Reviews of products for scale aircraft models.

Review Author
Rod Lees
Published on
Company
AOA Decals
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$22.00

NOTE: This review covers two decal sheets. The stencil decal, 32005 has a MSRP of $12.50. It can be found on the AOA website at: http://www.aoadecals.com/32005/home.htm.

AOA (Angle of Attack) decals: New on the block, and focusing on Marine Air … We sincerely appreciate this new decal manufacturer sending IPMS/USA their latest releases for review! (…and the usual thanks also to IPMS USA Reviewer corps leadership for sending these my way.. )

The two sheets being reviewed were provided in the same package; I don’t know if this is the common delivery method.

This (32-004) sheet covers a total of 21 different options for the OV-10A/B as flown by Marine and Navy Air in Vietnam. Included with this sheet was the stencil set, 32-005, which includes propeller warning markings, ejection triangles, etc…

Options include for 32-004 (from AOA’s Website):

Review Author
Jim Pearsall
Published on
Company
Round 2 Models
Scale
1/144
MSRP
$26.99

Round 2 Models has certainly come out with some interesting stuff in the last few years, including AMT, MPC, Polar Lights (Aurora), Hawk and Lindberg kits from yesteryear. As IPMS Historian, I also find it gratifying that the models that have disappeared from the shelves have reappeared for the newer modelers to enjoy.

The Plane

The de Havilland Comet was the first purpose-built jet airliner which first flew in 1949, entering service in 1952. The major overseas airlines of the early fifties were BOAC and Pan Am. BOAC ordered British made Comets, Pan Am bought American made Constellations, DC-4s and then 707s, DC-8s and Convair 880s.

Review Author
Rod Lees
Published on
Company
AOA Decals
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$14.75

AoA (Angle of Attack) decals: New on the block, and focusing on Marine Air … We sincerely appreciate this new decal manufacturer sending IPMS/USA their latest releases for review! (…and the usual thanks also to IPMS USA Reviewer corps leadership for sending these my way.. )

This sheet is a comprehensive delivery focusing on one Marine and one USAF Bronco with two different schemes operating out of Danang AB in South Vietnam. I utilized the Marine decals… NOTE! This sheet includes only the major airframe details for the two subject aircraft. From their website: “This small 1/32 decal sheet includes two Marine VMO-2 aircraft, one from 1969 and the other from 1970; and the USAF 20th TASS CO's "famous" shark-mouthed Lois Little, which can be depicted from different time periods in 1972 (although a third option is also possible). “

Review Author
Robert Head
Published on
Company
Twobobs Aviation Graphics
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$14.00

About the Company

Two Bobs is a limited run custom decal company based out of Fort Worth, Texas owned and operated by Mr. Bob Sanchez. Mr. Sanchez is a former enlisted Air Force engineer and has been very active in the modeling community almost all of his life. Two-Bobs decals usually sell out very well and since they’re limited run subjects they are not available for reprint.

What’s on the Sheet?

This particular sheet covers the Miramar Hornets of VMFA-225 and VMFA-232.

The aircraft covered are as followed:

Review Author
Robert Head
Published on
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$54.95

I won’t go into a long drawn out spill about the S-30M2 due to the fact that just about all of us know about the Su-27 Family of Soviet/Russian fighters or build one. So a brief history is as followed, the Su-30M2 is a long-range, high-endurance, heavy-class Air Dominance Fighter with multi mission capabilities. It is currently the most advanced version of Su-27 Flanker flying anywhere in the world. The Su-27, which was first produced in the Former Soviet Union starting 1982 is counted among the world's best fighter aircraft even without any upgrades; but some of the technology and capability that the Su-30MKI boasts has absolutely no parallels across the world's air forces. The Su-30M2 gives its operator a capability that will remain unmatched by all rivals for the foreseeable future. Eduard set consists of two previous photoetch sets and a mask. The photoetch sets deal with the interior and exterior plus the mask

Review Author
Pablo Bauleo
Published on
Company
Quickboost
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$2.99

Czech manufacturer Quickboost continues to expand its aftermarket line of simple details that enhance the look of your models.

This time the aftermarket piece is the very distinctive muzzle of the Mk 103 cannon, with its “organ pipe” look, a difficult piece to reproduce in injection molded parts.

The parts are finely molded, with all the pipes –and gun opening- being hollow. There are no bubbles nor are defects of kind and the attachment point to the pouring stub small and easy to remove.

The parts are a simple “drop in” replacement to the plastic parts. I only added a small piece of metal rod (copper) to strengthen the connection point to the nose of the Me-262.

This is a very easy and simple way to enhance your next model. Recommended.

I would like to thank Quickboost, AIRES and IPMS/USA for the review sample.

Review Author
Pablo Bauleo
Published on
Company
Bronco Models
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$44.95

Bronco Models has a full line of Luft ’46 aircraft and the Blohm and Voss P178 has been boxed in several different versions, mainly changing on the weapon being delivered. The BV P178 was an asymmetrical aircraft, with a single engine offset relative to the fuselage (something that Blohm and Voss was an expert at) and this particular machine had a Jumo 004 jet engine. I was not able to find any images of this particular aircraft, but I did find a few black and white images of the weapon BT700.

The model comes in a very sturdy box, with 5 sprues (1 clear) for the aircraft and 1 sprue for the weapon. The total part count is low, about 50 parts total. Parts are finely molded, with panel lines being crisp and well defined. There was no flash in my sample. You also get two decal sheets (including stencils) providing you with German, Finnish, Romanian, Hungarian and Italian markings.

Book Author(s)
Gary Hatcher, Editor
Review Author
Dave Morrissette
Published on
Company
Scale Aircraft Modelling
MSRP
$6.85

Scale Aircraft Modelling's September 2015 issue comes packed with great build articles of some unique planes as well as continuing its fine history and modelling articles with everything from new kits, scratchbuilds and older kits.

Ken Duffey builds Trumpeters 1/72 J-15 which also includes a flight deck. Several of Mr. Duffeys pictures are also included showing the wing folding mechanisms. The finished models looks great with the plane poised for launch.

Revell of Germany’s 1/144 Airbus A330-330 gets built two ways- one in Delta Airline markings and a shot of the same plane in Thai Airways markings. While released almost a decade ago, the kit still produces beautiful looking airliners.

Tony O’Toole’s article on the Short Sterling A Mk. IV and its participation in Operation Market Garden offer a review of a historic plane and one of its efforts. The article is both well written and extremely well illustrated.

Review Author
Keith Pruitt
Published on
Company
Quickboost
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$11.99

For several years, Quickboost has been known for producing high quality, molded resin replacement parts for many model kits from most manufacturers. The current Airfix kits are produced from new molds, and are exceptionally well molded and nicely detailed on their own. However, with the limitations inherent in the injection molding process, some parts can be improved with resin parts, which can be molded with a greater level of detail and accuracy.

Quickboost now offers a set of resin replacement propellers for the Airfix 1/72 Dornier Do17Z kit. The Dornier Do 17 was a light bomber used by the German Luftwaffe before and during World War II. Designed in the 1930’s, they first saw combat with the Condor Legion in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War. Although it was eventually replaced in frontline service, the aircraft was used throughout the war in a variety of roles.

Review Author
Pablo Bauleo
Published on
Company
Hobby Boss
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$31.99

HobbyBoss has released a hypothetical production variant of the Me-262: the A-1/U1 version. Is this a Luft’ 46 model? Some might say yes, but the truth is that both the enhanced nose weaponry (MG 151 and Mk 103) and the X-4 missiles were all manufactured before the end of WWII. I would say this is a Luftwaffe ’45 “2nd-Half”.

The kit comes in 12 grey sprues, 2 clear sprues for the canopy and a metal nose wheel well to prevent having a ‘tail sitter’. The sprues are cleanly molded, free of flash and with well-defined recessed panel lines.

The model has a full interior consisting of a nose gun bay, fully detailed cockpit and main landing gear bay plus a nicely detailed back fuselage (with a radio set and a compass set). However the detail in the back fuselage is pretty much impossible to see once the model is finished. There is only one service panel and it is not large enough as to allow viewing of all that detail.