Thanks to Piotr at Master models for providing these incredible static dischargers to improve our models, and thanks to IPMS Reviewer Corps leaders for sending it to me…

What is in the packet: an instruction sheet, and 14 very-tiny, jewelry-quality Static dischargers used on most F-16’s.

Static dischargers are frequently molded on our models. And we modelers, being who we are, frequently break them off during construction. I personally remove them and install replacements or the kit items at the end of the build. Sometimes I won’t even bother; they are just fragile or are just way out of scale. Here is where Master’s turned metal items shine…

As on my recently-reviewed Sukhoi 1/48 dischargers, these little 1/32 jewels for the F-16 are great. They have the proper 3-diameter steps machined for you. Again, Piotr, this is excellent machine work!

This is a multimedia kit comprised of 470+ styrene parts on 24 sprues, DS tracks, one photo etched fret, decals and the set of instructions that need to be reviewed very carefully before gluing any parts together. The DS tracks were packed well enough to not be misshaped with the guide horns flattened as it has been noted in the past.

Most Dragon models today are a collection of old sprues and new sprues added to create a new kit variant. In this case, Dragon has done so and you will have some sprues with the same letter but are called out by the color and sprue letters in upper and lower case.

There are not many options for you to choose between and none require you to do so before you start. You can pick as you go along.

Airfix has re-released their Mosquito PR XVI, this time on a D-Day Anniversary edition. Make no mistake this kit is no “new molds” from 2015. In the box you have a full Mosquito FB VI (dated in 1980) with extra sprues molded in the mid-2000s to be able to finish it as a PR.XVI. As such you have a mix of vintage molds (1980, mid-2000) with some parts having raised panel lines; other parts having recessed panel lines.

Construction starts, like most airplanes do, with the cockpit. Note there were a few ejection pin marks that I choose to fill and sand in the inside of the fuselages. They might not be visible once the canopy is in place but I wasn’t sure so I choose to be worry rather than sorry. You are provided a mix of new (IP) and old parts for the cockpit (seats and some radio boxes). The truth is that with a bit of paint I cannot tell the difference between the new and the old parts inside the cockpit.

The 1972 Oldsmobile that graced the Indianapolis 500 race as the pace car that year was a stunning anomaly. It was the first time a car was provided by someone other than an automotive manufacturer. The auto giants were reluctant to provide one because of the previous year’s accident so Hurst stepped in to fill the void. Miss Hurst (Linda Vaughn) helped kick off the race too.

Aires Resin has produced a set of replacement flying control parts for the Airfix 1/72 scale Spitfire Mk 22. The resin horizontal stabilizers are a superbly detailed drop-in for the kit’s plastic parts. The supplied items include a firm greenish-grey resin casting block with the horizontal stabilizers attached. A side by side evaluation (see photos) indicates identical replacements that will provide poseable control surfaces for this nice little kit from Airfix. As always, check your reference photos.

You will not need to do surgery to the kit to use these beautifully cast pieces in your build. The resin fixed wing parts can be attached the same as the kit parts. The resin moveable parts can then be posed as desired. Attach them to the plastic with some super glue, and don’t forget to pose the control stick in the cockpit in the appropriate position!

Very highly recommended.