Please read the in box review (published earlier) for the history and a parts break down of this interesting kit.

The kit goes together without any problems. I followed the construction sequence as recommended with the following exceptions. I left the clear glazing (windows) off until final assembly. This made painting the bridge and deck house area a lot easier and I also left the life rings off until final detail due to them being an orange color and hard to paint with them installed.

I decided to do the MAS 563 version because of the colorful paint scheme. I followed the recommended painting instructions and guide. Model Masters paint was used almost exclusively. Light Ghost was used for the majority of the hull and fittings and Gunship grey for the deck. I painted the aerial recognition stripes on the bow before adding any deck detail.

Background

It’s hard for some of us to believe it’s been nearly a half-century since Star Trek’s debut in 1964. Over the decades, the Starship U.S.S. Enterprise, NCC-1701, has arguably become the most recognizable, esteemed, and influential vessel in intergalactic travel -- so influential that even the first NASA Space Shuttle bore her name as the result of a massive write-in campaign from Star Trek fans in the mid-1970’s.

Her incarnations have been many, starting with the original “made for TV” Constitution-Class NCC-1701 in 1964, “refitted” in 1979 for Star Trek the Motion Picture, carbon-copied as NCC-1701-A in a sequel, then finally being outright up-classed in the form of the Excelsior-Class NCC-1701-B in Star Trek - Generations in 1994. Other Starfleet vessels bearing the Enterprise moniker have followed, and proceeded, but the “Refit” version from the 1980’s movies is the subject this offering under the Polar Lights brand from Round2 Models.

This being the second Kinetic kit I’ve had the pleasure to build and review, I have found several similarities in the offerings. First, the instructions could use some tweaking, in that I found some misnumbered parts. It would be of major benefit to the builder to keep his reference material close at hand. Secondly, during construction I encountered what I felt was a major fit issue with the wing to fuselage joints. My kit required completing the attachment in 4 steps with cyano acrylic and accelerator to close gaps in the wing roots (interestingly, I have since had an opportunity to read other build reviews of this subject and their experience didn’t seem as pronounced as mine. Maybe it was something I did wrong.) In any event, these two issues are the only negatives to an otherwise exceptionally nice kit. Third and last, this kit, like the F84F from Kinetic, suffers with extremely fat trailing edges, so get out the wood rasp.

First comment

Thanks to Stevens once again for providing yet another superlative Trumpeter kit for IPMS to review. The best we can do for appreciation is to buy kits they offer; and this one is worth every dime! I’ll go on record as saying this was the best Trumpeter kit I’ve built.

On the porch

“Hey, that’s a big box”. It’s also a heavy box. Postman is rolling around on the lawn in pain kind of heavy. I go out and do a clean-and-jerk lift…. And it’s off to the workbench!

If you’re a military aviation geek like me, you can’t get enough of books like this. It chronicles the exploits of the authors as they deployed, fought, and returned home from Desert Shield / Desert Storm.

• Chapter 1 covers the history of the Wild Weasel program, including the origin of the now infamous “YGBSM” unofficial motto. They also get into the specific threats faced and the basics of how they can bring down enemy aircraft.
• Chapters 2, 3, and 4, detail the career paths of the authors and their training to become Wild Weasels.
• In chapters 5-16 every imaginable detail of the their exploits during Desert Shield / Desert Storm are chronicled.

Occasionally, it does tend to get very technical but there’s an excellent appendix that spells out the more complex Iraqi systems. The color plates are excellently done and the B & W are very well placed in the context of the mission descriptions.

Two more green machines added to the arsenal. The basic kit included the Genesis XG ( $149.98) airbrush with a 7ml cup capacity, .3mm nozzle, and weighs in at 4.2 OZ. To assist with consistent line widths, the Genesis has a Pre-set knob at the back of the airbrush rear handle cap. Turning is clock-wise limits the trigger and how much amount of paint sprayed. Turning it counter-clockwise, allows for more/unlimited paint and trigger extension. Just the feel of the airbrush lets you know it's solid. The balance is very nice as the rear handle cap is all metal. Not plastic like some other airbrushes in its price range of $120. Grex also makes the comfort grip set that can be purchased separately for a more ergonomic/comfortable feel.

This new book from Casemate Publishing is on how to Wargame on a budget because of how expensive it can be or when you don’t have a lot of space. Ian Dickie shows you how you can enjoy this hobby without the large expense and a smaller amount of space if need be.

The book is divided up into 10 chapters not including an introduction. They are:

At the risk of sounding like a “one string banjo”, Darn! These Fisher kits are really the car’s meow. I’ve lost track of how many of these outstanding kits from Paul I’ve had the pleasure to review, but this one is, as are all the others, an outstanding example of the pinnacle of Resin casting technology. The build is as simple as pie with the one piece wing, and a hollow-cast, nearly one piece fuselage (the belly scoop being the minor second part). With a couple of passes with the sanding sticks the fit is pure “click, click”. A minimum of glazing putty was used during the construction and finishing process.

For those of you that do any scratch building or those that super detail kits, you are well aware of punch sets. For the rest of us, a quick explanation is needed. Roll Models Sub-Miniature Punch and Die set includes a series of series of metal punches and a guide to allow you to replicate small discs. The Sub-Miniature set comes in sizes 0.063, 0.058, 0.053, 0.048, 0.043, 0.038, 0.033, 0.028, 0.023, 0.018 inches. It can be used for punching out plastic card to replicate bolt heads or used to punch paper to make masks.

The process is simplicity itself. You select the size punch you need. Slip your material to be punched between the guide bars, insert the punch and strike sharply. Out the other side comes a perfect little disk. You can do this over and over and it remains the same size.

One of the most tedious, but necessary tasks to aircraft modelers is masking canopies for painting. This is further complicated with modern aircraft, as many have an additional light yellow or gray rubber seal around the canopy glass. Trying to cut strips of tape, parafilm, or foil is tedious and time consuming to line everything up just right.

Eduard has come to the rescue for the past several years with sets of canopy masks made of Kabuki tape that is thin, flexible, and very easy to apply. Tamiya tape is the same material. Keeping up with the latest releases, Eduard put out a set for the new AFV Club 1/48 F-5E. This set would also work for the recent F-5N release as well.

Master Model is known for producing high quality brass armament for aircraft and ship models. This new offering, AM-24-004, Hispano 20mm brass cannon for the AM-24-004, is another fine addition to this line of products.

The Master Model parts replace all four of the 20mm cannons that are included in the Airfix kit. It is necessary to remove and use the breaches from the kit parts but the barrels can be discarded. Assembly is straightforward and documented on the instruction card contained in the Master Model package.

One begins by removing the breach from the original Airfix cannons and by drilling a receiving hole in each breach. The depth and diameter of the receiving hole can be determined by identifying the locating pin on the brass barrel part that butts up against the breach.

In this new offering from Osprey Publishing, author Brad Elward (and Illustrator Paul Wright) introduce the reader to the fascinating world of the Nimitz-class aircraft carriers of the United States Navy. Having served aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) and USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72), I quickly volunteered for this review when the book came out in a review list. As I possess a fair amount of knowledge on this subject myself, I am always looking to learn more about these magnificent ships, their history, and where the Navy plans to go in the future.

In this new offering from Casemate Publishing, authors Thomas Newdick and Tom Cooper, provide the modern aviation enthusiast with two-hundred full color aircraft drawings and forty photographs of everything flown today by squadrons around the globe. In the one hundred and ninety-two informative pages, there are some fifty-thousand words of text providing information on not just the aircraft themselves, but also on the branch of service for the country using them. The book is logically divided up by regions for the chapters, and then by countries within the regions. The opening page for each chapter shows a color line-drawing map for the region with the counties being covered within shown, making the book educational for geography as well as for the aircraft.

The chapters, as mentioned, are broken into regions as follows:

This kit is listed as “My First Model Kit” and I wanted to get my grandson into modeling, so I thought this should be a good kit to introduce the hobby to my just turned 6 grandson. Well, things did not go as I had hoped. There are no age recommendations on the box, but most of the other kits on the shelf state 8 years old or older even for the snap tight kits. Now I know why. My grandson’s fine motor skills were not developed enough to handle a sprue cutter and his attention span was not long enough even to handle this kit (from start to finish no more than 2 hours). So I ended up finishing the model myself and getting him introduced to the painting and decal portion of the project. Below is listed what was done and how:

Matt Swan keeps providing us with more modeling blessing on the 4^th installment of his instructional series. The scope of this set is water dioramas and salt chipping technique. The subject is a 1/48 Tamiya Rufe and a nice beach scene, including everything you can imagine, even scale fish in the water!

Towards the end of his 3^rd set, Matt shows how to build some simple bases to display your model. This time he goes into town showing step-by-step how to create a base, a sandy beach, foliage and more importantly: water. That is not all, as he will build a Japanese float-plane and show how to replicate paint chips using the ‘salt chipping’ technique.

Before showing how to build a diorama, Matt devotes some time to cover the tools and materials needed to build a diorama, including where you can get most of them and some comments regarding the cost of them.

Editor's note: This kit is from Dragon's Cyber-Hobby line

The Ilyushin Il-2 Sturmovik was a ground-attack aircraft produced by the Soviet Union in the Second World War. Soviet sources give the number produced as over 36,000. It is regarded as the most formidable aircraft of WWII and best ground attack aircraft of all.

The aircraft’s engine, cockpit, radiators, and fuel tanks were protected by a steel “tub “designed to be an integral part of the load-bearing frame. This design made it ideal for its low-level ground attack and anti-tank roles.

The Il-2m3 (Type 3) version was introduced in 1943 in the battle of Stalingrad. It was so successful that the Soviets produced this version more than all the others. It was armed with two 23-mm Vya cannons and two 7.62-mm ShKAS machine guns in the wings. The rear gunner operated a 12.7-mm UBT machine gun. It could carry various combinations of rockets and bombs.

This book tells the story of the first fighter aircraft from Sweden’s SAAB. The unconventional, pusher propeller, twin boomed SAAB J-21 and its jet powered development, the J-21R As one who has a fondness for unusual aircraft I am really grateful to finally have a book that covers this aircraft.

The book begins with the development of the aircraft and its related systems. Of special importance was the development of an ejection seat so that the pilot could exit and clear the pusher propeller in an emergency. This is followed by operational histories of its use with the various squadrons. The coverage of the propeller driven J-21 concludes with 25 pages of color photos of the two surviving J-21s presented in a “walk-around” style. In addition to many fine exterior shots, there is extensive photo coverage of the cockpit. Lastly, we are treated to six pages of color profiles of various operational J-21s

Osprey’s Aircraft of the Aces series continues to be a great resource for the modeler and historian. This edition is no different. Written by noted historian, researcher, fellow modeler and editor of the IPMS/USA Journal, Chris Bucholtz, this soft bound book features 96 pages of information, stories, black and white photographs, and color profiles, featuring such noted pilots as Chuck Yeager, Bud Anderson, Kit Carson, and John England to name a few. The 357^th featured some of the brightest colored Mustangs in the ETO.

The book follows the unit from its inception in 1942 with P-39s until the end of the war flying the latest P-51Ds. The unit produced 42 aces, more than any other unit in Europe, and it did this in just over a year of combat flying.

CALLING ALL THUNDERBIRDS! CALLING ALL THUNDERBIRDS! I must admit that I vaguely remember the Thunderbirds show, but if you do or are just a fan of Gerry Anderson shows you will love this book. The 3^rd volume in the series it comes in at 100 pages with 9 different models. The models are as follows:

Northrop Grumman’s RQ-4B Global Hawk was conceived in the early 1990’s as part of the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency’s initiative to develop and field advanced concept technology demonstrator (ACTD) unmanned aerospace vehicles (UAVs). By the late 1990’s ACTD versions of the Global Hawk were demonstrating the viability of the concept of High Altitude Endurance (HAE) UAVs in some reconnaissance roles similar to those held by the legendary but venerable U-2. As the United States found itself fully engaged in the War on Terror in 2001, the need for additional HAE reccee assets became acute, and the ACTD design was rapidly advanced into the operational RQ-4A embodiment. As the merits of the RQ-4 crystallized in combat operations, a larger and more capable RQ-4B version was developed to assume even more of the roles traditionally shouldered by the U-2.

The Model

The SU-85 is a Russian tank destroyer that has a massive 85-mm gun, and was capable of taking out nearly every foe it came across. The tank did not have a moving turret so it made it easy for the Russians to build. It was powered with a V-2 12-cylinder diesel engine that could reach speeds of 34-mph on rough roads. There were roughly 2,050 destroyers built from 1943 until late 1944. It was mainly used in the battle of Kursk, as well as being heavily used from December 1943 to counter-attack German Panthers and Tiger Tanks.

The Kit

The kit contained 4 bags, one with the main body of the tank, one that contained 4 sprues marked A.B, C, and D, a bag with the tracks, and hardware required. The fourth bag contained 6 Russian soldiers to assemble. The kit also came with Tamiya weathering master for Russian Tanks.

This is the first SU-85 I have ever built, and the first Military vehicle I have built in a very long time.

Contents:

• Mig 29 9-13 Part One (editor: build article)
• Marin [sic] B-26 B55 Marauder Part Two (editor: build article)
• Marin [sic] B-26 Marauder (editor: history of this classic WWII bomber)
• IPMS/USA Nationals (editor: captioned photo spread; no editorial content)
• AVIA B-534 Cover Article (editor: 1/32 resin kit from HpH Models)
• Su-15TM Flagon F (editor: Trumpeter kit build, 1/72 scale)
• Air Born (editor: new releases)
• Messerschmitt Bf.109 E4 (editor: build article)

This publication bills itself as “SHOWCASING THE VERY BEST IN SCALE AIRCRAFT MODELLING”. Believe it! Everything about this publication is Quality (note capital “Q”).

Anyone who has ever worked with photo-etched parts knows the most frustrating part is attaching it to the model part. Especially if it is very nice color photo-etch. Well, Eduard, the leading photo-etch maker, has come to the rescue. Eduard started the color photo-etch revolution, and now has taken to making those same color parts self-adhesive. Two new sets in this S.A. (Self Adhesive) line are for the 1/48 Hasegawa SH-3 Sea King helicopter.

The includes the color cockpit details, as well as a second fret containing detail parts for rest of the cabin interior including jumpseat, grab handles, equipment stacks, and various panels. As with all Eduard products, the detail is well rendered, and the parts are cleanly etched and easy to work with.

Aires has long been known for their superb resin detail sets. Recently, Aires launched a new detail set line known as Wheelliant. The new line uses a smooth cast resin that captures even the minutest details. Sculpting in multi-piece, highly detailed sets, the new line offers modelers an excellent alternative to kit parts.

This is the second book in the MMP Stratus “Military Collections of the World” series. It begins with a short, 9 page illustrated history of the Aberdeen Proving Ground and the Museum, and the rest of the book is dedicated to a photo documentation of the museum’s exhibits.

The first 9 pages show the Museum’s inside exhibits, uniforms, small arms, small artillery pieces and one or two smaller vehicles, and the rest of the book shows the portion of the collection stored outside. There are at least two views of each vehicle or field piece, and some commentary, in English, about the vehicle displayed.

