Background

The Merkava Mark III was originally introduced into the IDF in December, 1989. Sporting upgrades to all major systems, the Merkava was the most modern main battle tank in the world for its time. The Mark III was given a 1,200 horsepower engine, a 120mm Israeli-designed main gun, and new laser designation and fire control systems. The development of the BAZ system in 1995 further increased this vehicle’s survivability and lethality. Some features of the BAZ system are air conditioning, NBC systems, and removable modular armor on the chassis and turret.

History

First flown in May of 1945, the P2V-7 was the final variant of the P2V produced by Lockheed. It was powered by R-3350-32W and J-34 engines and fitted with lower drag wingtip tanks, AN/APS-20 search radar in a revised radome, and a bulged cockpit canopy. 287 of this type were built, with 48 of them being assembled in Japan. First delivery of P2V-7s to the Japanese was in 1959, the last in 1965, and the model was retired in the early ‘80s. Kawasaki built 80 more Neptunes (P-2J), but with a few refinements that included using GE T-64 turboprops, Ishikawajima J-3 turbojets, a lengthened fuselage, increased rudder area, and a 10,000lb weight reduction. These were flown well into the 90s before being retired.

Introduction

The Sikorsky Sea King first flew in 1959 and entered service in 1961. It served in many roles, including SAR, troop transport, and perhaps most memorably as the helos that recovered the Apollo missions after splashdown. These were not the missions the S-61 (company designation) was originally designed for. As the cold war developed after WWII, the US Navy was concerned about the expansion of the Soviet submarine fleet. They needed helicopters capable of pinpointing subs with a mobile sonar unit. This kit represents that version of this highly useful aircraft. Twin turbine engines gave the Sea King the ability to carry impressive payloads (including a sonar unit) over practical distances. Cyber-Hobby has graced us with no less than four versions of this great machine. Two are Westland-built versions used by the UK’s Royal Navy and Air Force. The other two, including this kit, are US Navy birds.

Introduction

SkyGrid Studio / Aviaeology Publishing is located in Canada. The website is easy to navigate and intuitive, and products can be purchased through the website. Prices shown on the website are in Canadian dollars. SkyGrid Studio / Aviaeology accepts Pay Pal and a handful of credit cards. Aviaeology produces excellent decals, but SkyGrid Studio / Aviaeology Publishing does not limit its line of products to decals. Visit the website and you will note that there are some rather attractive book titles shown, as well as some prints.

The samples being reviewed arrived in a very sturdy cardboard container which protected the product nicely. There is more to the product that the customer receives than meets the eye. We will get to the bonus item in a minute, but first, let’s look at what is in the ziplock baggie that one receives.

The Decals

Please reference the image, labeled “aod72009mdisplaycontent” below to view these items.

This book is number 5 in the Aircraft Pictorial series. The author is well known for his attention to detail and research methodology that brings rare photographs and little known details to light. This book does not disappoint.

This particular volume deals with the early P-40s used by the US, often referred to a “long nosed” due to the look of the nose with the elongated gear box on the Allison engine. The British Tomahawks are not covered but do make a cameo appearance, in a way. How, is due to the fact that the original P-40-CUs had a frequent ground loop problem; 50 sets of Tomahawk wings were diverted from British orders to repair damaged USAAC P-40-CUs, thus creating the P-40G, a hybrid with a P-40-CU fuselage and four-gun British Tomahawk wings.

Thank you to the crew at Moebius Models – Frank Winspur, Dave Metzner and Bob Plant – for providing this review kit! The opportunity also wouldn’t be possible without the IPMS Review Corps staff, who graciously allowed me to give this one a try.

The Duel series from Osprey Publishing has been expanded to include a volume devoted to the aerial night fighting campaign between the Bf-110 and the Lancaster during WWII.

