History

The first real consideration of making floatplane fighters out of the Spitfire and Hurricane came during the 1940 Norwegian Campaign, and work began on both aircraft at that time. At the end of the campaign, development ended, and the Hurricane project was stopped. Known as the “Narvik Nightmare”, the Spitfire project languished until just before Pearl Harbor, when work was reinstated, this time with the Mk. Vb airframe. This time, instead of Blackburn Roc floats, specially designed Supermarine floats were used, along with additions to the vertical fin to offset the aerodynamic effects of the floats. The result was a highly successful conversion, with excellent flying and water handling characteristics. In fact, it turned out to be the fastest floatplane fighter of World War II.

This is a nice little (very little) kit that has great potential as a vignette or diorama accessory. This kit is not for the faint of eyesight or those with more than their share of thumbs, but can be a nice one or two day build. The kit is a challenging ‘craftsman’ type build, but that adds to the enjoyment for an experienced modeler.

The McDonnell Douglas F4 Phantom II needs no introduction, so I’ll skip over the history of this famous aircraft and simply specify that the F-4E has an extended nose to house an internal M-61 Vulcan cannon. The “E” was the most built variant, with almost 1400 units completed. F-4Es, in addition to use by the USAF, were sold to Germany (as the F-4F), Greece, Iran, Israel, South Korea, and Turkey

Minicraft’s F-4E comes in a small, sturdy, top-opening box. The cover illustration is of an F-4E from the USAF 57 FIS, Keflavik, Iceland. Inside are three sprues, two in light gray, and one in clear. There are thirty-three light gray parts and one in clear. As would be expected with the low parts count, the instructions are simple and clear, with assembly broken into eight basic steps. Two large diagrams cover the paint and decal schemes. Model Master paints are called out.

Shameful plug. I love the Quickboost line of products. If I find myself with extra PayPal funds, I will skip through my favorite online retailer’s offering of Quickboost resin goodies and fill my cart with exhausts, engines, cowlings and antennae!

While the set may be designed for Hobbyboss Spiteful, it also will work perfectly in building the Trumpeter Seafang where it became apparent that an exhaust set could greatly benefit this kit. Quickboost to the rescue! The resin replacement is a drop fit for the kit, with a narrow casting block easily removed. Each exhaust stack is molded open, giving the modeler ample chance to enhance the look of it by dry brushing and washes. These detailed exhaust stacks really pop on the finished model.

A very economical and worthwhile replacement set. I greatly recommend this product. Definitely recommended.

Thank you Quickboost and IPMS/USa for the chance to review this item.

History

Finland was in a very precarious position in the period leading up to the outbreak of World War II. Although a democracy, Finland was surrounded by two gigantic totalitarian states with vicious appetites for territorial expansion. With the Soviet paranoia regarding Nazi Germany’s desires to destroy the communist “workers’ paradise”, and German desires for expansion into Eastern Europe, Finland stood in the way of both countries’ ambitions. In 1939, the Nazis and the Soviets signed a Non-Aggression Pact, which secretly divided up Eastern Europe into “Spheres of Influence” for each country. The Soviets quickly swallowed up the Baltic republics, and later, in 1939, the Soviets attacked Finland in order to gain Finnish territory they felt was essential for the defense of Leningrad.