Following the release of Eduard’s spectacular 1/72nd MiG-15 and MiG-15bis kits, Master Model of Poland has released turned brass gun barrels for these kits. Included in the package are barrels to replace the kit’s 37mm cannon and two 23mm cannon. In addition, Master Model has included a pitot tube and antenna base, both out of turned brass as well.

The 37mm cannon consist of two parts, one sliding into the other. The instructions make this clear and the two parts fit together flawlessly. I added these parts to my already in-progress Eduard MiG-15. However, I would highly recommend these parts be added before you start painting your model. It’s also not entirely clear, but the small antenna base replaces the small bump on the kit fuselage. The instructions show the location clearly, but do not make any mention to removing the kit’s “antenna base.”

The ZU-23-2 was developed in the late 1950s. It was designed to engage low-flying targets at a range of 2.5 kilometers as well as armored vehicles at a range of two kilometers and for direct defense of troops and strategic locations against air assault usually conducted by helicopters and low-flying airplanes. In 1955, KBP presented the single-barrel ZU-1 and the twin-barrel ZU-14. While the former was eventually dropped, the ZU-14 was selected and, after some modifications, entered series production.

In the Soviet Union, some 140,000 units were produced. The ZU-23 has also been produced under license by Bulgaria, Poland, Egypt and the People's Republic of China.

Development of this weapon into a self-propelled anti-aircraft gun (SPAAG) led to the ZSU-23-4 Shilka. However, the guns look completely different.

Part 1 of the Tamiya Fat Boy review describes the background of the Fat Boy motorcycle and the Tamiya kit contents. This Part 2 Review describes the assembly of the Tamiya Fat Boy kit.

This is a fantastic kit! Not only is the Harley Davidson Fat Boy an iconic motorcycle, assembling this kit is one of the best modeling experiences I've ever had! The engineering and detail is phenomenal, the fit and finish of the parts are excellent, and the assembly, while complicated, goes together very well. The kit is a joy to build!

Background

The Harley Davidson Fat Boy is the latest in Tamiya’s series of 1/6 scale motorcycle kits. This is a large, multimedia kit with plastic, metal, rubber, diecast, and photoetch parts. This review also includes Tamiya’s Harley-Davidson Fat Boy Lo Detail Up Parts Set, item 12655 (MSRP $96.00).

Thanks to Aires for providing IPMS USA this set of diorama items for review… We appreciate your support, and thanks to IPMS USA leadership for allowing me to review this item.

One area that seems to have been lacking in the modeling world are diorama accessories. Oh sure, you can get deceased cows, dogs, humans, burned-down buildings… but “where is the aircraft support equipment”? For sure there are some companies out there who deliver, but… we need more!

Enter Aires Aerobonus…. Continuing their esoteric addressing of what can be done with resin casting and a bit of effort…

First: Thanks to Aires for providing IPMS USA this really fantastic item to review! We appreciate your support; thanks also to IPMS USA leadership for allowing me to review this item.

This upgrade consists of two parts; the swing boom which sets the radome away from the aircraft, and the actual radome itself. A note about what this is; the Airborne Early Warning Sea Kings in the Royal Navy were a stop-gap measure to provide additional radar early warning to the RN fleet of impending low-level cruise missiles or fighters attacking the fleet during the Falklands/Malvinas war in 1982. Their intent was to stand off a distance from where the ships were and provide the outer net of warning.