Warbird Decals is known just for that, its airplane and warbird decals. This release is a new venture and is for 1/24 scale cars. It features California license plates from between 1963 and 2012, and comes with the background on the color and style changes. This set contains 112 license plates covering the different styles. Eight of these are pre-lettered, but the remaining 104 are blank. Below this are the letters you use to customize the plates to your liking.

To customize a plate, pick the appropriate letters and color and cut them out. Warbird has provided a line indicating where the lettering should be located. Drop the letters on the plate (and there are great instructions on how to accomplish this) and let dry. The decal can then be applied with your own customized license plate!

The printing and alignment are superb. This set is highly recommended to all automotive modelers looking for some California Dreaming!

Eduard has masterfully downsized their 1/48 Bf-110 family to my favorite scale of 1/72. I have waited a long time for an accurate 110 in 1/72, and from what I see in the box Eduard has delivered. You get a total of 171 parts in familiar light olive plastic, clear plastic, and etch. You also get canopy masks to make life easier when painting the frames. There are five decal options. The moldings are flash-free and the panel lines are recessed and finely cast. Some parts won’t be used in this boxing and some are rendered in both plastic and etch, so you will have bits left over for the spare box or perhaps to help dress-up other Bf-110s you have in your stash. The instructions are clear and easy to follow.

Future Brief

Early in the 23rd century, the United Planets Cruiser C57-D travels to the planet Altair IV, 16 light-years from Earth, in search of the Bellerophon, a spaceship sent on an expedition 20 years earlier. Upon arrival on Altair, the crew is warned not to land or they could find themselves in harm’s way. The ship’s Commander disregards the warnings and lands anyway. Once safely on the planet, the crew observes Robby the Robot making a grand entrance driving his high speed land rover. He then invites them to visit Dr. Morbius, a survivor from the Bellerophon. This is where the ship's CO, XO, and the ship’s Doctor meet Altaira "Alta" Morbius, the daughter of Dr. Morbius.

In this book, the author covers the Civil War’s eastern theater from 1861-65 and leads you through a progressive linage of the fighting infantryman on both sides under the, quoting the book, “appalling realities of warfare in the industrial age.” You’ll follow the infantryman in the key battles such as First Bull Run/Manassas, “The Bloody Angle” Gettysburg, and Chaffin’s Farm/New Market Heights. The later battle sets focus on African American troops fighting for the union. The book further discusses in-depth the tactics and strategies used by both sides. The evolution of uniforms worn by the troops is an interesting story in itself and will surely aid the purist modeler. The diorama modeler will appreciate the interesting period b&w photographs, plus it’s packed with a wide range of colorful paintings and maps.

Quickboost is well known for creating nicely detailed drop-in replacement parts to enhance the detail of plastic models. They have released a set of gun barrels for the Mirage III, for either the Eduard or the Hobby Boss kit. It might be possible to use this set with the Italeri Mirage IIIE, but I am not sure.

The cannon barrels are perfectly cast in grey resin, with a smooth, bubble-free finish. The molding includes two side walls to prevent accidental damage of the parts while in transit or storage. Removal of the parts should be easy, with either a hobby saw, or even by scoring with a #11 blade, if you take your time.

You can compare the resin parts with the plastic ones provided in the Hobby Boss kit. The main difference you’ll see is the muzzle brake detail and a much finer cannon barrel.