The Boss 351 was a perfect blend of the previous “Boss” 302 & 429 Mustangs, and nearly as rare with only 1,806 of the 351’s produced. But the golden age of muscle cars was quickly dying out, and the Boss 351 was only built for one year.

With twin Ram Air hood scoops feeding a specially modified 330-horsepower 351-cubic-inch “Cleveland” V-8, the Boss 351 had plenty of power.

This newly tooled Revell kit has 120 parts molded in white, clear, and chrome pieces with soft vinyl tires and waterslide decals. It’s rated a skill level 4 due to a high parts count and a comprehensive decal sheet.

Construction

The engine is a beauty and a model in its own right, weighing in at 26 parts. It’s highly detailed and includes all the decals to make it standout. The parts are mostly separate making for easy finishing. It’s the best representation of this engine that I’ve seen!

The Company

AOA is a relatively new decal manufacturer that has become known for their aircraft decal sets (several popular scales). Their product offering has placed special emphasis on Vietnam-era US naval aircraft. AOA’s products are available from the larger distributors such as Sprue Brothers, Hannants, BNB, etc. This product is their first offering for an armor model subject.

The Subject

This decal set’s subject is rather unique: 1/35 M1A2 SEP V2 Abrams in a 2018 NATO training competition configuration. The Strong Europe Tank Challenge (SETC) was an annual, multinational tank platoon competition held from 2016 to 2018 at the Grafenwöhr Training Area, Germany, and hosted by the U.S. Army Europe and the German Army. At the SETC, crews from NATO and non-NATO partners competed in defensive and offensive operations (see Wikipedia).

This is a brief overview of this rather expansive operation offered in their Battle Craft series of books. It is in paperback format with heavy stock glossy pages with many illustrations inserted among the text. It starts with brief biographies of the primary commanders on both sides and then has a basic order of battle of the units involved down to the divisional level. Next is a section on some of the vehicles present during the campaign. The choices are a bit odd, however. For the Allies, the Cromwell tank is chosen. This vehicle, while present, could hardly be said to have played a major role in the campaign, that distinction for the Allies going to the ubiquitous Sherman. For the Germans, the Panther tank is the subject and while a genuine threat to all Allied armor, it was in the minority on this battlefield being outnumbered by various types of self-propelled assault guns.

The EA-18G Growler was designed to replace the US Navy’s outdated Grumman EA-6B Prowler. It was derived from the tandem seat F/A-18F Super Hornet. The Australian RAAF operates these aircraft and I chose to model A46-06, celebrating the 6th Squadron’s 100 year Anniversary, based at Amberly Airbase, in 2017.

This kit was packed in Italeri’s standard sized, sturdy box, with the grey parts sprues protected in clear plastic bags. An instruction booklet and decals by Cartograf were in the bottom of the box.

Construction started in the cockpit and ejection seats. The detail was quite basic and the instrument panels and side consoles were finished with decals provided on the decal sheet. I wanted to do the RAAF 100 Year Anniversary scheme and intended for the canopy to remain closed. My only addition to the cockpit was a set of Eduard photo etch seat belts for both seats.

One of the newest titles in the Casemate Illustrated Series is Military Dogs of World War II by Susan Bulanda

The book starts with an introduction on dogs in the military and their military roles as Ambulance, Communication, Draft/Sled, Sentry, Mine-Detection, and Messenger Dogs.

The second chapter covers Dogs in the United States Military, and the third chapter covers Great Britain and the Commonwealth. Smaller chapters follow covering the USSR, and the Axis, and a chapter titled Going Home. A nice list of Sources gives the reader a place to look for more detailed information and further reading. The book concludes with a good Index to quickly find relevant information for reference.

Detail & Scale’s original volume on the B-24 Liberator and its variants was published in 2000. Since the first volume was published, more information regarding the B-24 and its variants has become available and more photographs of the B-24 in service have surfaced. In addition, the authors were granted access to the interiors of the B-24D preserved at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force and the PB4Y-2 Privateer preserved at the National Museum of Naval Aviation, to take reference photographs.

The book is primarily a visual reference book, so there is just a brief overview of the B-24 and its many users around the word. The history section includes a nice table explaining the two letter suffixes used to designate where a particular aircraft was built. As explained later in the book, the suffixes can be very useful in narrowing down some of the details of a particular aircraft due production differences between the various manufacturers/plants.

