Caracal Models has created an excellent decal set featuring numerous colorful US Navy schemes for Trumpeter's HU-16A Albatoss kit. This decal set also address the biggest deficiency in the Trumpeter kit, the absence of walkway decals. The three decal sheets included in the set are printed by Cartograf, and are accompanied by a color glossy eight-page placement and painting guide. Suggested paints are given in FS numbers. The decal colors are opaque and appear to match the FS equivalents accurately when compared to fan deck chips. The decals are just thick enough, going on easily without tearing and hugging down to the surface quite nicely using Microscale setting solutions. All marking were in perfect registration.

Review

Hobbyboss has released the main production variant of the Me-262: the A-1a version. The kit comes in 13 sprues, a clear sprue for the canopy and a metal nose wheel well to prevent having a ‘tail sitter’. The sprues are cleanly molded, free of flash and with well-defined recessed panel lines.

The model has a full interior, consisting of a nose gun bay, fully detailed cockpit and main landing gear bay plus a nicely detailed back fuselage (with a radio set and a compass set). However the detail in the back fuselage is pretty much impossible to see once the model is finished. There is only one service panel and it is not large enough as to allow viewing all that detail.

The U.S. Navy started converting SH-3A and SH-3D Sea King Helicopters into the Utility version designated SH-3G, eventually converting 105 early airframes into this version. The conversion included removing all of the anti-submarine warfare (ASW) gear and provisions to install 175 gallon external fuel tanks on the lower sponson supports. The G model was also outfitted with an improved refueling system that would allow it to Hover In-flight. Using this system it could hover over a ship and using the rescue hoist cable, bring the refueling hose aboard and fuel. The Navy also strengthened the load area of the floor to handle heavier loads. All SH-3G models were fitted with smaller non-ASW sponsons since it was no longer being used in the ASW role. Some of the earlier conversions were fitted with a gun mount for an M60 machine gun or the 7.62 mm minigun. The main job of this helicopter was ferrying equipment and personnel from ship to shore and back.

Airfix keeps expanding their 1/72 scale airplane line up and their latest release is the Hawker Hurricane “Fabric Wings” model. It is nicely molded, with no signs of flash and clean recessed lines together with raised detail to simulating the fabric wings ribs.

Construction starts with the wheel bay. At that point make sure you have parts A05 and A06 properly lined up, or you will struggle when installing the landing gear later. From there it moves to the cockpit which goes together very well. There are no issues to report there. The fit is positive all around and make a credible rendition of a front office for the scale.

Zoukei Mura made a huge splash several years ago with their Shinden, Skyraider and continued the exceptional releases in 1/32 scale. They have now entered the 1/48th scale market with a J7W1 Shinden. Zoukei Mura has a company philosophy of showing all internal detail in their 1/32nd kits to make the kit not only detailed but a learning experience for the modelers. This 1/48th scale kit is no different but I wanted a comparison review to their 1/32nd scale Shinden and decided to build them both at the same time and compare.