Reviews
Published on
Company
ICM
Scale
1/24
MSRP
$63.00
From my new best friends at Wikipedia
The Ford Model A(also colloquially called the A-Model Ford or the A, and A-bone among hot rodders and customizers) is the Ford Motor Company's second market success, replacing the venerable Model T which had been produced for eighteen years. It was first produced on October 20, 1927, but was not introduced until December 2. This new Model A (a previous model had used the name in 1903–04) was designated a 1928 model and was available in four standard colors.
By February 4, 1929, one million Model As had been sold, and by July 24, two million. The range of body styles ran from the Tudor at US $500 (in gray, green, or black) ($8,872 in 2023 dollars) to the town car with a dual cowl at US $1,200 ($21,293 in 2023 dollars). In March 1930, Model A sales hit three million, and there were nine body styles available. [Authors note: ICM Holding also has an offering of the Model A with soft top (#24050).]
Published on
Company
KP Models
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$12.05
When the Nieuport 11 arrived at the front in 1916, it signaled the end of the Fokker Eindecker’s dominance. This was mainly due to the overwhelming numbers of Ni 11 produced. The Italians built these aircraft under license and a number of Italian pilots became aces in them. This boxing provides decals for three; Francesco Baracca (34 victories), Fulco Ruffo di Calabria (20 victories), and Alvaro Leonardi (8 victories).
The kit is packaged in an end-open box with artwork depicting Leonardi’s Nieuport. A color finishing guide on the back of the box gives paint color references and decal placement. The kit parts are molded in gray plastic with a single sheet instruction guide and a small decal sheet. Surface details are a bit heavy for the scale, especially the fabric effect on the flying surfaces. Two machine gun options are also included.
Book Author(s)
Richard A. Franks
Published on
Company
Valiant Wings Publishing
MSRP
$36.00
I’ve always been a fan of the early Allison powered Mustangs so it’s nice to see publishers filling the gap for historians and modelers alike. This publication goes even farther by including the merlin powered B and C models. This is a second edition of a book first printed in 2013. It is broken down into three sections, Airframe, Miniatures and Appendices.
Book Author(s)
Mat Irvine
Published on
Company
Crecy Publishing, Ltd.
MSRP
$34.95
This is a good introduction book to the world of dioramas by author Mat Irvine. His English roots are evident throughout this amazing book, and it is great to see his perspective across multiple genres of modelling, and not just fixated on one sub-genre. While some want dioramas for a specific style, this book does a great job of covering dioramas from basic to movie sets and museum displays. I also appreciate the author’s Dedication page to Andrew Yanchus before the table of contents. Andy worked for Aurora, a “colorist” for Marvel Comics, and as an advisor for the newly formed Atlantis Model Company. He was a friend of author Mat Irvine for almost 50 years and was a “highly knowledgeable historian on all matters to do with model-making, and I still often think, when tackling a particular problem: ‘Ah, Andy would have known.’” It is in this vein that the book is written.
Mat Irvine’s introduction starts with,
Published on
Company
Yahu Models
Scale
1:48
MSRP
$8.99
As I get older, I’m appreciating things that make model building easier on the eyes. Instrument panels are a real challenge even when they come with a decal or in the case of the ICM O-2 kit, separate decals for each instrument on the panel.
Thankfully, Yahu models offer this set to upgrade a highly visible area of the kit. This set is comprised of two-color photo-etch parts covering the instrument panel/sub-panel and fuse panel for the left fuselage half.
Unlike some color photo-etch panels with dots on a circle, these look like actual instruments. They are built up in layers that allow the instruments to slightly recess and have a semi-gloss sheen for a glass-like finish over the dials.
Installation is easy. Remove any raised details from the kit parts-except the elevator trim wheel on the main panel-first. The panel part is cut into three sections since the lower panels are on a different plane than the top.
Published on
Company
ICM
MSRP
$43.49
ICM Holding has put out a new model of their Type 320 (W142). This rendition is a Cabriolet B, a pre-war period German passenger car.
The box art for the kit is first-rate and lends itself well to the actual kit. The box is compact and will fit well in any stash until you decide to build it. Although the box is small, no damage was noted when breaking out the materials from the box.
An overview of the sprues once removed from their respective plastic covers reveals crisp moldings with no short shots, and minor mold lines on the smaller parts such as the door handles and window hand cranks. Some of the sprue connecting points are at points where caution is needed when removing the part so as to not damage the part or result in clean-up issues. Although the box art depicts the car with chrome bumpers and other small parts, be aware that none of the sprues are chrome plated.
Published on
Company
ICM
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$44.99
BLUF - Bottom Line Up Front
It has been a while since I built a helicopter. The last time was an aborted attempt in 2014 give or take. That did not end well. I feel that going outside your lane (mine is aircraft) improves your skills a bit. And that certainly happened with building the Cobra. The kit itself builds up to a very nice replica of a Vietnam era Cobra. The build is straightforward. The only thing I would do differently is attach the landing skids after the kit is built, painted, decals applied, and any weathering is done. Otherwise, you run the risk of damaging the skids as you handle, or mishandle, the kit as you accomplish those tasks. I must have broken the skids about 5 times. The last step, of course, is to attach the rotor blades.When the kit arrived, I inspected the box and its contents, and immediately noticed that a sprue bag had been ripped and noticed a number of loose parts floating around.
Book Author(s)
Bert Kinzey; Art by Rock Roszak
Published on
Company
Detail & Scale, Inc.
MSRP
$21.99
Detail & Scale published its first book on Republic’s P-47 Thunderbolt in 1998. Twenty-five years later, this new publication, P-47 Thunderbolt in Detail & Scale, significantly revises and expands our original coverage of the big, radial-engine fighter that endeared itself to many pilots as the rugged and survivable aircraft that would bring them home.
Book Author(s)
Ian Baxter
Published on
Company
Pen and Sword Books Ltd
MSRP
$14.87
The “Images of War” book series that Pen & Sword offers has fast become a favorite of mine. Each volume has many wartime photos of the subject at hand, and always includes rare photos that the reader has probably never seen before. This issue is no exception. Covering the Germans’ motorcycle corps during WWII, the book is rife with 200 B&W period photos of the bikes in action. Most of the photos are crisp and clear, although a few are a little blurry.
Almost every photo has a caption written by the author describing the scene. In studying the photos, the reader can detect a myriad of details, which are invaluable to the modeler, or even to the motorcycle enthusiast. Seeing the details conveys a sense of what the Kradschützen Truppen put up with on a day-to-day basis. These bikes were used heavily as a reconnaissance platform, but also as up-gunned combat vehicles, and even stretcher-bearers to evacuate the wounded from the battlefield.