Review Author
Dick Montgomery
Published on
October 12, 2019
Company
Plusmodel
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$11.00

Plusmodel is located in the Czech Republic and when you visit the company website you are given the option of an English language version. The links above go to that option.

To get some idea as to what products are offered by plusmodel, select the Catalogue option on the home page. The Catalogue lists hundreds of items that can be used as stand-alone models or items, such as the Ladder being reviewed, to enhance a model. My modeling experience with plusmodel products includes only a dozen or so of the aftermarket-type items, and I have been pleased with each of those items.

The ladder, in 48th scale, is packaged in a sturdy cardstock box measuring 5 inches by 3.5 inches. The box top shows an F-106, with the canopy open, and with the ladder in place, awaiting the pilot. The backside of the box serves as the “instruction sheet”. The illustration shows that there are 14 parts included in the box.

Review Author
Floyd S. Werner Jr.
Published on
December 29, 2021
Company
Fightertown Decals
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$25.00

The F-14 Tomcat, was a movie star and retired way too soon. This beautiful fighter led a long and distinguished career and sported some unique color schemes. At the end of its service life it was predominately shades of gray. That doesn’t mean it was a dull collection of markings, just the opposite. Some of these grays made for some colorful markings.

Fightertown Decals has been producing some great decals for the F-14 Tomcat and this sheet is no exception. Included in the marking options are 6 Squadrons with 16 marking options. There are at least four different variants of grey paint schemes on these subjects.

The decals and instructions are packaged in a large Ziplock style bag. The instructions are printed on high quality bond paper in full color, on three double sided 8.5x11 sheets. Each aircraft is shown on both sides, as well as, upper and lower plan views. Each aircraft shows where all the individual markings are applied.

Review Author
Floyd S. Werner Jr.
Published on
February 3, 2020
Company
Iliad Design
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$12.00

The MiG-21F-13 was the first operational version of the fighter. It was used throughout the Soviet sphere of influence. It was used in the deserts of the Mideast to the Jungles of Vietnam. Trumpeter’s kit of the F-13 is a really nice kit but the kit decal options could use some updating. Enter Iliad Design and this sheet.

Packaged in a ziplock bag is a single sheet of instructions. Printed on a double-sided page are seven aircraft from around the world in full color. The instructions show left side profiles and upper plan views. There are descriptions and FS callouts for each aircraft.

The decals themselves are very well printed. I’m not sure who printed them. They are thin on the sheet and it perfect register. The colors all look accurate. There are no stencils included but the national markings and individual aircraft markings are.

The first aircraft is from the Chinese PLAAF with Love Live Chairman Mao on the nose.

Review Author
Dave Morrissette
Published on
October 12, 2019
Company
Zoukei-Mura
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$140.00

Zoukei-Mura’s latest release in 1/32 scale is the wonderful Ki-45 Toryu (Nick). This twin engine 2-seat, heavy fighter was used by the Japanese Army in WWII. In Part 2, I finished the cockpit and gunner positions and got the fuselage assembled.

Next off are the wings. Here, you will need to install all the internal workings for the wings. Will they show in the end, no but it is still too cool and too much fun to pass up. I installed the fuel tanks, linkages for the ailerons and then glued the bottom wing onto the structure. It fit perfectly. Don’t forget to drill out the holes on the wing bottoms before sealing up!

Review Author
Dave Morrissette
Published on
October 12, 2019
Company
Scale Aircraft Conversions
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$18.95

Scale Aircraft Conversions continues their 1/32 scale line of white metal replacement gear with set 32146 for the Zoukei Mura 1/32 Ki-45 Toryu. The set includes 8 well made pieces of white metal that allow replacement of the two main landing gear struts along with a replacement of the tail wheel also.

Inside the package, there are two main gear struts that are not interchangeable so make sure you know which side is left and right. The main gear also includes retraction struts and oleo’s for both sides. The tail wheel includes a nice sturdy strut and separate oleo.

