Review Author
Dave Koukol
Published on
April 8, 2014
Company
Wingnut Wings, Ltd
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$99.00

Background

First entering service in October of 1917 with French forces, the Salmson 2-A2 was enthusiastically received by its crews as a rugged and dependable improvement over earlier designs. It soon entered service with the United States Air Service in June of 1918. In its brief service with the American Expeditionary Force (AEF), a reported 705 examples of the 2-A2 were delivered, although they saw limited combat duties, and went on to serve with the occupational forces in Germany following World War I. The 2-A2 continued to serve with French forces until 1921, and saw further limited service with Russian, Czechoslovakian, Belgian, and Japanese forces. The Japanese version was built under license as the Japanese Type Otsu 1 Reconnaissance Aircraft through 1933.

Review Author
Rod Lees
Published on
April 12, 2014
Company
Master Model
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$6.50

Another excellent turned metal (brass) pitot assembly from Master Model. IPMS USA sincerely appreciates the support of Master Model, who continue to provide first-class products to improve already great models…. THANK YOU!

This one is as simple as it gets; a pitot tube combined with the Pitot Boom which fits on the nose of the Italeri 1/72 B-58 Hustler. Looking at the kit item and Master Model’s replacement, it is easy to see why you should buy this one. First, the kit item is really way too short; Master Model fixes that. Use superglue or epoxy to install, the fit is perfect and doesn’t need anything else. There is an excellent instruction sheet as well, other aftermarket companies should follow this lead.

Review Author
Joe Porche
Published on
April 12, 2014
Company
Revell, Inc.
Scale
1/25
MSRP
$99.95

Revell graced us with the re-release of the “Can Do” and now the “Will-Do” 14 wheel Peterbuilt 359 Heavy Wrecker. This kit contains close to 700 parts of which nearly 40 are not used. The box alone is massive in size, some 20” x 14” x 5”, which sizes up well with the completed model of 18” long with everything folded up for travel. If you choose to build the kit with all the options in wrecking recovery pose it is well over 30” long and 10”wide and as much as 15” tall.

Speaking of options, both of the cab doors, the hood, and the outrigger doors can be posed in the open or closed position, the side and rear outriggers can be set as in use and the boom may be raised, extended and transversed to the left or right. I chose to build my wrecker in the travel mode but definitely played with all of the other options.

Review Author
Rod Lees
Published on
April 12, 2014
Company
Master Model
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$4.50

Another in a long line of excellent turned metal (brass) items from Master Model. IPMS/USA sincerely appreciates the Master Model’s support in providing a world-class product to improve our models… THANK YOU!

I am always fascinated by the level of detail these parts have on them. My only experience with turning metal is best left unsaid, however these probes are almost as close to perfect as they can be.

This package contains two metal parts in a double-bag system. The outer bag holds the protective card with details on the contents, and then an internal “small” bag holds the even smaller pitot and AOA (Angle of Attack) probes.

Book Author(s)
John Anderson and Richard Passman
Review Author
Ben Guenther
Published on
April 12, 2014
Company
Zenith Press
MSRP
$30.00

Much has been written about the world's most successful rocket powered research aircraft, the X-15. This airplane was designed to be a vehicle to provide aerodynamic, flight dynamic and structural data for use in the future development of hypersonic aircraft, all before anyone had even broken Mach 3. In October, 1954, NACA decided on the need for a manned hypersonic research vehicle, one that would fly up to Mach 7 and over 126,000 feet in altitude. By the end of the program the X-15 had reached a top speed of Mach 6.7 and an altitude of 347,800 feet during the course of 199 flights.

The authors; John Anderson, curator of aerodynamics at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum and Richard Passman, chief aerodynamicist on the Bell X-2 have crafted an excellent introductory story for this aircraft.

Basically, they do this by explaining the X-15 and how it worked, then going into details of the twelve pilots who flew this machine. The six chapters are:

Review Author
Mike Van Schoonhoven
Published on
April 12, 2014
Company
Model Art
MSRP
$11.27

Model Art Magazine is a monthly magazine that covers aircraft, armor, ships and car modeling. Model Art started releasing magazines in 1966 and has evolved from there over the past forty six years.

Each issue of Model Art consists of a multitude of articles that reach out to all genres of modelers. From what I see, Model Art makes small changes to there format to keep each issue up to date and interesting to the reader.

This issue starts off with two short articles. The first being "MA New Item Special" and a diorama that takes place during the U.S. operation in Grenada featuring the new Tamiya Gamma Goat.

Review Author
Walt Fink
Published on
April 13, 2014
Company
Roden
Scale Aircraft Conversions
Scale
1/144
MSRP
$35.99

Originally developed as an intermediate-range version of Boeing’s highly successful 707, the 720’s fuselage was shorter by 7 feet 9 inches. A reduced fuel capacity enabled a lighter structure, and with aerodynamic improvements in the form of full-span leading-edge flaps, the aircraft was actually a bit more operationally versatile than the 707, except in range. With an original designation of 707-020, the aircraft was externally similar to the 707-120, so in order to eliminate confusion, Boeing renamed it the 720, and it stands as the only airliner in the “Seven Series” not to end with the numeral seven. Demand for the reduced-capacity aircraft was lukewarm at best, so Boeing only produced 154 720’s (and the improved follow-on 720B’s). The mainstream model manufacturers have largely ignored the type. Roden’s Boeing 720 is a welcome addition to the 1/144 scale airliner enthusiasts’ collections because it fills a void.

Review Author
Al LaFleche
Published on
April 13, 2014
Company
Spades Models
Scale
1/16 (120MM)
MSRP
$100.00

First thanks to Spade Models for the sample and the excellent customer support they provided and to Dick and Dave for offering me the opportunity to review this kit.

Packing

The kit arrived in a generic looking corrugated cardboard box with the company name on it. Opening that revealed a full color kit specific box of glossy cardstock. There are three pictures of the assembled and painted kit and the “back” has a brief history of Seal Team Six. This box is sealed with “QC Tape” top and bottom. Opening this reveals a plastic bag surrounding a plastic container box. This was so well designed, I had to look closely how to open it…It slides open. In here are two tightly fitted foam pads holding 6 zip lock bags, a 16 page hull color booklet, and a tightly sealed cellophane container for the decals.

Review Author
Brian R. Baker
Published on
April 14, 2014
Company
Airfix
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$7.99

History

Sir Geoffrey DeHavilland began designing airplanes before World War I, and although his first effort, the No. 1 Biplane of 1909, crashed on its first flight, his subsequent designs all made up for his initial failure, and he went on to become one of the world’s foremost aircraft designers. His most famous product during World War I, the Airco DH-4 and later variants, became a mainstay in both military and civil aviation after the war, and by the mid twenties, his new company, DeHavilland Aircraft, was producing substantial numbers of the DH-60 Moth, a light biplane designed for training and touring. This was an open cockpit tandem type powered by a variety of engines, some designed in DeHavilland’s shops, and it served to establish DeHavilland’s reputation for producing light, economical, safe, and efficient training airplanes for civil use.