Review Author
Rick Bellanger
Published on
October 22, 2015
Company
Plusmodel
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$19.40

Plus Models has recently release some interesting 1/35th scale diorama accessories. The Cable Reels – Big are just some of them.

They arrived in a sturdy cardboard container and wrapped in heat sealed plastic. There was no damage to the parts. Parts consisted of wood, fiber board, heavy paper and resin.

Read the instruction sheet before removing the laser etch wooded parts. They suggest that you take tape and tape the inner reel wooded slats together. These parts are not attached to each other and this is highly recommended if not vital to construction.

Once the wooded parts were separated from their carrier a little sanding with an emery board was all that was needed for cleanup.

Review Author
Rod Lees
Published on
October 23, 2015
Company
AOA Decals
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$13.50

AoA (Angle of Attack) decals: New on the block, and focusing on Marine Air … We sincerely appreciate this new decal manufacturer sending IPMS/USA their latest releases for review! (…and the usual sincere appreciation also to IPMS USA Reviewer corps leadership for sending these my way.. )

This sheet is a comprehensive delivery providing stencil markings for USAF OV-10A’s; from their website, here’s what is on the sheet:

“This sheet provides complete OV-10A Bronco airframe stencils for one aircraft in the original USAF blue-grey FAC camouflage scheme.

Optional one piece wing walkway decal

Review Author
Chris Smith
Published on
October 24, 2015
Company
Platz
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$39.99

Background

The F-15 emerged from a design study started in the early 1960s called the FX program. When the missile centered American designs of the late 1940s and 50s proved vulnerable to seemingly less advanced Soviet Migs over Vietnam, and after the unveiling of the Mig 25, the U.S. started a concentrated effort to build the next generation of fighters. Centered around the energy maneuverability theory the new designs would have very high thrust to weight ratios. That’s what the F-15 (and F-14, F-16 and F-18) would eventually achieve. Built around two Pratt and Whitney F-100 engines that allow the aircraft to accelerate in the vertical, the F-15 and associated new generation U.S. fighters outclassed any opposition at the time. In 1976 a specially prepared F-15 called the Streak Eagle broke eight time to climb records previously held by the Mig 25. A year prior the Japanese Self Defense Force came looking for a replacement for their F-104 and F-4s.

Review Author
Rick Bellanger
Published on
October 25, 2015
Company
Plusmodel
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$19.40

Plusmodel has recently released some interesting 1/35th scale diorama accessories. The Cable Reels – Small are just some of them.

They arrived in a sturdy cardboard container and wrapped in heat sealed plastic. There was no damage to the parts. Parts consisted of wood, fiber board, heavy paper and resin.

Read the instruction sheet before removing the laser etch wooden parts. They suggest that you take tape and tape the inner reel wooden slats together. These parts are not attached to each other and this is highly recommended if not vital to construction.

Once the wooden parts were separated from their carrier a little sanding with an emery board was all that was needed for cleanup.

Book Author(s)
Ray Rimell, Harry Woodman
Review Author
Frank Landrus
Published on
October 25, 2015
Company
Albatros Productions, Ltd.
MSRP
$18.29

Ray Rimell’s follow up to ‘Hawa’! Volume 1 dives deeper into the Hannover CL. II and its variants. The cover features a Stan Stokes painting of a Hannover in action over the front lines. Ronny Bar contributes nine color side profiles, all up to his normal high standards. Mick Davis grabs the pullout centerfold with general arrangement line drawings of the Hannover CL.IIIa and the Hannover CL. III (Merc.). For those of you that still dabble in that odd 1/72 scale, Mick Davis also provides you with drawings of the same two aircraft. I counted seven color photos of the 180-hp Opel (Argus) motor located at the Science Museum in London. There are also an additional 54 black and white photos and over 150 drawings of the airplane components. Ian Stair provides a 1/48 general arrangement drawing of the Hannover CL. V along with fuselage sections and a few detail drawings.

Review Author
Rod Lees
Published on
October 25, 2015
Company
AOA Decals
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$20.00

AoA (Angle of Attack) decals: usually focusing on Marine Air, but in this case, on USAF OV-10A’s…We sincerely appreciate this new decal manufacturer sending IPMS/USA their latest releases for review! (…and the usual thanks also to IPMS USA Reviewer corps leadership for sending these my way.. )

This sheet is a comprehensive delivery focusing on USAF Broncos from various units in country during the Vietnam war.

Also included with this release is the Stencil set 32007 for the High-visibility OV-10’s flow by the USAF. Differences from others include the red turbine warning stripe on the nacelles, in addition to the prop warning stripe. That, and a lot of artwork on spinners including easter egg colors, white stars on a blue spinner, etc… From the AoA website:

Review Author
Pablo Bauleo
Published on
October 27, 2015
Company
Dragon Models
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$88.00

This is indeed a one of a kind armored vehicle. I think that only a single prototype was ever built. After some successful tests of Grille artillery in the Italian Front a decision was made to test a Flak 37 on a heavily modified Panther chassis. I think it even reached the prototype stage.

When you open the box you will find more plastic than for the average model, as all the parts for the Flak 37 are provided by Dragon Models and the chassis, armored sides and running gear is provided by Bronco. There are over 60 sprues and two small photo-etch frets.

Instructions are very clear, probably CAD line drawings generated from the actual CAD design for the molds. The overall surface detail is outstanding, as the accompanying pictures show. Detail is not limited to the armored vehicle as you also get tarps, bags, helmets and rifles but not figures are provided.

Review Author
Jim Pearsall
Published on
October 27, 2015
Company
Scale Aircraft Conversions
Scale
1/144
MSRP
$5.95

The most delicate parts on an aircraft are antennas and the landing gear. This accessory set doesn’t do anything for antennas, but it certainly makes the landing gear a LOT more durable. When you’re dealing with the skinny little legs provided by the kit manufacturer, you’re constantly in fear of destroying the gear just by setting the aircraft down. This is one of the reasons I put the canopy, gear, antennas and props on after I do the decals.

The "Kit"

You get two sets of landing gear for Hurricanes. This is great, because the Sweet kits are doubles, so you get to replace the gear on both planes. Or, if you’re thinking like I do, you’re going to replace the gear on another Sweet Hurricane from the other set. Sweet produces a “fabric wing” and a “metal wing” Hurricane, and I’ve got both.

Review Author
William Nichols
Published on
October 28, 2015
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$8.00

Eduard’s new SUPERFABRIC (the name alone conjures thoughts of Wile. E. Coyote, Super Genius in my mind…) is a new line of seat belts from the ubiquitous aftermarket manufacturer. This latest evolution of scale aircraft seat belts is different from the company’s prior iterations, in that there are no phot-etched parts, and no cutting of materials to use these. They are made from a vinyl like, self adhesive fabric. They are printed in color, and have nice details, consisting of stitch marks and the buckle hardware.

When my set arrived, I eagerly opened the envelope, and gave them the once over, and apart from the above mentioned niceties, something seemed off to my eyes. I double checked the packaging and instructions, and they claimed the appropriate scale is 1/48. I checked again. If these are truly in 1/48, then Imperial Japanese Navy pilots must have been completely covered by their seat belts! They are very much too large.

Review Author
Frank Landrus
Published on
October 28, 2015
Company
Quickboost
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$5.00

Quickboost provides one pitot tube and two ShKAS 7.62mm gun barrels. Of note is the re-sealable packaging that Quickboost uses that makes the parts easy to review and then stuff back into the package securely. There are no supplied instructions; you simply swap out the kit provided plastic parts with the new Quickboost replacements.

Quickboost has molded the pitot tube and gun barrels perfectly in light grey resin with no apparent bubbles. The Quickboost pitot tube and gun barrels have no mold seams to sand off on these tiny parts, and superior detail of actually hollowing the barrel as opposed to a flat face to drill out.