Coming at a time of rapid technical development in the aviation industry as the United States began to ramp up for its entry into the Second World War, the Northrop BT-1 was truly a transitional and transformative aircraft. Dive bombing was seen as the most potent anti-ship weapon in the arsenal of carrier aviation, and the BT-1 gave the U.S. Navy a sleek new dive bomber that held the promise of more potent things to come. It was the direct predecessor of the enormously successful Douglas SBD Dauntless, with a family resemblance so close that, from certain viewpoints, it was difficult to tell the two apart.

Conceived in 1934 to fulfill a requirement for a monoplane interceptor with a top speed exceeding 300 miles per hour in level flight, the Hawker Hurricane became one of the most significant Allied fighter aircraft in the opening years of the Second World War, and served worldwide throughout the conflict with great distinction. Most famously known for its pivotal role in the Battle of Britain, the Mk I variant of the Hurricane served as the numerical mainstay for the Royal Air Force in its defeat of the Luftwaffe during England’s “Finest Hour.”

Tamiya’s recent release of the Hurricane Mk I is a repackaging of the new Italeri kit. Although a nice kit, it is not thoroughbred Tamiya, so modelers should temper their “shake the box and out pops a great build” expectations a bit before diving in.

Loud “THANKS” to Danielle at Revell for providing IPMS/USA a chance to review this kit! We sincerely appreciate your support and look forward to even more great things from your company… Revell is a stalwart in the industry!

For those of you unaware, the Revell re-release of the venerable (Originally Monogram) B-24J kit is just that… and VERY welcome to those of us who don’t appreciate having to pay internet auction house prices for models. This kit, originally released back in 1976, has been a staple of the 1/48 WWII scene for quite a while. Re-released several times, and modified as a B-24D at one point, this kit is still sought by people like me who really enjoy the genre. Glad to see it back in the fight…

This is about as simple as a review can get. First, thanks once again to Quickboost for the review items; once again you provide something I would not have thought to manufacture, but is, to my mind, a worthwhile improvement!

This set contains Angle of Attack (AOA) vanes, two IFF antennas, and an air data probe. All are much more delicate than the kit items; the IFF blades are, in particular, much more refined than the kit items. The AOA vanes are likewise much thinner than the injected molded parts. And the air data probe, well, has the tube already hollowed out for you!

To review, I added the IFF blades to my already-completed SU-25; the kit items were shaved off, and I installed the QB items. Very nice.

A quick and easy set for your use; thanks to our friends at Quickboost for providing us these little gems and to IPMS/USA for the opportunity to review them! 10 of 10…

History

The Curtiss SOC Seagull was one of the classic biplanes of World War II. The early models entered service as the Navy’s ship- and shore-based scouting-observation airplane in 1935, replacing the Vought O3U Corsair biplanes during the late thirties. Although the prototype SOC, designated XO3C-1, was an amphibian, all subsequent models were either floatplanes or landplanes, and the type was used everywhere the Navy operated before and during the war. A total of slightly over 300 were built, including Curtiss-built SOCs and Navy-built SONs. The book outlines the history of the type’s design and service, even to the point of identifying its competitors and why they failed to make the grade. Another significant fact is that the author explains some of the aerodynamic qualities of the wing which had slots and flaps, improving slow flying characteristics.