Master Model from Poland specializes in metal turned parts for aftermarket kits. In my personal opinion, they are among the best in the market. I really like their products, and this set in particular is really nice.

This set is devoted to the weapons of the Hawker Hurricane Mk IIC in 1/24 scale. As far as I know, there is only the Trumpeter kit of a Hurri MkIIC in 1/24, but they might be others and I’m sure this kit will fit any 1/24 scale Hurri MkIIC, perhaps with small modifications if needed.

The instruction indicates to modify the wing fairings to accommodate the metal ones and then add the metal turned parts, as shown in the renderings from the manufacturer. This is a simple “drop-in” replacement set that only uses 4 replacement parts per cannon.

This aftermarket set will enhance the looks of your finished model. I’d recommend this set to the average to experienced modeler.

Ultracast has added a series of highly detailed resin detail parts for the Eduard Spitfire Mk. IX kit. This set (#48262) provides a pair of flared exhaust stacks that replace the kit parts. The Eduard kits are recognized for accuracy and detail but the kit exhausts unfortunately are designed in such a way that they must be installed at an early stage in the assembly process. Doing so makes it difficult to paint the exhausts and surrounding areas without a considerable amount of masking later in the build.

Ultracast’s set includes a pair of backing plates that are installed instead of the kit exhausts at that point in the construction of the fuselage and provide a foundation for the resin exhausts that can be installed after the model is assembled and the fuselage is painted. This permits the modeler to also paint and weather the exhausts before installation, making for a clean job of it with no masking.

Among the items recently added to Ultracast’s line of highly detailed resin detail parts are upper cowls that replace those in Eduard’s numerous Spitfire Mk.IX kits. This set (#48264) provides a ready to install one-piece Flat upper cowl (found on the early Mk.IXs) that replaces the kit parts. Note that I say parts because the kit upper cowl comes in two pieces that must be glued together…creating a seam that must then be rubbed out. The Eduard kits are recognized for accuracy and detail and they can be built into excellent replicas of the aircraft, but the two-piece cowl creates extra work for the modeler and creates the likelihood that some molded-in surface detail might be lost in the process. The Ultracast part avoids all of that and speeds the build considerably. This ‘time saver’ aftermarket part comes on a small casting block that is easily removed with a razor saw (See photos below).

The usual thanks to Ross and his team at SAC for passing on this set to IPMS USA and to our leadership for sending it my way!!!

This set is, as usual, a simple SAC upgrade (as they all are), targeted for the new Hasegawa F-35A kit. Among the big three 1/72 F-35 kits that I have now constructed, (Academy, Italeri, and Hasegawa), the Hasegawa kit is by far the simplest. In many ways I like the detail better, particularly the use of decals for the external RAM panels. No external stores or open weapon bays… this one is the clean, closed up and stealthy model. The cockpit itself contains an excellent crewmember figure if you choose to use it (I did).

Photo Etch. Some love it, others hate it. This guy has a love hate relationship with it as well, but this was one set that I was more than capable of using without any serious issues. To my knowledge I only created 4 new cuss words, but they were my own doing and not the products fault. With that being said, let’s look at what the folks at Eduard sent my way.

This set is for the exterior of the plane. I didn’t use all of the included pieces, but did use probably 95% of what came on the two brass frets. Looking over all the pieces and where they go showed that it shouldn’t be as daunting as I thought. Yes, there are lots of them, but what parts I did use, all fit extremely well. There were some areas where I would skip using the PE if I were to do this again (I will get the chance by the way) as the kit parts would do the job just fine.

History

The Browning M1919 was introduced after the end of the First World War and soldiered on for several decades. It saw action in WWII, the Korean Conflict as well as in Viet Nam. It was used as a light infantry support weapon, mounted in aircraft and vehicles as a self-defense weapon and used as an anti-aircraft machine gun. It was used by several countries. It can be seen sticking out the frontal armor on all US tanks, as well as being the common coaxial gun alongside the main gun in US built armored fighting vehicles. These sets will be a welcome addition to modelers wanting to update their .30 caliber crew serviced machine guns. Each set includes two turned brass barrels with perforated cooling jackets. Set 35-004 has the two piece conical shaped muzzle and 35-005 has the one piece cylindrical shaped muzzle. Set 35-004 represents the early gun muzzle and 35-005 the later type. Each set comes with two turned barrels and cooling jackets.

Last we spoke, the frames and interior were done and it was time to finish the plane off by adding the outer skin and finishing all the details. Prior to starting, I sprayed the top and some portions of the bottom RLM 02 as these are visible when the plane is complete. I quick test fit can show you which areas to paint. Starting with the center fuselage, the top is added and there are placement indents where the frame fits into the skin. Also, the engine covers are added at this time. As a side note, the skin is molded clear and you could leave it as is to see the superb interior detail. I next added the front section with the intakes and they matched up well. Take your time here and get a good fit so you don’t need putty. Mine dried a little crooked and it caused some issue later. In hind sight, I would probably glue the front end to together to get perfect alignment and then add to the frame. Not sure how tight it would be but it would preserve the excellent surface.

Thank you to Tamiya, Inc. for providing this wonderful kit for review and to the IPMS Reviewer Corps for allowing me to document my build experiences. The sharing of this review with the scale modeling community would not be possible without the exceptional support of the IPMS Reviewer Corps. Thank you everyone!

Summary

The F4U Corsair needs no introduction as one of the iconic naval fighter-bomber aircraft of World War II and Korea, primarily operated by the U. S. Navy and Marine Corps. A list of publications I found useful during this build may be found following this review. The kit is very well-researched, with numerous subtle part choices to allow one of three variants to be completed with either folded or extended wings.

Bob Sanchez and TwoBobs latest release is beautiful set of markings for the Hasegawa A-4N, which covers planes from Wittmund Germany owned by BAE systems. Curious about that? No problem- Twobobs has the following history included:

"BAE Systems operates (6) ex-Israeli Air Force A-4N aircraft in Wittmund, Germany. These aircraft fly tow banner, Ground Control Intercept and Close Air Support training missions in support of NATO in Europe."

There even more explanation on the decals sheet. The sheet contains markings for four white painted planes with numbers N431FS, N432FS, N434FS and N437FS. Markings are included to allow the making of two planes that look great in all white and their colorful markings.

For any who have missed it, Aviaeology is a company out of Canada producing decals specific to many Canadian themed subjects. This set of for 404 Squadron Beaufighters and comes in all scales but this the 1/72nd version. The first thing that hits you when you purchase one of their sets is the detail provided to replicate specific aircraft. The research going into these decals is second to none. This set includes markings for twelve different aircraft in a variety of schemes. Here’s a quick list:

History

The Lavochkin La-7 was a logical development of the highly successful radial engine fighter, the La-5, which was itself an improved LaGG-3 all wood fighter which, while having reasonable performance, was not satisfactory as a first line fighter at the beginning of the “Great Patriotic War”, as the Russians designated World War II. While the LA-5 went through numerous changes during its production life, it became obvious that the 1820 hp. Ash-82FN radial engine had reached its development peak, and that there was no suitable replacement for this engine, as the Ash-71F radial of 2200 hp. was unreliable and unsuitable for service use. Therefore, the Lavochkin Design Bureau decided to upgrade the basic La-5 design, making aerodynamic refinements on a prototype designated La-5 (206) which included a new cowling, oil cooler location, supercharger intake, exhaust cover outlet, and radio mast shape.

First, welcome to FLY models and thanks very much for sending us this great kit to review… and to the IPMS USA review corps leadership for sending this kit and the landing gear accessory to the crazy builder in Oklahoma…

I purposely did not open any other review commentary on the new Fly Arado 234B-2/B-2N kit… my impression was to be that of someone who just invested in a new company and wondered how it was going to come out.

To the people at FLY… You need not worry; this is one magnificent effort and I’m VERY impressed!

In this BRASSIN detail set, Eduard provides modelers with a quick and easy way to add a quartet of highly realistic SC-250 (Sprengbombe Cylindrisch 250) bombs to a 1:48 scale German aircraft model. The set includes resin and photo-etched brass parts and a small decal sheet for the stenciled identification. Four resin parts and four photo-etched parts make up each bomb and the decals add all markings needed for finishing the assembled and painted models. This multi-media combination makes into realistic looking miniatures of the real thing.

Background

The Avro Biplane was the first biplane design built by A. V. Roe. It was a further development of his previous designs, which featured tri-plane layouts. I remember an Avro tri-plane in this series but its not been reissued. The design shared some common features with the other aircraft of the day. A triangular shaped fuselage was large enough for a pilot and passenger. The increased surface area of two wing surfaces handled the extra weight. Wing warping was used to turn the aircraft. What set this design apart was the 35 HP water-cooled engine built by the Green company. A cooling system helped provide reliable power over long durations, something that plagued other aircraft engines.

Background

Platz, out of Japan, has been involved in the 1/144th modeling community for a while. They have produced many of their own kits and have teamed up with another Japanese company called F-Toys. F-Toys produce various subjects, among them being 1/144th scale aircraft kits. These kits from F-Toys are typically pre-painted, mostly assembled, and somewhat snap together. Many 1/144th scale modelers will take these pre-painted F-Toys kits strip them down, add details, repaint, and decal them. However, now we are seeing Platz take those same F-Toys kits and produce them as traditional model kits. This T-34A is a prime example of that venture; first it was released under the F-Toys name as a pre-painted kit, and now it’s released as a traditional model kit.

The Kit

Less than two years after treating the modeling world to a state-of-the-art 1/48 scale Ventura PV-1, Revell has released a second version of the Ventura…the type ordered by the RAF in early 1940. According to Revell’s website there are 142 parts, but I counted 143. A number of them are common with the PV-1 kit, but a number of additional ones necessary to replicate the unique details of the RAF Mk.I and Mk.II are included. Twenty-one parts are molded in clear plastic. They are crystal clear and thin enough that interior details are easily viewed. All of the others are molded in a medium gray. As with the PV-1 kit, all parts are well molded with no flash or severe ejection pin marks to deal with. Recessed details are delicately engraved and a few raised details are nicely represented. Fortunately rivet detail is limited to a few conspicuous ones on the top of the fuselage and around fuel tank caps on the wing tops.

I will not hide the fact I enjoy watching Japanese anime and the original “Last Exile” anime is one of my favorites. (No kidding). It represents a wonderful fusion of Sci-fi and the golden age of flight. The show centers around the orphaned brother & sister pair of Lavie Head and Claus Valcaat and their fathers old Vanship. Claus and Lavie work as commercial pilots who deliver messages, cargo and whatnot up until they are dragged into a war. The series is available to watch for free on Hulu.com and can be viewed in either the original Japanese (with subtitles) or it is also available dubbed in English.

The twin-engine Avro Manchester was used heavily during the first months of World War II. However, it was underpowered and not very reliable, and it fell short of the RAF’s expectation. The Avro engineers got busy and replaced the Manchester’s two 24-cylinder X-block Vultures with four V-12 Rolls-Royce Merlin engines. To accommodate the two extra engines, the Manchester’s wing span was increased. In turn, this caused problems with the airframe, so they enlarged the fuselage and redesigned the tail. Thus was born the Lancaster. It became an instant success, even though its defensive armament was somewhat light, consisting of eight .303 Browning machine guns.

From the dust cover -

“Shot Down” is no ordinary memoir of World War II. It reveals the hopes, dreams and fears of a remarkable group of men and people that loved, cared and hid them after their plane was knocked out of the sky over French/Belgian boarder.

Review

WOW what a read! I highly recommend this book to broaden your knowledge of air missions over Europe during WWII!

This book is a memoir of Steve Snyder’s father, Howard Snyder. Howard was the pilot in command of the B-17 Susan Ruthand along with the nine other members of his crew flew missions over Europe while attached to 306th Bomb Group.

DXM, or Double Excellent Model, is relatively new to the world of decals. The company is from Taiwan and is offering a growing line of decals for the aircraft modeler. Take a few minutes and check out their website as they offer a wide range of modern aircraft schemes and different markings, including many JASDF schemes.

Today’s review covers their excellent 1/48 scale F-14B Tomcat sheet for VF-103 Jolly Rogers.

The decal sheet comes in a sealed plastic sleeve and includes a large decal sheet, along with a smaller one for the US star-and-bars roundels, and a second smaller sheet for formation lights. The decals themselves are printed by Cartograf and are of their usual excellent quality. All decals are in excellent register, and there is no extra film to trim.

Markings are included for four aircraft:

The Aircraft

The E-4B is obviously a modified Boeing 747, or VC-25. It started out as a 747-200, but has had equipment added to make it an airborne command post. There was an E-4A, but these have been modified to B standard. The big visual difference between an A and a B is the fairly large hump on the top near the front. This houses the SHF SATCOM antenna.

The E-4B has a crew of 48 to 112, depending on mission needs. It can stay aloft for a week if necessary, the limiting factor being engine lubricants. In case of national emergency, the President, the cabinet, and whoever else is deemed necessary would be aboard.

The E-4B has not been upgraded to a glass cockpit, as the analog instruments are less susceptible to EMP (electromagnetic pulse) damage from a nuclear event.

I began building Dragon Model kits when they first became available back in the 1970’s. Even back then they were a breath of fresh air on the modeling scene. They offered fascinating subjects never seen before and although sometimes a bit simplified, I liked them a great and built numerous models from their catalog, enjoying them all. My, how they have evolved over time.

In the years between WWI and WWII, moviegoers in America may have thought they were watching wartime footage of aerial dogfights between Fokker D.VIIs and Sopwith Camels in such films as Hell’s Angels and Dawn Patrol. They may have been watching some of the surviving Fokkers, but in all likelihood, the nimble fighters with roundels on their wings were aircraft that never made it into military service during the Great War…instead, they were the small single-seat S4 ‘Scout’ trainers built by The Thomas Morse Aircraft Corporation in 1917-1918 that were considered surplus after the war.

Introduction

The “Back to the Future” (BTTF) movie franchise began in 1985 with the release of the first movie. The film series featured the adventures of Marty McFly as he traveled back and forth in time in a Time Machine built by wacky scientist Emmitt “Doc” Brown. That first plutonium-powered Time Machine creation had been built by Brown from a vintage DeLorean sports car. For the second movie, “Back To The Future Part II”, the DeLorean had been converted to a flying Time Machine. At the end of the second movie, just as order had been restored to the 1985 timeline (once again?), the Time Machine was struck by lightning which fried the time circuits and sent Doc Brown whirling back to 1885. A third iteration of the movie franchise was needed to rebuild the Time Machine using 1950s technology (is anyone else confused?) and to set the timeline straight one last time.

Having never built anything but “out of the box”, I was intrigued when I saw the availability for PE cockpit details for the Trumpeter A-6A. Having had the kit for a year, I stalled out very badly due to some poor build decisions on top of questionable engineering. I thought that getting these sets would potentially light my fire, so to speak.

The stock A-6 cockpit as provided by the kit, is no slouch. It was fairly well detailed. Unfortunately for me, I had it completely assembled by the time I picked up the PE sets. This greatly increased the difficulty as there was no easy way to remove the detail on the existing. As nasty of a job as it was, it came through okay in my opinion.