Often the exhibit’s provenance is given, and some comments about its condition. I found the book engrossing as I had no idea that Aberdeen’s collection was so varied. The photos are of good quality, and will be of use to the modeler, though they do not provide the level of coverage which the super-detailers amongst us crave.

Philip Reed is an accomplished British master modeler of large-scale, museum-quality (or better) ship models. Although web searches and some book selling sites spell his first name with two Ls, his name is Philip with one L. Trained as an artist, and having a teaching career gives Philip the right background for this book. Philip started scratch-building WWI and WWII warships and switched to a long and successful career building sailing ship models. Philip Reed has at least three other books explaining how he builds wooden sailing ships. This book details his return to building WW2 steel warships from scratch – no kit used. Everything was made by hand from raw materials, with a sprinkling of generic photoetch brass. His latest book, Waterline Warships- An Illustrated Masterclass, is from Seaforth Publishing, a venerable British publishing house obviously devoted to nautical books.

The Me-163 Komet is the only rocket-powered aircraft ever seeing combat. The whole combat history of this unique point-defense interceptor is covered by this book of the Aviation Elite Series as it only served with JG400.

The book is structured in five chapters, the first one covering the Me-163 development and the following four covering the operational service of 1.Staffel, 2.Staffel, I.Gruppe, and II.Gruppe respectively. It also has a series of appendixes covering unit organization, selected biographies, operational flight logs for each Me-163 and a very interesting appendix regarding the armament, including the use of SG 500 Jägerfaust, a recoilless mortar-style weapon which was fired vertically.

Deriving its name from its country of origin, the 458 Italia is the latest from the Ferrari stable. All the usual things you would expect from a Ferrari are there including incredible performance (top speed over 200 mph) and styling that makes it look fast just standing still. There are some firsts for Ferrari including no floor shifter and direct fuel injection. The gear changes are handled by paddle shifters coupled to a dual clutch, 7-speed transmission. A former Ferrari team driver Michael Schumacher helped design the interior layout. Cooling air is introduced by some clever intakes around the headlamps and behind the rear quarter windows. Another neat innovation is the airflow vanes in the front grille that actually deflect as speed increases to reduce drag. The 458 has been in the news lately for a rash of fires that destroyed several cars. The problem was traced to a wheel well adhesive that couldn’t take the heat.

The folks at Quickboost continue to add superb detail sets to their growing catalog of items. For this review I will be looking at the exhaust detail set for the 1/72 Hasegawa G8N1 Renzan.

The Hasegawa 1/72 G8N1 Renzan has been on the market for many years, in several different boxings. The molds for each issue of the kit are the same, so this exhaust upgrade set will work with any of the G8N1 kits you may have in your collection.

The Japanese WWII G8N1 Renzan Bomber was a late war Japanese WWII found-engine Bomber project. The initial prototype was completed late in 1944, and several test flights were made before the war ended. Perhaps the most recognized image of a Renzan is the photo in orange paint scheme in captured US Markings.

For those of you interested in World War One aviation you are probably familiar with Windsock Worldwide, a publication of Albatros Publications, Ltd. out of the U.K. If you are a modeler of World War One aviation and not familiar then you might check them out at your soonest. In addition to their bi-monthly Windsock magazine, Windsock publishes “Data Files” dealing, in detail, with specific single subjects. The bi-monthly Windsock magazine deals with more than one WW-I aircraft subject and always includes at least one highly competent and detailed review and build article. As a modelling publication and reference series on WW-I aviation subjects they are second to none, unequivocally.

This, being the third release (all written by Jim Sullivan) of the “Corsair in Action” series, I was curious and pulled the previous releases for comparison purposes. Not surprisingly, the quality level became better with each book marketed. The first one (1029) consisted of 50 pages, the second one (1145) offered 58 pages and aside from front and rear covers and the center spread, there was no color within. The latest offering contains 64 pages, and is loaded with both color photos and profiles, artwork by Dan Greer. I find the format similar to the “walk around” series also from Squadron Signal.

The text is well written and begins with the early “bent wing birds” during the golden age of aviation, proceeds through the “Birdcage” versions and each later mark and dash number is portrayed. Not only military aircraft (U.S. and other), but the Air Racers are covered along with other survivors.

Background

The Schwere Wehrmachtschlepper (SWS) was a heavy half track manufactured by Bussing-NAG and Tatra from December, 1943 to March, 1945. To streamline production, the SWS was simple to produce when compared to the Sdkfz 251 series. Approximately 825 were built. Beginning in mid-1944, an armored cab version was introduced and utilized for mobile flak guns. While this vehicle may not qualify as a paper panzer, it’s pretty close. I found one very fuzzy photograph on line, so it did exist; however there are no production figures for the variant depicted in this kit and so one can only assume that the numbers were low.

Designed for the Hasegawa kit this wheel well set is molded in light grey blemish and bubble free resin. The set includes two wheel wells and the six landing gear doors. Not included is the tail wheel well. The detail inside of the wheel wells is remarkable and suitably impressive. The hydraulic plumbing is very well represented. The actuators are represented and the modeler will have to use a wire to show the moveable part but that is very easy for any modeler.

