Thanks to Aires for providing their excellent aftermarket parts for IPMS USA to review, and to IPMS leadership for providing it to me to review.

Once more Aires improves an already great kit; in this case, the 1/32 Italeri F-104G receives an upgrade in the form of improved speed brakes.

A grand total of eight parts are provided: two speed brakes (or speed boards, or air brakes, depending on your background), two fuselage wells to place them in, two actuating rods, and two brace frame assemblies.

In the side by side comparison, Italeri has provided an acceptable speed brake well and boards. Aires has taken the kit parts, and raised the detail bar. There are rivets incorporated in the well, the frames are more delicate, and the speed brakes themselves appear to be a bit more delicate.

To begin, remove the kit speed brake compartment on each side. I used a Dremel tool with large sanding drum at low speed, taking small “swipes” to ensure I didn’t remove too much plastic.

The next step in assembly requires no instructions. Carefully remove the brakes themselves from the pour stub. Do this from the INSIDE as the way the pour stub is designed, you will cut through the board if you follow the outside cut line. The braces themselves have a web of resin between the parts to remove. This requires careful work with a scalpel or new #11 knife blade. Take your time here, no hurry. Then thin the back portion of the brake by light sanding on the outer skin until it is almost razor sharp.

Next is to install the resin wells. They ARE handed, so it pays to ensure you have the correct well on each side. The rear section is your clue - if it doesn’t fit, try the other one. The two small brackets to attach the “A” frames go toward the rear.

The speed brakes themselves have an actuator ram that fits into the front of the speed brake bracket, which is then offered up to the front of the well. A bit of slow-setting super glue is recommended here, as you want to make sure everything is aligned.

Once in place, these look great. They are also surprisingly sturdy - and add a lot to the finished project. Once again, I grade this as a worthwhile investment. Thanks to Aires for this upgrade!