all 2014

Review Author
David Wrinkle
Published on
Company
Quickboost
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$6.50

Upfront, I want to thank Aires and Quickboost for providing these fine aftermarket bits for our beloved models and to the IPMS USA a big thank you for allowing me to review this Quickboost product.

Admittedly I am proud of the fact I love the stubby World War II fighter. The Rita, Buffalo and certainly the Grumman Wildcat. I have several in my stash including the Hobby Boss and Tamiya 1/48 F4F-4 Wildcats kits.

I snagged the Quickboost pitots for the Wildcat before even looking closely at the pitot tubes. Both kits are F4F-4’s and thus use the stubby angled pitot tube mounted near the port wingtip. No problem here, Quickboost provides both the angled pitot found on the F4F-4 as well as the longer straight version found on the F4F-3’s. Just a quick look at the comparison photos you will see the resin replacement parts are much less bulky and more defined than the stock parts. Unfortunately I don’t have a F4F-3 to compare the longer style pitot.

Review Author
Bill Kluge
Published on
Company
Aerobonus
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$12.00

Aerobonus continues to expand its range of pilot/ejection seat combos with this Crusader pilot seated in his Martin Baker Mk7 seat. The arms and head are separate attachments, allowing for some variation with the positioning of each attachment. The detailing of the g-suit and survival vest easily defines these garments as separate from the flight suits. All the belts, straps and buckles are minutely detailed. The separate arms and head allows you to more easily position them after the seats are installed in the cockpit, so that they’re not interfering with the fit, and more realistically seated in the cockpit.

Review Author
Andrew Birkbeck
Published on
Company
Meng Model
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$69.95

The 100th Anniversary of the tank going into combat takes place in September 2016, and as this anniversary draws closer I have become fascinated with these first creaking, clattering vehicles of death; part of the first modern industrial war in history. And while the British Army’s rhomboid shaped monsters that took part in that engagement at Flers-Courcelette during the Battle of the Somme were the first tanks to see service, the diminutive French FT-17 can legitimately lay claim to be the great grandfather of the modern tank: the first fully tracked armored vehicle with a rotating turret. And as luck would have it, Meng Models have produced a simply magnificent model kit of this seminal vehicle. Not only is this model exquisitely detailed, it is fully detailed, as it comes with a very complete interior.

Review Author
Pablo Bauleo
Published on
Company
Master Model
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$12.50

Master Model from Poland specializes in metal turned parts for aftermarket kits. In my personal option they are among the best in the market. I really like their products. This set is devoted to the weapons of the Hawker Typhoon. There are two options for that kit in 1/48 scale: Hasegawa and Monogram. This set can be used with all of the above, with different modifications in each case.

For each kit, you are instructed to drill holes in the wings for the fairings and to replace the plastic parts with the metal ones. You are also provided with a small photo-etch fret to dress up with wing area around the cannon fairing. Be aware that the outer and inward cannon fairings have different sizes and should not be used interchangeably. The instructions are very clear about which one is each and how to position them.