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:

SAC … getting to be a household name among aircraft modellers by now.. IPMS USA and the reviewer corps appreciate your continuing to provide us review items… thanks also to the IPMS leadership for sending it my way to review.

This set is comprised of 9 parts to replace the plastic parts provided in Sword’s excellent 1/72 Lightning T4/5 kit. On their website they don’t’ show it, but the scissors links are included. Sword’s kit is the two-seat “tub” version, and the metal gear provides not only strength but peace of mind… and improvement on the kit parts.

Particular note: The nose gear. The kit would have you install the wheel/tire on the partial nose gear fork, and then glue/cement the other side of the fork to the wheel. Not SAC! You get a complete, sturdy fork assembly. Spread it slightly, install the wheel/tire, and you are done.

My thanks to Scale Aircraft Conversions for offering this item for review and to IPMS/USA for allowing me to review it.

Designed by the Curtiss Aircraft Manufacturing Company, the SB2C was a huge disappointment initially and for months to follow. It was structurally weak, exhibited poor handling characteristics, and was unstable in a number of flight conditions. But, the Navy and Curtiss stayed with the aircraft and made a number of design changes. The changes added nearly 3,000 lbs. to the aircraft and resulted in one of its not so endearing names - the Big-Tailed Beast. Finally the Navy had the plane they wanted. It became the Navy’s primary attack/bombing aircraft and was responsible for more Japanese targets destroyed than any other aircraft.

SAC must have one heck of a new kit stash; they seem to have metal gear for every aircraft out there! We at IPMS USA on the reviewer corps appreciate your continuing to provide us review items… and thanks to the IPMS leadership for sending it my way to review!

This is yet another “drop fit and direct replacement” metal gear for your models. This set is for the Gallery Ch-34 in 1/48. Note: This is for the two-part torque gear version like the Wessex, not the “A” frame on earlier H-34’s. That set is SAC #48216. They also have a set for the Italeri Wessex, #48196, which has the torque tube and shock strut cast as one piece.

A note on the various CH-34 landing gear out there; My dad flew H-34’s out of Danang with the South Vietnamese as an advisor, and stated they had both “A” frame and Torque tube landing gear in their “cast off from the US Army and Marine front line” aircraft. The usual admonition to “check your sources” is advised…

History Brief

The Short Sunderland, one of the most famous seaplanes of World War II. It came into service toward the end of 1938, equipping the Royal Air Force squadrons of Coastal Command. The Mark III turned out to be the definitive Sunderland variant, with 461 built. Most were built by Shorts at Rochester and Belfast, a further 35 at a new (but temporary)[N 3] Shorts plant at White Cross Bay, Windermere;[22][23] while 170 were built by Blackburn Aircraft. The Sunderland Mark III proved to be one of the RAF Coastal Command's major weapons against the U-boats, along with the Consolidated PBY Catalina.