The Stuka - one of the most notorious aircraft for World War II. Hasegawa gives us a kit of the R-2 version used in Libya during the North African campaign in mid-1941. The R version was an extended range B model that increased the planes range from 600km (372 miles) to 1530km (950miles) with the added fuel tanks on the wings.

There are 118 of light gray plastic and seven clear plastic parts on six sprues in this “Limited Edition” kit. We get a large decal sheet with markings for two aircraft used in North Africa. The instruction sheet is logically laid out on four sheets with two addition sheets being the black and white color / decal schemes. An interesting note is that on the box top and instruction sheet, the swastika is shown as a diamond on the tail, I guess they don’t want to offend anyone. I did have a few scratches on the clear parts, since they were not in a protective bag.

Built on the principle of more is better, the Fokker E. IV was an attempt to improve on the legendary aircraft responsible for the “Fokker scourge” of 1915. First was the addition of a twin row 14 cylinder Oberursel engine which developed 160 hp. Then, at least in the prototype, three IMG machine guns were installed on the upper cowl firing through the propeller arc via an interrupter gear (which didn’t always work). These improvements seemed better in theory but combat revealed some shortcomings. The guns were reduced to two Spandaus since three machine guns which were prone to failures overloaded pilots. In addition, the weight of guns/ammo combined with a spinning mass of engine up front proved a handful. The allies by this time were producing very maneuverable aircraft that a wing warping design simply couldn’t match. The Fokker Einedeckers domination of the skies over the front was over by December of 1916.

NOTE: The Concept Notes have MSRP of $22.00

Part 1: Overview

The fifth Super Wing Series kit from Zoukei-Mura (ZM) is the Mitsubishi J2M3 Raiden (Allied code name ‘Jack’). I have the Hasegawa kit of the same aircraft in my stash, but when ZM kit arrived, I was very surprised at the size of the box. The kit box is substantially larger than the Hasegawa box, and it is full of plastic. Lots and lots of plastic. The lift-off box top is beautifully rendered in glossy artwork featuring the J2M3 of Lt. JG Yoshihiro Aoki, with views of the actual model on the sides.

Inside there are nine individually wrapped sprues of light gray plastic and two sprues of clear, with a total of 247 parts. There is a single decal sheet, a small sheet of paint masks, and the most comprehensive instruction manual I’ve ever seen (more on that in a minute). Also included with the review was the ZM Concept Notes.

The Aircraft

The KC-135 was the US Air Force’s first jet refueling aircraft, replacing the KC-97. The 135 was developed from the same prototype as the 707, but has much more in common with the Model 720. The 135 entered service with the USAF in 1957. The last KC-135 was delivered in 1965.

The KC-135E was an interim between the KC-135A and R. The E model came about when it became apparent that the A model just didn’t have the power and range needed to support the global mission of the US Air Force. The fix is the same one used on the Boeing 707 and 720, updating the engines from P&W J-57s to TF-33s. The re-engining continued with the KC-135R, which has GE/SNECMA CFM-56 engines. The Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve flew the E model.

There are components for six gun sights. Each gun sight consists of 4 parts, two metal brackets, the clear reflector, and the gun sight base. The gun sight base is a single piece, molded in gray plastic. The two metal brackets are photo etched, and are identified as Part 1 and Part 2. These PE parts do not require any bending or forming. Just clip a Part 1 and a Part 2 from the PE sheet and attach them to the plastic gun sight base as depicted on the QB instructions. The gun sight base is identified as Part 3 on the plans.