A "Thank You" goes to Master Models for submitting this item for review and to IMPS/USA for allowing me to review it.

The pitot tube is used to measure flow speed. Attached to an airplane it measures the "flow" of the aircraft through the air – an airspeed indicator. The pitot tube can be mounted on an airplane in a number of places and ways. Most propeller-driven aircraft have them mounted on the wings in some fashion. Most modern day jets have them mounted in the nose. Some are the very tip of the nose. Others are located on the side near the tip. Such is the case of the pitot tube of the MiG-21, the subject of this review.

This Special Edition kit of Academy's B-17G comes in a large [12” x 18” x 2-½”] heavy cardboard box – this helps when storing a large stack of kits (but who has a stack of kits? Certainly not me). Inside, you’ll find a crisply-molded kit with finely recessed panel lines, along with several extra parts which aren’t needed since they’re used on the B-17C and D series.

Besides the early model stabilizers, there are 2 types of props, cowls, top turrets, and nose glass – though not an E model one – and both a Cheyenne and stinger tail gun position.

This special edition has been issued in honor of the 15th Air Force and comes with decals for 5 aircraft: Betty Lou, KWITURBITCHIN VI, Miss Prissy, Sleepy Time Gal, and hell’s angel, all of which are natural metal airplanes. The kit comes with 500 lb bombs and has a detailed bomb bay if you want to pose it with the doors open.

The early Phantoms had their pitot tube and ram air inlet mounted on the leading edge of the tails. It is hard not to break them off, especially when you are sanding the seam line, but now you don’t have to worry about it. Master Model provides you with three milled brass pieces: a pitot tube, a ram air inlet, and the angle of attack probe. Beautifully milled, they are flawless. You get three pieces of brass that require no cleanup. Adding them is as simple as drilling a .8mm and a 1.0mm hole and inserting the brass parts with super glue. The brass parts will provide you with plenty of strength and a realistic finish with no seam or mold lines to deal with.

Highly recommended.

Thanks to Master and IPMS/USA for the review copy and review space.

The Su-33 Flanker D is an all-weather carrier-based air defense fighter based on the Su-27. The airplane had a production run of 24 units. Hasegawa has produced a kit of this interesting aircraft for modelers. As usual, Quickboost has added several items to improve the accuracy of the basic Su-33 Flanker D kit.

This set consists of new horizontal stabilizers. The attached photo shows the Quickboost part compared to an Su-27 from my collection. The stabilizers are the correct shape for the model and are interchangeable with the kit parts. The level of surface detail of the resin parts is excellent. They are molded in a brownish-grey colored resin. They are smooth, seamless, and bubble-free.

I highly recommend this product if you want a really superior-looking model. Since these parts are interchangeable with the kit parts, they can be recommended for all levels of modelers.

I have built several 1/32nd scale Phantoms, both Revell and the Tamiya versions, and have found the weakest and most fragile of all the parts are the pitot tubes and the tail probes (AOA). Thankfully, Master Model has come along with a very nice set of finely cast and turned items to replace these items.

In the short nose version set, you get three replacement detail parts to fit the F-4B, C, D, J, N, S, and all British versions of the Phantom. You get a pitot tube and RAM air inlet for the tail and an angle of attack (AOA) probe for the port side of the front fuselage. All appear to be turned brass of the highest quality.