Most of the previous titles have been devoted to similar classes of airplanes, armor, or ships. However, this title is different in the sense that it’s a fighter versus a bomber (disparate classes of aircraft), and the weapons that changed the tide in their fight were usually technical developments in the field of electronic measures and countermeasures, not a higher rate of fire, better tactics, or improved performance.

Like all the other books in the series, this one has a section devoted to the evolution of airframes, the strategic situation, training, combat, etc. It is illustrated with plenty of period pictures, plus multiple color illustrations which would be welcomed by modelers looking for detailing their builds.

You simply can’t get any easier than this. You get 14 resin bags in different combinations almost ready to be used as you need. Seven of them appear to be large potato-filled bags, while the other seven might be sand bags. One piece is three of the potato filled sacks already stacked on each other. Three of the four single potato bags have the same pose and the other is different. Three of the sand bags are single and then there are four stacked on top of each other. All you have to do is cut off the pour lug and paint. Even the simplest of us modelers can do this! But Plusmodel may need to sharpen its quality control measures; in my sample set, one of the sacks had a ¼” wide by ¼”-deep air bubble that will require filling. Luckily, I have become pretty good at using baking soda and super glue as a filler.

The Aircraft

The Mark IX Spitfire was supposed to be an interim between the Mk V and the Mk VII and VIII. With the Fw-190 outclassing the Mk V to the point where the RAF couldn’t operate over France, something had to be done. The fix was to put the newer Merlin 60, 62 or later 66 or 70 engine in a Mk V airframe and call it a MK IX. This fix was so successful that the Mk IX and XVI (a IX with a Packard Merlin engine) were the most numerous of the Spitfire marks. I was also confused by the LF and HF (Low and High Altitude) for the Mk IX. It had to do with the engine installed, not whether it had a long or short wing.

The SR-71 was the third and final version of what is still quite possibly one of the most famous and recognizable aircraft in the world. Its predecessors, the CIA’s intelligence-gathering A-12 and the Air Force’s interceptor YF-12, were responsible not only for the SR-71’s ultimate success but were also the launch beds for so many other aircraft designs and weapons systems. This success allowed the United States to be the leader in military systems for so long. There are a number of good publications available and a great amount of web-based data available via simple search requests.

I had always wanted to build a model of this epic aircraft and can now say I have. Having the luck to get a Hasegawa kit with the drone was just icing on the cake. When I opened the box, I removed the plastic wrap only to find this kit is much older than I would have expected, and is virtually all raised panel lines. All of that aside, it is still a subject I wanted to build.

The August issue contains two Fature articles that will certainly attract the attention of “Jet” fans. In Feature 1, World Class modeler Yoav Efrati builds and reviews the Kinetic Kfir C2/C7 in 1/48th scale. The images attest to Yoav’s high level of skill as a painter and modeler, but the article itself is a goldmine for some weathering techniques. Yoav used Van Gogh Oils to weather the Kfir, and the effect is stunning.

The article is followed by a two-page spread of color images of the real deal – Kfirs in flight, on the ground, and with the usual detail shots of landing gear, pods, intakes, and some weathering provided by Mother Nature. Topping it off are two pages of profile drawings showing camo patterns, and with the colors involved being identified with FS numbers.

History Brief

The IJN aircraft carrier Junyo was a mighty warship at the outset of WWII. Her fighter groups were made up of Zeros, and they outclassed all other opposing fighter types at that time. The Junyo, however, would suffer heavy damage in the Battle of Guadalcanal and would never again regain her prior reputation. The carrier would repeatedly suffer damage at the hands of the US Navy, thus keeping her out of service for long periods of repairs. Her air crews carried on the fight despite being depleted on more than one occasion. By war’s end, the Junyo was nothing more than a floating derelict with irreparable damage and her aircrews wiped out.

This is the fourth and final volume in MMP’s German Air Projects series that covers Luft46 “might have beens.” This particular volume covers attack, multi-purpose, and “other” subjects. The “other” is essentially an addendum to the other 3 volumes, and covers subjects that were previously omitted, or subjects about which new information has been uncovered. Without the “other” section, this would be a very slim volume! Illustrations throughout the book consist of line drawings and artist renderings – there are no photos in this book as everything is conjecture.

