Thanks to Aires for this excellent upgrade to the great Revell PV-1 Ventura model, and to IPMS leadership for providing it to me for review.

This set simply replaces the three-part kit cowling with a more detailed, one-piece cowling. Read on.

All you have to do is use a sharp knife, some quality CAREUL cutting time, and possibly a razor saw to remove the pour block from the back of the cowing. It uses gravity to ensure a full pour, and the resulting pour block might have utility in other places. I just used the multiple-cut pass method on the extreme-aft recessed panel line. A light draw of a sanding board on the back of the cowl when released, and I was done.

The kit cowlings require you to assemble two cowl halves, and a forward intake and cowl ring section. The kit cowl does not have a screen inside the engine carburetor intake but the Quickboost item does. Also, there are alignment pin socket receptacles which need to be sanded down on interior of the kit cowling, but not on the Quickboost item. You have to do more modeling work on the kit three-piece cowl - filling, sanding, etc., and the detail will be gone.

The Quickboost cowl has excellent rivet and fastener details and won’t lose them to the dreaded sanding stick. Also, the kit cowling is a bit shorter when complete than the Quickboost cowl which means the engine gearbox will stick out too far. On the Quickboost cowl, it won’t.

End of the day: Is it worth it - yes! Make your own decision, but I have made mine by buying a second set.

Thanks again to Quickboost for increasing their catalog line yet again. Top marks to Quickboost for the cowling and to IPMS USA leadership for sending me this set!