Eduard is right on par with this Photo Etch Set for Tamiya’s Mk. IX Spitfire. The Tamiya kit is just about the best Spitfire kit out there in any scale and they have already done a superb job with the cockpit. So how does Eduard come back with a product that adds a little more detail to this well thought out cockpit? They’ve done it buy adding just a little extra to Tamiya’s parts by pushing up the detail a few notches. The instrument panel is as superb as always and is done in the usual Eduard manor. But parts, such as the gun sight mounting bracket, are exchanged for Eduard’s more realistic holding bracket. This detail adds a realistic subtleness that wouldn’t be noticed until both parts are compared. The throttle boxes are made more realistic just by the fact that less is more. Instead of a clump of plastic formed to have the general outline, it’s made to look like the throttles can actually be moved back and forth.

Model Art is a well known Japanese model magazine. It is famous for high quality builds and photographs that fully live up to the publication’s name. This issue covers Japanese WWII navy ships but also covers subjects as varied as aircraft, armor and trucks.

The first 48 pages give extensive photographic coverage to 1/700 scale ships of the Japanese navy circa WWII. Coverage includes 1^st class transport vessel, heavy cruiser Aoba, battleship Yamato, carrier Soryu, battleship Nagato, heavy cruiser Tone, destroyer Hatsu-Kazuyoshi and two navy auxiliary vessels. Each is well documented photographically.

The US Navy had a winner in the SH-3 Sea King. But like all good things, the Sea King became obsolete, and the Navy had to find a replacement. The answer was that the US Army was looking for a replacement for their UH-1 Iroquois (Huey). Robert McNamara would have been so proud, as the Army and Navy chose the same basic helicopter, Sikorski’s S-70, which became the Army’s UH-60 Blackhawk and, because the Navy’s just, well, different, the SH-60, HH-60 and MH-60 for the elder service.

The Navy version has the tail wheel moved forward, and doubled. This allows the tail on the ship-based helos to be folded, saving deck space. Navy missions include surface warfare, undersea warfare, anti-submarine warfare, SEAL insertion, replenishment, troop landings, search & rescue and Medevac.

I have to admit that I am a paint addict. Part of it might be that I build every type of model and part of it is looking for that perfect paint. As I was reading another modeling publication, there was a nice ad for Reaper Miniatures and their line of paints and figures. For those who are unaware, Reaper Miniatures produces metal figures for use in RPG or role playing games and sells all the associated things needed such as paint. When Ed Pugh and Reaper offered to let IPMS review their paints, I was chomping at the bit to put these through trials on figures.

The Hasegawa Stuka kits are really nice. They could use some help when it comes to the night bomber variants. That is where Quickboost comes in. They offer three different variants of the night bomber exhausts. This particular exhaust, Type C, is shaped at an angle with beautiful detail inside the front and rear parts. Molded in bubble free light grey plastic with exquisite detail, these exhausts will add to the unique look of your Stuka.

Simply cut the parts from the pour stub and paint. Easy and effective. Of course you’ll have to check your references to determine which exhaust is right for your aircraft.

I recommend you read over “Ghost Bombers”. (ISBN-13:978-1903223154). This provides plenty of motivational reading and drawings.

Highly recommended

Thanks to Quickboost for the review copy.