Reviews of products for scale aircraft models.

Review Author
Andy Taylor
Published on
December 18, 2023
Company
Brengun
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$12.99

The AN-M30A1 was a World War Two era general purpose (GP) 100-pound bomb that entered service in 1942. The AN-M30A1 was a slightly modified AN-M30 US Army developed bomb, differing in the base plug/plate construction, and the use of a different adapter-booster. The bomb served the US for about 20 years.

From the Bulletpicker website

These bombs are all general purpose high explosive bombs.

To overcome the erratic flight of these bombs when dropped from high altitudes by very heavy bombers, the tail assembly of the 260 pound Fragmentation Bomb M81 replaces the customary tail unit, which is two inches shorter, for such missions. Use of the Cluster Adapter M22 permits single suspension for four GP Bombs AN-M30 or AN-M30A1.

Review Author
Pablo Bauleo
Published on
December 17, 2023
Company
Italeri
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$59.99

Italeri has re-released its Hurricane Mk.IIC in 1/48 scale. The original release was from the early 2010’s and included a Hurricane Mk.I, Mk.I/Trop, Sea Hurricane Mk.I and Hurricane Mk.IIC. Inspecting at the parts (the photoetch sheet) you must wonder if at some point there the plan was to include a Mk.IIB in the family but to my knowledge it has never been released. Based on the engineering of the wing, you can probably model a MkIID and, if you get a replacement oil housing probably a Mk.IV as well, assuming you know your way around the Hawker Hurricane (there are plenty of online references).

Review Author
Pablo Bauleo
Published on
December 17, 2023
Company
Twobobs Aviation Graphics
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$17.00

Two Bobs has released a decal sheet covering an anniversary scheme for the 309th Fighter Squadron “Wild Ducks” back when it was flying the F-16 C/D.

Two paint schemes are provided in this sheet. The first one is a striking mix of blue, grey and white strips with Donald Duck holding a lightning bolt on the blue rudder. The second one is a great looking desert camouflage for the first F-16 to claim a kill on an Iraqi Mig-25 with an AIM-120 (although at the time of the kill the airframe was wearing the standard two-grey livery).

I want to point out that both schemes are special commemorative schemes for the 80th anniversary of the 309th FS. Both schemes were designed by Ssgt Michael Cichonsky (portrayed in the instructions sitting on the tail of the F-16C) and both look amazing.

The decal sheet includes all stencils needed for both aircraft, meaning one sheet allows you to build both the -C and the -D. You don’t even have to choose which one to build!

Review Author
Pablo Bauleo
Published on
December 17, 2023
Company
Iliad Design
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$14.00

Illiad Design continues to expand its line of 1/48 scale decals, this time with a set of markings for the Avro Anson. The decals were designed for the recent Airfix model

This decal sheet covers 6 airframes from the BCATP (British Commonwealth Air Training Plan). All markings cover airframes that saw service in Canada: Manitoba, Ontario and Saskatchewan.

Some of the airframes are in camouflage of Dark Earth and Dark Green with lowers in Sky, plus some high visibility markings in yellow, others are fully painted in yellow and there is everything in between (yellow bottom and camouflaged tops, yellow bottoms, and partially camouflaged tops, etc).

Book Author(s)
Bert Kinzey & Rock Roszak
Review Author
Paul R. Brown
Published on
December 16, 2023
Company
Detail & Scale, Inc.
MSRP
$21.99

Detail & Scale’s original volume on the B-24 Liberator and its variants was published in 2000. Since the first volume was published, more information regarding the B-24 and its variants has become available and more photographs of the B-24 in service have surfaced. In addition, the authors were granted access to the interiors of the B-24D preserved at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force and the PB4Y-2 Privateer preserved at the National Museum of Naval Aviation, to take reference photographs.

The book is primarily a visual reference book, so there is just a brief overview of the B-24 and its many users around the word. The history section includes a nice table explaining the two letter suffixes used to designate where a particular aircraft was built. As explained later in the book, the suffixes can be very useful in narrowing down some of the details of a particular aircraft due production differences between the various manufacturers/plants.