The first 38 pages of the book cover attack and multi-purpose aircraft, arranged by manufacturer. Line drawings accompany many of the sections.

Pages 39 through 64 cover other types of aircraft not previously written about in previous volumes (or those with newly discovered information). Again, many line drawings accompany the text.

This ’56 Ford Victoria was originally issued by AMT in the 1960’s, then re-released several times after that. Even with Round 2’s mold clean-up process, I have never encountered so much flash on a model before. Literally, every piece had excessive flash that needed to be cleaned off prior to fitting and painting.

I remember when The Munsters were first introduced to us. Just your typical all-American family, who came from Transylvania, and who also just happened to be Frankenstein and The Bride of Frankenstein! The rest of the family had Count Dracula as the slightly off-kilter Grandpa; a prepubescent wolf boy named Eddie who slept in a cupboard; and one out-of-place niece, the beautiful Marilyn. The house they lived in was an amazing place of dungeons, secret passages, and cob webs galore. The architecture was mostly Gothic, with hints of Victorian included, and a little Haunted House thrown in for good measure!

In front of the "A" pillar, the '66 Chevelle Station Wagon is all muscle car. It was built with the same engine and drive train as one of the most potent muscle cars in history, the Chevelle. But you have to put the kids somewhere. The station wagon's designers stretched the two-door, four-seat car into a four-door, eight-seat wagon.

The kit directions contain a paint guide that you can follow if you so desire, and a beautiful decal sheet should you care to use it. The decal sheet contains decals that will cover most of the side in a wood grain pattern with flames.

Engine

The kit features a big block 396 ci engine that’s engraved very well. I changed out the kit chrome-plated valve covers for a resin pair of painted Moroso covers. The engine then got spark plug wires in the correct firing order, alternator support, fuel lines, throttle linkage, an aftermarket air filter, and heater hoses.

History

The AIM-54 Phoenix is a radar-guided, long-range air-to-air missile (AAM), carried in clusters of up to six missiles on F-14 Tomcats, its only launch platform. The Phoenix was the United States' only long-range air-to-air missile. The weapons system based on Phoenix was the world's first to allow simultaneous guidance of missiles against multiple targets. Both the missile and the aircraft were used by the United States Navy and are now retired, the AIM-54 Phoenix in 2004 and the F-14 in 2006. Following the retirement of the F-14 by the U.S. Navy, the weapon's only current operator is Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force.

The JGSDF Type 60 APC

The Japan Ground Self Defense Force (JGSDF) is the main branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the de facto army of Japan.

Development of the Type 60 armored personnel carrier (APC) began in 1957. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Komatsu Ltd. were tasked by the Ministry of Defense to develop prototypes for an APC that would see use exclusively in Japan by the JGSDF and could keep up with their main battle tanks. From 1958-60, several prototypes were evaluated. In 1960, the Type 60 was selected and production began. There was no amphibious capability, nor was the vehicle protected from biological, chemical, or nuclear contaminants. It was capable of a top speed of 28 mph and weighed 11.8 tons. The armor was welded rolled plate steel, good enough to protect against most rifle calibers and shrapnel.

History

The Do-335, like many German aircraft of World War II, had a checkered development. It began its life, at Hitler’s insistence, as a high speed bomber, and only later, when Hitler was told that the Me-262 would be a better high speed bomber, was the plane’s basic mission changed to that of heavy fighter and reconnaissance.

First, Dornier used a scaled down (1/2.5) Do-17Z airframe (Goppingen Go.9) to test the feasibility of the rear mounted engine with a prop behind the tail unit. Tests showed the usefulness of the arrangement, so design began on the full size airplane. Featuring a tandem engine arrangement (which was not new to Dornier), the aircraft was a large, single seat, twin engine aircraft with two DB-603 liquid-cooled engines. The type began as a high speed bomber (Nov. 1943), reconnaissance fighter and night fighter (Jan. 1944), and ended finally as a heavy fighter (Mar. 1944). In July, 1944, the first prototypes were delivered as bombers.

The Kit

The kit consists of 110 injection molded parts in the standard MiniArt colors; orange, maroon, black and white. All parts are relatively free of flash (some may have just a small bit around the attachment points) and are very crisp in detail.

Construction

As with the kits before it, the Country House is very well made. Being a smaller kit, assembly should not take much longer than an hour or two. A few points worth mentioning on this kit centers around the roof. As with prior offerings, the thin roof pieces seem to have a slight bow to them. Given that all of these meet in the middle, there may be some considerable use of cement or CA to get them to remain. I was able to resolve this by tacking them with a little cement and then gap filling with CA.

The Kit

Nearly 100 injection molded parts in tan plastic plus 2 black plastic treads. All parts exhibit crisp detail and are flash free. The muzzle of the main gun is not slide-molded so will need to be drilled out. Being a snap kit, all parts had a number of locating pins. All of them fit together without modification.

The Kit

The kit is cleanly molded in 154 pieces of multi-colored plastic. These parts are the same parts used in constructing many of the other 1/72 offerings from MiniArt. No flash is apparent and detail is very crisp on all parts. A new part that I have not seen on this model was the introduction of a stone foundation.

Construction

Assembly of this kit was straight forward as all of the offerings before it. However, I took a different approach. On many of the other kits, I found that doing each wall with the end connectors tended to produce minor gaps at the corners. This time I decided to pre-build the corner assemblies and then add the walls. Also, I decided to paint parts separately before assembly. This approach offered a much cleaner look to the house, a departure from the worn down structures I had built in the past. The result was by far my favorite work of all of these kits I had done.

History

The Messerschmitt Bf-110 was an early attempt by the Luftwaffe to develop a long range strategic fighter for deep penetration missions. It was also intended as a long range escort for bombers, as an interceptor against enemy bomber formations, and as a light bomber and ground attack aircraft. The first prototype flew in 1936, but protracted engine development kept the Bf-110 from entering service until 1938 as the Bf-110B. In 1939, the Bf-110C went into production, and this was the first version produced in large numbers. The Bf-110C appeared in fighter, ground attack, reconnaissance, and “destroyer” versions. The Bf-110C was used to effect in the Polish campaign in 1939, and this gave Goring the impression that the type was unstoppable, the ultimate air weapon. After success in shooting down unescorted RAF Wellington bombers, the type was committed in Norway and Denmark, and later during the Battle of France.

Kit

The kit comes with two sprues, one for the four US Army figures and one for the four US Marine figures. There is a paper sheet with printed US food ration boxes that can be cut, folded, and glued up to represent these ration boxes. Also there is and instruction sheet for assembly. The first thing you will notice about this kit is that it is not a Tamiya mold, but instead a Master Box Mold. In fact the kit contains two Master Box figure sets into one. Why Tamiya used, Master Box Molds instead of producing their own is beyond me (could be a distributor relationship- Ed). Tamiya has a history of producing excellent figures, so I was a little dumb founded as to this fact when I received the kit. The figures have excellent detail with little to no flash to clean up. There are a few options for some of the figures. There are different weapons and equipment for some of the figures to choose from, but most build up to what you see on the box art.

As The Douglas Skyraider series was arguably the most effective and all-around aircraft of the Vietnam War, I won’t go into any history. If you don’t know about the Skyraider but are reading this, you should be aware of this versatile aircraft which was used by both the US Navy and US Air Force.

When I received the kit for this review, I first spent time going through the plans and the many sprues to get a feel of the fidelity to scale and detail level of the kit. I was excited by what I saw and anxious to get started with the build.