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Reviews of products for scale aircraft models.
Product Image

MIG 23 Flogger Air Scoops
Review Author
Rod Lees
Published on
Company
Quickboost
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$5.20

Thanks once again to Quickboost for providing IPMS USA this review item!

At first you wonder “why” these have been developed… then look closer. The bases of all the air scoops have the diamond shaped mounting flange on them. The kit? Pah! NO! So, there is your answer. The kit air scoops are lacking! These are excellent additions to the basically excellent Trumpeter Flogger kit, and well worth acquiring!

Great job Quickboost!

Detail Part

Me-262 Seat with Belts
Review Author
Dave Morrissette
Published on
Company
Quickboost
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$8.49

Quickboost has come out with a 1/32nd scale seat and belts for the Me262. It can be used with either the old Hasegawa offering or the newer Trumpeter kits. A quick check of the Hasegawa and Trumpeter kits seems like it will fit either one.

The kit has a casting block on the bottom which I cut off with a razor saw and then sanded smooth (although it is on the bottom and out of sight, which is great). The molded-in seat belts are excellent with all the correct parts present and done in nice relief.

I included a comparison [picture of the Hasegawa and Trumpeter kit seats and the Quickboost offering). It is an enormous improvement and will make a world of difference in the kit as shown in the picture.

Highly recommended! My thanks to Quickboost and IPMS/USA for the chance to review this item.

Product Image

Me163A Seat with belts
Review Author
Dave Morrissette
Published on
Company
Quickboost
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$6.95

Quickboost continues with its excellent replacement seats with one for the Dragon/Trimaster Me163A. The seat comes with a small pour block which is on the bottom and easily cut off and sanded smooth.I had an old Trimaster kit and the picture shows just what an improvement it is with thinner edges and beautifully molded in seat belts. This product is highly recommended for the Dragon or Trimaster kit.

My thanks to Quickboost and IPMS/USA for the review sample.

Front cover

The Junkers Ju 87 Stuka: A Complete History
Book Author(s)
Peter C. Smith
Review Author
Hub Plott
Published on
Company
Specialty Press
MSRP
$49.95

This book is an in-depth look at the Ju 87. When the title says a complete history, it means just that! This book covers the development of the Stuka up to modern day survivors. It has coverage of each variant as well as every area of combat in which the Stuka fought.

The first two chapters cover the development and genus of the design. Touching on its competitors as well and giving interesting comparisons. This is followed by the next six chapters. Each of which covers the specifics of each of the following variants, the Anton, Bertha, Caesar and Richard as well as their use in combat both theoretical and actuality. Operations in Poland at the onset of WWII are also covered. I found Chapter Five on the “C” variant for use on the carrier Graf Zeppelin particularly informative and interesting.

Book cover

La-5/7 vs Fw 190
Book Author(s)
: Dmitriy Khazanov and Aleksander Medved; Illustrated by Jim Laurier, Andrey Yurgenson and Gareth Hector
Review Author
Chris Smith
Published on
Company
Osprey Publishing
MSRP
$17.95

Editor: This publication is also available from publisher as a downloadable PDF.

Front cover

Air Modeller #38, October/November 2011
Review Author
Ed Kinney
Published on
Company
Air Modeller
MSRP
$14.95

Published bi-monthly, I am sure I am repeating myself, but this has to be one of (if not THE) the finest quality modeling magazines on the market today. 65 pages of some of the best quality workmanship I’ve seen. Also, the column “Air Born” contains all the new releases in kits, tools, decals, resin and PE aftermarket bits, etc., and in this issue, a photo essay of the Mustang in combat and a series of photos of a Dutch AH 64 operating in Afghanistan. This time the subject contents are as follows:

Kitset Parts

SAC Landing Gear in Three Scales
Review Author
Ed Kinney
Published on
Company
Scale Aircraft Conversions
Scale
1/32, 1/48, 1/72

Recommendation – most high

Well, it’s October and, as usual, Ross McMillan and company have not rested (at least for very long). This is only a guess, but with a model as potentially heavy as the 1/32nd He-111, I can’t help but think that metal gear could easily be a necessity. Also, the 1/48th Hasegawa kit (of which I have built 2) was a request from yours truly in that the plastic kit gear is weak. In any event, here are this month’s offerings. Make sure you visit their website for these and the ever-increasing selection of replacement gear available.

Kitset packaging

A6M5 and A6M5b Zero Cockpit sets
Review Author
Robert Folden
Published on
Company
Aires Hobby Models
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$36.00

NOTE: Two cockpit sets are virtually the same, with only a few parts different.

To go along with Aires’ new A6M5 Zero wheel bay set, Aires released two cockpit sets. The sets are virtually the same, and are intended for use with the same base kit. The differences are that one set offers an A6M5 Zero, while the second set is the A6M5b Zero. The -b Zero featured various upgraded avionics within the cockpit. Comparing the two sets, minor differences are seen, including different controls and avionics boxes. As with all Aires sets the castings are well done and are cast in grey and beige resin. While the casting in grey resin was excellent in my samples, the beige castings featured quite a bit of flash, and did not seem to have the crisp detail that Aires is known for. In my opinion, this is not a fault of Aires, but more due to the type of resin used.

Kitset packaging

A6M5 Zero Wheel Bay
Review Author
Robert Folden
Published on
Company
Quickboost
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$21.95

One of the leaders in resin detailing parts, Aires recently released a detail set for the wheel bay of the Tamiya 1/36 A6M5 Zero. Cast from resin, with no flash or flaws, the set comes with the two main gear bays, detail parts, and partial gear doors. As with all Aires sets the detail is superb. I did not have the Tamiya kit on hand to compare to, but a comparison to the 21st Century Zero kit showed a serious improvement over the kit bays. It is also noted that the Aires parts do fit the 21st Century kit (it was rumored that the 21st Century kit had detail copied from Tamiya).

Once again, I am very impressed with Aires’ latest release. They have an eye for detail, and an amazing skill for casting resin parts. This is one highly recommended resin set. My thanks to Aires for providing an excellent sample for review.

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