Reviews of products for scale aircraft models.

Book Author(s)
Kari Stenman and Karolina Holda
Review Author
Pablo Bauleo
Published on
Company
Mushroom Model Publications - MMP Books
MSRP
$55.59

Mushroom Model Publication has released the second volume of the Finnish Fighter Color series. You can find a review of Volume 1 here on the reviews site.

This book, as Volume 1, is structured by aircraft type. Each aircraft type has two chapters. The first one is devoted to the historical introduction on each type including how it was procured and how it did perform in Finnish service. In many cases there are plenty of historical details on different missions including date, location, number of airplanes involved and mission kills/losses. There are no first-hand narratives of pilots involved in the action, so I suppose the information is coming from squadron records.

Review Author
Tom Pope
Published on
Company
Revell
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$54.95

Introduction

Since late in the Korean war, into the Vietnam War, and even more importantly today, one of the most important missions within the United States Air Force and Navy is the suppression of enemy air defense systems. Blinding the enemy air defenses was and still is crucial to clearing the road for massive bombing campaigns and air superiority. In the United States Air Force, this mission went to a group aptly named the wild weasels. Much like a weasel, the job of these aircraft is to stick their head up and get the enemy air defense systems to see and lock their radar on the aircraft. When the electronic systems in the weasel aircraft indicate the enemy is locked on you, you would launch your anti-radiation missile to ride the enemy radar beam back to the antenna it was broadcasting from. Once in proximity of the antenna, the missile would detonate releasing thousands of bits of steel shrapnel, shredding the enemy radar antenna thus blinding the enemy.

Book Author(s)
Peter de Jong
Review Author
Hub Plott
Published on
Company
Osprey Publishing
MSRP
$22.95

If ever a seaplane design could be called elegant it is the Do- 24! The Dornier Do- 24 outlived its Third Reich users by 24 years. What was probably the best seaplane in the Nazi inventory was designed to meet specifications from the Dutch Navy.

The competition for the Luftwaffe’s next seaplane was fierce between the Blohm und Voss Bv -138 and the Dornier Do-24. Even though the test pilots declared the Do-24 the best handling seaplane they had ever flown, it lost out to the Bv-138. The RLM favored diesel engines on its flying boats and thus even though it was less powerful and an all around lesser aircraft, the RLM chose the diesel powered Bv-138.

Review Author
Allan Murrell
Published on
Company
Quickboost
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$5.10

This set replaces parts B6,B7, B44 and B45 from Kitty Hawk Kit number KH80115. The detail quality is to the normal high standard of the Quickboost products. As usual there is no flash or other imperfections. The parts, once removed from the mold base, are ready to install. The parts will make a great improvement on the kit parts, which have no fine details as these do. A great price for such fine additional details for this kit.

Thanks to Aires for providing the review sample.

Review Author
Allan Murrell
Published on
Company
Quickboost
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$3.70

This set replaces parts A8, B11 and B12 from Kitty Hawk Kit number KH80115. The detail quality is to the normal high standard of the Quickboost products. As usual there is no flash or other imperfections. The parts, once removed from the mold base, are ready to install. The parts will make a great improvement on the kit parts, which have no fine details as these do. A great price for such fine additional details for this kit.

Thanks to Aires/Quickboost for providing the review sample.

Review Author
Allan Murrell
Published on
Company
Quickboost
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$3.70

This set replaces parts 28 and 30 from Kitty Hawk Kit number KH80115. The detail quality is to the normal high standard of the Quickboost products. As usual there is no flash or other imperfections. The parts, once removed from the mold base, are ready to install. The parts will make a great improvement on the kit parts, which have no fine details as these do. A great price for this kit with such fine additional details.

Thanks to Aires/Quickboost for providing the review sample.

Book Author(s)
Paul Lucas
Review Author
Dick Montgomery
Published on
Company
Guideline Publications
MSRP
$16.71

I am a “History of the Battle of Britain” enthusiast, and as an offshoot of that enthusiasm I am a follower of all things “RAF”. When given the opportunity to review Guidelines Publications new “Camo & Markings” book I jumped at the chance.

As an enthusiast of the “historical aspect”, I found this publication to be superb. As a scale modeler I found this book to be an excellent reference for colors and markings of the RAF. You will not be disappointed!

Review Author
Dave Morrissette
Published on
Company
Scale Aircraft Modelling
MSRP
$7.08

As Gary Hatcher states in the editorial, the dust is settling from the transition in editors and they are striking a balance between modelling, reference and history with modelling having the lead. This edition is chocked full of detailed articles on all types of planes.

The lead article is a test shot build of IBG's RWD 8 PWS by Karl Robinson. The final results are great and as this is their first aircraft, Polish manufacturer IBG comes out strong with this kit and bodes well for the future. Karl shows off his rigging skill as well.

Richard Mason previews Revell of Germany's 1/72 C-54 Skymaster with shots of the sprue and a history of the plane itself. The kit has a full interior and it builds similar to the RoG C-17. The kit looks great and I can't wait to see it show on American shelves.

Review Author
Dave Morrissette
Published on
Company
Ultracast
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$20.25

Ultracast has issued a figure than can be used in Tamiya's 1/32 F4U-1a Corsair and they picked one of my favorite subject, Pappy Boyington. The kit comes in seven well cast tan resin pieces- two arms, two legs, torso, head and chin strap. The castings are excellent with minimal to no mold lines. And the sculpt is by Mike Good and is superb.

I started the build by freeing the pasts from the casting blocks with a razor saw. A few scrapes with the back of a knife and the seams were gone. I added the arms and the legs and had small gaps. I used Squadron white putty to fill in the seams and smoothed with a lacquer thinner. Once dry, I primer with Alclad gray primer.

I started with the flesh which is only the face. I have started using Scale 75 paints and really like them. I built up layers over a base coat and probably over did the creases some. The eyes are meant to be slits like he is looking into the sun and I could got them a little narrow.