1. Home
  2. By Year and Month
  3. By Year and Month

all 2014

Box Art

Bf-109G Royal Class
Review Author
Floyd S. Werner Jr.
Published on
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$139.00

No other kit that I can remember has caused as much commotion as the Eduard Bf-109G. Eduard had already had the sets in the production when “Sizegate” hit. The kit was larger than 1/48th scale and had some shape issues. Eduard had already committed to the kit and announced that they would still release the Royal Class kit with the larger molds. The Royal Class was the first time that the G-2, G-4 and G-14 would be available from this company. Would it be worth the money? I guess that would depend on how wrapped around the axle you are on the size and shape issues.

Package

Sea Harrier Landing Gear (Kin)
Review Author
Rod Lees
Published on
Company
Scale Aircraft Conversions
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$16.95

Once again, thanks up front to Ross at SAC for sending us another of your expanding line of metal landing gear, and thanks also to IPMS USA leadership for sending it on.

This is (once again) a basic upgrade to the kit plastic. The kit landing gear consists of two halves for the forward gear, a one-part aft main gear, and two outriggers with actuators and doors integrated as one item.

As usual, SAC gear replaced these. The kit nose gear requires taking care of a seam, after the nose wheel and tire is inserted. The kit wheels should be inserted carefully into the tire, but the plastic could possibly break or deform permanently. The SAC solution is more elegant. Superglue the upper strut and lower fork together, let it cure, then spray with metal primer. Paint gloss white or gray, BEND the fork out, carefully install the wheel and tire, then carefully close over the wheel hub. It stays in place and is a lot stronger.

Packaging

AGM-45 Shrike
Review Author
Floyd S. Werner Jr.
Published on
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$13.49

The Wild Weasels flew specialized missions in Vietnam using first the F-100, F-105 and finally the F-4 to take out SAM targets. Their exploits are stuff of legend. One of the things that made them so effective was the Shrike anti-radiation missile. The missile was used all the way up to Desert Storm by F-4Gs.

Molded in light and dark grey resin, you are provided with four missiles. My examples were perfectly formed and no blemishes noticed. The best thing about these resin pieces is that there are no mold lines and they are perfectly round. Included in the set is a fret of photo etch for the exhaust nozzles. Decals round out the missiles. These are perfectly formed. The instructions are simple enough with the color call out and the decal placement easy enough to understand.

Construction is pretty straight forward. The detail on the missiles is impressive to say the least.

Packaging

FW-190 Wheels Late
Review Author
Floyd S. Werner Jr.
Published on
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$7.95

I love the Eduard FW-190 series of models. I’ve built seven of them so far. The stuff in the kit is nice but there are limitations to what can be done in plastic. That is where the Brassin range comes into play.

In this set are two wheels with predrilled holes, unfortunately they are just as loose as the kit offerings. I would have loved if they were molded with smaller holes with the angles set already. Oh well the detail is really nice. They are molded in light grey resin with flawless detail molded on. You also get a masking set for the wheels. Just another great idea from Brassin. You have to be careful as the wheels are sided. So be careful when you take them off the resin pour stubs to not get them mixed.

The beautiful detail and masking material makes this just a perfect little upgrade set. If you like FW-190s then these wheels are as good as it gets.

Highly recommended

Box top

Big Sin F-4 Weapons Set
Review Author
Floyd S. Werner Jr.
Published on
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$37.99

The F-4 Phantom II is perhaps the finest jet of its time. It could carry a variety of ordnance. In addition to heat seeking and infrared air-to-air missiles it could carry bombs, and lots of them. The Phantom is an iconic airplane with legendary performance and capabilities.

What would a Phantom be without the ability to shoot down other airplanes and bomb the enemy back to the stone age? Just another pretty, no wait we are talking about a Phantom here, just another ugly loud smoking airplane.

With that in mind and Academy’s release of the F-4B and F-4C it is essential that you include ordnance and lots of it. Enter the BigSin set. This set is EVERYTHING you would need to arm up your Phantom. The set contains five sets, one set of Sidewinders, one set of Sparrows and three sets of Mk.82 Bombs. You can literally fill every hard point on the belly of the Phantom.