Although designed for the Hasegawa kit this set should fit the Academy F4U-5 as well. I’m not familiar with any significant differences in the wheel wells. With careful painting the detail included should be quite noticeable.

Highly recommended

Thanks to Aires and IPMS/USA for the review copy

During World War II, one of the most publicized branches of the German armed forces was the U-Boat Command. At the beginning of the war, the submarine service was unprepared for the conflict to come, and as the war began, a rapid expansion took place, with U-boat construction and crew training assuming a rapid pace. The Germans never had enough U-boats, and as the war progressed, the Allies were able to develop countermeasures, such as long range aircraft, convoy escorts, and the decoding of German Enigma traffic, which slowed down and eventually overcame the effectiveness of the U-boats against Allied shipping. Although over 1,100 U-boats were built, over 800 were unsuccessful or never saw action, but nevertheless, only 30 U-boat commanders accounted for about 800 of the total of about 3,000 merchant and naval vessels sunk by U-boats during the course of the war. And tragically, of the 38,000 men that went to sea in U-boats, only 8000 survived the war.

OK, so the real kit name is Pz.Kpfw.VI Ausf.E Tiger I Initial Production s.Pz.Abt.502 Leningrad Region 1942/43, but I was not going to squeeze that in above. This is another very impressive release from Dragon in 1/72 scale, and as with my other reviews in this scale, the level of detail is on par with what the company does in 1/35 scale. This release also includes a fret of photoetched parts, a length of wire to make tow cables with, and one-piece Dragon Styrene tracks.

One of the problems of plastic is the lack of detail that can be achieved with it. That is where resin reproduces the finest detail. That is what this set does, provide exquisite detail where plastic can’t. This set is a drop in replacement for the kit part. Molded in light grey resin without a bubble anywhere this little set is a very nice addition with lots of molded in detail. Sand the back of the part and a paint job is all that is required to make this part jump to life.

Highly recommended

Thanks to Quickboost and IPMS/USA for the review copy

You can obtain your copy from your local hobby shop or by contacting Quickboost at www.quickboost.net.

The ICM Hs-126 is a nice kit. The exhausts on the kit are just solid pieces of plastic. These little gems, molded perfectly in light grey resin, feature hollowed out ends that I would not be able to do on my own. There is no doubt these will add to the look. Simply remove them from the pour blocks and paint. A simple, yet effective, upgrade set for the Hs-126.

Highly recommended.

Thanks to Quickboost and IPMS/USA for the review copy

You can obtain your copy from your local hobby shop or by contacting Quickboost at www.quickboost.net.

The exhausts on the Italeri Mc.200 are solid piece of plastic with little detail. Quickboost’s offering features deep hollowed exhaust stacks which only need to be removed and painted to bring them to life. The exhausts are direct replacements for the kit items.

Highly recommended

Thanks to Quickboost and IPMS/USA for the review copy

You can obtain your copy from your local hobby shop or by contacting Quickboost at www.quickboost.net.

The new Cyberhobby Bf-110s are some of the finest versions of this famous aircraft but even they could use some resin to make them even better.

These little gems are molded in light grey resin without a bubble anywhere. The level of detail far exceeds what is in the kit. These parts are easy enough to add. Simply remove them and substitute them for parts K12 and K13. The only thing these need to make them outstanding is a good paint job. Granted they will be mostly hidden but I think that they add to the look of the finished model.

I like to upgrade cockpits and wheel wells so this set is perfect for me. So if you are like me you will ‘need’ these.

Highly recommended

Thanks to Quickboost and IPMS/USA for the review copy

You can obtain your copy from your local hobby shop or by contacting Quickboost at www.quickboost.net.

Titanic, no other ship’s name can conjure up so many images in one’s mind. The ship was the epitome of luxury, affluence and status. The tragedy of the loss of over 1500 souls; the love of Ida and Isador Straus, who would not be separated and chose to go down with the ship together rather than one should live apart from the other; or of the ships remains broken and battered on the ocean floor.

The world’s most famous ship is also one of the most modeled ocean going vessels of all time. This book covers one man’s journey building a scratch built 1/48 scale 18 foot long model of RMS Titanic. The book opens with a brief history of the loss of the ship and a discussion of builder’s models of the Titanic and her sister’s Olympic and Britannic before launching into the meat of the subject.

Given the tactical organization of the Regia Aeronautica during World War II, this book covers the story of all the different Gruppi that were part of the 53 Stormo during World War II. The Regia Aeronautica organized their units in the basis of a Squadriglia, (Squadron) with strength of 9 to 12 airplanes. Two or three Squadriglie would form a Gruppo (Group) and two or three Gruppi would form a Storm (Wing). Often there would be autonomous Gruppi and sometimes even Squadriglie assigned to different front or sector.

The Gruppi described in this book are the 150 Gruppo “Gigi Tre Osei”, 151 Gruppo “Asso di Spade”and 153 Gruppo “Asso di Bastoni”. Also 157 Gruppo was attached to 53 Stormo briefly and therefore included in the book.

