Quickboost has done it again. They have produced a terrific correction for the nose of an F9F-2 Panther. As per their usual, the resin casting is crisp and accurate. The nose is cast in tan resin and the guns are grey resin.

Care must be taken when removing the guns from the casting block as they are super fine and can snap easily.

The nose has the recesses for the guns that are deep enough to insert them. One must cut the nose off the Hobby Boss F9F-2, which this nose is designed for, at the proper line. The line is molded on the kit so there is no guessing.

As with all the Quickboost kits for the F9F-2, this is a must. I have reviewed all of their aftermarket kits for the Panther and am looking forward to building the ultimate 1/72 one. I would highly recommend this kit and all of the other Quickboost parts if you want to make the Panther truly accurate.

This is another one of those cases of “is it a book with accompanying decal sheet, or is it a decal sheet with some very in-depth accompanying instructions?”

I have read/reviewed/used several other Kagero products in the past, but this is the first of the Topcolors series I have had a chance to examine.

The booklet itself is produced to a high standard. It has stiff, glossy card-stock covers and the contents are all printed on heavy paper with a matt finish. I was intrigued by the line on the cover: “High Quality Decals and Masking Foil Free.” There was a decal sheet in the book, but no masking foil. After some searching of the mailing packet and some scrutinizing of the website, it seems this is the tag line used in the entire series and doesn’t necessarily apply to every volume. This particular volume only has the decals included. Others in the series may or may not have masking foils as well.

Master Models has released a set of 8 machined brass gun barrels for the current batch of 1/32 scale P-47 kits. One nice thing is that these barrels will fit either the Hasegawa release or the Trumpeter release.

The barrels are perfectly made and already have the ends drilled out. The attached pictures show a comparison to the Hasegawa barrels, although there is really not any comparison – there are no seam lines and they have no sprue points to sand down.

There is a 1:1 scale picture showing the proper alignment. To use this set in the Trumpeter kits, simply paint and glue the barrels in place. The Hasegawa kit will have to have the bulkhead drilled to accept the barrels, which you can then paint and glue. The drawing will then insure proper alignment.

Eduard continues their releases for H-K Models' 1/32 B-25 with an exterior upgrade set which addresses several areas. These include the engine with new wiring to the spark plugs, a crankcase placard, and detailed guards above the cylinders. The wheel wells get detailed with the new bulkheads for the main gear and inside detail for the nose gear door. Lastly, the cowlings get interior detail on the inside of the cooling flaps and doors, as well as detail on the framing.

This set consists of two frets of non-colored PE which have excellent relief. Most of the parts, such as interior door, cooling flap interiors, bulkheads, and engine placard, require no kit modifications. I simply bent the part to shape by pressing and super glued them in place. There were then painted, washed, and dry brushed.

History Brief:

This is a “Special Edition” version of the AH-64 as seen during the Iraqi War in 2003. The aircraft was named after the North American Indian nation, the Apache from the southern Great Plains and beyond. Originally manufactured by Hughes Helicopters(1975-1984), then by McDonnell Douglas(1984-1997) and Boeing(1997-present), it was first flown on 30 September 1975, entered service with the US Army in April 1986, and is still on active duty today. The AH-64A features a 4-blade main rotor powered by twin turbine engines, a tandem cockpit, nose mounted sensor suite, upgraded electronic missile equipment system, and a state of the art 30mm (1.2 in) M230 Chain Gun weapon system. When compared to its contemporaries, the Apache is hands-down and by far the most powerful, robust, and sophisticated combat-proven attack helicopter ever devised by man.

The Product: