I like sci-fi and weird designs, so this Hasegawa Vanship, from their Creator Works series, was right up my alley. I had never heard of this model, however after a quick Google search, I found out that it’s the “fighter” ship for a hotshot pilot from the 2011 anime series Last Exile: Fam, The Silver Wing, a follow up to the 2003 anime series, Last Exile. I did find the series on Comcast’s Infinity and watched a couple episodes to try and get some context. Obviously, I need to see the rest of the series but the first few shows were good, so when I get time I’ll finish the rest.

With the release of newer modern-era Soviet aircraft, such as the MiG-21, MiG-29, Su-27, Su-25 and others, there is a market demand for a figure to stand beside the aircraft for scale appearance. Until now there has been a very limited selection. Aerobonus answers this call with their simple, but effective, figures.

The latest release is a winter-dressed pilot. He has his helmet on and his hands in his pockets. The figure’s head is tilted up slightly, as if looking at the cockpit or an overflying aircraft. The pilot figure comes as a one-piece molding that is flawless. I don’t see any mold lines that need to be cleaned up. Just a simple cut at the feet and this figure is ready for paint. The painting instructions are printed on the back of the packaging insert. The painting instructions are very basic, with a simple drawing calling out generic colors like white, black, and gray-blue. That said, the callouts are adequate for the figure.

Round 2 Models, under the AMT brand, has re-released this 1/25 scale 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray. The kit features 1970’s Street Rod Series box art. The Retro Deluxe reissue contains a vintage 3-in-1 kit with a new, full-color decal sheet and pre-lettered drag slicks. Although the kit shows its age in the form of some excess flash, the parts do fit together pretty well.

Engine

The stock 327 engine has several options to choose from: a 4-barrel, fuel injection, three deuces, four Webers or a blown intake setup. You can also select from stock exhaust manifolds or two different sets of headers. These accessories are some really nice parts. I chose the Webers, but used the carbs from a Falcon kit and resin air filters.

Chassis

There’s nothing to the chassis other than gluing a couple of axle blocks into place.

Interior

The interior is just a tub with poor engraving. Though the dashboard is fairly crisp.