During WWII, the French could not design a good-looking aircraft to save their nation; however, that changed in the post-war years. The delta wing Mirage series are beautiful aircraft based on delta wing research from Germany. Utilizing the powerful J79 engine the Kfir was a powerful fighter bomber. The C2/C7 had canards for added maneuverability, as well as more powerful avionics.

This is my first Kinetic kit, and I must say upon opening up the sturdy two-piece cardboard box I was impressed by the presentation. The kit is molded with over 180 light grey plastic parts with finely engraved panel lines. Kinetic seems to have captured the looks of the real thing. Besides the two different versions of the aircraft, there are other options – flaps up or down, canopy open or closed, airbrake opened or closed. Then there are the armament options – cluster bombs, Mk-82s, Python air-to-air missiles, fuel tanks, and all the pylons to hold them.

I’ve loved Plusmodel’s Aero Line 1/48th scale series of resin figures since reviewing the first one a while back. This one is no different. With the recent release of the Eduard and Great Wall Hobby MiG-29s, this figure couldn’t come at a better time.

Packaged in a plastic bubble pack, this perfectly cast resin figure is molded in light grey with no blemishes anywhere. It has a minimal amount of flash around the whole figure that literally just falls off when touching it. Clean up is quite easy. This figure is a single piece with a pilot wearing a flight helmet. He has a hand in his pocket and the other one at his side holding his oxygen mask. The carving of these figures is impressive. The face is the most important facet of any figure, and these Aero Line figures are perfect. The proportions of the whole figure look absolutely realistic. The pour block is easily removed with a razor saw. The single piece ensures that there are no gaps anywhere.

Nowhere in the world has the clash of East vs. West hardware been more hard fought than the Middle East. Soviet arms were first supplied to Egypt in the 1950s. Since then, Soviet hardware as flourished throughout the region. This hardback, detailing such Soviet-supplied arms in the form of warplanes, is printed on high quality paper with over 375 photos, most being in color. The book is broken down into chapters by country, including Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel (yes, Israel too), Jordon, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, UAE, and Yemen.

I always like to add figures to my builds to obtain a sense of scale. ICM has provided some of the best figures in plastic for some time. Their latest release is aimed at Father Winter and the German Luftwaffe.

They come packaged in a sturdy cardboard box with a beautiful painting of the figures on the front of the box top. A single sprue of light tan plastic is packed in a re-sealable plastic bag. Five figures and various components of a German airfield are included on the sprue. I could find no flash, and the faces, which are the basis of a good figure, are beautifully rendered.

Scale Aircraft Conversions is an aftermarket company that makes replacement white metal landing gear. According to their website they try to fix any inaccuracies in kit parts or to provide additional support due to the weight of the kit. They provide replacement landing gear for scales from 1/24th to 1/144th scale.

The pieces included in this set are the two main landing (MLG), two MLG retraction struts, nose gear, nose gear retraction struts, and the nose gear door linkage.

Hobby Boss continues to expand it locomotive series in 1/72 scale by adding the German Br.86. There are over 220 parts on 7 sprues and an independently molded cab (probably with slide mold technology). One of the sprues is molded in clear for the cab windows. Along with the above-listed parts and sprues there is a display base. You have two marking options, a military one in field gray and a civilian locomotive in the typical red and black.

The overall surface detail is excellent and very delicate. I was surprised to see how fine the steam pipes were in the boiler sides. Overall fit is superb and I did not need to use filler anywhere, except in a spot where I damaged the part (i.e., my own fault).

Having built the original release of the Moebius Models Iron Man Mk. II, I jumped at the opportunity to review the “updated” Mk. III kit. Prior to the kit’s arrival, I knew it was based on the original, but with an updated pose. When the kit arrived, I was pleased, yet also slightly disappointed.

Eduard now offers a mask set for Cyber Hobby’s recently released Bf-109E-3 kit. The set provides multiple pieces for masking the clear parts and wheels. Like other Eduard mask sets, it is made of Kabuki tape (similar to Tamiya’s masking tape) and provides precut masks for the kit’s windscreen, canopy, and wheels. The masks will adhere well to any flat or curved surface, so masking is easily accomplished and the masks can be removed after paining is completed. A simple instruction sheet is included to guide the masking process. This set should make masking most parts and painting a reasonably quick process with little or no drama.

From 1940 until the end of the Second World War, the Long Range Desert Group (LRDG) provided stealthy reconnaissance patrols in Western Europe and North Africa. The vehicle most commonly associated with these groups, particularly when they were in North Africa, is the Chevrolet truck depicted in this kit. Captured weapons were often used and, in this case, we have a 2cm Italian Breda cannon.

The kit is composed of 72 parts on three sprues of soft grey plastic and one decal sheet. The parts are fragile, especially the 2cm Breda cannon, so care should be taken when removing them from the sprue. There’s a color profile and decals for two vehicles.

First, the usual “THANK YOU!” to Ross at SAC for providing IPMS USA this review set. Said it before and will again, it’s companies like SAC supporting us that keep the hobby interesting and viable. And thanks to the leadership at IPMS USA from me for allowing an old guy, once again, to babble on about a great product, which was graciously provided for my use… Steve, Dick, Paul, and the rest, you are doing a great job.

SAC metal gear – what can you say? Perfection is a good starting point. This set is intended to be a total, drop-in replacement for the kit plastic. You get all three main gear, nose and wing mounted, and associated actuating cylinders. The detail is as good as the real thing, and the strength of the new gear is truly appreciated.

This update set is typical Aires, coming in a sturdy plastic package with foam backing and instructions tucked between the cardboard back and plastic. First impression – how crisp the detail is on the electronics bay as well as the access doors. Mold release is non-existent; however, I still recommend washing the resin before use.

Compared to the Kitty Hawk kit parts, the Aires bay is much deeper than the kit bay, which is very shallow. The kit part features are very crude while the Aires set has far more detail and is very sharp. The kit’s access doors exteriors do not look much different from Aires’ except for the air inlet scoop. The inside of the doors is where the update really shines. There is no detail in the Kitty Hawk parts, while the Aires doors have very fine detail showing structural ribs and insulation blanket detail.

One of the latest releases from the photo etch masters at Eduard is a BIG ED set meant for use with the Kinetic release of the Grumman A-6E TRAM Intruder. The set consists of seven different Eduard offerings that include the following:

Squadron Signal Walk Around publications have a long history of high quality and accuracy in detail. This new addition to that line of books is no exception. This particular product focuses on the land-based Spitfires equipped with the Rolls Royce Merlin engine, including the Mark I, Vb, and IXc variants. Displayed in extensive detail are the external and internal workings of the aircraft that played a key role in Britain's defense.

This publication is a scale modeler’s delight. Included in the 80 pages within the book are scale drawings, b&w images from WWII, and many color images of museum aircraft. It is the latter than intrigued me as a modeler. As an example, please refer to the image labeled Sample picture 1 and check out the caption. I often articulate the rudder on the Spitfires that I build and I now know that the deflection angle should not exceed a specified number of degrees. That’s good to know!