Allow me to start by thanking Pavla Models for their most generous contribution of numerous models for review by IPMS/USA.

Background

The Gloster G.40 Pioneer was the first British jet -- it is also known as the Gloster Whittle or the Gloster E.28/39. There were two aircraft built but the second crashed so this one, W4041/G, did all the testing from its first flight on 15 May 1941 until it was put on display in the London Science Museum in 1946.

I asked for this not because I am particularly interested in the aircraft but because I had just done the FROG version for the Classic British Kits SIG display at Scale Model World (Telford) in 2009. That kit is so bad that I felt I should have a better representation on my shelf. For those of you not familiar with the FROG kit, the wings and fuselage are two different scales and the two figures -- one sitting, one standing -- are also.

Every now and then a product comes along that represents a giant leap forward for the modeler. This is one of those products. Aires has released the Wheelliant Weighted Wheels set for Tamiya’s F-14A Tomcat in 1/32 scale

The product is packaged in a clear plastic bag that allows one to view all of the parts prior to purchase. The package contains parts for all four tires, both the main gear tires and nose wheel tires. Also included are the rims, or wheels, for all four tires. A length of copper wire is also included. This wire can be bent and added to the main struts to simulate pneumatic lines.

Eduard’s FW-190s are some of my favorite models. One ‘nitpicky’ thing is that you have to cut open the wing root gun covers so that the kit parts will fit in a closed position. Sometimes this results in a less than perfect fit, depending on how well you cut them. Well you don’t have to do it anymore. Loon Models provides the two covers with the trailing edges suitably thinned so you no longer have to cut into the wings. This will make that whole process so much simpler and ensure a perfect fit.

Molded in light yellow resin that is blemish free these are easy additions to the kit.

Highly recommended.

Thanks to Loon Models for the review copy. Tell them IPMS/USA sent you. Note: Loon Models is the “house-brand” for Roll Models, Inc.

Background

In the decade following the end of World War II, aircraft performance and design advanced at a dizzying pace. Proposed in 1951 and first flown in 1953, the North American F-100 Super Sabre followed in the footsteps of legendary P-51 Mustang and F-86 Sabre, and was the first American production fighter capable of flying at sustained supersonic speeds in level flight. Although intended as a clear-weather daytime air superiority fighter, the “Hun” saw its most notable service during the Vietnam War as a fighter-bomber. The quantum leap in performance over previous fighters was accompanied by an unprecedented accident rate, as Air Force pilots with supersonic experience were few and far between outside of the flight test community. In order to curb the high accident rate, North American developed a two-seat trainer variant on its own nickel, and the design rapidly evolved into a two-seat variant of the F-100D, designated F-100F.

I admit to being a little confused when I requested this assignment; I was expecting something else. Still, these are very welcome components as I have two 1/72 scale Spitfire Mark Vs in my “to-build” pile.

The Spitfire was among the earliest production fighter aircraft to adopt 20mm cannon as armament, and the “B” arrangement for the cannon was introduced in the Mark I and Mark II models that fought the Battle of Britain. While the success of the armament was spotty at that time, it became standard on the Mark VB...and the same guns were also used on the initial production Seafire. The earliest Mark VC Spitfires also used this pattern of gun barrels before going to the “beefier” barrels as standard (parts that Master also offers separately). So these parts are compatible with more then the Spitfire VB.