please note that Aviaeology has a website that is currently under revision. Aviaeology requests that purchases be made through their eBay store.

For those who have purchased decals from Aviaeology before, you are already aware of the high quality of their products, and you are also aware of the excellent documentation that Aviaeology provides to its customers.