Thanks once again for another great set from SAC, and thanks to Bill and Phil for sending it out for review.

Recommended Kits

• The Excellent Wingnut Wings Airco DH-2.

The review item is the typical high standard and normal from SAC; a direct replacement for the kit items except these are cast metal. Consisting of three parts; the two main gear “A” frame braces, and the cross brace/axle assembly.

WARNING: Make sure you look at the kit parts to determine how much of the casting frame to remove. On the camel I built a couple of years ago, I did not do so and ended up with a short, butt matched installation verses having two tabs adding strength inside the plastic… be forewarned to not remove too much metal off the struts!

Overview from the Publisher

Su-24 (Fencer) is a Soviet jet bomber with variable-geometry wings. The aircraft was supposed to be a response to the American F-111, and therefore it's structurally similar. Su-24 can operate in any weather conditions, also at night. It was designed to carry tactical nuclear as well as tactical weapons.

In the 1960s, the military command of the Soviet Union set requirements for a new attack aircraft that would be able to operate despite strong anti-aircraft defense of NATO troops. The aircraft was expected to fly at low altitude at a high speed. Initially, it was based on Su-7 and Su-15 airframes, but due to the decision to use a variable-geometry wing, it was necessary to build a completely new structure. Variable geometry allowed to achieve high speeds while maintaining good takeoff and landing characteristics. This is how Su-24 was born.

The USS Forrest Sherman was the lead ship in the US Navy Destroyer program instituted in 1953. Constructed at the Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine beginning in October 1953, launched on February 5, 1955 and commissioned November 9, 1955. After a long and distinguished career, she was decommissioned on November 5, 1982, and stricken from Naval logs on July 27, 1990. An effort to maintain the ship as a Museum ship failed with a few artifacts having been saved for exhibit.

Synopsis per back cover: Hitler’s Wehrmacht led the way in armoured warfare as the successful blitzkriegs in Poland and North West Europe in 1940 so convincingly proved. The contribution of light tanks such as Panzers I, II and 35(t) was critical.

As the war spread to the Balkans, north Africa, and the invasion of Russia, German engineers worked tirelessly modifying existing light tanks and developing new models. The growing Soviet armoured threat, in particular, spawned tank destroyers such as the Marder III Panzerjäger, SdKfz 138/1 and 139. Anti-aircraft variants included the Flakpanzer 38(t), the SdKfz 140/1 reconnaissance tank armed with a 20mm turret-mounted gun developed from the SdKfz 22 armoured car, whereas the Aufklarungerspanzer 38(t) carried a 7.5cm gun in the support reconnaissance role.

In the final stages of the war light tanks were phased out and the Marder and 38 (t) were up-gunned; the Wespe was adapted from the Panzer II chassis.

With the recent release of yet another Battle of Midway film, it seems appropriate for Academy to release this version of the venerable Douglas Dauntless in Marine colors. This package starts off with Accurate Miniatures excellent kit of the Dauntless. In addition, we get a photoetch fret of seat belts and pre-cut masks for the extensive canopy framing. The marking options include a USMC SBD-1 based in Hawaii on December 7, 1941 and another Marine SBD-1 based at MCAS Quantico, Virginia around the same time.

I’ve always been a fan of the Accurate Miniatures line and this kit is no exception. Fantastic surface and interior details are hallmarks of the brand. The cockpit is packed with detail but I used some online reference photos to make sure I was putting parts in the right locations. The instrument panel is cast in clear plastic but the dial faces have raised detail on them so I used the decal provided and settled it in with some Solvaset.