Reviews of products for scale aircraft models.

Review Author
Paul Bradley
Published on
Company
AMMO by Mig Jimenez
Scale
NA
MSRP
$15.68

This is another paint set by the prolific Ammo by MiG concern out of Spain. I’m sure many of you already use these acrylic paints and so are familiar with their ease of use with both brush and airbrush. The featured colors come in the familiar yellow-capped 17ml dropper bottles and include the necessary colors to paint the SH-2 Seasprite, SH-3 Sea King or SH-60 Seahawk, and many other post-war US Navy helicopters.

The colors themselves look good for the applications required, and have, apparently, been slightly lightened for scale effect. Each bottle contains a small stainless steel ball bearing to aid mixing, which is a great idea that ought to be copied by other manufacturers. The paints are water-soluble, odorless and non-toxic; they can be thinned using distilled water, but Ammo recommends using their proprietary thinner.

Colors included in this set are:

Review Author
Paul Bradley
Published on
Company
AMMO by Mig Jimenez
Scale
NA
MSRP
$15.68

This is another paint set by the prolific Ammo by MiG concern out of Spain. I’m sure many of you already use these acrylic paints and so are familiar with their ease of use with both brush and airbrush. The featured colours in this set come in the familiar yellow-capped 17ml dropper bottles and includes colours needed for many of your favorite RAF bombers flown during World War II.

Review Author
Kurt Hollenbach
Published on
Company
AFV Club
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$60.00

The Kit

This is a reissue of the AFV Club F-5E, first released in 2010. This version includes parts for an early F-5E, with the original nose and short leading-edge extensions (LEX). It focuses on the markings for the Yemen Arab Republic Air Force. There are six marking options, four depicting various schemes used by Yemen, and two schemes from the Republic of China Air Force. The kit consists of seven gray plastic trees, one clear tree, one tree consisting of four polycaps, a small photoetch fret, and one decal sheet. The upper main fuselage and afterburner cans are molded separately and not attached to a parts tree. The surface detail consists of engraved panel lines and rivets. The kit is packaged in a sturdy cardboard box, and a print of the box art is included.

Book Author(s)
David Baker
Review Author
Hub Plott
Published on
Company
Tempest Books
MSRP
$50.00

Just as when one thinks of American bombers the iconic B-52 comes to mind, when thinking of Russian bombers, the same can be said for the Tu-95 Bear. The Allies had done much to prove the success of and need for long range strategic bombers in their defeat of the Nazis and Japan. The Russians (then Soviets) like many countries, had not developed much in the way of long-range bombers prior to and during WWII. The success of the British and American long-range bombers during the war would change that for the Russians.

With a few American B-29s making emergency landings in Russia during operations against Japan, the Soviets were given an engineering opportunity to not only study the B-29 but per Stalin’s direction to completely reverse engineer it to become the Tupelov Tu-4.

Review Author
Rod Lees
Published on
Company
Platz
Scale
1:48
MSRP
$37.24

I opted to try this kit knowing full well it was Italeri plastic with Cartograph decals and Platz boxing - with their instructions.

The box has a great image of a real F-18G on the front When you open the box you find gray plastic with clear for the canopy and taxi lights. Cartograph decals (yay!) and a very well-laid-out instruction manual from Platz. (yay!) The Italeri plastic was the negative.

I purposefully did not read any reviews on the model from either company before beginning. This will be a simple review.

Book Author(s)
Various
Review Author
Frank Landrus
Published on
Company
The Great War Aviation Society
MSRP
$10.00

The Great War Aviation Historical Society is a non-profit UK-based group that publishes the Cross & Cockade International journal four times a year. Issues are available in printed or digital formats. They also provide a free newsletter (sign up on their website) and occasionally publish WWI themed books like the “Sopwith Dolphin” monograph, which I reviewed earlier for IPMS/USA. Cross & Cockade International is the sister of the US journal Over the Front.

Review Author
Ben Morton
Published on
Company
Green Stuff World
Scale
28mm, 32mm, 54mm
MSRP
$9.50

I am familiar with Green Stuff World but was unaware that they branched out into water-slide decals. They have done so with a varied selection of after-market sets that will help you with your next project. (In particular are the three different sets of graffiti art!)

This review concerns itself with their Pin-Up Girls decal set. There are two sheets in the package with twelve different 'girls' depicted along with roundels that could be used separately or as background for the ladies. German and Japanese 'kill markings' are included along with stars and assorted shark-faced bombs.

Each decal, thoughtfully provided in left- and right-hand versions, is printed in three different scales (28mm / 1/58, 32mm/ 1/54, and 54mm/1/32). They are, however, more than adaptable to just about any scale. Color definition and detail is excellent with minimal carrier film.

Book Author(s)
Graham Robson
Review Author
Dave Morrissette
Published on
Company
Tempest Books
MSRP
$55.00

New from Tempest Publishing is a great book covering the Davis Monthan AFB Scrap yards and this volume focuses on the 1980’s. the book starts with an introduction and Mr. Robson goes into his love of the fields and there is a great overall shot of the many planes stored and dismantled there.

One of the first things I learned was that there are multiple actual scrapping and recovery facilities. The book is actually broken down by these and follows a path around the yards. The chapters include the following:

Book Author(s)
Guy Ellis
Review Author
Chris Smith
Published on
Company
Helion & Company
MSRP
$29.95

In volume one we followed the exploits of the Police Reserve Air Wings (PRAW) operating in Rhodesia from 1967 to the last 1970s. These units supported the Rhodesian police by providing air support in countering resistance units that were attempting to force independence from British control. Although that goal was achieved in 1980, PRAW operated until the early 2000s. This volume covers PRAW operations from the mid 1970s till they ceased operations. Like the first volume, the story is told in words and pictures that included excerpts from “The Outpost Magazine”, a journal published by PRAW. As the fighting grew more intense, so did the level of weaponry carried by PRAW aircraft. This escalation is advertised on the cover photo showing a Beech Bonanza with gun pods, and inside Cessna Sky masters with over-wing gun pods. Several of the stories reflect just why it was necessary to shoot back. A few aircraft were hit by small arms fire and one gunner died from his wounds.

Book Author(s)
Guy Ellis
Review Author
Chris Smith
Published on
Company
Helion & Company
MSRP
$29.95

I was attracted to this volume because I'm a private pilot and have flown several of the aircraft types in this book. The story is set in Colonial South Africa, Rhodesia (now Botswana), to be exact. Like many of the British Colonial territories after WWII, the native populations began to demand independence from the Commonwealth. The methods employed to achieve this goal created conflict that was deadly at times. The Rhodesian Police couldn’t operate over the vast area it covered without air support. Lacking the money to purchase aircraft and maintain a cadre of pilots, they turned to the local population recruiting local pilots and their privately owned aircraft. From 1967 to 2000 these units called the Police Air Reserve Wings or PRAW preformed that mission.