all 2014

Review Author
Mike Van Schoonhoven
Published on
Company
Model Art
MSRP
$11.26

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.

The February issue starts off with a report from the 2013 Tamiya fair. Some of the kits on the horizon are a 1/6 Harley Davidson FLSTFB Fat Boy Lo, 1/72 Mitsubishi A6M3/3a Zero Fighter Model 22 (Zeke), 1/35 Ford GPA with engine, 1/35 German Horch Kfz. 15 "North African Campaign", 1/48 Russian 1.5 ton Cargo Truck Model 1941, paintbrushes and tools. Also included in the first few pages is a page dedicated to the Eduard 1/72 Mig-15 in Czechoslovakian in Service Dual Combo and the Eduard aftermarket sets that could be used with it. Another page covers an auto show and then the next installment of I.J.A/N. Airplane Illustrated. This month’s installment covers torpedo sighting devices. They use photos of the actual units and drawings in the article.

Review Author
Bill Kluge
Published on
Company
Aerobonus
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$20.00

This latest weapons set from Aerobonus contains all the parts necessary to represent eight 3-inch aircraft rockets and the launch rails used with them on a variety of British aircraft. The set includes eight rocket bodies, along with four different 8-piece sets of warheads (for a total of 32 warheads). Also included is a photoetch set with clips to attach the rockets to the rails, individual rocket fins (32 of them) and a photoetch alignment tool to help set the fins properly in place. A comprehensive decal sheet completes the package.

Once the choice of warheads is made, assembly of the rockets is pretty straightforward. Be mindful, the resin is somewhat brittle; and around the insert holes in the rocket bodies, where the warheads fit, it is thin. The ends were already broken on two of the rockets in my set, and I chipped a third one assembling a tight fitting warhead. I had to re-sculpt the tubes with putty.

Review Author
Andrew Birkbeck
Published on
Company
Hobby Boss
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$46.99

When I first saw this model kit as being available to review for IPMS/USA, I must admit I was ignorant of its importance in the history of tank development and warfare. Developed from the British Vickers 6 Ton tank of the late 1920s, the T-26 series of tanks was one of the most important of the 1930s, and together with the Soviet BT series, provided the backbone of Soviet tank forces in the interwar period. The T-26 was the most numerous tank of the Spanish Civil War, provided a large component of Soviet tank forces during the Finnish/Soviet conflict of 1939-40, and despite falling behind in design compared to improvements in anti tank gun development, was the most numerous tank in the Soviet arsenal when Germany launched Operation Barbarossa in June 1941.

Review Author
Charles Landrum
Published on
Company
Quickboost
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$6.00

The AN-2 "Annushka" bi-plane (NATO designation “Colt”) is a throwback from a very earlier age, not only because it is a biplane, but because of the larger Shvetsov Ash-62 9 cylinder radial engine that powers it. On the right side of the plane is a single large exhaust pipe that belches fire and smoke when in operation. The pipe on the real AN-2 comes out from the engine at a shallow angle of incidence and then makes a radius bend outward to carry the exhaust away from the fuselage.

Review Author
Pablo Bauleo
Published on
Company
Quickboost
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$8.25

Review

The S2F Tracker needs no introduction. It has been in service for decades with Navies from all over the world. Kinetic has the only 1/48 injection molded kit in town and as such it is getting the attention from different aftermarket manufacturers.

Quickboost has released a series of aftermarket details (wheels, pylons, radar, etc) including one for the propellers, which is the subject of this review. The addition of a “Tool” is a great idea to ensure all the blades have the same pitch and very easy to use.

The resin parts are clearly sharper and finer than the plastic ones. Perhaps the main differences relates to size. The resin propeller hub is a tad longer than the plastic counterpart and the resin blades are a bit longer and narrower than the plastic ones. I do not know if that might have something to do with earlier/later marks of the Tracker. Check your references.