Two Bobs has released a decal sheet covering an anniversary scheme for the 309th Fighter Squadron “Wild Ducks” back when it was flying the F-16 C/D.

Two paint schemes are provided in this sheet. The first one is a striking mix of blue, grey and white strips with Donald Duck holding a lightning bolt on the blue rudder. The second one is a great looking desert camouflage for the first F-16 to claim a kill on an Iraqi Mig-25 with an AIM-120 (although at the time of the kill the airframe was wearing the standard two-grey livery).

I want to point out that both schemes are special commemorative schemes for the 80th anniversary of the 309th FS. Both schemes were designed by Ssgt Michael Cichonsky (portrayed in the instructions sitting on the tail of the F-16C) and both look amazing.

The decal sheet includes all stencils needed for both aircraft, meaning one sheet allows you to build both the -C and the -D. You don’t even have to choose which one to build!

Volume 25 of this series is dedicated to the Panzerwaffe and its many variants/types. The Panzerwaffe ordered 54,147 vehicles/AFVs in 126 versions on 28 different chassis. The book gives you a small representation of the vehicles/AFV built by the Germans during WWII. Although it is true that the German vehicles/AFV were top of the art in their time, they could not compete against the sheer quantity of Allied war production. That being said, the Germans, although under a tremendous amount of pressure due to fighting against superior numbers, still made good use of the equipment provided to them. The German Panzerwaffe defeated Allied opponents in many cases through superior training, tactics and not infrequently, by sheer bravado of their troops.

The AN-M30A1 was a World War Two era general purpose (GP) 100-pound bomb that entered service in 1942. The AN-M30A1 was a slightly modified AN-M30 US Army developed bomb, differing in the base plug/plate construction, and the use of a different adapter-booster. The bomb served the US for about 20 years.

From the Bulletpicker website

These bombs are all general purpose high explosive bombs.

To overcome the erratic flight of these bombs when dropped from high altitudes by very heavy bombers, the tail assembly of the 260 pound Fragmentation Bomb M81 replaces the customary tail unit, which is two inches shorter, for such missions. Use of the Cluster Adapter M22 permits single suspension for four GP Bombs AN-M30 or AN-M30A1.

This book is the 28th in MMP’s Spotlight On series, and consists of 23 full-color plates showing 23 different famous P-51 Mustang fighters, splendidly depicted by Polish aviation artist, Tomasz Kaca. Each plate shows the aircraft in question in the air above a variety of landscapes and featuring various WWII theatres. Each plate is accompanied by a short caption naming the aircraft and its identity, the pilot and his unit. There are no other words in the book, not even an introduction.

While the plates are splendidly rendered, I have two issues with the book. Firstly, the plates are split across the spine of the book and while it is easy enough to ‘break’ the spine so it lays flat, it does rather spoil the effect. Perhaps this type of book is better served by a landscape format rather than portrait.

For ship modelers, specifically aircraft carrier enthusiasts, with an interest in post-WW2 Essex-class ships, Starfighter Decals has released a two-sheet set to improve your models. The set provides decals for use on 17 of the Essex-class carriers as well as for the three Midway-class carriers. In addition to the flight deck and hull numbers, flight deck stripes, elevator safety lines, island safety reminders, and ship names are provided. The sheets measure approximately five inches by eight inches (126mm by 200mm) and are printed by Microscale.

Summary

This kit represents a vehicle from the 1970’s-1980’s era as the dump body doesn’t have a rear door and lacks a debris/dust tarp. Today vehicles like this are only seen in use in quarries and not on the road. If one were to include a rear door could easily be scratch-built from styrene sheet and strip and debris/dust tarp made from styrene rod and Kleenex for a tarp.

Background

The following is excerpted from the instruction sheet.

ICM is a hobby company based out of Ukraine. They have provided IPMS/USA a six (6) bottle acrylic paint set for review.

In the Box

The paint set contains six (6) 12ml bottles with nontoxic water based acrylic paints. Inside each bottle is an agitator ball to help mix when shaking. The following colors are provided:

• Grey Blue (1075)
• Deep Sky Blue (1076)
• Blood Red (1046)
• Deck Tan (1055)
• Deep Brown (1008)
• Black (1002)

Straight out of the bottle, the paint’s viscosity is thick and purposely prepared for brush painting. The instructions do recommend thinning 40-60% with water or thinner for airbrushing. All surfaces are recommended to have primer applied prior to painting. Volume wise, the paint takes up about 70% of the bottle and has “room” to add thinner if so desired.

Helion is a UK-based company that produces books on many aspects of Military History from the Late Medieval period through to the present day. Helion was established in 1996, and since then they have published over 1,200 books, with 100 or more new titles coming out every year, for readers around the world.

The Sino-Soviet border conflict was a seven-month undeclared military conflict between the Soviet Union and China in 1969, exacerbating the Sino-Soviet split during China’s Cultural Revolution. This book focuses on the Chinese perspective (another book in Casemate Publishers/Helion Company Asia @War series No.21 - The Sino-Soviet Border War of 1969, Volume 1 - First Clash at Damansky Island, and No. 23 - The Sino-Soviet Border War of 1969, Volume 2 – Confrontation at Lake Zhalanashkol) focuses on the Soviet perspective). The Battle of Damansky (Soviet name)/ Zhenbao (Chinese name) Island in the Ussuri (Wusuli) River in Manchuria, was a series of battles between the two largest Communist powers. While there were other skirmishes, the two battles outlined in this book are tied together well, with the Battle of Zhenbao (Damansky) Island (March–May 1969) being the most important and decisive, and the Tielieketi (Lake Zhalanashkol) Incident (13 August 1969).

With the recent demise of some of our favorite scale modeling publications, the stars have aligned for Andy Evans and David Francis and their magazine designers Jonathan Phillips and Andy Folds. As a result, they were able to team up and put together Phoenix Scale Publications to the benefit of those of us in the scale modeling hobby. Their excellent Phoenix Scale Modelling and Phoenix Aviation Modelling magazines became available earlier this year.

Aviation modelers will also benefit from their outstanding Airmark and Red, White and Blue Series of aircraft reference books.

The subject of this review is the “Real to Replica Blue Series #2 – The SAAB JAS 39 Gripen”. This soft cover 8.25” X 11.5” book contains 96 pages of background and development, color reference photos accompanied by a reference commentary for each picture. There is also a color profile artwork section and kit modeling references.

Overall Evaluation

‘Move over, there’s a new sheriff in town’ – at least as quarter scale Corsairs are concerned. As I have built this F4U-2 kit, I am overjoyed with the kit’s attention to details and overall accuracy. As I previously said: Almost any way you slice it, this is a beautiful kit! And, for the price, you receive two beautiful Corsair kits. These kits are highly recommended both for newer builders interested in the Corsair as well as those who felt the best such kit was the other Japanese company. Now we have a higher bar and it’s a great set of Corsairs.

Now, as for the review itself-

A Very Brief History the Corsair [from manufacturer’s website]

F4U Corsair is a famous carrier-based fighter aircraft deployed by U.S. Navy in WWII. With the first prototype manufactured in 1940 and final variant produced in 1953, it has the longest production run of any U.S. piston-engine fighters.

Summary

This is a re-boxing of the earlier G7107 1½-ton truck. That kit was reviewed in December 2021 by Mr. Phillip Cavender. I used Mr. Cavender’s review as a “heads-up” for any issues. From reading his review ICM has changed the assembly sequence with this re-boxing. Mr. Cavender noted that the engine is assembled in steps 20-28 after the axles are attached to the frame (steps 16-19). In the current instruction sheet the engine is assembled first (in steps 16-25) and the axles attached after that (steps 26-45).

The only difference with this set is that a new bag with three sprues to create four infantry figures with equipment.

Background

The following is excerpted from the instruction sheet.

AOA Decals has released a decal sheet (#48024) that updates and supersedes their own #48-001 and #48-006 sheets covering USMC A-6A, A-6B and KA-6D Intruders during the Vietnam War, including markings for an astonishing 19 aircraft spanning the period 1966 to 1973.

There are markings for:

• VMA (AW)-224 Bengals, based on the USS Coral Sea during 1971-72
• VMA (AW)-225 Vikings, based on Da Nang, South Vietnam 1969-71
• VMA (AW)-242 Batmen, based on Da Nang, South Vietnam 1966-70
• VMA (AW)-533 Hawks, based on Chu Lai, South Vietnam (1967-69) & Nam Phong, Thailand (1972-73)

All the aircraft are in the high-viz camouflage of the era. Some of the airframes had black noses, while others had white. Some of the aircraft also had colorfully painted rudders -you have decals for the rudders or you can paint your own using the decal as a template for home-made masks.