Model Art No. 824, July 2011 issue features the tools of modeling – everything needed to finish surfaces of models. Pages 9 - 43 are filled with commercial products from sanding sticks to glue and everything in between (but not paint). Unfortunately, this is where not being able to translate the text into English hurts – we never find out who won.

Pages 44 - 61 show off the next feature – building three kits of late-mark Spitfires in three different scales, followed with two pages of who makes Spitfire kits. Next up is the Waterline No.395 section, a review of the new 1/700 IJN Amagi battlecruiser kit from Fujimi. This is a what-if, showing what the ship would have looked like in the early 1930s. Amagi was cancelled by the 1922 Washington Treaty and scheduled for conversion to an aircraft carrier. The 1923 Tokyo earthquake damaged the Amagi, and Kaga was chosen instead for conversion. Her sister Akagi was also converted. This is a long-waited kit of an unusual subject. After 12 pages of ads, the usual sections follow: 1) Modeling JASDF 190 showing close-ups of an H-21 helicopter; 2) new kit reviews. This issue you get reviews on: 1) Hasegawa 1/72 Sukhoi Su-33 Flanker-D; 2) Dragon’s 1/35 German 20mm Flak 38 halftrack Sd.Kfz. 10/5; 3) Fujimi 1/700 IJN Shokaku aircraft carrier 1941 version; and 4) GRB 1/24 Subaru Impreza WRX STI. The Historic Garage featured a 1/24 1980s Lauren Hardtop. The rest of the magazine is all tiny pictures of new kit releases and advertisements.

As always, the format is close to 7x10 inches in size, and the printing and reproduction quality are excellent. Model Art text is entirely Japanese and most feature photos are in color. This issue is recommended if you want to see what Japanese modelers use to work on their kits, and want to keep up on new modeling releases from Japan. This issue is less useful for American audiences than other issues though.

Thank you to Dragon Models USA, Inc. and IPMS/USA for my review copy.