Review Author
Ben Morton
Published on
December 21, 2017
Company
Avantgarde Model Kits
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$24.95

Avantgarde Model Kits (AMK) of Macau has been manufacturing some wonderfully detailed and unique aircraft models since 2003. The level of detail and finesse in their moldings is on par with those of Hasegawa and WingNut Wings kits. They have released several 1/48th scale aircraft models including the MiG-31, the Fouga CM 170 Magister, and a IAI Kfir C2/C7. One of their recent offerings, and subject of this missive, is a 1/72nd scale version of the IAI Kfir C2/C7.

The IAI Kfir is an is an Israeli-built all-weather, multirole combat aircraft based on a modified French Dassault Mirage 5 airframe, with Israeli avionics and an Israeli-built version of the General Electric J79 turbojet engine. The Kfir has been deployed by the IAI, Ecuadorian, and Columbian governments.

Book Author(s)
Ross Cowan
Review Author
Robert Head
Published on
December 21, 2017
Company
Osprey Publishing
MSRP
$19.00

Osprey is a publishing house in the United Kingdom that should be a household name to the swarms of us. Osprey continues to expand their Warrior series with the 182nd book in this installment. The warrior series examines specific units and armies of a particular nation. In this installment the Legionnaires of Marius, Sulla and Pompey the Great are discussed.

For the Warrior series, the chapters are organized as follows:

Book Author(s)
Mark Stille; Illustrator: Alan Gilliland
Review Author
Robert Head
Published on
December 22, 2017
Company
Osprey Publishing
MSRP
$20.00

Osprey is a publishing house in the United Kingdom that should be a household name to the swarms of us. Osprey continues to expand their Duel series with the 83rd book in this installment. The Duel Series examine the relative strengths and weaknesses of two adversaries across a particular conflict. This particular volume turns its attention to the US Navy Battleships versus the IJN Battleships.

For the Duel series, the chapters are organized as follows:

Book Author(s)
Mark Stille
Review Author
Pablo Bauleo
Published on
December 22, 2017
Company
Osprey Publishing
MSRP
$18.00

Osprey Publishing continues to expand its New Vanguard series, this time by adding a book on the US Navy Escort Carriers for the 1942-45 period, I topic I have always find fascinating. Escort Carrier were known as CVE (“Combustible, Vulnerable, Expendable”) and despite that popular label, they contributed a big deal towards the Allied victory in WWII.

The book has a very reasonable breakdown of the topic into the following chapters: Introduction, The Rise of the Escort Carrier, Evolution in the Escort Carrier Design, Escort Carrier Air Groups, Weapons and Radar, plus a chapter on Escort Carriers at War and finally a description of each CVE class: Long Island plus Charger (prototype CVEs), Bogue Class, Sangamon Class, Casablanca Class and Commencement Bay Class.

Book Author(s)
Alan Larsen & Henry Yallop; Illustrator: Peter Dennis
Review Author
Robert Head
Published on
December 22, 2017
Company
Osprey Publishing
MSRP
$20.00

Osprey is a publishing house in the United Kingdom that should be a household name to the swarms of us modelers. Osprey continues to expand they’re not so old Weapon series with the 59th book. The weapons series covers select weapons based on Innovation, lethality, impact and how they determined how warfare was changed in today’s combat environment.

For the Weapons series, the chapters are organized as follows:

  • Introduction
  • Development
  • Use
  • Impact
  • Conclusion
  • Glossary
  • Bibliography
  • Index

The development of cavalry firearms and the widespread disappearance of armor from the European battlefield saw a decline in the use of the cavalry lance in early modern warfare. However, by 1800 the lance, much changed from its medieval predecessors in both form and function, was back.

Review Author
Dave Morrissette
Published on
December 22, 2017
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$14.95

The GBU-11 is a 3000-lb. laser guided bomb primarily used in the Vietnam era made by adding laser guidance and fins to a M118E1 bomb. Eduard has now given us an option of attaching this bomb to all the wonderful new 1/48th scale Phantoms among others.

Eduard’s set consists of enough parts and markings to make two of the large bombs. The set includes two tail units, two main bodies and a block of two different types seeker heads. The parts are cast in Eduard’s dark gray resin and are perfect. The bomb fins are super thin so be careful of them. Preparation is simple. Sand the main body and tail unit casting blocks off and join them. I used a little putty due to my sanding. I smoothed it with lacquer thinner. Pick which seeker head you need and cut it free from the casting block. Then sand the back smooth. Lastly, drill a hole into the center and attach to the rest of the bomb.

Review Author
Paul R. Brown
Published on
December 22, 2017
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$7.95

This set is part of Eduard’s growing line of Steel seat belts sets. The set consists of 2 complete shoulder harness sets and 4 sets of lap belts for Eduard’s outstanding Spitfire Mk. IX kit. The set will particularly useful for those modelers who did not spring for the ProfilePack or Royal Class kits of the Mk. IX. I also suspect that with a little work or ingenuity, the set can be made to work with other manufacturer’s Mk. IX kits such as Airfix or Hasegawa.

Book Author(s)
Dickon Whitewood; Illustrator: Graham Turner
Review Author
Robert Head
Published on
December 22, 2017
Company
Osprey Publishing
MSRP
$24.00

Osprey is a publishing house in the United Kingdom that should be a household name to the swarms of us. Osprey continues to expand their Campaign series with an astonishing 316th book in this installment. The campaign series mostly covers large scale or pivotal campaigns of a given conflict that carried large ramifications for either it success, failure, or complete change of government or royal families. In this installment the campaign series covers the bloodiest battles in English history.

For the Campaign series, the chapters are organized as follows:

Book Author(s)
David Campbell; Illustrator: Johnny Shumate
Review Author
Robert Head
Published on
December 22, 2017
Company
Osprey Publishing
MSRP
$20.00

Osprey is a publishing house in the United Kingdom that should be a household name to the swarms of us modelers. Osprey continues to expand their Combat series with the 29th book in this installment. The combat series examines specific units and armies of a particular nation. In this installment the combat series will examine the Soviet paratrooper vs the Mujahedeen during their excursion in which would be a humiliating defeat and dubbed the Soviets “Vietnam War”.

For the Combat series, the chapters are organized as follows:

Review Author
Allan Murrell
Published on
December 24, 2017
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$12.95

This is a photoetch interior set to any 1/35 German WWII armored vehicles. They replace the molded in clamps on tools provided.

In the packet is:

  • 1 photoetch sheet
  • 1 instruction sheet

Summary

This is a fantastic set for added some great additional details to German Tanks etc. The set contains parts to make 15 tool clamps and 24 tow cable clamps.

Thanks go to Eduard for providing this set to review and IPMS USA for allowing me to review it for them.