• Sukhoi Su-27, AM-48-066, $8.50
• Harrier GR.3, AM-48-069, $5.50
• Sea Harrier FRS.1, AM-48-070, $6.50

Iwona and Piotr at Master Model in Poland are a gifted team. Here’s to you and your efforts; we FINALLY have a source for detailed, strong, accurate pitot tubes (and other things like gun barrels) with exquisite detail! Thank you for providing IPMS USA with these review samples, which were passed to me. We appreciate and support you!

OK, what I received from Dick and Steve at IPMS/USA were three little packets, one with an SU-27 pitot tube, one SHAR (Sea Harrier) FRS.1 pitot tube, and one Harrier GR.3 pitot tube and angle of attack (AOA) probe. I immediately pulled the requisite kits out from the slowly shrinking stash and started assembly. Of note: every one of these pitot tube additions have first-rate, set-the-standard instruction sheets with not only installation instructions, but also color callouts! VERY impressive, and something others should emulate. Now, on to the builds: first, the Academy SU-27.

There are several upgrades for this kit, and one is the PICO Models corrected resin nose. Perfect! After installing the nose on the now-mostly assembled “Crane”, I carefully drilled the appropriate hole in the resin and slipped the MM pitot tube in. As you can see by the side-by-side shot with the kit pitot tube, the MM metal tube is by far the winner. Petite, long, and strong!

Next up: The SHAR. Now, I have one of these that I converted by using an old Monogram AV-8A Harrier with its better detail (IMHO), using the then-new (1984) Airfix kit for the SHAR nose and tail. As I remember, I used the kit tube, which has now disappeared because – well, it was weak and snapped off. It had survived the trip to the Mildenhall model club meet, but not the subsequent Air Force moving to different bases over 20 years. I recently purchased another pair of the same kits with the intent of doing a different color scheme, and the kit pitot tube is what you see in the photos. Again, Master Model’s item is petite and looks right. I know it will fit, and it will be stronger.

Last: The GR.3. I had, once again, the Monogram kit with Missing Link resin nose and other bits. I started this model on Sunday, and in two days it was to the point you see it, ready for the pitot to be installed in the new GR.3 resin nose. Tonight I drilled the mount for the Master Model tube, and you can see it is a perfect fit. The AOA probe, however, came up missing, as it is .3mm in diameter and only 1/8” long. I’ll find it stuck in my foot someday, maybe.

Overall, I rate these items ALL 10 of 10. Metalworking of this caliber is difficult, and I challenge those with lathe skills to do as well for the price. Thanks again to Iwona and Piotr for providing us these marvelous items, and IPMS-USA for providing the review opportunity.