A huge “thanks!” to our friends at Aires; they continue to provide IPMS USA with plenty of review opportunities for upgrades to our favorite aircraft…!

This is a simple conversion to the Hasegawa kit parts. Included are augmenter burner cans, turbine faces with integral mounting pegs to fit the Hasegawa kit, flameholders in photoetch, and the nozzles themselves. Instructions are clear and clean on the standard blue folded sheet, showing exactly what is needed to install the parts. The nozzles, a major feature of the F-22, are intended to be shown in this case in the “open” position.

This allows one to look directly down the exhaust and view the excellent detail provided by this set.

As you can see in the composite kit provided parts photo the kit turbines are not detailed other than having the flameholders; no turbine detail is provided. The kit augmenter cans are two-sided items requiring the usual filling of a seam as would be expected in the case.

The P-39 was a marvel of engineering with a mid-mounted engine and a primary gun firing through the propeller hub. Because the US Army Air Corps wanted to save money, the supercharger originally fitted to the prototype was removed. This decision almost doomed the aircraft. The US no longer wanted it for a fighter role and the British summarily dismissed it altogether. Many of the airframes went to the Soviets under a lend-lease agreement where they found their niche as ground attack aircraft and low altitude fighters. This particular kit represents one of those lend-lease aircraft.

For the uninitiated, Halinski paper models are often referred to as the “Tamiya” of paper models. They are that good. Anyone who thinks paper models cannot rival plastic needs to experience one of these before making a conclusion.

The Aircraft

The Kawasaki T-4 came out in the late 1980s as a replacement for the Lockheed T-33s and Fuji T-1s in the intermediate trainer role. One of the reasons for the T-4 appears to be that it is built in Japan from mostly Japanese sources.

The T-4 is the third aircraft flown by the JASDF’s Blue Impulse demonstration team. The first two were the F-86 and a Mitsubishi T-2.

The Kit

The box contains two sprues of bright white plastic, with a clear sprue which has enough clear parts to do two kits. This makes perfect sense when you remember that Platz 1/144 kits are “twofers”, 2 kits in one box. All parts are cleanly molded with no flash. As I did the assembly, I noted that there are no warps, mold flaws or short shots anywhere. The decals are by Cartograf of Italy.

On 14 & 15 February 1943 elements of the US 1^st Armored Division was severely handled in a serious of engagements by elements of the Fifth Panzer Armee and of Rommel’s Panzer Armee Africa. This publication covers the results of these first encounters.

The publication, published in A4 soft cover format, is primarily a photographic collection of pictures captured from the German archives. The photos were taken while many of the subjects were still burning on the battlefield. They are drawn from a collection taken by German Propaganda Companies, their equivalent of US Army Combat Camera Teams. Although the photos consist of destroyed US tanks and tank destroyers, no dead bodies appear in any of the pictures.

Whenever Italeri announced they were releasing a 1/48 model of the Israeli C1/C2 Kfir, I really got excited. I thought that my prayers had finally been answered for getting a good 1/48 Kfir kit. But then I started thinking. Italeri has been famous over the last few years of rereleasing the old ESCI and other kits with a beautiful box and a great decal sheet.

Basically, this is a catalog of the Tamiya Paint line in a soft bound, in a ninety-six page format. The book is in Japanese; however there are English captions under the paint chips. The book is divided into sections of colors for cars, metallic’s, clear coats, primary colors and AFV’s/aircraft/ships by nationality.

Also included are photo instructions of masking techniques for those modelers who don’t have an airbrush but rely on hand brushing and spray cans. They are broken down into aircraft, armor and ships. As an added plus there are pictures of their fine line of tools, tape, weathering kits.

This book would be very welcome to any modeler who uses Tamiya paint. It’s a handy reference to have on hand before going down to the local hobby shop or ordering mail order because you know what color you will want and its number.

Czech manufacturer Eduard keeps expanding its Brassin line of aftermarket details this time with the release of the ejection seat for the KP Su-7 in 1/48^th scale. A while back Eduard re-boxed the KP kit adding some aftermarket goodies, including this seat.

The seat is now available as a stand-alone upgrade for those that already have the KP kit in their collection. In my opinion, the seat is the weakest point of the whole (original) plastic cockpit and Eduard is offering us the solution.

Eduard provides you with 2 exquisitely molded resin pieces and a pre-colored photo-etch fret for seatbelts and other minor placards and color details.

Before I get onto reviewing this model, I would like to give a little back ground information about this aircraft.

The Messerschmitt Bf110 served in the Luftwaffe throughout WWII. Even though it wasn’t very popular with the German pilots at that time it was developed into a successful night fighter, in spite of its poor handling characteristics. Later on it was realized what a great night fighter it really was and soon became the backbone of the German Luftwaffe night fighter wing of WWII.Some of these units were formed as early as 1940.

In August/September 1943, Bf110 aircraft shot down over 2700 RAF bombers. Also, in just one night, without fighter cover, these aircraft destroyed at least 120 RAF bombers. The Bf110D was a long-range heavy fighter and/or fighter-bomber, while the improved and up-armored Bf110E was designed primarily as a fighter-bomber.

