This is the first Detail & Scale book I have ever read, and after this wonderful experience, it will not be my last. In fact, I may have to start a reference collection. Even more impressive is that I don’t identify as primarily an aircraft modeler, but the photographs, captions and background information are so well done and presented, that I may have to start looking for models of aircraft highlighted in these fabulous books.

From the Detail & Scale website,

ICM continues to be prolific with both kits and paint sets. The Acrylic Paint Set for WWII RAF Coastal Command aircraft continues this trend and consists of six 12ml wide mouthed paint bottles. The front packaging includes a presentation of a Bristol Beaufort Mk.1A WWII British torpedo bomber. The back shows three left-profile views of Bristol Beauforts, including Mk.1.A DX 135 in Temperate Scheme (1940-44) of German Field Grey (Green) and Dark Grey over Sky (Kit No. 48315), Mk.1A LR906 Late Coastal Command (1944-45) Coastal White with Off White with Dark Grey on top of fuselage and wings (Kit No. 48315) in, and Mk.1 L4516 OA-W Temperate Land Scheme of Leather Brown and Extra Dark Green over Black (Kit No. 48310) with color callouts.

The colors include:

Air-to-air missiles (AAMs) are a part of almost every tactical aircraft and some helicopters these days. If you’re anything like me, they tend to be part of the finishing bits we grind through at the end of a build. Perhaps a deeper understanding of these weapons and their integral connection to the aircraft we build will make finishing those missiles a bit easier. This is the first of six volumes dedicated to the history of air-to-air missiles (AAM). In this first volume, the author, Bill Norton, a former Air Force officer and flight test engineer with 40 years of experience, introduces us to a comprehensive history—in six volumes of these weapons.

The Tamiya F-35 kits are some of the best in any scale so it is not unusual to see aftermarket companies produce parts to try and improve them. In this case, Aires has created a replacement set for the F-35A exhaust nozzle.

The Tamiya kit parts are really nice, so what does Aires offer to make you spend a bit more modeling money? Let’s take a look.

The set includes 3 resin parts, which are almost a direct drop-in replacement for the 4 parts Tamiya molded. The instructions indicate where you need to cut to remove the parts from the supports. You do have to trim a small bit off of kit part A5, but that is easily accomplished.

The resin parts are easily removed from the resin supports with a razor saw. I did this outside while wearing a respirator due to the resin dust created. I sprayed the inside of the exhaust pipe with white and did the detail painting following Tamiya’s instructions, since no painting instructions are included with the resin parts.

Background and Historical Notes

From The Kit Manufacturer’s Notes:

Bronco NOGS US Attack Aircraft

In 1970, two OV-10A Bronco aircraft were modified to evaluate their nighttime combat capabilities. The modification was designated NOGS—Night Observation Gunship System. The aircraft received an extended nose section with a turret housing a forward-looking infrared system and laser rangefinder (FLIR) in its lower half. Under the mid-fuselage, engineers mounted a turret with a 20mm General Electric M197 three-barrel cannon, which was aimed using FLIR.

In late 1970, both aircraft were sent to China Lake Air Base for testing, and by April 1971, they were deployed to Vietnam for combat trials. Operating as part of the light attack squadron VAL-4 “Black Ponies,” the aircraft conducted evening and night missions. The YOV-10D aircraft flew in various configurations: either in pairs, paired with an OV-10A, or with an escort of two OV-10A aircraft.