Platz Hobby produces several kits in 1/144 scale (currently 394 to be exact), and I was fortunate enough to receive this two-plane kit for review. In addition to the parts for two aircraft, there are markings for four different planes included. Construction was quick, and the detail is very good for this scale. Modelers familiar with working with small parts should not have issues building this release, and I would highly recommend it.

There have been many releases of the F6F in its variants over the years, so I probably do not need to mention much more on the history of a plane that had over 10,000 copies released during WWII. The dash 5K planes featured in this release were used following WWII as drones, drone controllers, and to tow targets. The final combat missions seen by these planes were as radio-controlled air-to-ground guided weapons used in Korea against well defended targets in the North.

The origin of Pen and Sword Books is closely linked with its sister company, the Barnsley Chronicle; one of the UK's oldest provincial newspapers – established in 1858 – and one of the few weeklies still in private ownership. The first books published by the company were in response to public demand following of a series of articles published in the newspaper:- Dark Peak Aircraft Wrecks told the story of crash sites in the Dark Peak area of the Peak District National Park, and a further weekly feature on the history of two Kitchener battalions, known as the Barnsley Pals, aroused a thirst for more information. Following on from the success of Dark Peak Wrecks and Barnsley Pals books, a number of local history paperbacks were produced along with a series of battlefield guide books. Battleground Europe proved immediately successful and as more and more titles were produced the company made the decision to launch a book publishing arm of the group.

This first of a two volume set of US combat aircraft over Vietnam exemplifies the excellence that we’ve come to expect from Mushroom Models Publications White Series aircraft reference books. This heavily illustrated edition covers 14 of the most important fighter, bomber, attack and tactical reconnaissance aircraft flown by the US Air Force in southeast Asia. The second volume will cover Navy and Marine Corps aircraft. What you get in these pages is a top notch design description and thorough Vietnam combat history for each of the following aircraft, including many specialized sub-variants and special missions:

Value Gear resin stowage products have long been go-to resin additions to modelers looking to detail their builds in nearly any scale. Spanning stowage from WWII through more modern and even sci-fi settings, these pieces really pop with detail and add immensely to the scenes they’re placed in. In this case, we are looking at set #10-- stowage for your StuG in 1/35 scale. While many of the sets are geared towards certain manufacturers’ kits, there is absolutely no reason why you can’t place them nearly anywhere, as you’ll see below.

The Fairey Flycatcher achieved historical significance by being one of the first fighter aircraft designed specifically for operation from Royal Navy ships and aircraft carriers. Developed to replace the Gloster Nightjar, it won out against the Parnall Plover biplane, and first flew in 1922. Only a few Plovers (10) were built, but 196 Flycatchers were finally built between 1923 and 1926, with the type serving with the Home, the Mediterranean, East Indies, and China fleets. It was primarily land and carrier based, although carrier based, a few were operated with a pair of floats, The Flycatcher was very popular with its pilots, and one advanced feature was the wing flaps, when ran the length of both wings, and which significantly shortened the takeoff and landing distances.

Although no original Flycatcher has survived, a replica aircraft was constructed by the Fairey firm in 1977, and it is currently on display at the Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Arm Museum.