Basically this Life Raft Container kit contains three grey resin pieces on one resin casting block. One piece is the cylindrical container, the next is the raft itself and finally, the last is the cover. These pieces can be painted quickly and easily. The assembly is nothing more than cutting a round hole on the side of the fuselage where the container and cover would go. The container is glued from the inside and the cover can be shown in the open position with the raft showing or any position you can think of for your own diorama setting. The included directions illustrate where the hole is cut and also provide a template as to the diameter of the hole to be cut.

I know some people don’t like to cut into their kits “skin” but this is not difficult at all.

I would highly recommend this addition for any level of modeling skills that you may have and definitely great for beginners to build confidence.

For Star Trek fans [trekkers], the recent re-releases of the AMT line of Star Trek models has been welcomed with open arms. The re-releases feature all new decals, and in some cases, some new tooling. The Vulcan Shuttle is no exception. First seen in "Star Trek: the Motion Picture", the shuttle Surak is most known for delivering Cmdr. Spock to the newly refitted USS Enterprise NCC-1701. The original release of the Surak featured only a few decals, leaving the modeler the task of masking and painting the complex paneling. Round 2’s new release of the shuttle has solved this.

First comment: Thanks to Richard at Wingnut wings for sending IPMS USA a review copy of this magnificent kit. Did I say it was “Magnificent”? You better believe it!

Crammed into a sturdy double-corrugated lower, full-color wraparound upper box is undoubtedly one of the most complex, yet simple-to-build, WWI kits I have ever encountered. Box art is excellent, showing two aircraft flying through flak and dropping bombs… Given the reputation of this still-young company, you don’t have to worry. There has been a bit of engineering involved here (duh) to provide excellent fit and, as our British friends say, “Value for Money”.

Quickboost recently released a set of detail parts for the 1/72 Tamiya P-47D that shows their unique focus on accuracy. Set QB 72 282 provides model builders with a pair of oil coolers that will not only add an often-overlooked detail, but also correct a distortion that is molded into the kit fuselage parts. Tamiya’s practice of simplifying kit construction usually leads to molding as much detail as possible into major parts. This sometimes leads to less than perfect shapes here and there (such as those oval shaped rivet depressions along the mating surfaces of both fuselage halves).

The oil cooler louvres molded into the kit’s fuselage halves are incorrectly angled upward so they will release from the molds. This inaccuracy becomes very obvious when the kit's parts are compared to the Quickboost replacement parts (as shown in the photo below).

Construction

Edward has produced an E-2C Hawkeye photo-etched cockpit installation and seat detail system, pre-finished and with adhesive backing. Photo-etched parts were in perfect condition. The instructions were excellent for the most part, but I believe they forgot to show where the face air outlets (eye balls) and fire warning instrument system were located. Per my research, I placed it below the overhead eyebrow. The parts were easy to install. Make sure the instruments, control pedestal and side consoles are filed flat, removing the instruments molded in the details before adding the new panels. A word of caution: some patience is required when installing the throttle, flap, and steering controls, as they contain many tiny parts.

Comments

This kit is recommended for the experienced modeler, due to the numerous tiny parts.

This set consists of 11 resin and 19 photoetch parts, and one sheet of film from which 4 parts are to be cut. There are two more each of photoetch and resin than are shown on the instructions, but there was no issue with assembly. The set is intended to replace the cockpit floor, seat, sidewalls and instrument panels which come with the Academy kit. I confirmed that it will also fit the Tamiya E-3, and with some more drastic surgery, could be made to fit even the Hobbycraft kit.

The first pictures are of the packaging and the set’s parts and then a shot of the kit’s fuselage halves, from which you will have to remove the sidewalls. I do not picture the process here, but it can easily be seen that the Aries sidewalls are much nicer. The kit cockpit floor and seat are also very simple.

Masking to paint a kit canopy can be a pretty complex and time consuming thing. Not to mention possible (probable) paint bleed under the mask to mess-up the clear areas. Eduard has a solution for this in the form of a sheet of die-cut masks for specific aircraft. This set is for the Hasegawa 1/32 scale Bf 109F-4.

You get a small (1-7/8” x 2-5/8”) rectangle of a very thin, tough material on a peel away surface. The die-cuts are almost invisible and I had to hold them at an angle to my light source to actually see the individual pieces. That is precision!

Well, then, now here’s a set of photoetch that I can really get into: pre-painted seatbelts with the straps, buckles, adjusters, and quick-releases. The set includes the lap belt and shoulder harness.

The quality of the workmanship by Eduard shows through on these and I am anxious to do my Tamiya Spitfire using them. By the way, this set appears to be identical (with the exception of the color) to Eduard’s set 32667 (Spitfire Mk.IX late seatbelts) and thus interchangeable. Good to know if you can’t find the specific set you are looking for.

While I love to look at completed and installed photoetch assemblies, I often feel that they are the bane of my existence. A love-hate relationship if you will. The carpet in my hobby-cave gets more than its share of them. This set is pretty simple and most of the parts are within my skill level size. They will surely beat the old masking tape/foil straps and fuse wire hardware I used to use.

