First things first. I want to thank Aires for supplying this Aerobonus item for review and IPMS/USA for allowing me to do the review.

Aires Aerobonus has release several pilot figures lately. This review covers their World War II U.S. Navy pilot. This particular subject is molded in the manner of a pilot operating in the Pacific Theater during WW II. He’s posed as if stepping onto a wing or standing in the cockpit with a foot on the side console or cockpit sill.

This kit is one of those spiffy little diorama add-ons that you sometimes would like to add, but nobody makes it. Well, Brengun comes to the rescue here.

I have had some experience with one of these “vehicles”, when I worked in receiving for Sears. And the war story follows:

I was moving a refrigerator out to the floor for display. It wasn’t quite balanced because of the floor, and it started to stand up. As I usually did, I stuck my foot out against the axle to push it back into travel position. It didn’t stop, and broke my big toe.

Fortunately for me, my Mom worked as an emergency room nurse, so she took care of me at home. The fix was to tape part of a tongue depressor between the big toe and the second toe. This acted as a splint. Then she laughed at me for breaking my toe that way. You don’t get that kind of service at the local hospital.

The BRU-42 triple ejector rack (TER) is a weapon suspension unit that attaches to an aircraft's main pylons to allow the carrying of three weapons instead of one on a single pylon. They have been around for a while and can carry multiple types of weapons. Many models have simplified representations of the TER in their kits. Eduard’s set comes with parts to make five separate TERs each is comprised of 2 shackles for the attachment and six sway braces and one central body. The total set is 45 resin parts, color instructions and a full set of decals containing all the markings needed.

Please note that Aviaeology has a website that is currently under revision. Aviaeology requests that purchases be made through their eBay store.

For those who have purchased decals from Aviaeology before, you are already aware of the high quality of their products, and you are also aware of the excellent documentation that Aviaeology provides to its customers.

From the Hasegawa web page:

Set to strike

During the Pacific War, Charles MacDonald shot down 27 enemy fighters with his P-38, nicknamed "Putt-Putt Maru." These victories and his exceptional abilities as commander of the 475th Fighter Group made him one of the top Allied aces of World War II. P-38 Lightnings were the ideal aircraft for the Pacific; their long range, high speed and heavy armament let U.S. forces successfully engage Japanese planes at every turn.

Kit

This kit is a re-release of an older kit that comes packaged in a sturdy cardboard box with 1 bag of sprues, a single sheet of decals, and an instruction manual.

The sprue bag contains 4 gray sprues (36 parts) and 1 clear (1 part) sprue (in a small bag to prevent scratches).

The decal sheet is for 1 P-38 in the markings of Lt. Col. Charles Henry “Mac” MacDonald’s P-38 “Putt-Putt Maru”.