For the lovers of Soviet cold war armor, decades have gone by without any accurate, readily available kits. What was out were either resin or very limited run, and usually done from sketchy plans and grainy photos as a reference. The fall of the Iron Curtain saw the availability of reference material open up some, and a few kits from former Soviet Bloc countries trickled in, but we were still left wanting. Tamyia, Esci, Dragon, and others started covering the “heavy hitters” during the 1990s, yet that still left many vehicles untouched.

Enter the 21st century market with an onslaught of kits from the Far East. Trumpeter has been steadily working its way through the Soviet inventory, or so it seems, and after starting a series of eight-wheeled vehicles, they begin the four-wheeled with the release of the early model BRDM-2.

There is very little online about the Henschel 33D1 Kfz. 72. I did find a few black and white pictures, but my own library added nothing.

The kit comprises 7 sprues in yellow plastic, one of clear plastic, a small decal sheet, and a 13 page instruction sheet. The instruction sheet has a two-paragraph background, a color chart (Model Master), a parts map (showing unused parts), 34 steps of construction, and color and marking profiles for two trucks. The instructions are very well drawn and mostly clear, with some painting call outs.

History

The design of the P-51 Mustang was led by the North American design team of Ray Rice and Edgar Schmued. The first unit was rolled out of the North American factory at Mines Field (now L.A. Airport) in just 127 days; the plane, however, had no engine. The plane was initially given the name of Mustang by the British, who had purchased it from the United States.

At this time, an Allison V-1710 in-line 12-cylinder engine was installed. The first flight was in October, 1940. Many versions were made during World War II, with the D being the definitive version. It had six 50 caliber wing-mounted machine guns and a new bubble canopy.

The British Rolls Royce Merlin engine had been adapted to the D version and gave the fighter its high altitude performance and long range, required for bomber escort duties. The Mustang served throughout World War II and during the Korean conflict.

For the past several years, Zenith Press has been producing “owner’s manuals” of famous planes, tanks, automobiles, and I suppose space ships (there is one on the space shuttle). With the familiar Haynes logo in the upper right-hand corner, they appear to be genuine owner’s manuals. It’s a great marketing technique and I am sure many hobbyists and fans find it appealing. The volume reviewed here is on the Boeing 747, the iconic jumbo jet that has been flying for over forty years.

The book is beautifully illustrated with color photographs of the various makes of the 747, though the book mostly concentrates on the 400 series. The book starts with a brief overview of the 747 model from its inception to the latest incarnation, the 747-8 series. From history, the book delves into the various aspects of the anatomy of the 747, concentrating on construction, the wings, landing gear, exterior doors and hatches, and windows. You get the idea.

Once again, Eduard steps up with an innovative photo etch accessory to add realism and context to 1/72 scale aircraft. In the tradition of their superb PE sets to go in and on aircraft kits, the growing series of pre-painted PE flight deck and airfield operating surfaces adds this little beauty to its ranks.

Pre-painted in the wood stain flight deck color, this little gem provides a convincing and contrasting base to the blues of US Navy aircraft of the period. A few snips, and a tiny bit of filing or sanding, and the deck section is ready to mount to a firm base or slide underneath a favorite WW II Navy carrier plane. The only drawback is the small size, as larger aircraft like TBF/TBM Avengers and SB2C Helldivers may seem to dwarf the piece – it seems better-suited for the smaller types like the F4F Wildcats, F6F Hellcats, and SBD Dauntlesses.