Book Author(s)
Robert Forczyk, illustrations by Peter Dennis
Review Author
Jim Pearsall
Published on
August 16, 2012
Company
Osprey Publishing
MSRP
$21.95

Well, it’s another of those books about a little known battle of World War II, but as I read this book, I became convinced that it was important for several reasons.

Demyansk is a small town in Russia which sits about halfway between Moscow and Leningrad. This position makes the battle important. The Wehrmacht had punched through the Soviet armies in the western Soviet Union, and made fast advances toward both Leningrad and Moscow. Because the terrain west of Demyansk is mostly swamps and marshes, the advance in the areas between Moscow and Leningrad were slower. Also, there weren’t as many troops provided for this less important push. The OKW was certain they’d have both of the major cities shortly, so why bother with the farmland and villages between?

Review Author
Floyd S. Werner Jr.
Published on
August 16, 2012
Company
Profimodeller
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$43.75

This is the first offering I’ve seen from Profimodeller, who are based in the Czech Republic. It is an ambitious first offering, designed for the Revell-Germany 1/32nd scale Ju-88 kit. This set is designed to fill in the vast open area of the tail wheel well and give you a better looking tail wheel assembly and replicate the internal structure.

The set is packaged in a sturdy cardboard box with three Ziploc baggies. The first bag contains the resin pieces which are cast in a light caramel color with no noted defects found. One of my parts was broken off the sprue but it proved to be no problem as it broke off where I would have had to cut it anyhow. The second baggie holds a myriad of white plastic styrene strips and tubing. This is simple enough to separate. The final baggie contains the Photo Etch parts. There are some large parts and some very small ones and they all appear to be perfectly etched.

Review Author
Floyd S. Werner Jr.
Published on
August 16, 2012
Company
Profimodeller
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$12.41

Want something that will set your model apart from the rest? That little something that is unique and adds visual interest? Well, Profimodeller has just the thing for your 1/32nd He-111 or Ju-88, an oxygen system complete with flak helmets and oxygen masks with straps.

You get four resin pour blocks with a German helmet, mask with hose, and some oxygen bottles. All of mine were perfectly formed and cast out of light yellow resin. A fret of photo etch provides a good amount of detail such as the suspension assemblies inside the helmets. That is the level of detail we are talking about here! Also included in the set is a length of tubing to represent the oxygen lines.

Review Author
Floyd S. Werner Jr.
Published on
August 16, 2012
Company
Profimodeller
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$29.99

On occasion there is just something that comes out that you want to say, “WOW, what a great idea!” This is one of those products and one of those occasions. The wing racks in this package are nice enough but the addition of the bomb loading system is so cool! If you build dioramas this is a set that you must have.

The set provides approximately 50 resin parts molded in light yellow resin that are perfectly cast and blemish free. That said, my two wing rack ejector systems had two sway braces broken off in transit. Not a big deal as the resin pieces are kept in a Ziploc bag. There is a small fret of photo etch pieces as well. A length of wire is included to allow the modeler to “use” the pulley system.

Review Author
Floyd S. Werner Jr.
Published on
August 16, 2012
Company
Ultracast
MSRP
$11.00

The F4U-1D, F7F Tigercat, Hellcat and the TBM-3 Avenger all used the same propeller. The Corsair needed the additional clearance for deck handling so the 13’1” Hamilton Standard prop was adopted. If you wanted to depict this or even more importantly, correct the AMT Tigercat props, you had to normally rob them from a Hellcat kit. You don’t have to do that anymore.

Review Author
Floyd S. Werner Jr.
Published on
August 16, 2012
Company
Quickboost
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$6.50

The Hobby Boss Me-262s allow you the option of having an open radio compartment. The kit parts are okay but they lack the detail that only resin can bring. Enter Quickboost. They provide the two pieces in light olive resin. There are no bubbles or blemishes anywhere. A simple wafer thin backing plate is all that will be needed to be removed. The parts are then added as the kit parts would be. Simple.

So we have an inexpensive, simple, highly detailed part for your model. That is what Quickboost is all about.

Highly recommended

Thanks to Quickboost and IPMS/USA for the review copy.

Review Author
Dan Mackay
Published on
August 16, 2012
Company
Quickboost
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$3.37

I am presently working on the new Airfix Curtiss P-40B right now, it’s built, painted and decaled all that’s left is to do a panel line wash, apply weathering and add the little bits. The Airfix kit exhausts look fine as is, however the exhaust ends are solid I suppose one could drill each out, tedious but not difficult or you can replace them with Quickboost’s new P-40B resin replacements. The ends are hollowed out so no tedious drilling and the price is low so it won’t break the bank account. The Quickboost set directly replaces the kit parts so you don’t have to modify anything. My sample was perfectly cast, no air bubbles or any blemishes of any kind. See the pictures below. I recommend this set without reservation and will be buying more of these sets in the future.

Thanks to Quickboost and to IPMS/USA for the opportunity to review this sample.

Review Author
Floyd S. Werner Jr.
Published on
August 16, 2012
Company
Quickboost
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$6.50

I love Hasegawas P-40s. I’ve built two of them and once you get over the segmented construction they are beautiful models. One extra thing to bring them to life is the exhausts. They are very prominent on the nose of the P-40, especially with the fishtail type.

Quickboost takes care of that for us modelers. What they have done is combine the three parts, two exhaust stubs and the base piece, into a single part. This will ensure that the exhaust stacks are aligned. Something that was a little difficult the way Hasegawa manufactured them. The only thing you have to be careful is that you remove them and don’t mix them up. There are right and left exhaust stacks.

The stacks are on six pieces of perfectly formed light grey resin with hollowed ends and the appropriate weld seams. Absolutely gorgeous.

Highly recommended

Thanks to Aires and IPMS/USA for the review copy.

Review Author
Floyd S. Werner Jr.
Published on
August 16, 2012
Company
Aires Hobby Models
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$16.50

The F-100 is an impressive model. I’ve built the 1/32nd scale F-100 from Trumpeter and I have to tell you that I enjoyed the entire build. I enjoyed it so much that I went out and bought all three versions of the 1/48th scale kit. It is the F-100D and F-100F that this set is designed for.

The later style speed brake had a cut out to allow its use with drop tanks and ordanence on the center line. This set is so easy to use that you would think it would be a Quickboost product. There is no cutting required. Just substitute the resin insert for the kit ones.

Review Author
Floyd S. Werner Jr.
Published on
August 16, 2012
Company
Quickboost
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$12.00

OK this is the neatest set I’ve seen in a while. You are treated to two intake covers, eight grab handles, and a decal sheet. A decal sheet? Yes printed in white lettering you can customize your cover with the squadron designation. I count over ten units before my eyes went buggy. That is a real neat treat.

The intake covers and handles are molded perfectly in light olive resin. The decal sheet has a protective cover that covers the 2.5 x 3.5 water slide decal sheet. Simply assemble the grab handles to the covers. Paint red. And then add the unit decals. You can weather them as you see fit. The real things are plastic and can get abused.

This is a great way to hide the seam on the intake trunking. Another great product from Quickboost.

Highly recommended

Thanks to Aires and IPMS/USA for the review copy. You can obtain yours by contacting www.quickboost.net or your local hobby shop or online retailer.