Thank you to David Lajer at Aires for this review item (I don’t know if he did the work on this one, but it is beyond amazing…I hate the expression “Awesome”… too fluffy for something as utilitarian as an afterburner, but this is just a great set!).

If you have ever had the chance to poke your head up the tailpipe of a MiG-23, you would be amazed at the complexity of the afterburner on that engine. Now, take that same thought, shrink down an actual engine to 1/32nd scale, and you would have this kit. Really.

With this review, all I have to do is place the unpainted parts next to each other. The gray semi-detailed parts are the Trumpeter kit items; the well-detailed, yellowish resin parts (which are actually light gray but that’s photography for ya) are patently obvious. I would state up front: This is one of AIRES most fantastic bits of resin. Period, dot. Take a look at the comparison photos – the Trumpeter injection molded plastic will work; paint it black and be done. Now, take the AIRES afterburner, spend a few hours building and painting, and you will have an absolutely perfect tail section.

I can’t say any more; let the pictures speak for themselves. As usual AIRES leads the pack! Thanks to Aires for the set and IPMS/USA for the opportunity to review it.