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Box Art

F-4S Phantom II “Vandy 75” Limited Edition
Review Author
William Carrell
Published on
Company
Hasegawa
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$60.00

The Hasegawa F-4 Series Phantom II models have been a standard for the modeling community for a number of years. They have offered virtually every variant ever produced and flown in all services around the world. This specific release is Celebrating the dawn of carrier landings. On January 18, 1911, the first successful aircraft landing on a ship occurred when pilot Eugene Ely landed his plane onto the USS Pennsylvania (ACR-4). In 1986, Air Test and Evaluation Squadron Four (VX-4) celebrated the 75th anniversary of this historic occasion by adding special "Vandy 75" insignia to select F-4S Phantom IIs.

Box Art

German Heavy Generator Sd.Ah.24
Review Author
Eric Christianson
Published on
Company
Plusmodel
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$38.20

PlusModel, out of the Czech Republic, has released a 1/48th version of their German Heavy Generator, previously released in 1/35th. The all-resin kit contains some extra goodies to detail this unique and welcome addition to their product line.

Opening the Box

The first thing apparent when opening the box is the high quality of the resin parts. The parts are clearly labeled with part numbers and contain very little flash. What’s more, the connections to the pour stubs and resin blocks are kept to an absolute minimum, simplifying removal and making clean-up a breeze. Most of the parts can be (carefully) snapped off using just your fingers. A couple of swipes with a sanding stick and you’re ready to go.

The contents of this box include:

Book Cover

311 Squadron
Book Author(s)
Pavel Vancata; Illustrator: Marek Radomski
Review Author
Mike Van Schoonhoven
Published on
Company
Mushroom Model Publications - MMP Books
MSRP
$21.64

This is the first publication from MMP that I have had the opportunity to read. I found the book very informative and look forward to reading other offerings from this publisher.

The RAF 311 bomber squadron was the second Czechoslovak combat squadron within the RAF and it was the only one composed completely of Czechoslovakian members. It was formed in 1940 and served until the end of the war in 1945.

Boxtop

M-47 Patton
Review Author
Ron Bell
Published on
Company
Revell
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$28.95

The Vehicle

The American response to the German Tiger tank was the M-26 Pershing. It had good armor and its 90mm gun finally gave the Allies a weapon that could handle the Tiger. However, its engine was too weak and the vehicle suffered in mobility, so after the war a start was made on a replacement, designated the M-42 (not to be confused with the M-42 light tank design). But that vehicle would not be available for years, so the engine problem in the M-36 was addressed by fitting a new engine, which resulted in the M-46. It was better, but not really "new". Work continued on the M-42, which would have a similar hull and engine, but a new turret with a better ballistic shape and heavier armor in the front.

Box art

Pilatus PC-6/B2-H4 Turbo Porter
Review Author
Rod Lees
Published on
Company
Roden
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$53.00

Our thanks up front to Squadron mail order for providing this kit to IPMS so we can review it! A note about Squadron’s customer service; had one small issue with a part sprue, and we received the parts ASAP. Thanks Squadron for your attention and drive to ensure you maintain your customer base! And thanks to IPMS leadership for sending this one my way

The Turbo-Porter is an interesting aircraft; it is designed for a specialized purpose, operating from unprepared airfields, with short takeoff and landing capabilities. In this kit, markings are provided for French Air Force operations; one overall white with a cheatline, and one in overall dark gray. I used Tamiya IJN Saesebo arsenal gray for my build as it seems close.