Introduction

My thanks go out to MRC-Academy for providing this up-dated kit for review and to IPMS USA for letting me do the review. My apologies to Academy & IPMS for this review taking so long - I hate it when my job gets in the way of my hobbies but I had some issues at work for a while there.

In the Box

The box contains 7 gray and 1 clear sprues (including the new sprue "S" with many new detail parts), a nicely scaled, turned brass air data tube, instructions, a full-color (11.75" x 16.5") poster depicting painting and marking placement and a superb new decal sheet by Cartograf. There are about 287 parts but you won't use 70 of them so you'll have a good set of extra bits when you're done.

The instructions are very clear and well organized. There are still a couple typos along the way so pay attention (the lever arms that rotate the pylons when the wings sweep in the right wing in step 6 should be labeled #37 vs. # 36 as indicated.

The B-17 is one of my all-time favorite aircraft and with the new Revell kit out in 1/72nd scale I was very excited to get this sheet of decals to give me some additional options when I acquire the kit.

I have used SSI decals before and they have always performed well for me. This sheet is printed in perfect registration and gives full markings for two B-17Gs including stencils and stars and bars for both aircraft. The only flaw I can see is the nose art on both planes lacks detail.

The aircraft depicted are:

Alpha Precision Abrasives is a manufacturer of industrial abrasives. It also has selection of abrasive tools for the hobbyist. Master Detail is packaging a selection of Alpha Precision Abrasives products into an introductory package. The package includes

• 1/8-inch Sanding Files (100/180; 120/240 and 240/320 grit)
• 3 Plastic Sanding Needles (150, 240 and 320 grit)
• Micro Finish Cloth Abrasive Sheet (3200, 3600, 4000, 6000, 8000 and 12,000)
• Abrasive Cleaning Disk

The sanding files are really nice. They bend enough as to follow curved parts without damaging or deforming them, while still have enough ‘hardness’ as to get the sanding job done. You can clean them and re-use them several times (see below). They are color coded in each side for a different grid, however the 100/180 are both white, making difficult to know which grit is the one being used.

This latest release from Lifelike Decals decal sheet features two different P-47’s one of which is “Tarheel Hal”, the natural metal P-47D bubbletop flown by Lt. Ike Davis of the 366 FS, 358 FG in probably May 1945 at Sandhofen, Germany. The other P-47D, an OD and neutral gray razorback (not reviewed here) is “Lil LO” flown by Major Henry B. Kucheron of the 354 FS, 355 FG in early 1945 at Steeple Morden, England.

Oh where were you when I did a review of the Dragon Me-262 A-1a/U-4? Master Models has released a four part set to replace the large 5cm canon which was added to the Me-262 U-4 and also was part of the Me410 in one variant.

The set consists of a turned aluminum barrel, a turned aluminum barrel head and two brass parts. The brass parts are the end of the barrel which has a perforated tip and a cap. You place the cap on the end and add the parts together and drill a hole in the kit part and you're done. Couldn't be simpler.

The holes drilled in the business end of the barrel are a work or art. I included several pictures and borrowed one from the Master Models site to show size.

In summary, this has superb detail, a very reasonable price, will make sure you don't have sanding and fit issues with the kit parts and is easy. Most highly recommended. My thanks to Piotr and Iwona Czerkasow of Master Model, and IPMS/USA fo this review sample.