Reviews of products for scale aircraft models.

Review Author
Chris Smith
Published on
Company
Academy Models
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$55.00

Introduction

June 6, 1944 “D” Day was the day when the allied armies crossed the English Channel en mass and landed on the beaches of Normandy to begin the slow march across Western Europe This battle was the start of the allies invasion which ended in Berlin with Hitler’s surrender. 2014 marked the 70th anniversary of this monumental event. Each day, we lose more of those who participated or lived through this battle. Kits, like this one, help us (and especially the younger builders out there) remember what happened on that day and why it was so important to the course of WWII. The P-51 has been covered by many other sources, as has the “Bluenose” 352nd Fighter Group based in Bodney Norfolk, UK.

Review Author
Chad Richmond
Published on
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$34.95

Eduard’s Brassin line has some of the finest resin cast parts that I have ever run across, from any manufacturer. These exhaust nozzles are a direct one-for-one replacement for the kit nozzles. Those that come in the kit are the best I’ve ever taken out of a kit box, but Eduard’s are still another step above.

Eduard gives you two burner cans, two exhausts, two exhaust cones and a photo etch sheet with the flame holders. Each of the resin components has a very ease to remove pour block which takes no time in removing. You have to be careful with the exhaust cones however, because they have some very, very fine vanes that are pretty much guaranteed to break during removal of the pour block. You won’t be able to see them once the cans are inside the model, but you will know they are missing! Install the cans at the same time in the construction process as the it parts, and you’ll be on your way.

My thanks to Eduard and to IPMS/USA for the review samples.

Review Author
Phil Peterson
Published on
Company
Aires Hobby Models
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$13.49

The P-40B kit from Airfix has been pretty popular because of good detail, accurate interior and a great price. But for those of you who want to add that bit of extra something, this set is for you.

You get eight pieces of nicely cast resin just as we have come to expect from Aires. The pieces fit inside the fuselage behind the cockpit area and are not replacement parts for any kit parts.

Construction looks fairly simple once you cut off the casting blocks. Removing the radio door molded on the left fuselage shouldn’t be too hard, drill a hole and then use files to clean up the corners. The only other modification to the kit is to remove one of the kit alignment tabs on the right fuselage.

Then it is simply a matter of adding the interior piece and the radio parts. Attach the supplied door in the open position after painting and you are done. Test fitting looks like you may not even have to shave down any of the inside fuselage for the interior piece.

Review Author
Phil Peterson
Published on
Company
Aires Hobby Models
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$6.99

The new Airfix A-4B is a great little kit for a great price but can always use a little extra detail. The Aires set supplies new stabilizers with separate control surfaces which are a direct replacement for the kit parts.

You get four pieces of perfectly cast resin. Because this is a simple replacement, no instructions are included. Just remove the parts from the casting blocks and install. The parts display great detail and they look a little better than the kit parts.

Not much else to say about this one but I did do an online search and it looks like most Skyhawks had the controls inline with the stabilizer. I did find a few with a slight angle to them so this kit will make that option much easier than modifying the kit parts.

Thanks to Aires and IPMS/USA for the review kit.

Review Author
Phil Peterson
Published on
Company
Aires Hobby Models
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$6.99

The Tamiya kit of this famous tank buster is top of the line but why not add a bit more detail. The Aires set supplies new stabilizers with separate control surfaces which are a direct replacement for the kit parts.

You get four pieces of perfectly cast resin. No instructions are included as these are direct replacements for the kit parts. Just remove the parts from the casting blocks and install. The parts display great detail and they look better than the kit parts.

Online photos show Shturmoviks with their control surfaces down so this will make that simple modification that much easier.

Thanks to Aires and IPMS/USA for the review kit.

Review Author
Roger Rasor
Published on
Company
Albatros Productions, Ltd.
MSRP
$15.00

Windsock WWC Winter 2014 is the last issue of Volume 30. Like the previous issues in Volume 30, it provides readers with a variety of expert information on WWI aviation history, aircraft modeling, articles by top-notch aircraft model builders, valuable technical reference material and information on new hobby products related to the Great War.

Review Author
Chad Richmond
Published on
Company
Pavla Models
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$16.95

Meng’s 1/72nd scale F-102’s are very nice kits with a nicely detailed cockpit interior. Of course, we all know that there is always room for improvement. The Czech company, Pavla, came out with a very nice replacement for the kit cockpit. You get eleven nicely cast parts in grey resin. Included are a new cockpit tub with detailed side panels, instrument panel, seat with seatbelts and shoulder harness and ejection seat guide rail, canopy elevating mechanism, new HUD, separate rudder pedals, new yoke and side console levers.

The instrument panel is crisply cast, but the kit gives you a nice instrument panel decal that will allow you to produce a very convincing instrument panel in this small scale. There is more detail in the Pavla instrument panel, however, so some careful painting and drybrushing can produce an exceptional instrument panel.

Review Author
John King
Published on
Company
Pavla Models
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$29.99

Revell’s 1/72nd F-89D/J came out in the early 90’s and is a great kit. There are really only two shortfalls of the kit; the first being the lackluster cockpit and the second being the multi-part exhaust. Pavla has recently released resin detail parts for the cockpit and the exhaust.

The resin cockpit comes with twelve resin parts and two vac-formed parts. The vac-formed parts include the windscreen, canopy, and the rear blast screen. The blast screen is something that the Revell kit did not include. Overall, the resin parts are far superior to the kit parts. There was quite a bit of flash on the seats, which requires some careful trimming with a hobby knife. The cockpit set includes two rear instrument panels, one for the F-89D and one for the F-89J. The instructions call the F-89J instrument panel an “F-89C” instrument panel. Don’t let that fool you, as it is indeed an F-89J instrument panel.

Review Author
Phil Peterson
Published on
Company
Aires Hobby Models
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$13.49

Eduard’s series of Bf 110s have some great detail but if you want to drop the flaps this new set by Aires will make the task much easier. The Aires set supplies new flaps and radiator flaps which are a direct replacement for the kit parts.

You get six pieces of perfectly cast resin. The side bits of the radiator flaps are very thin and fragile so be careful removing them from the casting block. The instructions indicate which parts of the kit need to be removed for the replacement parts. The detail is very good with an extra part that adds to the inside of the wheel well.

This set works just as well for flaps that are deployed or in the up position.

Thanks to Aires and IPMS/USA for the review kit.

Review Author
Phil Peterson
Published on
Company
Pavla Models
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$18.99

If you are like me you were excited when Revell decided to re-release their 1/72nd scale F-101B Voodoo.

Pavla has released this full replacement cockpit in resin. The set has a new cockpit tub, two ejection seats with molded belt details, new instrument panels, a control stick, rudder pedals and a new cover for over the front instrument panel. Also included is a three piece replacement strut to display the canopy opened. Thirteen parts in all.

The instructions indicate which parts of the kit cockpit need to be removed from the fuselage for the new cockpit to fit. There is also some painting information but it isn’t very detailed and you will want some additional references.

The Revell kit comes with decals for the instruments and I may try to use them to add to the resin parts. The new ejection seats look fantastic and much easier than fitting the multiple piece kit parts and adding details.