The EA-18G Growler is the US Navy’s newest ECM aircraft, replacing the venerable Grumman EA-6B Prowler. Now in service with several squadrons, the EA-18G provides our military forces the latest hardware for electronic warfare. Boeing modified the basic two-seat FA-18F Super Hornet for the ECM mission by adding numerous antenna, sensors, and stores, and by removing offensive items such as the 20mm cannon. To produce a model of this machine, Hasegawa essentially did the same. They took their basic FA-18F Super Hornet kit and added sprues with all the relevant pieces to produce the G model.
As mentioned in a previous review, Trumpeter’s new kit of the 1/32 A-4 Skyhawk is one of the better kits that Trumpeter has recently come out with, and what Quickboost did for the Air Scoops of Trumpeter’s A-4 kit is what Quickboost also did for the upgrade of the antennas for the A-4 kit.
Quickboost’s antennas kit consists of five different types of antennas in a light grey resin and can also easily be “picked” off of the sprue and sanded so as not to hurt the design of the part. The antennas are so precise and real looking that they do enhance the look of the model. However they are very, very fragile and should be glued to the kit as one of the last parts to assemble, especially if there will be a lot of handling before completion.
Trumpeter’s new kit of the 1/32 A-4 Skyhawk is one of the better kits that Trumpeter has recently come out with. However, as with all kits from all the makers of fine hobby kits, there is always room for improvement. In this case Quickboost has come out with an upgrade for Trumpeter’s air scoops.
Quickboost’s kit consists of three different types of scoops and one set of pitot tubes in a light grey resin and can be easily be “picked” off of the sprue and sanded so as not to hurt the design of the part. These are so precise and real-looking that they easily enhance the look of the aircraft kit.
I would definitely recommend this upgrade not only for how well they look but also for the price. They are definitely worth it and they won’t break the bank, either, and the best part is that any modeler at any skill level will have no problem attaching these to the kit. CA glue is necessary.
This book contains interviews with four prominent Luftwaffe fighter pilots who fought from the Spanish Civil War until the end of the war in Europe in 1945. They are candid about their combat experiences, dealing with the corrupt Nazi civil government and their dislike and contempt for RFM Goering and Hitler. It presents an interesting look into World war II as viewed from “the other side.”
Interview number one is with 197 victory ace Walter Krupinski. Serving mostly on the Eastern Front, his insight into combat in that arena is very interesting. Krupinski concluded his flying career with the West German Air Force after learning to fly jets in the US post-war.
The latest in Osprey’s Aircraft of the Aces series focuses on the Republican pilots who author Rafael A Permuy López believes achieved ace status during the Spanish Civil War. In this book the author draws upon the limited documentation available today to tell the story of those who he determined actually qualified to be ranked as an Ace during that conflict.
After reviewing Lifelike #72-021 for Messerschmitt Bf-109s, I opened this set and found it difficult to resist working on a Tamiya 1/72 Fw-190A-3 that I had started dry fitting a few months ago. Lifelike’s set #72-022, much like the Bf-109 set, offers a number of appealing decal options that beg almost immediate attention.
Included on the two small sheets packaged in the zip-lock sleeve are markings for:
Folland’s Gnat is aptly named – it’s about the smallest airframe they could wrap around a tandem-seat cockpit, jet engine, and assorted systems to achieve an effective training aircraft. The aircraft was, in fact, selected by the British Aerobatic Team the Red Arrows, who flew it for several years before they adopted the BaE Hawk for their mounts. The Gnat is the outgrowth of Folland’s single-seat Midge (also aptly named) whose final derivative – the HAL Ajeet, flown by the Indian Air Force – became known as a “Sabre-killer” for its success against Pakistani AF F-86s. It was hard to see, fast, nimble, and possessed a potent offensive armament package.
This book contains all a modeler would need to build and super detail a model of the Storch in any scale. The book also includes scale plans in 1/72, 1/48 and 1/35. These plans were first rate.
The first 62 pages cover the basics of each and every variant of the Storch. The next 30 pages cover each of the many non-German operators of the type, also including those captured examples that were operated by both the United Kingdom and the USA. Even Gen. Eisenhower had one for his personal use. The many color profiles of these non-German Storchs help provide many alternate paint schemes to the modeler. The next 10 or so pages cover the technical description and the camouflage and markings.
The final section includes many color photos of both aircraft preserved in museums and flying examples. The photos cover every angle and look into every nook and cranny on the aircraft and provided information on even the smallest details.
Fine Molds has released several sets, in varied scales, for WWII German and I.J.N. aircraft. This review features the 1/48th scale set for German WWII aircraft.
The seatbelts are generic, not specific to any one particular aircraft. Upon opening the box and checking the contents, one finds four sets of shoulder harness/seat belt sets. The parts are molded in plastic. All of the traditional techniques for working with small plastic pieces come into play.
The parts have very small components, so it is recommended that the parts are removed from the carrier sprue very carefully. The belts can be shaped over the contours of the kit seat, gently of course, by simply applying a very small amount of pressure. Attaching the parts is simple. Just use the same adhesive that you normally use when attaching plastic parts to plastic parts.
- Masks - 32-079, $4.75
- Gun Barrels - 32-080, $42.50
New from the Czech Republic come two very interesting additions to the all new H-K B-25J kit. While the kit gun barrels are acceptable, the enhancement that this product supplies is spectacular in comparison. These precision machined parts are jewel-like. The barrels themselves are two-part arrangements that consist of the barrel (hollow with air holes) and the gun tips themselves. They are to be painted separately and then assembled, showing the tips protruding in a polished metal without bluing. The final appearance is shown here. In this writer’s opinion, well worth having if you’re doing the B-25J.
