When it appeared in the skies over Europe in 1941, the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A was the best fighter in the world. It was more than a match for the best Spitfires the RAF could field and began shooting them down in ever-increasing numbers. Only the introduction of the Spitfire IX with its two-stage supercharged Merlin overturned its supremacy.

Alongside the Messerschmitt Bf 109, the Fw 190 is the iconic fighter of the Luftwaffe during the Second World War. It was hugely adaptable and fought on nearly all fronts, proving to be a formidable opponent.

The Fw 190 F and G fighter-bombers effectively replaced the Ju 87 Stuka in the ground-attack role in the west and provided the Luftwaffe with much-needed additional capability.

The Fw 190 was used for the Mistel flying bomb combination and as a test aircraft for the Ruhrstahl X-4 wire-guided air-to-air missile, and in its Fw 190 A-8 and A-9 forms fought on the front line right until the bitter end.

Everything about the Avanti defies conventional logic in aircraft design. The main wing is set far back on the fuselage and a canard is mounted on the nose. The twin turboprop engines are mounted on the rear of the wings and drive the propellers in a pusher configuration. It's easy to recognize in the air long before you see it due to the distinctive sound of its engine/ propeller combination. Like everything else on this aircraft, the main landing gear is a complex group of parts that accommodate its retraction into the fuselage.

SAC has reproduced the kit parts in white metal. For the main gear, which is made up of three parts, you will need references beyond the kit instructions to figure out how these parts relate to each other. The nose gear is a single strut. The main benefit of the set is added strength as these parts are very small relative to the airframe. This set is a useful addition to a very unique aircraft.

The Extra 300L in this scale has a large canopy covering a tandem seat cockpit. If you want it closed, this is the only option you have a chance of doing that since the kits injected part doesn’t fit closed. Even if you elect to open it, when the inside and outside are painted, it creates a nice scale thickness canopy. The material used is about .55 mm thick so it's stiff enough to hold it shape. That also makes it easy to cut and sand to size. I’ve used a lot of vacuform canopies over the years and this is one of nicest I've worked with. Brengun also makes a masking set for this (item BRL48157). This is a good addition to the Brengun kit and I highly recommend it if you want the canopy closed. Thanks to Brengun for sending this sample and as always, to IPMS for allowing me to tell you about it.

This masking set is useful for either the kits injected canopy or the optional vacuform part (item #BRL48157). It consists of four sections that go on easily and fit as expected. A simple, cheap time saver. Thank you Brengun for this sample and IPMS for sending it to me.

Pen and Sword continues to expand its TankCraft series, this time with an installment of the Tiger I and II in the last battles in the East.

The book is divided in the following sections

• Introduction
• The Eastern Front 1945
• Tiger Units of the Heer
• Camouflage and Markings
• Model Showcase
• Modelling Products
• Panzerkorps (neuer art)
• Formations raised in 1945
• Tiger Units of the Waffen-SS
• Technical Details and Modifications
• Product Contact Details

Each section is well written, and the historical information is well researched and easy to understand. The historical information is mainly focused around unit locations. Also, there are a few sections of the book where the unit composition strength (order of battle) are described. The number of period (B&W) pictures is impressive and serve not just as a historical research but as a modelling reference.