Book Author(s)
Marek Ryś
Review Author
Ben Morton
Published on
March 17, 2021
Company
Kagero Publishing
MSRP
$24.95

Kagero/Casemate Publishers has a Top Drawings series that showcases a single subject with high quality, blue print style line drawings and several colorful schemes of the specific subject.

The current catalog lists 110 titles, so there is a subject of interest for just about anyone. All of the titles from Top Drawings are geared for the fastidious amongst us who crave accurate representations on the subject of choice, be it aircraft, armor, or ship.

Review Author
Steve Zajac
Published on
March 19, 2021
Company
Roden
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$54.99

Background from the website: "In 1941, Packard introduced a new model of car - the Packard Clipper. It was created by the talented designer Howard Darrin, who had previously collaborated with this company and significantly influenced the appearance of all Packards in the second half of the 1930s. The new car had a powerful 125 hp engine with a displacement of 4.7 liters, was wider than its predecessors, and had an extremely elegant design. By the end of the year, Packard had produced 16,000 such cars, but the US entry into World War II completely changed subsequent plans. The military high command issued extraordinary production orders for its requirements, and many purely civilian manufacturers, including Packard, were repurposed to produce military equipment.

Review Author
Paul R. Brown
Published on
March 25, 2021
Company
Master Model
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$5.50

This set is designed for use with kits of the later models of the F-5E/F Tiger II with the so-called “shark” or flattened nose. I used on old Italeri F-5F kit that had been a shelf queen for a few years. The set consists of 5 brass parts – the nose pitot and a tube in which to mount it, two 20 mm gun barrels and a dummy fairing for those aircraft which only have one gun installed.

Review Author
Paul R. Brown
Published on
March 25, 2021
Company
Master Model
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$5.50

This set is designed for use with kits of the T-38 Talon, the F-5B Tiger I and the RF-5A/E/S. The set consists of 3 brass parts – the nose pitot and two 20 mm gun barrels, however, as later versions of the RF-5 only have one gun installed, so you will need to check your references. If you are modeling a T-38 or a F-5B, you will only be using the pitot tube as neither had guns installed.

The instructions are clear about what size drill bit you will need for each installation and clearly indicate how just how much of the pitot tube extends past the kit nose. Take care when drilling your holes and check them as you go to ensure that the pitot tube in on the aircraft centerline and parallel to the ground and that the gun barrels are parallel to the aircraft centerline.

This is another nice detail set from Master Model and it will dress up your Talon or Tiger I jet.

Recommended. Thank you to Master Model for the review sample.

Book Author(s)
Marek Ryś
Review Author
Scott Hollingshead
Published on
March 19, 2021
Company
Kagero Publishing
MSRP
$24.95

For all fans of the Horten brothers’ all-wing jet of World War 2, Marek Ryś and the folks of Kagero have put out a wonderful book of drawings that will be a must have for rivet and screw counters, and of interest to those who have an affinity for this plane. Consisting of line drawings in 1/72, 1/48, and 1/32 scales, there are also four pages with color plates of the planes as well as two included foldout drawings in 1/48 and 1/32 scale. As a modeler and fan of the Ho 229, I can highly recommend this new offering from Kagero in their Top Drawings line!

Book Author(s)
Thomas Anderson
Review Author
Michael Reeves
Published on
March 19, 2021
Company
Casemate UK
MSRP
$24.95

The title of this book might be a bit misleading but I am not complaining. The brunt of the book is definitely on tanks from WWII, but there are extensive chapters that focus on the evolution of the tank from WWI on through the development of Main Battle Tanks (MBTs) in the post-war age. The breakdown of the book´s sections are as follows:

Review Author
Keith Gervasi
Published on
March 21, 2021
Company
Atlantis Model Company
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$19.99

History

From the kit instructions: Combining passenger car styling with rugged, versatile and dependable truck performance, the Chevrolet Two-ton Stake Model represented the ultimate in commercial vehicle design. One of the most popular models in the famous “task Force” series of 1955, it was seen on the highways and byways across America, hauling loads of all descriptions with the greatest ease and efficiency. Whether it was a load of grain from the local feed store, lumber for the new house down the street, or a gang of kids headed for summer camp, the model 6409 was equal to the task.

Review Author
Will Kuhrt
Published on
March 21, 2021
Company
Mission Models
MSRP
$5.75

This review looks at four new releases from the Mission Models product line. They are:

  • MMP-139 RAL 7017 Dunkelbraun
  • MMP-140 RAL 7016 Anthrazitgrau
  • MMP-132 US Navy Flight Deck Blue 21
  • MMP-169 Transparent Green

Mission Models paints are a non-solvent acrylic-based paint, which are ‘airbrush ready’ and produce a flat finish. The product line consists of a wide array of colors, thinners, finishing coats & supplies. Since prior reviews have covered how to use Mission Models paints, I will forego repeating that.

Some features I have come to really like about Mission Models paints are: bottle contains a “rattle ball” which ensures good paint mixture; some of the bottles have a flip cap which is great for counting/measuring drops of paint you add to your pan; the website contains a very good FAQ, which offers plenty of tips for using their products.

Book Author(s)
Lance Cole
Review Author
Allan Murrell
Published on
March 22, 2021
Company
Pen & Sword
MSRP
$28.95

The VC-10 has always been one of my favorite civil aircraft since I was a kid and watching them take off from Heathrow Airport. So, I could not miss the chance to review this book.

Chapters

  • Introduction
  • Design and Development
  • Engineering Excellence
  • Into the Air
  • RAF Service
  • Other Operators
  • VC10 Variants
  • VC10 & Super VC10 in colour
  • Modelling the VC10

The book goes into great detail on the full history of the aircraft and its use and variants over its operational service life. I found this book fascinating and made me aware of a lot of facts I have never heard before. The writing style is clear and concise. The images are awesome and give a lot of useful views for modelers and anyone interested in this aircraft.

Book Author(s)
Marek Rys
Review Author
Allan Murrell
Published on
March 22, 2021
Company
Kagero Publishing
MSRP
$22.95

The book provides great detail drawings of the German WWII night fighter Heinkel He 219 Uhu, which was introduced in November 1942 to the Luftwaffe. The first interesting fact I found was that the He 219 was never officially ordered due to dislike of Heinkel by the Luftwaffe officials. So the 274 that saw service were all officially trail aircraft.

I found the drawings in this book to be fascinating and show many of the variants of this very interesting aircraft. Along with the many outline drawings in 1/72 scale. there are also some very nice profile drawings. There is also a pull out outline drawings in both 1/48 and 1/32 scale.

I recommend this book to everyone with an interest in the He 219 Uhu and consider it a “must” for modellers. I am now off to the work bench to start on my 1/32 kit using this book!

Thanks go to Casemate Publishing for providing this book to review and IPMS USA for allowing me to review it.