Another excellent turned metal (brass) pitot assembly from Master Model. IPMS USA sincerely appreciates the support of Master Model, who continue to provide first-class products to improve already great models…. THANK YOU!

This one is as simple as it gets; a pitot tube combined with the Pitot Boom which fits on the nose of the Italeri 1/72 B-58 Hustler. Looking at the kit item and Master Model’s replacement, it is easy to see why you should buy this one. First, the kit item is really way too short; Master Model fixes that. Use superglue or epoxy to install, the fit is perfect and doesn’t need anything else. There is an excellent instruction sheet as well, other aftermarket companies should follow this lead.

A quick word about the strength of these items. I accidently bent the extreme, very fine end of this pitot boom assembly. It was 90 degrees to the rest of the boom, and I was extremely concerned about work-hardening and breaking the metal if I tried to straighten it back out.

Work hardening essentially is a process where when you bend a metal item back into place to its original shape, it changes the molecular structure of the wire, and makes it more brittle/prone to breaking because of embrittlement. Pot metal is more forgiving of this process, but brass is pretty hard. In this case, I was lucky and the tip did NOT break off. Word to the wise, these are durable, but you must be careful.

For an example of work hardening metal… Take a thin wire coat hanger, and using your thumbs and forefingers next to each other about ¼ inch apart, bend it back and forth several times. Be aware you might burn your fingers while doing this, as the metal will heat up; and the result eventually is a “snap” where the wire breaks. That’s your science experiment for the day!

Thanks again to our friends at Master Model for this review item. I believe these to be must-have items for those of us who like sharp-nosed aircraft!