Review Author
Jarrod Booth
Published on
December 14, 2023
Company
Italeri
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$71.99

The EA-18G Growler was designed to replace the US Navy’s outdated Grumman EA-6B Prowler. It was derived from the tandem seat F/A-18F Super Hornet. The Australian RAAF operates these aircraft and I chose to model A46-06, celebrating the 6th Squadron’s 100 year Anniversary, based at Amberly Airbase, in 2017.

This kit was packed in Italeri’s standard sized, sturdy box, with the grey parts sprues protected in clear plastic bags. An instruction booklet and decals by Cartograf were in the bottom of the box.

Construction started in the cockpit and ejection seats. The detail was quite basic and the instrument panels and side consoles were finished with decals provided on the decal sheet. I wanted to do the RAAF 100 Year Anniversary scheme and intended for the canopy to remain closed. My only addition to the cockpit was a set of Eduard photo etch seat belts for both seats.

Book Author(s)
Aniruth Rao
Review Author
Orlando Reyes
Published on
December 3, 2023
Company
Kagero Publishing
MSRP
$21.95

This is #131 of the Top Drawings series describing the G.55. The book consists of a total of 16 plan views and 5 profiles of the aircraft. The book is written in English and Polish. The first page of the book has a small history of the aircraft in both languages. You will find a single page drawing for a 1/32 scale aircraft, 3 for 1/72 scale, and 11 for 1/48 scale. There are two drawings in which 1/48 and 1/24 are combined and one in which 1/72 and 1/48 are combined as well. The large 1/32 scale drawing is a single sheet added to the book. This drawing is provided in a two-sided single page. The backside of the drawing has profiles of the aircraft for the single seat fighter as well as the trainer version.

Review Author
Rod Lees
Published on
December 3, 2023
Company
Brengun
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$12.99

THANKS to Brengun for providing more of their expansive line for us IPMS reviewers to address. For the Detail hounds, AMS, whatever among us, Brengun continues to provide really cool items for us to use. And this set holds great promise to upgrade the venerable 1/72 Italeri kit.

Notice I said 1/72. When I was digging through the “Review stash” to see where I could help, I saw this and thought “great, I can finally build the small version (Having the 1/48 model sitting in the box, I made a big assumption.

1/48 and 1/72 do not mathematically convert into equals. “why is this set of screens for the transmission and engine cooling intake too small when held up to the 1/48 model?”

Stupid reviewer. Brengun, I sincerely apologize, you don’t get one of my fantastic, non-sniper reviews with a kit involved, because I don’t have a 1/72 kit. I thought for some reason this was for the 1/48 kit when I agreed to do it.

Book Author(s)
Salvador Mafe Huertes
Review Author
Allan Murrell
Published on
December 3, 2023
Company
Kagero Publishing
MSRP
$37.00

This is the 87th book in the Kagero Monographs series covering aircraft in details photos and diagrams. This book covers the Eurofighter Typhoon. The book provides great detail drawings of the Typhoon, mainly from the Spanish Air Force with some coverage of the aircraft in sue with the Royal Air Force and the German Airforce.

I found the drawings in this book to be fascinating and very detailed, ideal for any modeler as reference materials. The photographs are extremely good and many I have never seen and provide great details for super detailing any scale model of the aircraft. The very details Spanish Air force chapter is extremely interesting. I would like to have seen more coverage of RAF use of the aircraft and squadron’s.

Along with the many photos there are outline drawings, schematics, and very nice profile drawings.

I recommend this book to everyone with an interest in the armor and a must for modelers.

Book Author(s)
Christopher Buckley
Review Author
Allan Murrell
Published on
December 3, 2023
Company
Casemate Publishers
MSRP
$24.95

This is the 1st volume of a new Key Book Historic Commercial Aircraft Series – Soviet-Era Airliners, The Final Three Decades. This book covers the history of the demise of the great soviet airliner fleet from 1991 to today. The Soviet designed and manufactured Airlines have always been fascinating with me as I watch the changes and downfall happen during this period while working in the airline industry. The chapters are fascination and give way more details that I expected in such an apparently small book.

The chapters most aspects of the decline and changes in the Soviet Airlines and its way through the historic changes happening in the Soviet world. This book does excellent work showing the main airlines world-wide using these aircraft. It goes on to explain the aircraft they used and what western aircraft were used to replace them in many cases.

All the photographs are some of the best I have seen and are great reference material.