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.

The Focke Wulf 190 was a heavily armed aircraft with lots of guns and a long pitot tube. The early Fw 190s had their MG-17s in the cowling and wings, along with MG-151 guns on the inner wings. If that isn’t enough, they had a long, fragile pitot tube.

Master provides you with one pitot tube that requires no clean up and has the need strength to hold up to some handling. For the MG-151, Master provides you with the wheel well protective tube as well as the barrel for the gun. The MG-17s for the cowlings are represented by the tips only, while the wings have the barrels. Make sure you don’t confuse them.

All the gun tubes and the pitot tube have hollow ends in them. They are beautiful renditions of the real thing. The best aspect of the turned-brass parts is the complete lack of mold and seam lines. The lack of cleanup makes this an easy addition that will provide a realistic pitot tube and gun set while also providing good strength.

Highly recommended

When the Airfix Bristol Blenheim Mk I showed up on the kits available for review, I quickly put my name in the hat for it. I had seen the results of a 1/48 scale kit and was eager to try my hand and add to my RAF Battle of Britain collection.

A few paragraphs of history: The Bristol Blenheim was a British light bomber aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company that was used extensively in the early days of the Second World War.

It was adapted as an interim long-range and night fighter, pending the availability of the Beaufighter. It was one of the first British aircraft to have all-metal stressed-skin construction, to utilize retractable landing gear, flaps, a powered gun turret and variable pitch propellers. A Canadian-built variant named the Bolingbroke was used as an anti-submarine and training aircraft.