Reviews of products for scale aircraft models.

Review Author
Steve Collins
Published on
Company
Quickboost
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$6.50

This set from Quickboost is designed to replace and improve upon the kit parts for Hobby Boss’s Mi-2 Hoplite. The kit air-intake cowling includes two holes through which you place the air intakes. It also has a molded-in intake in the upper center with a screen engraved in it. The Quickboost parts feature the cowling with two hollowed intake tubes cast in, along with an opening at the upper center. You get a photoetch screen to place over the opening, along with a spare screen. While a bit more fiddly than the kit parts, the level of detail is worth the slightly greater effort. Recommended.

My thanks go to Aires Hobby Models for producing and providing the parts for a rather esoteric subject and to IPMS/USA for allowing me to review them.

Review Author
Mike Hinderliter
Published on
Company
Speed Hunter Graphics
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$19.95

This is the third set of 1/48 decals from Speed Hunter Graphics which came out of the Reid Air Publishing Group. The decals look very nice, clear and in register. They are printed by Cartograf of Italy and work very well, I’ll tell you why in a bit. This offering covers six F-15C MSIP II Eagles with a nice mix of Mig killers, commanders' aircraft, and even an aggressor bird. You couldn’t ask for a more varied mix. I couldn’t find whose kit these decals were sized for on the instruction sheet but on the web site it was recommended for the Hasegawa F-15C. As fate would have it, I only had the Academy kit which seemed to work quite well. I also noticed that the site had selections for 1/32 and 1/72 size sheets. I do hope that they branch into the other scales because these decals are really worth it.

The options included in this set are:

Review Author
Rob Booth
Published on
Company
Caracal Models
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$14.99

ATTENTION!!! Those of you with that huge box of plastic labeled “1/48 Testors or Italeri C-130 E/H in your stash, languishing in the dust because you’re bored with monotone gray, SEA or European One camouflage schemes. Here is your chance to buy a couple of extra bottles of liquid cement and get after it! This decal sheet offers up beautifully rendered markings for “Fat Albert” the USMC C-130T that provides support logistics transport, in addition to it’s own amazing solo performance featuring rocket assisted take-offs for the US Navy’s “Blue Angels” aircraft demonstration team.

Book Author(s)
Kari Stenman, Karolina Hołda; Illustrator: Karolina Hołda
Review Author
Paul Mahoney
Published on
Company
Mushroom Model Publications - MMP Books
MSRP
$69.95

Here is the newest book in MMP’s “White Series”: Finnish Fighter Colours 1939-1945, Volume One. The author, Kari Stenman, is a name long associated with publications on the Finnish Air Force. Just scanning through my library, I see him as the author of several Osprey “Aircraft of the Aces” books, as well as a Squadron/Signal book. In fact, in the acknowledgements section of this book he mentions research assistance he has received over the last forty-five years! This book is clearly written by a dedicated expert in the field.

The book itself is hardbound, with a nice glossy cover and the 200+ pages within are produced on high-quality stock with a matt finish. Photos, mostly black and white, are on virtually every page. Most are at least ¼ page in size. Numerous, extremely high-quality side profiles are also present. Text is all in English, and is very well-written.

Review Author
Roger Rasor
Published on
Company
The Great War Aviation Society
MSRP
$56.00

Cross & Cockade International is the quarterly publication of a non-profit organization known as The First World War Aviation Historical Society. The UK based organization has been publishing these journals since 1970 with the objective of furthering the study of First World War Aviation History. The first journal of 2014; Volume 45/1 (Spring 2014) features a beautiful cover painting by David Ellwood of a Phoenix P.5 Cork flying boat “Rattling the Rivets of a German U boat. The Phoenix P.5 Cork is the subject of a 19-page feature article that kicks things off, but this quarterly journal, much like all C&CI journals, also covers a variety of other well-researched WWI subjects in a highly professional manner.

Following an Editorial page, the contents includes:

Review Author
Jim Pearsall
Published on
Company
Brengun
Scale
1/144
MSRP
$5.70

One of the most annoying problems I have run into in building aircraft models, almost any type, almost any scale, is losing or ruining the canopy. Windows can be fixed, small parts like wheels or gear legs can be faked in, but the canopy just can’t be fixed after it’s lost, broken or damaged.

And here’s the fix for that problem. A replacement canopy. There are a number of available canopies in 1/72, 1/48 or 1/32, but 1/144??? Uh, no.

The Brengun canopy starts with a classy feature. The aircraft kit it’s meant for is molded into the vac-formed base of the canopy. So this one says “Dragon”.

Review Author
Floyd S. Werner Jr.
Published on
Company
Master Model
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$7.00

The MiG-17PF was the all weather fighter version of the Fresco. The Fresco D had three 23mm cannons.

This set includes five precision turned brass parts. There is nothing to clean up. Simply drill the hole where the parts go and you are in business.

The highlights of this set are the pitot tubes. They are perfectly formed and even capture that one pitot tube is slightly longer than the other.

The other three parts are the 23mm cannon barrels.

The instructions indicate the proper holes to drill and the proper length of the parts.

This set is like every other Master part I’ve used, simple, effective, and strong. The strength is especially important for the wingtip pitot tubes, which will invariably are subjected to some damage from handling.

Highly recommended

Review Author
Frank Landrus
Published on
Company
Quickboost
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$14.50

Quickboost provides you with two spinners, six blades, and an alignment tool. Of note is the resealable packaging that Quickboost uses that makes the parts easy to review and then stuff back into the package securely. If you are ready to build the Meng LS-001 Me-410 B-2/U4 kit (or simply want to pop these on to your already finished kit), you will want to have had the improved spinner and propeller blades offered in this detail set.

Review Author
Jim Deck
Published on
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$195.00

Overview

The molds for the 1/48 scale Revellogram B-29 were born of Monogram’s loins more than 30 years ago, in 1977. Needed or not, Eduard has seen fit to bless us with a huge amount of detail for this monster of a kit. The truth is, Monogram did a pretty good job of detailing kits during this time, so Eduard may have their work cut out for them. Let’s take a look and find out.

The Envelope Please

The Eduard Big Ed set is full of goodies for the 1/48 scale Monogram/Revell B-29. It consists of 8 individual products packaged into one heavy envelope. The items are:

Review Author
Steve Zajac
Published on
Company
Twobobs Aviation Graphics
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$14.00

US Navy squadron VFC-111, stationed at Key West, Florida, is the only F-5 Adversary Squadron on the East Coast. In the 2012–13 timeframe, a new tail scheme was approved for all of the squadron aircraft. Twobobs last provided a decal sheet for VFC-111 in 2007 (48-143). At that time, the only kit in town was the venerable Revell/Monogram version. Happily, Twobobs has updated the sheet with the Sun Downers’ latest F-5N/F schemes, and you can try them out on the newer AFV Club kit.

The color diagrams of seven aircraft are superbly laid out in four perspectives: top, bottom, left and right: