Book Author(s)
Massimiliano Afiero
Review Author
Frank Landrus
Published on
May 4, 2017
Company
Mushroom Model Publications - MMP Books
MSRP
$39.00

Massimiliano Afiero was born in Afragola (Naples Province) in 1969. Massimiliano is a computer programmer and teacher, but has long been a serious historian of World War II. He has been extremely active in writing articles for many history magazines in his native Italian, Spanish, and English. You can also find him as an active participant in many military history websites. Massimiliano has personally interviewed many Waffen-SS veterans and has published their experiences in World War II. He published his first book, ‘Hitler’s Foreign Volunteers’, in September 2001, and has now amassed 33 published books. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief of the magazine SGM (Second World War), Ritterkreuz, The European Volunteer, Fronti Warning, and The Axis Forces. You can find his website at http://www.maxafiero.it

Review Author
Paul R. Brown
Published on
May 8, 2017
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$9.95

The Falanga 9M17P Flite (NATO reporting name of AT-2 Swatter) is a radio controlled anti-tank missile developed by the Soviet Union. It was one of the standard weapons fit of the Hind A and Hind D helicopter gunships used in the Soviet Union, many Eastern Europe countries and others that operated the Hind A and Hind D helicopters. The missiles were normally mounted in pairs on each side of the helicopter. The launch rails usually mounted at bottom of the end plates on the Hind’s stub wings. The missiles were also mounted on several types of armored personnel carrier of the BRDM series.

Book Author(s)
Text and Artwork- Andy Evans
Review Author
Dave Morrissette
Published on
May 8, 2017
Company
SAM Publications
MSRP
$122.93

This second book in the new Combat Edge series from SAM Publications deals with the US Navy and Marine Corps EA-6B Prowler. The book has a beautiful cover shot in glossy relief of a Prowler coming right at you. The book covers the history and development of the Prowler, its operational history as well as a walk around and beautiful color profiles. Lastly, there are three unbelievable builds of the Prowler. More on these later.

The chapters included in the book are:

Review Author
Allan Murrell
Published on
May 9, 2017
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$32.95

This is a photoetch Interior set to for the Hong Kong Models B-17 E/F Kit number 01E04a. This set with two photoetch sheets one is colored and adds a lot of needed detail to the Nose compartment of the B-17. These parts really add some great additional details to an great kit.

In the packet is:

  • 1 colored photoetch sheet
  • 1 photoetch sheet
  • 1 instruction sheet

Summary

This is a fantastic set for the set for a kit that is great to begin with, these parts are an awesome addition.

I did find a few minor issues with the set and also with the main kit instructions;

Review Author
Ron Bell
Published on
May 9, 2017
Company
Round 2 Models
Scale
1/144
MSRP
$32.99

The Kits

These are Round Two’s re-release of the Lindberg company’s re-release of three old Pyro molds that appeared under many guises, such as the Nina was once boxed as a Barbary Pirate and the Santa Maria appeared as the Mayflower. They were part of a series of kits called “Historic Sailing Ships” that included twelve ships, many actually duplicates with different names. When first released, the kits were of a standard box scale, but “The Ships of Columbus” are touted as being 1/144. In reality the three ships varied in size yet the kits have all the same dimensions, so the scale issue is “iffy” as each ship has a hull about 4.5 inches long.

Review Author
Rob Benson
Published on
May 9, 2017
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$10.95

Thank you to the Eduard Company for sending this masking accessory for review, it is always a pleasure to see what your new innovations bring to the scale modeling world. Thank you also to the IPMS Reviewer Corps staff members who do the hard work in getting us modeling products to review, the reviews posted, and the news spread to the world.

The 3 x 2.5 inch masking sheet arrived in excellent shape in a sealed plastic package with the distinctive Eduard knight logo. The yellow paper masking material is 3 mils thick with perfectly-cut mask outlines. The backing was not cut through at all, and none of the backing came up with the masks. A color instruction sheet is included in the package, and Eduard also has the same instruction sheet available for download on the product page. I really appreciate having the electronic PDF format to mark up on my computer, not to mention the ability to easily enlarge for my aging eyeballs.

Review Author
Rob Benson
Published on
May 9, 2017
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$19.95

Thank you to the Eduard Company for sending this detail set for review, it is always a pleasure to see what your new products bring to the scale modeling world. Thank you also to the IPMS Reviewer Corps staff members who do the hard work in getting us modeling products to review, the reviews posted, and the news spread to the world.

The photoetch fret arrived in excellent shape in a sealed plastic package with the distinctive Eduard knight logo. The fret is 2.75 x 1.6 inches on polished metal with color-etched laminated details. Side consoles and instrument panel parts are provided for either a F2H-2 or F2H-2P. I worked up the –P version for this review.

Review Author
Rob Benson
Published on
May 10, 2017
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$7.95

Thank you to the Eduard Company for sending this detail set for review, it is always a pleasure to see what your new products bring to the scale modeling world. Thank you also to the IPMS Reviewer Corps staff members who do the hard work in getting us modeling products to review, the reviews posted, and the news spread to the world.

The photoetch fret arrived in excellent shape in a sealed plastic package with the distinctive Eduard knight logo. The fret is 1 3/8 x 7/8 inches (34 x 23 mm) on polished metal with color-etched laminated details. Lap and shoulder belts are included, along with pads and buckle latches. A red “time-to-go” face curtain handle is provided to top off the seat. Eduard shaded the colors very nicely on the parts, giving them a sense of depth and wear. The PE metal folds well.

Review Author
Michael Novosad
Published on
February 3, 2020
Company
Revell, Inc.
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$32.95

History Brief

Much has already been published regarding the F-18 Super Hornet series, and therefore I will not add to the discussion. However, a great source of information may be found on Wikipedia.org, or modeling web sites. Also "The Modern Super Hornet Guide, The Boeing F-18E/F and EA-18G Exposed" by Jake Melampy, and offered by Reid Publications is an exceptional reference with its many color photographs of the aircraft's details. I used that publication for this build as well as for my earlier Revell F/A-18E and Hasegawa F-18E/F/G model projects.

Review Author
Rod Lees
Published on
May 10, 2017
Company
Scale Aircraft Conversions
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$18.95

Thanks to Ross at SAC for sending us improved metal landing gear for the new 1/72 Airfix Victor, and thanks also to IPMS USA leadership for sending it to me….

Another of SAC’s expansive line of white metal upgrades to the basic kit plastic! The set consists of 17 parts: Two duplicate sets of main struts and nose gear, and bomb bay door actuators. The bomb bay actuators were not used in this build but may come in handy if they ever release this kit with the free-falling “dumb” bomb load to show off in the cavernous bomb bay.