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Package

Convair B-58 Hustler Pitot Tube
Review Author
Rod Lees
Published on
Company
Master Model
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$6.50

Another excellent turned metal (brass) pitot assembly from Master Model. IPMS USA sincerely appreciates the support of Master Model, who continue to provide first-class products to improve already great models…. THANK YOU!

This one is as simple as it gets; a pitot tube combined with the Pitot Boom which fits on the nose of the Italeri 1/72 B-58 Hustler. Looking at the kit item and Master Model’s replacement, it is easy to see why you should buy this one. First, the kit item is really way too short; Master Model fixes that. Use superglue or epoxy to install, the fit is perfect and doesn’t need anything else. There is an excellent instruction sheet as well, other aftermarket companies should follow this lead.

Box art

Peterbuilt 359 Wrecker
Review Author
Joe Porche
Published on
Company
Revell
Scale
1/25
MSRP
$99.95

Revell graced us with the re-release of the “Can Do” and now the “Will-Do” 14 wheel Peterbuilt 359 Heavy Wrecker. This kit contains close to 700 parts of which nearly 40 are not used. The box alone is massive in size, some 20” x 14” x 5”, which sizes up well with the completed model of 18” long with everything folded up for travel. If you choose to build the kit with all the options in wrecking recovery pose it is well over 30” long and 10”wide and as much as 15” tall.

Speaking of options, both of the cab doors, the hood, and the outrigger doors can be posed in the open or closed position, the side and rear outriggers can be set as in use and the boom may be raised, extended and transversed to the left or right. I chose to build my wrecker in the travel mode but definitely played with all of the other options.

Packaging

Dassault Mirage F.1 - Pitot Tube and Angle Of Attack Probe
Review Author
Rod Lees
Published on
Company
Master Model
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$4.50

Another in a long line of excellent turned metal (brass) items from Master Model. IPMS/USA sincerely appreciates the Master Model’s support in providing a world-class product to improve our models… THANK YOU!

I am always fascinated by the level of detail these parts have on them. My only experience with turning metal is best left unsaid, however these probes are almost as close to perfect as they can be.

This package contains two metal parts in a double-bag system. The outer bag holds the protective card with details on the contents, and then an internal “small” bag holds the even smaller pitot and AOA (Angle of Attack) probes.

Front Cover

X-15: The World's Fastest Rocket Plane
Book Author(s)
John Anderson and Richard Passman
Review Author
Ben Guenther
Published on
Company
Zenith Press
MSRP
$30.00

Much has been written about the world's most successful rocket powered research aircraft, the X-15. This airplane was designed to be a vehicle to provide aerodynamic, flight dynamic and structural data for use in the future development of hypersonic aircraft, all before anyone had even broken Mach 3. In October, 1954, NACA decided on the need for a manned hypersonic research vehicle, one that would fly up to Mach 7 and over 126,000 feet in altitude. By the end of the program the X-15 had reached a top speed of Mach 6.7 and an altitude of 347,800 feet during the course of 199 flights.

The authors; John Anderson, curator of aerodynamics at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum and Richard Passman, chief aerodynamicist on the Bell X-2 have crafted an excellent introductory story for this aircraft.

Basically, they do this by explaining the X-15 and how it worked, then going into details of the twelve pilots who flew this machine. The six chapters are: