As 1941 dawned, the British were mopping up the last Italian strongholds in Libya after seven months of fighting. The outnumbered British Western Desert force of 30,000 men had effectively defeated an Italian force of 250,000. The British had captured hundreds of thousands of Italian soldiers, plus hundreds of tanks and artillery pieces, and several thousand valuable trucks, and pushed the Italians out of Egypt and then across the coastline of Libya until they controlled only a small section of western Libya.

From the publisher’s website:

Nearly forty years have passed since the explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant - the most severe nuclear accident in history and one of the gravest man-made disasters ever recorded. Countless books, documentaries, and films have examined the catastrophe and its aftermath. Yet, despite this abundance of material, a crucial aspect of the story has remained largely overlooked in English-language accounts: the immense contribution of Soviet aviation to the response effort.

In the shadow of the “liquidators” who manually cleared radioactive debris, thousands of aviators - especially helicopter crews - risked their lives flying repeated missions into the deadly plume above Reactor No. 4. Their work was vital in containing the fallout, delivering personnel and equipment, and monitoring radiation in conditions no aircraft had ever been designed to endure. Their story has never received the recognition it deserves.

The IPMS/USA recently began receiving items for review from Gaahleri. The company is relatively new and first introduced airbrushes and has since expanded into the production of their own line of paints. Kaleido ColorWorks is their premium sub-brand of water-based paints, which are developed with RapidAir Technology. In addition to all the individual colors, Gaahleri also has sets of paints available for consumers.

Gaahleri is a company that burst onto the North America scene first back in 2023 with a new line of airbrushes that quickly became very popular among modelers and artists. I received a Gaahleri Mobius this past Christmas, and it has quickly become my new go-to airbrush. When I found out they were releasing the new Kaleido Colorworks paint line, I had to jump on the chance to check them out.

What’s Inside the Box

The set I am reviewing here is the 24 Mecha Colors set and features vibrant colors, as well as bottles of thinner and cleaner. The box is a lift-off and inside everything is well protected with foam inserts. The paints are water-based acrylics and are factory pre-thinned for immediate use. According to their documentation, the paints are powered by RapidAir™ Technology, which addresses common water-based paint issues, such as beading, uneven coverage, and sagging, by applying in a smooth, sheet-like layer. The set includes the following colors:

The Gaahleri GT-918 is a nice, compact air compressor that operates quietly, yet has enough power for two airbrushes. Two airbrush connections are provided with separate pressure meters for each connection. Pressure adjustments are easy with a push/pull knob that locks in the set pressure. Gaahleri lists the noise level for the compressor at 47 DBA maximum, which compares to a quiet home space and is not objectionable at all when running.

The 1/5 hp compressor operates between 43 and 57 psi. It automatically turns on at 43 psi and turns off when the pressure in the tank reaches 57 psi. An integral one-liter tank provides constant pressure without pulsations, but it will cycle on and off frequently. The compressor is so quiet that the on-off cycling is not objectionable. A 23 Liters Per Minute air flow is produced by the compressor.