Coming home from work the other day I found on my porch a rather large box. I’m sure that my mail lady who placed it there was annoyed because she had to get out of her Jeep. The crude looking box was rather curious, it was chopped down and folded up from a larger box that sported red and blue “Revell” models logos. I reached down and lifted the box up to eye level and saw the familiar IPMS seal with Dick Montgomery’s name and return address. I then did the unthinkable, I shook the box like a kid on Christmas day. I already knew what “Ole Saint Dick” had sent but I didn’t know when. As I walked through the front door my wife greeted me with “that better be a review” as she kissed me. I know, it’s a dream that only plastic modelers have but I was wide awake and I couldn’t wait to open up the box.

Each issue of Scale Aircraft Modeling has been a basic design and format but they changed it up with the last issue. There are some changes again in that while there were usually two Feature Articles, in this issue, there are five, an Aviation in Profile piece, and a usual series of Compact Build Reviews.

The Feature articles for this issue start with a Hasegawa 1/48 A-7D Corsair II in bright Bicentennial markings by Karl Robinson. Special attention is paid to the paint scheme and producing the inert ordnance. Mr. Robinson also shows how to produce FOD guards and air show labels for the ordnance.

Next up is the Hobbyboss 1/48 A-7D by Jay Laverty made up with TwoBobs "Molar Mauler" decals which have a huge set of teeth on each side of the intake. The kit is weathered and looks superb.

Model Art Magazine is a monthly magazine that covers aircraft, armor, ships and car modeling. Model Art started releasing magazines in 1966 and has evolved from there over the past forty-six years.

This is a special issue released by Model Art covering plastic model aircraft of the IJA in scales 1/72, 1/48 and 1/32. The book is broken down into six sections. Fighters, Bombers and Assault Aircraft, Reconnaissance, Experimental and Planned, Trainers/Others and Foreign Made and Licensed product aircraft.

Each section includes photos of finished models, period photos, available kits, year released and a rating system for a lot of them. The ratings are from one to five stars and you find most of the older kits tend to have a lower rating, but this not always the case as some of the recent releases have some lower ratings.

The very last part of the article consists of ground support vehicles and personnel.

These gun barrels and pitot tube from Master Model are made for the 1/32 Bf109F, G1 - G4. The model that I used them on was the Monogram "Pro Modeler" Bf109G-4, which is a Hasegawa rebox. They fit perfectly and are a superior enhancement versa the kit parts.

The set comes with two barrels and one pitot tube made from brass. The barrels are both the same size, but be sure to check your instructions when installing as my kit shows them off set.

I highly recommend this set, especially if you are looking to give your kit that little extra zing. I would like to thank Master Model and IPMS/USA for the opportunity to review this kit.

The Aircraft

The SR-71 was a flying legend. Anyone who wasn’t directly involved with the aircraft knew little about it, and those who were involved weren’t talking. The aircraft’s existence was declassified in 1964, but not much else was said. The problem the SR-71 was created to solve was that the U-2 was too slow, and thus Soviet SAMs could reach it and shoot it down. The SR-71 was supposed to be so fast that SAMs couldn’t catch it.

During this project, I had the help and advice of Ray Knight who lives on the next street over, on the same block as I do. Ray was a fuels man on SR-71s at Beale AFB back in the 80s.