Model Art Issue 920 is typical of other Model Art magazines in that it is written entirely in Japanese, with occasional English words, usually in article titles or in captions. The Vessel Model Special is a quarterly issue that focuses on naval subjects. Advertising comprises the inside covers (and back cover) along with another 4 pages showing what is available and new, always useful for building up that wish list. I counted 410 photos (mostly in color) along with 21 side view or top view drawings. Additionally there are a lot of scrap drawings highlighting details.

The Feature article is on two builds of a 1/350 IJN Shimakaze that goes for twenty-one pages. After a 1 page build of a 1/20 anime figure, you’ll find eighteen pages of three different build-ups in 1/700 scale. Next up is a six page build of a modern day JMSDF Missile Destroyer, DDG-172 Shimakaze. The Shimakaze section finishes with six pages of period photos, profiles and scrap drawings.

Contents:

Master Model of Poland continues to expand its 1:48 Air Master line. This time with an armament set for the Tamiya 1/48 Mosquito Mk.II/Mk.IV including Browning .303 barrels and Hispano 20mm cannons and a pitot tube.

As you can see from the pictures, the metal parts are extremely fine with excellent detail all around. In some cases the parts were so small that I had trouble getting really good quality pictures of them. I am including a manufacturer image on the review.

The design of the detail parts implies that you will have to modify the plastic parts. It will be an easy replacement, you need to remove the plastic cannon/machine gun and drill a receiving hole. If you doing in a clean and smart way you might even be able to install the metal machine guns and cannon after the model painting is completed.

This set is part of the Brassin line and provides an impressive upgrade for the exhaust can, burner ring and nozzle of the J79-GE-19 powered F-104G.

The set is intended for the Hasegawa/Eduard kit. I used it on the Hasegawa F-104 Starfighter “Nato Fighter” stock # PT20 boxing. This set replaces parts U6, R26, R27 and L8 in the original kit. Photo etch parts are included to represent the burner ring(s). The exhaust tube is a seamless part which has very well done interior detail. In fact, every part in this set is a refined replacement of the plastic parts in the base kit. The exhaust nozzle is much thinner and has more surface detail than the kit part.

This set provides belts for the F-104G using the Mk. GQ7A ejection seat.

The F-104 also used a C2 ejection seat, and one is provided in the Hasegawa kit I used (stock #PT 20), but the seats are very different designs, and this set won’t work on the C2 seat. In general, the export versions of the F-104 used the Mk. GQ7A seat. I would consider this a “must have” since the base kit doesn’t provide any kind of harness for the GQ7A seat.

Typically aftermarket figures, especially pilots tend to be for military aircraft. PJ Production has provided an option for those who wish to add a pilot to civilian type aircraft.

The product contains three figures of two different styles. All three are wearing headsets and dressed in dress clothes including a tie. One of the three is wearing sun glasses as well as two arm options. The other two do not have sun glasses and the left arm is attached with hand on the left leg. All three do not offer head options and are cast on the body. A very slight flash is on the figures which is simply brushed away and detail is nice and crisp.

Test fit is in the 1/72 Roden C-123 provider. Figure parts will need to be adjusted slightly too clear parts such is control column.

A big thanks to PJ Productions for providing these fine figures and to the IPMS USA for the chance to review them.