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August 2016

Package

Hand Pallet Truck
Review Author
Doug Hamilton
Published on
August 11, 2016
Company
Hauler
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$7.80

One piece of equipment you’ll almost always need any place where freight is handled is a way to quickly move palletized goods from one place to another. Whether a moving a short distance, or in tight quarters a hand pallet truck, or as they’re more commonly called here in the States, a pallet “Jack” or “Mule”, is an indispensable piece of equipment.

Hauler, from the Czech Republic has introduced in 1/48 scale a pallet jack made from resin and photo etched parts. Cast in medium gray resin the kit consists of 7 resin parts and three photo etched parts. No decals are suppled or needed. A one-page sheet of directions is included.

Color profiles

Air Wing All Stars - Tomcats Part One
Review Author
Pablo Bauleo
Published on
August 11, 2016
Company
Furball Aero-Design
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$16.99

Furball decals continues their “AirWing All Star” series and this decal sheet features 7 (seven!) CAG F-14, with enough national markings and stencils for two airframes. However if you use the markings and stencils from the original decal sheet you can make a very large group of models.

These are the airframes included

  • F-14A 159631, VF-24, USS Constellation, 1976
  • F-14A 160393, VF-84, USS Nimitz, 1978
  • F-14A 161134 (TARPS), VF-101, NAS Oceana, 1982
  • F-14A 160666, VF-111, USS Kitty Hawk, 1983
  • F-14A 159825, VF-114, USS Enterprise, 1984
  • F-14A 159446, VF-142, USS America, 1977
  • F-14A 158621, VF-124, NAS Miramar, 1974

The airframes are a combination of overall grey, with others being with lower surfaces in white. Some radomes are tan, others are grey. All of them have colorful fins.

Box art

Super Etendard/Super Etendard Modernise
Review Author
Pablo Bauleo
Published on
August 11, 2016
Company
Kinetic Model Kits
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$55.00

Kinetic Models has provided all new molds for the Super Etendard in 1/48 scale. Upon opening the box you find 5 sprues, one clear sprue and a small PE fret (HUD and some external details). Two of sprues are devoted to an array of weapons and underwings stores.

Plastic is the typical light grey from Kinetic, with good surface detail, fine and crisp recessed detail and no flash.

Construction starts with the cockpit, air ducts and engine face, plus wheel bay (both nose and fuselage ones). There are no surprises with those subassemblies, but make sure every part is properly cleaned and square as assembling all those components could throw the fuselage alignment off. There are internal alignment points for the air ducts and fuselage wheel bay, but not for the nose wheel bay.

Product packaging

F-16C Block 50 – 50 Years of YGBSM
Review Author
Pablo Bauleo
Published on
August 11, 2016
Company
Twobobs Aviation Graphics
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$12.00

Two Bobs has released a decal sheet covering an anniversary scheme for the “Wild Weasel” squadrons, currently flying F-16s. The markings include a very prominent weasel carrying a lightning bolt in the rudder.

The instruction sheet (printed in full color) includes color call-outs in: FS standard, Testors, Humbrol, Gunze and Xtracrylics. This makes finding the right paint color a breeze.

The decal sheet is printed by Microscale and it looks thin, glossy and it is in perfect register. Likely the color density will be excellent too. As a “bonus” stencils are provided for AIM-9X, AIM-120, AGM-88, plus ALQ-184 ECM and AN/AAQ-33 targeting pods

A word of caution which hopefully will minimize confusion: the instruction sheet lists a 1/48th Tamiya for this decal set. That is a typo. The size of the decals is clearly for a 1/32nd scale model.

Highly recommended. You will have an astonishing looking Wild Weasel F-16C.

Box Top

Focke Wulf Fw 190A-8/R2 (Overtrees)
Review Author
Paul R. Brown
Published on
August 11, 2016
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$10.95

The third kit in Eduard’s FW 190A-8 series is the Fw 190A-8/R2 “Sturmbock” variant. As the American daylight bombing raids became larger and more frequent the Luftwaffe searched for ways to increase the effectiveness of their daytime fighters in bringing down the B-24s and B-17s without drastically increasing their vulnerability to American escort fighters. Focke Wulf’s solution was to add additional armor to key areas of the Fw 190 and to up-gun it. The result was the Fw 190A-8/R2 which had extra armor around the engine, the ammunition boxes in the wings and along the sides of the cockpit. In addition the side panels of the windscreen were beefed up with extra panels of glass and large side panels of toughened glass were installed on the outside of the main canopy. The R2 also had the outer 20mm cannons in the wings replaced with 30mm cannons – giving the Sturmbock a hefty punch.

Box Top

Focke Wulf Fw 190A-8/R11 (Overtrees)
Review Author
Paul R. Brown
Published on
August 11, 2016
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$10.95

The fourth kit in Eduard’s FW 190A-8 series is the Fw 190A-8/R11 nightfighter variant. In an effort to fight the RAF’s night bombing campaign, the Luftwaffe searched for ways to increase the number and effectiveness of it nightfighter forces. The long term solution was the development of dedicated nightfighters such as the He 219 Uhu, but as new aircraft development was a slow process even wartime, it was forced to look for short term solutions as well. One solution was the FW 190A-8/R11 where four FuG 218 antennas were installed on the wings of the Fw 190A-8 along with flame dampeners along the fuselage sides and blast deflectors for the guns.

Book cover

Spitfire Aces of the Channel Front 1941-1943
Book Author(s)
Andrew Thomas
Review Author
Pablo Bauleo
Published on
August 12, 2016
Company
Osprey Publishing
MSRP
$23.00

Osprey Publishing just released the latest installment in the Aircraft of the Aces series: “Spitfire Aces of the Channel Front 1941-1943”.

Typical of the Aircraft of the Aces series, this book is profusely illustrated with period (B&W) pictures, both of the airplanes and their pilots, plus 36 selected color profiles. The book also has many first hand narratives describing individual combats while keeping them in the overall context of the strategic situation.

The book is split into 5 main chapters, as follows

  • Defense to Offence
  • Leaning into Europe
  • Greatest Air Battles
  • The Endless Offensive
  • Preparing for Invasion

The first chapter is very brief and describes the general strategy of “Rhubarbs”, “Rodeos”, “Circuses” and the organization of “Wings” which would typically have a strength of 3 to 4 squadrons

Package

Hawker Hurricane Landing Gear (Fly)
Review Author
Rod Lees
Published on
August 12, 2016
Company
Scale Aircraft Conversions
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$16.95

Product provided by: Ross, CEO of SAC

The metal gear company strikes again! Thanks to Ross at SAC for sending us another of your expansive line of metal landing gear, and thanks also to IPMS USA leadership for sending it to me.

This is becoming a theme; a SAC upgrade to the basic kit plastic! The set consists of 5 parts: Two main struts and side braces, two main strut drag braces, and a one-piece tail wheel fork.

The FLY models Hurricane is a magnificent bit of modeling fun. It is limited issue, short run-design, with resin, plastic that (for the most part) fits with precision (no alignment pins), only needing a bit of practiced hand to construct. I had a few areas requiring putty, but really must rave about one part: the main gear wheel well. This is a fantastic bit of resin, and once prepared and painted, makes a great foundation for the SAC main gear.

Front Cover

P-51 In Action
Book Author(s)
David Doyle
Review Author
Hub Plott
Published on
August 12, 2016
Company
Squadron Signal Publications
MSRP
$19.95

The In Action series should be familiar to all. David Doyle continues his update of this series this time focusing on the iconic P-51 Mustang, a plane many would say was the best of the war.

The book begins with the NA-73X prototype designed to help supply Britain in the early part of WWII. The USAAC would only allow North American to export the planes if they provided 2 at no cost to the Army for evaluation. These two became the XP-51 one of which survives today with the EAA in Wisconsin.

Book cover

The Frozen Chosen
Book Author(s)
Thomas McKelvey Cleaver
Review Author
Frank Landrus
Published on
August 12, 2016
Company
Osprey Publishing
MSRP
$28.00

Originally envisioned as a movie by Thomas McKelvey Cleaver, The Frozen Chosen has been released as a book about the First Marine Division and the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir. This new book relies heavily on a series of interviews conducted by Cleaver with survivors of the battle resulting from a 1989 reunion of “The Frozen Chosen”. The release online by the US Marine Corps Historical division of the Korean War Project, along with recently released from Korea, Russia, and China finally spurred Thomas McKelvey Cleaver to finish this book.