As with most Soviet-designed aircraft, the Yak-38 Forger has a nose pitot tube. While not as prominent as the pitot tubes on the MiG and Sukhoi bureau aircraft, the pitot is still visibly right in front and on top of the nose. As with previous detail sets in this line, Quickboost provides multiples of the same pitot, no doubt because the pitot is one of the most vulnerable parts to damage during transport and handling. This pitot tube is noticeably longer than the one provided by Hobby Boss in their kit. After a comparison with photos of the plane, it appears that, in fact, the Hobby Boss pitot tube is too short. The Quickboost replacements are accurate in length and shape and are drilled at the tip! The part is also keyed to fit right where the kit part mounts. I have found the resin used by Quickboost to be more durable than the styrene and therefore more resistant to breakage. Highly recommended.

The Soviet intervention in Afghanistan in December, 1979, and the ensuing 10-year conflict tested the ways and means of the Soviet military machine. As the United States military discovered earlier in Vietnam, the tactics and weapons developed for a cold war confrontation in Europe were ill-suited for a counter-insurgency. Afghanistan became the impetus for innovation. As the Soviets shifted tactics, they relied more and more on airpower, and that spawned the need for better and different weapons. One of the most effective and widely used weapons was the KMGU submunition dispenser. The dispenser was used to scatter mines not only to interdict the Mujahedeen lines of operates and supply, but also to protect the flanks of friendly ground forces. The KMGU is a reusable dispenser that can disperse either:

• Slats: Product/Stock #32317, $24.95
• Flaps: Product/Stock #32318, $24.95

I am reviewing these as one set, because if you want to use one, you will certainly want the other.

A relatively new company on the modeling scene, Great Wall has released a handful of kits to date and, with reference to this review, they have two variants of the FW-189, an A1 and an A2, along with a third ski-equipped A1 version. Aires has stepped up to the plate and has released a resin wheel set (with paint mask) for the trio of kits. Typically, I buy a resin wheel set for a single reason and that is to obtain a set of weighted wheels for the kit I'm building. Many of you (and you know who you are) prefer the kit’s un-weighted round wheels, and that fine, too. In the case of the Great Wall kits, they ship with weighted wheels. What is a modeler to do? In this case, Aires is your answer. Unlike the kit parts, the resin set they provide is the round, non-weighted wheels. Problem solved.

One of Scale Aircraft Conversion’s latest releases is a nice metal landing gear set for the Monogram 1/48 T-28 series. I was currently reviewing the Roden T-28D and, miraculously, this was a nice fit on that kit, too. The set contains the three gear struts, the additional part for the front gear, and the gear door attachment linkages for the bottom gear doors. All the parts are well cast in white metal with small seams which are easily sanded off.

Fit is excellent, as you can see from the pictures. I can say that having the front landing gear in metal is good as there is a fair amount of weight in the kit to keep it on its gear and metal is much more stable.

This is another great set from SAC for a reasonable price. Recommended especially with the weight over the nose gear. My thanks to Scale Aircraft Conversions for the review sample and to IPMS/USA for the change to review it.