Fortunately, I was building the Zoukei Mura kit and these popped up on the list so I was able to incorporate them into the build. The cleanup was simple. They clean up like plastic gear and removal of a few seam lines was all the was required. They were direct replacements for the kit parts and the metal is stronger.

Book Author(s)
Dick Taylor
Review Author
Andrew Birkbeck
Published on
October 12, 2019
Company
Kagero Publishing
MSRP
$34.95

Kagero Publishing is one of the world’s preeminent publishers of military vehicle and aircraft books aimed at the modeling community. The book under review is from their Photosniper series, and the author, Dick Taylor, is a leading author on British military vehicles. The book is 88 pages in length, with a card cover. The pages measure 8.3” by 11.7”, on glossy paper. All the photos within its covers are color, with good production values. There are also three pages of color profiles, covering 6 different vehicles.

Review Author
Dick Montgomery
Published on
October 13, 2019
Company
Plusmodel
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$11.00

Plusmodel is located in the Czech Republic and when you visit the company website you are given the option of an English language version. The links above go to that option.

To get some idea as to what products are offered by plusmodel, select the Catalogue option on the home page. The Catalogue lists hundreds of items that can be used as stand-alone models or items, such as the Ladder being reviewed, to enhance a model. My modeling experience with plusmodel products includes only a dozen or so of the aftermarket-type items, and I have been pleased with each of those items.

Book Author(s)
Thomas McKelvey Cleaver
Review Author
Frank Landrus
Published on
October 13, 2019
Company
Osprey Publishing
MSRP
$30.00

Thomas McKelvey Cleaver served with the US Navy in Vietnam and has spent thirty years in Hollywood as a screen writer for television and the movie industry. Horror fans will know him as the author for the 1989 cult classic by producer Roger Corman of “The Terror Within” starring George Kennedy, Andrew Stevens, Starr Andreeff, and Terri Treas. Thomas McKelvey Cleaver has also been a published writer for forty years and is known for Fabled Fifteen: The Pacific War Saga of Carrier Air Group 15, The Bridgebusters: The True Story of the Catch-22 Bomb Group, Aces of the 78th Fighter Group (Aircraft of the Aces 115), F4F Wildcat and F6F Hellcat Aces of VF-2 (Aircraft of the Aces 125), and an ebook, Air Combat Annals.

Review Author
Tom Choy
Published on
October 13, 2019
Company
Croco Models
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$60.00

Based in Latvia, Croco is a small resin operation specializing in highly esoteric WW2 and post-war armor and aircraft subjects, though they are branching out into other subjects such as hovercraft

The Iomax Archangel is designed to be a low-cost combat aircraft based on a highly modified Thrush 510P cropduster. Upgraded with additional fuel, the aircraft has a demonstrated loiter time of up to 10 hours, The Archangel has been marketed as a platform for counterinsurgency, counterrorism, counterdrug, counterpiracy, and even border patrol. Interestingly enough, the predecessor to the Archangel, the Iomax Border Patrol Aircraft (BPA), was originally based on a modified AirTractor AT-802i cropduster, was exported to the United Arab Emirates, where it saw action in Egypt, Libya and Yemen. Using lessons learned from the BPA experience, Iomax debuted the newer Archangel, where a further 24 airframes were sold to the UAE.

Review Author
Eric Christianson
Published on
October 13, 2019
Company
Master Model
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$27.99

Master Model out of Poland, well-known for producing high-quality, precision after-market products, has recently released a set of .303 CAL Browning machine gun barrels for the recently released 1/32nd scale Avro Lancaster by HK Models. Each barrel comes in three pieces of turned brass; a shaft with hollowed out flash suppressor, a perforated sleeve that slips over the shaft, and a base ring that slips over the other end and into a (slightly drilled out) female receptacle in the plastic gun from the kit.

Assembly

Assembly of the brass barrel is a snap. The cone slips tightly over the shaft and the base ring only requires a dot of super-glue to keep everything together, and cemented into the receptacle of the HKM gun mount, which is just slightly smaller than the new barrel. This design allows the modeler the freedom to open up the mounting holes just slightly to insure a nice, tight fit.