I have been a fan of the B-17 Flying Fortress for as long as I can remember. Seeing the punishment many of these planes took and still brought back their crews is nothing short of amazing.

The Fortress has also been a popular subject for the In Action series. I purchased #1012 back in 1973 and #1063 came out in 1984 and now we have a 3rd volume. However, this time you can get it in the normal soft cover or in hardback (which is my example). So what do we get with this new version?

Once again we get a brief history of each version of the plane from the original Model 299 through the B-17G, including a few pages on the XB-38 and YB-40. Line drawings and pictures show the differences in each model and will help the modeler get these right. I did notice the line drawings showing the development of the airframe appear to be smaller versions of those from the previous volume. However, I did not notice any repeated photos from either of the earlier books.

The Grumman Tigercat was the epitome of WWII US-designed, twin-engined fighters, and was an exceedingly heavily armed aircraft for its size, either for the fighter or strike role. As a night fighter, it shared similar attributes with its Air Force cousin, the P-61 Black Widow, not the least of which was a reduction of its built-in armament as it evolved. As with the Widow, the Tigercat eventually dispensed with its four original 50 caliber machine guns, keeping its remaining four 20mm cannon (necessitated by the installation of its nose-mounted radar, thus displacing the nose-mounted 50s). The 20mm barrels are represented by these Quickboost replacements.

Initially released in 2009, Hasegawa’s T-4 “Ashiya Special” is once again available to eggplane enthusiasts in the United States. A recent perusal of the Hasegawa official website also indicates release of some new eggplane offerings.

Unorthodox in appearance and simple in construction, the T-4 egg is a fun departure from traditional aircraft models. The kit is crisply molded in white styrene, with a clear canopy and bright, full-color decals. Four-step instructions, with marking guide, are clear and accurate.

Let me begin this review by stating that there are four different part sets for the Hobby Boss F9F-2 Panther in 1/72 scale. I was impressed with the fine detail that Quickboost was able to put into each of these aftermarket part sets. They are cast in a tan resin with easy to remove casting blocks. The finer parts were very thin, so care must be taken when handling them. I would also recommend painting some of the parts before removing them from the casting blocks.

Wing fences QB 72-342 $4.25
Exhaust nozzle QB 72-340 $4.25
Pitot tube/antennae QB 72-339 $4.25
Undercarriage covers QB 72-343 $5.50

The instructions consist of exploded views but are very clear and complete. The undercarriage covers and exhaust nozzle do not have exploded views as they are not really necessary.

At least to me, Master Model has been putting out some of the most affordable gun barrel upgrades in the industry without sacrificing detail. This set is no exception, providing a quick upgrade to the armaments on what is already a well detailed kit. The set includes barrels for both guns, cooling jackets, ring sights and their mounts (extras included) – don’t overlook the tiny turned bead for the handheld MG either (mine almost was eaten by the carpet monster).

When compared to the kit parts, you can see the difference in refined detail and size. Both of the kit-supplied barrels look clunky in comparison. No other modifications are really required aside from replacing the barrels on the kit parts, so it couldn’t be any easier.

Recommended without reservation.

Thank you to Master Model for the review sample (I just won an AR 196 in our club raffle – so the timing was excellent!) and to IPMS/USA for the opportunity to review this upgrade.