Manufactured by ICM, who are based in Ukraine, this is a bonus boxing of two previously released kits: the AC-40-137, which is based on the Zil 131 truck chassis, and the AR-2 that is based on the KAMAZ-43105 chassis. As ICM does from time to time, they will box kits together to create a new boxed set that is thematically similar. The AC-40-137 has seven sprues for a total of 295 parts and an additional one for clear parts. The AR-2 also has seven sprues, but with a total of 330 parts, including three sprues for clear parts. Each vehicle has a couple of color profiles to choose from that are very similar to one another, basically red and white stripes. The molding is nearly flawless. There is a very small amount of flash on some parts, but nothing that cannot be solved with the quick pass of a hobby knife.

Detail and Scale has released the 3^rd book of its Mustang series. Part 1 and 2 cover the earlier Allison powered airframes and the Merlin powered airframes with a razorback fuselage respectively. This book covers the -D marks and later marks or, in other words, all the “bubbletops” mustangs.

This book is available both in print and in digital format. I am reviewing here the print version of it.

The book starts with a bit of a historical section on the late mustang history, including some unique pictures of bubbletops with -B/C wings and even a razorback with a -D wing. The history section progresses with highlights of service in WW2 (Europe, Mediterranean and Pacific), Korea and it mentions the need for a “lighter” version of the P-51, the -F/G/J and the -H, which went into production but didn’t see combat in WW2.

This kit is a direct replacement of parts for the Trumpeter Super Cobra. The parts have some very nice details on them. They were also well contained in the packaging, resulting in them arriving without even the long skids being bent. The overall level of cleanup is very minimal, and the molds are set along the designed weld lines or oriented with elements of the skids or supports so they don’t require cleanup. For instance, on the skid mount, the parting line on the white metal matches a weld line on the full-size component, so no cleanup was required due to the minimal flash present. I applied some white primer to help show the lines of the SAC gear so that the detail was more evident in the picture.

Many thanks to SAC and IPMS for making this kit available to me for review.

This accessory kit contains three direct replacement pieces for the Monogram Catalina kit. There’s one piece of the breaching gear that isn’t included with the kit. That is the strut for the rear tail wheels. You will have to use the kit part for this.

The level of detail is nice and representative for a 1/48 scale kit. The gear itself in real life is relatively simple, meant to be attached in the water. There was a little bit of cleanup to be done and two pieces of long, thin flash from the molding process had to be cut off.

General flash on the parts was minimal and they cleaned up easily. I didn’t note that the tail wheel support was extremely soft until after I started working on it. Just scraping flash off with the #11 Blade caused it to bend.

Scale Aircraft Conversions (SAC) has provided the IPMS reviewer corps a set of 1/48^th scale metal landing gear for Clear Props F-86A Sabre. These parts are drop-in replacements and provide a more robust landing gear set given its metal properties.

In the Package

The metal pieces are packed in a clear blister package with cardboard backing. No instructions are provided.

However, my review sample did not come with the nose landing gear and came with an extra RHS strut, part H19 (a quality control slip).

The metal landing gear set is used as drop-in replacements for parts H19 & H15 (RHS & LHS struts) and the K2 oleo arms are molded with the strut. The nose strut, part K22, was missing from my sample review, but it too should have the oleo arms, part K27, molded with the strut. Also, the nose gear extension arm, part K9, is included.