When the package arrived I was expecting a C-130A and was surprised to find in its place a model kit for the JC-130A. I didn’t have a clue on what the “J” stood for, so off to the internet to find out. Well, they were built to track and retrieve missiles tested over the Atlantic test range. Further snooping found that eight C-130A’s were built as JC-130A’s and later several B models were built as JC-130B’s and were used to track and retrieve space capsules (i.e. film capsules from spy satellites) on the Pacific test range.

Quickboost has taken a shine to the Italeri Ar-196 kit. This makes either the fourth or fifth upgrade set for it. This time the emphasis is on the armament. Molded in light grey resin the parts feature great detail. This set has seven resin pieces with everything from the guns and barrels themselves to the mounts and ammo drums. The cooling fins on the gun barrels are especially nicely done. The ends are hollow and look great. The detail is much finer than that included in the kit and requires significantly less clean up than the plastic parts.

Highly recommended

Thanks to Quickboost and IPMS/USA for the review copy

You can obtain your copy from your local hobby shop or by contacting Quickboost at www.quickboost.net.

The Academy kit is a nice kit but could benefit from some resin upgrades. Quickboost offers an easy way to upgrade the exhausts with this little set. The set is molded in light grey resin and contains two exhaust stubs. The ends are hollowed out and include the molded on weld seems. These are drop in replacements for the kit parts so adding them is easy.

Because of the size of the parts these will not fit the Hasegawa kit without some modification, but on the Academy kit they will fit perfectly. Just some paint and these will be ready to go.

Highly recommended

Thanks to Quickboost and IPMS/USA for the review copy

You can obtain your copy from your local hobby shop or by contacting Quickboost at www.quickboost.net.

Now here is something you don’t see everyday, a life raft for an aircraft. Designed for the Hasegawa SBD you have to open up a hole in the side of the kit. This should be fairly straight forward as it is a round access panel. This set is ideal for a diorama idea.

The set contains three pieces of light grey resin. One is the life raft itself, the receptacle in the fuselage and the access panel. Drill the hole and a quick paint job later and your SBD will stand apart from the others. I’m sure you could add this to the Accurate Miniatures kit as well.

Highly recommended

Thanks to Quickboost and IPMS/USA for the review copy

You can obtain your copy from your local hobby shop or by contacting Quickboost at www.quickboost.net.

The P-51B is one of my favorite aircraft. One of the problems is the exhaust stacks are small. The Trumpeter kit was one kit I was waiting for a long time. Quickboost’s offering features hollowed out ends and are direct replacements for the kit items. I can’t drill out the exhausts on the kit plastic with any precision so the only thing to do is to use the Quickboost set.
Removal is quite easy with a few swipes of the saw or knife blade. Painting is all that is required to make this update set perfect for your model.

Highly recommended

Thanks to Quickboost and IPMS/USA for the review copy

You can obtain your copy from your local hobby shop or by contacting Quickboost at www.quickboost.net.