Review Author
James Binder
Published on
May 1, 2014
Company
Platz
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$51.00

The Northrop Grumman X47-B is the demonstrator vehicle for the United States Navy’s Unmanned Combat Air System or UCAS. It was developed from the X-47A Pegasus and will be developed into the X-47C UCLASS which will enter service by 2019

The Kit is from the manufacturer Platz, a Japanese Company, and is 1/72 scale. They have made other UAV’s including the Global Hawk. Don’t let this small scale deceive you though, this model is almost 11 inches across with the wings extended. The wings can be built in the extended or folded position with no cutting, something you don’t see on many kits. This boxing also adds two options for weapons, either the GBU-27 or GBU-32 JDAM. I chose to have the aircraft carry one of each.

The kit itself is molded in light grey with recessed panel lines and very faint rivet detail. It has 65 parts and an extensive decal sheet. The box is sturdy and has a nice glossy front. In fact it took me longer to decal the x-47 than it did to build it.

Book Author(s)
Dariusz Karnas
Review Author
Pablo Bauleo
Published on
May 1, 2014
Company
Mushroom Model Publications - MMP Books
MSRP
$30.00

The latest installment of the Yellow Series from Mushroom Model Publications is devoted to the iconic Mig-15. This book clearly is written with the modeler in mind, as well over 100 pages are devoted to pictures, drawings or color profiles of the airplane.

The book is divided in the following sections

  • Introduction
  • Development
  • Development Versions
  • Series Productions of the Mig-15
  • Production in other countries
  • Detail photos
    • Fuselage
    • Wing
    • Cockpit and Canopy
    • Undercarriage
    • Engine
    • Armament
  • Color Profiles (69 of them)

The first few sections are concise in detail (mainly what was changed in each development version) and most of the versions have an associated 72nd scale line drawing, or at least those that had an external modification.

Review Author
Floyd S. Werner Jr.
Published on
February 3, 2020
Company
PJ Production
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$18.75

Packaged in a sturdy cardboard box with the resin pieces protected inside a ziplock bag this offering from PJ Production is perfectly cast in creme colored resin with no defects noted. Three figures, one on each of the three ‘sprues’, these new figures from PJ Productions will make an attractive addition to the Airfix Sea Lynx kit.

Each figure is on a separate pour block with upper body and head, two arms and the lower half. The door observer has two separate legs. All the poses are as if the aircraft is in flight or ready for takeoff. The pilots are looking off to the side to clear the helicopter. The faces, which to me are essential to a good figure, are all nicely sculpted. The figures look to be of a good scale size.

Review Author
Mike Van Schoonhoven
Published on
May 2, 2014
Company
Plusmodel
MSRP
$18.00

Aeroline over the past several months has released several different variants of the Cushman scooter. This version is the "Deluxe Auto-Glide" that was used for firefighting operations around airfields. The Fire Fighter version came with a sidecar and four CO fire extinguishers. This was one of the reasons that I wanted to the review of this model as I am a firefighter.

Review Author
Floyd S. Werner Jr.
Published on
May 2, 2014
Company
Ultracast
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$12.25

If you’ve contemplated, built or painted any figures you will no doubt run across the name of Mike Good. He is the world’s best figure sculptor. He is well known for the perfect proportions, excellent faces and natural poses.

Mike’s latest work for Ultracast is a Mid-Late War Luftwaffe pilot. Packaged in the typical Ultracast style of a zip lock bag attached with a staple to a card stock backing. In this case the card stock carries a photo of the actual figure painted up from the front. This will be very helpful to the modeler.

Review Author
Floyd S. Werner Jr.
Published on
May 2, 2014
Company
Ultracast
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$12.25

How often have you wanted to build a FW-190A only to discover that your subject aircraft didn’t carry the ‘normal’ type of prop? It has happened to me a few times. You can either live with it, which I did at the time, or you can shelve that particular aircraft until the new props become available. Well that time has come courtesy of Ultracast.

Like most of Ultracast’s products, this set is packaged in a small zip lock bag on the cardboard backing. The resin is a light caramel colored with no blemishes anywhere. There are no pour blocks on the blades. There is a minimal amount of flash on the spinner and cooling fans. All of which will be cleaned up easily and quickly with a new blade.

Review Author
Floyd S. Werner Jr.
Published on
May 2, 2014
Company
Ultracast
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$12.25

Ultracast offers a whole new and unique assembly for the front of your Focke Wulf A/F. The addition of the external weights is quite common on late war Focke Wulf aircraft. Until now they have not been available in model form without the modeler having to scratchbuild them.

This set is packaged in a small zip lock bag on the cardboard backing. The resin is typical Ultracast, molded in a light caramel colored with no blemishes anywhere. There are no pour blocks on the blades. Minimal flash is present on the spinner and cooling fans. Clean up will be easy with a new hobby blade.

The external weights are flawlessly executed and will add dramatically to the spinner assembly. The blades are thin and perfectly shaped. No pour blocks on the blades means that none of the detail will be lost on the pitch change mechanism.

Review Author
Mike Hinderliter
Published on
May 2, 2014
Company
Aires Hobby Models
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$7.00

Aires has added the wheels and masks for the AV-8B Harrier to their line of resin aircraft accessories. This latest addition is molded in a grey resin; it’s smooth, seamless and bubble free.

For comparison I pulled out a Tamiya and an Airfix Harrier from my stash. There really is no comparison. The Aires parts are solid and have a crisper detail. The paint masks are also a very welcome addition to assist in painting. Aires doesn’t recommend any particular kit, which would have helped out because the front wheel they provide won’t work with the 2 kits I compared it with. The Tamiya and Airfix kits had the front wheel molded onto the strut. The two center wheels worked well.

I very highly recommend this product if you want a nice set of tires for your Harrier model. I’d like to thank Aires Hobby Models and IPMS USA for the chance to do this review.

Review Author
David Wrinkle
Published on
May 3, 2014
Company
Brengun
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$19.64

In November 1942 a Spitfire VB EN830 NX-X of 131 Squadron made a forced landing in a turnip field on Jersey Island. This aircraft was repairable and started being test flown in German markings and colours at the Luftwaffe's central research facilities at Erprobungsstelle Rechlin. There it was proposed that the Spitfire's Merlin engine should be replaced by a Daimler-Benz DB 605A inverted Vee-12 engine; the Spitfire was sent to Echterdingen, south of Stuttgart where Daimler-Benz operated a flight testing division.

Review Author
Dick Montgomery
Published on
May 3, 2014
Company
Model Art
MSRP
$17.50

Model Art Special No. 5 is a “must have” for those who want to build a IJN Type Zero Carrier Fighter. This is number 5 in the Air Model Special series and focuses on what most modelers and historians consider the classic IJN fighter aircraft of WWII. In 136 pages this publication covers the A6M1, A6M2a, A6M2b, 21st Kokusho A6M2K and the Nakajima A6M2-N.

It should be noted that the text is in Japanese with virtually no English translation for those of us who are English-Only speakers and readers. But no matter, the quality of the images and the clever design of the photographs, tables, and charts is more than sufficient to get the message across successfully.