If some of this review seems like déjà vu all over again, it is, as this is the second time that I have been afforded the opportunity to review a Master Box BMW R75 motorcycle. But there are some great changes with this release. Included in this delivery is a photoetch fret containing parts to build up the wheel spokes, as well as five figures (two Russian and three German). A separate sheet is included for instructions on the wheel assemblies, with directions for assembling the figures shown on the back side of the box; along with a photo of the parts sprue for them.

I am still very impressed by what the folks at Master Box have released, as this remains a solid representation of the R75.

History Brief

The type 97 medium tank Chi-Ha, designed in 1936, was the most widely produced Japanese medium tank of WW II. Its turret was fashioned with 26-mm thick armor sides and 33-mm on its gun shield. Its 57-mm main gun had already been proven in the early model Type 89 medium tank. It also sported a pair of 7.7-mm machine guns. Powered by a 170-hp Mitsubishi diesel it had a top speed of about 23-24 mph. Weighing in at 17.4 tons [US], it was the most effective medium tank the Japanese had.

Although suitable for other 1:32 scale kits, this Master barrel set is aimed at the new Wingnut Wings WWI two-seater aircraft such as the Hansa-Brandenburg W.29 or the LVG kits. Meant as a turned brass barrel replacement, along with a carry handle, side bracket and sights in PE brass, the parts are finely made and, other than the two barrel parts, very tiny.

Installation is simple. Cut off the plastic barrel assembly, drill out an appropriately sized hole, assemble the brass barrel and cooling jacket and CA them into the hole. The rest is not so simple.

Working with the tiny photoetched parts for the carry handle, sights and side bracket is frustratingly difficult. The handle has little contact area to glue to the cooling jacket, once you get it bent into proper shape. Some reviewers have said these are meant to be soldered; I think that would be an easy path to madness,

This kit consists of a set of 122mm ammunition and their transportation crates. Included in the kit are 6 identical sprues with one set of decals for the markings on both the ammo and the crates. You can make either a BR-471 APHE shell and its corresponding crate or OF-471 High Explosive fragmentation shell and its crate. You can make all of one type or a mixture of both. I built 3 of each type.

The construction of the crates is fairly straightforward. There are two sequences to follow according to which type of shell you want to build. I followed the instructions exactly on the first crate and found it was not as easy as I had expected. So I changed the sequence as follows:

Editor's note: This is a combined product review using Formations and Celticwerks kits as described by author. Both products are noted as "Special Order" by author. Contact product manufacturers as noted. Formations parts are noted by author as $12.00 .

HISTORY AND PERFORMANCE

The Pz. Kpfw. III Ausf. E was the first in the series to go into extended production. 96 vehicles were manufactured from December 1938 until October 1939. Additional armor was included, along with the standardization of six road wheels per side, while the main armament consisted of the 37 mm KwK L/46.5, along with two 7.92 mm MG34 mounted in the turret, plus a single 7.92 mm MG34 mounted in the front of the hull. This tank saw service in Poland, France, and Greece.

In 1936, the Royal Air Force reorganized into a series of task-specific commands; the most famous were Fighter Command and Bomber Command, which played very public roles in the defeat of Nazi Germany. However, another, perhaps more vital battle was being fought by an unsung command over the frigid waters of the North Sea and North Atlantic – Coastal Command. Its role in defeating the U-boat threat and keeping the seas open for vital supply convoys to reach Britain enabled the beleaguered country to weather the nadir of the war in 1941-2, allowing the US to resupply the British armed forces and build up her own troop strength on British soil prior to the liberation of mainland Europe. That important role has been largely unsung over the years, earning the Command the nickname of the ‘Cinderella Service’ that inspired the title of the book.

This decal sheet initially has you scratching your head about whose sheet it really is. It’s a SuperScale International sheet, with Squadron Products logo on the bottom of it, and it’s printed by Cartograf ion Italy. It doesn’t really matter, because it is a really well done sheet. It features markings for two very colorful Harriers. The VMA-214 bird bears Pappy Boyington’s markings and is in a different than normal two tone grey scheme, FS36118 and FS35237 with a black fin and black wing tanks. The VMA-211 bird is in the same two tone grey scheme with a bright red fin trimmed in yellow. The instruction sheet is in full color, which is a nice touch, and there are enough stencil data to allow you to do both aircraft. You have to really pay attention to all of the marginal notes, because all of the marking data is on one side of the crowded instruction sheet.

History: (taken from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

The USS Chevalier was a Gearing Class Destroyer, the second ship to be named after Lcdr. Godfrey De Chevalier (1889-1922), a pioneer of Naval Aviation. She was launched 29 October 1944 at Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine. She was commissioned 9 January 1945 with Cdr. F. Wolsieffer in Command.

She cleared her trials in June 1945 and reached Pearl Harbor on 9 July 1945. On the 24th she sailed to join the bombardment of Wake Island which occurred on 1 August 1945. Arriving in Eniwetok the next day she joined Task Force 38 (TF38). She sailed the next day for Honshu and arrived on 18 Aug 1945. TF38 entered Tokyo Bay on 26 Aug 1945 to take part in the Surrender of Japan and the end of WWII.