Review Author
Rob Booth
Published on
October 1, 2014
Company
Master Model
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$9.50

Master Model is a scale model metal detailing parts manufacturer located in Poland. Their lines include exquisitely detailed photo-etched and white metal replacement parts for aircraft and ships in the most commonly produced scales.

Master has produced replacement cannons of the early type, with uncovered barrels for any 1/72 Hawker Typhoon early Mk Ib kits. This item is intended to completely replace the plastic kit parts. My example kit (a Maquette issue from Russia) is a Mk Ib, and my research indicates it is the correct version that this particular part issue would be appropriate for. These cannons should generally be fitted to the earlier “car door” version of the Mk Ib as used early in WWII by the RAF. Later Mk. IB versions had full cover extensions over the cannon barrels.

Review Author
Jim Pearsall
Published on
October 1, 2014
Company
Brengun
Scale
1/144
MSRP
$4.99

Many of us have had the distinct displeasure of ruining a canopy. I once dropped one on the floor and stepped on it. There is also the great possibility of getting CA fumes on the inside or some other adhesive which will either melt, craze or deform the canopy into uselessness. And then there’s the one where you open a kit you bought at a swap meet to find no clear parts inside.

You can find replacement canopies for “large scale” kits, including 1/32, 1/48 or 1/72, but there have been almost no canopies in 1/144. Brengun seems to be taking a position in this market.

Review Author
Joe LoMusio
Published on
June 3, 2021
Company
Encore by Squadron
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$69.99

When Hollywood makes a movie that captures our modeling interests it usually is pretty exciting (or really frustrating). For those of us who focus on the air war of World War One, there have been some great movies, like The Dawn Patrol, some good movies, like Flyboys, and some not-so-good movies, like Von Richthofen and Brown. One movie that has become an icon of this genre is The Blue Max. This movie featured George Peppard as German pilot Bruno Stachel and Ursula Andress as the seductive Countess Kaeti von Klugermann. The other star in the movie was the Pfalz D.III. It is this important WWI fighter that has captured the imagination of modeling companies. Encore Models, produced by Squadron Products, first released their Blue Max Pfalz D.III in 1/72 scale in a bagged econo-kit, using the Roden molding and adding the unique lozenge decal characteristic of the plane in the movie.

Review Author
Dave Morrissette
Published on
October 1, 2014
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$32.95

Eduard’s A3D-2 Exterior Set, number 48793, address some of the shortcomings of the Trumpeter 1/48 scale A-3D kit with additions to the slats on the outer wing, the tail hook area, the crew door, and the speed brakes. There are also additions to the windshield wiper and the back of the engine pylons.

The speed brakes in the kit are nice; however, they lack surface detail, such as rivets and boxes. Eduard corrects this by adding five panels to the interior of the speed brake that have superb relief-etched rivets and lines. These panels require a couple of small bumps to be removed and then glued back into place. The speed brake housing gets a similar treatment with two parts each. One requires some bending, and the easiest way to start the bend is to use the kit’s plastic part as a form.

Review Author
Dave Morrissette
Published on
October 1, 2014
Company
Scale Aircraft Conversions
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$17.95

Scale Aircraft Conversions continues its line of white metal gear with a replacement set for the KittyHawk F-101 Voodoo. The Voodoo is a large, heavy plane, and this set will keep it upright.

The set is cast in SAC’s traditional white metal and consists of 13 parts with minimal to no seam lines. All the parts of the kit gear are replicated in white metal perfectly. For the main gear, the wheel hubs are integral to the strut, and this arrangement is replicated in SAC’s version. The interior bracing is also replicated and attached to the retraction strut.

The front gear is more complicated, consisting of six parts plus the retraction strut. The KittyHawk parts are very fine and the plastic is moderately soft. Thus, as you can see in the pictures, one part of the kit’s oleo was destroyed in removal. Not so with the excellent SAC parts. The front landing gear will certainly be sturdy when the SAC parts are installed.

Review Author
Scott Hollingshead
Published on
October 1, 2014
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$9.95

First developed for the US Navy by Raytheon in the early 1950s, the AIM-9 (Air Intercept Missile) has been a mainstay for the United States and our allies for nearly 60 years. The AIM-9B represented in this offering from Eduard was the first production model of the Sidewinder, entering service in 1956. There have been several updates over the years, and the current model in use is the AIM-9X. Raytheon and General Electric produced approximately 80,900 of the B variant, and the model is credited with one Navy and 26 Air Force victories during Vietnam.

Review Author
Scott Hollingshead
Published on
October 1, 2014
Company
Quickboost
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$4.20

Attached to the front of a BMW 132K nine-cylinder, 960-horsepower radial engine, the VDM propeller helped the Arado 196 to reach speeds of up to 193 mph at 13,120 feet. The seaplane was used for reconnaissance missions, and it was initially produced in 1937 as a prototype, with the first production planes being delivered in 1938. By the end of production in 1944, Germany and her allies had deployed over 540 of the aircraft during the Second World War.

Review Author
Roger Rasor
Published on
October 1, 2014
Company
Quickboost
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$6.50

Quickboost has recently added 1/32 scale undercarriage covers for the P-40E to their aftermarket parts line. They are specifically designed to replace those in the Hasegawa 1/32 scale kit. They are designed as drop in replacements for the kit parts. With some adjustment, they should work on the Revell kit as well. Detail is marginally better than the Hasegawa kit parts, but they offer one advantage: there are no seam lines or ejector pin marks for the modeler to eliminate.

Review Author
Bill O'Malley
Published on
February 3, 2020
Company
Revell, Inc.
Scale
1/24ish
MSRP
$23.95

Far Out Dude!

An enjoyable kit to build and paint! This would be a good kit for beginners who have done some snap-tites and are ready for their first glue & paint kit. It’s also an opportunity for experience modelers to let loose their creative monster art skills!

Part of Deals Wheels collection by Revell based on Dave Deal’s cartoons and far-out caricatures of cars & planes, the Nomad is a reissue of a kit originally issued in 1971. The detail is a little soft and the parts fit is loose, but it’s still a fun kit for beginners and a fun painting opportunity for more advanced modelers.

Review Author
Jim Stratton
Published on
October 1, 2014
Company
Wingnut Wings, Ltd
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$99.00

History

The prototype Roland C.II first flew in October 1915 and quickly proved to be faster than most fighters. 50 Roland C.II’s were ordered in December 1915 and was equipped with a rounded rollover hoop as well as other minor early features. The second production batch ordered in early 1916 had many improvements, including strengthened wings, and the ability to install a bomb rack between the rear landing gear legs. This version became the C.IIa and 90 were ordered. The late C.IIa, the version this model represents, had a stick type control column and an enlarged vertical fin for better maneuverability. Nearly 130 of the late C.IIa’s were built. Unfortunately, by the time they saw service the initial advantage the type had, was lost due to the advancement in fighter aircraft design. As a result most of the Roland C.IIa’s were relegated to the infantry support/ground assault role or used as escorts.