Eduard Models from the Czech Republic keep expanding its line of detail sets for its line of 1/48 MiG-21s. This time, they added a resin cockpit from their Brassin line for the MiG-21MF (early).

As with most Brassin line sets, there are resin and some photo-etch parts. The photo-etch fret is pre-painted and includes many details, like instrument dials, besides the traditional seat belts.

For some reason, there are two kinds of resin used in this set. One is darker than the other. I’m not sure what the difference is. Something that might be a first for Eduard (at least, it’s the first time I’ve seen it) is the inclusion of a part molded in clear resin for the gun sight. Another added value is the addition of a mask set for accurate painting of the interior detail.

A nice detail to have included is a pilot’s helmet among the resin parts. It would look really cool either sitting on the seat or hanging from the cockpit side.

When Kinetic announced the release of a C-2A Greyhound, I was very interested after having seen VRC-40 Rawhides above the USS Carl Vinson last summer. When the opportunity came up to build one, I jumped at the chance.

Looking at the plastic, much of the kit is a carryover from their excellent E-2C Hawkeye kits, with the wings, engine and props duplicated. Included are a new fuselage and full interior, along with a back ramp. Molding and panel lines are excellent and I dove right into the interior.

Aftermarket products used

• Eduard 48-703 MiG-21MF Accessories, MSRP: $26.95
• Eduard 48-704 MiG-21 Boarding Ladder, MSRP: $19.95

Construction

A lot has been said up to and after the release of the Eduard MiG-21family; this kit is the first of the releases. The MF was one of the more common airframes with the Soviet Air Force and the air forces of the Warsaw Pact. I agree with the seemingly majority opinion that this is the best MiG-21 kit in 1/48. However, there are some idiosyncrasies with the kit that I would like to see changed.

Lifelike Decals has long been known for their high quality, limited edition decal releases. The decals come in the customary clear plastic zip bag, and inside you will find two full color, single sided pages with color callouts, decal placement guides, references, and a ton of historical information on each aircraft covered. Not to mention the decals themselves. This release contains one standard size decal sheet with markings for four WWII Imperial Japanese Army Ki-44 Shoki “Tojo” fighters. Decals are printed by Cartograf of Italy, and are clear and in perfect register.

**Just a note to the buyer – when you’re doing a search to purchase these, you may see some decals labeled for the “Japanese Edition” and some for the “English Edition”. The difference here is the language on the instructions. If you don’t read Japanese and are interested in getting the wealth of historical data written about each aircraft – be sure to look for the English one!

This long-awaited title is #63 in the Osprey Combat Aircraft series and is certainly one to add to your collection. This softbound book contains 96 pages which are packed with English text, photos, and color illustrations which tell the history of the Aichi Type 99 “Val” from the early stages of WWII through 1942.

The Aichi Type 99 D3A Carrier Bomber was code named “Val” by the Allies. It was the most successful dive-bomber that the Japanese used during the war and it served in all areas of the Pacific until the end of the war. The Val can claim more Allied shipping tonnage sunk than any other Axis aircraft of the war.

This book contains detailed accounts which are all in English. All too often, we have books written in Japanese, which are not available in English for Western readers. Not so here!

The book’s chapters are broken down as: