• Premium Edition, #EC85001, $89.99
• Standard Edition, #EC80001, $53.99

Well, lads and lasses, time to quit playing and report out. This was, I think, the most fun I’ve had since I began reviewing kits, and I am known around club meetings as a guy who enjoys building anything. I am at 90%+ completion, with only the starboard side photo-etched parts and the rigging to do.

The set had very minimal flash and no ejection pin marks. The few mold lines that exist were easily removed with a sharp blade. There are decals and painting instructions. The decals were a pleasant surprise. Now all the small details like shoulder patches and campaign ribbons are better shown.

The figures went together okay, but the Horricks figure has the hands and arms molded in one piece and that created a gap in the shoulder attachment that required some additional effort to close up. Colors are called out in Hobby Color, Mr. Hobby, Humbrol, and Tamiya paints.

Conclusion – Riich Models is a new company and is off to a decent start in 1/35 scale figures. The figures depict a section of a period photo taken of them. The action is very minimal, however. Since there is nothing else showing in the picture, I would add a British tank or some other vehicle to make a nice little diorama. The kit is well done and appears better than my figure painting makes it look.

The set had very minimal flash and no ejection pin marks. What mold lines I saw were easily removed with a sharp blade. There are no decals, and some painting instructions. You will need to copy what you see in the illustration. There are not even any part numbers on the sprue, just a picture on the back of the box with the numbers listed next to the part. There are two insert photos of possible camouflage painting of the smocks but the paints listed don’t match the colors.

The figures went together without a lot of shaping and filling. Two of them are balanced so they can stand without pins or glue. The weapons fit the hand fairly well and are nicely made.

This book contains interviews with four prominent Luftwaffe fighter pilots who fought from the Spanish Civil War until the end of the war in Europe in 1945. They are candid about their combat experiences, dealing with the corrupt Nazi civil government and their dislike and contempt for RFM Goering and Hitler. It presents an interesting look into World war II as viewed from “the other side.”

Interview number one is with 197 victory ace Walter Krupinski. Serving mostly on the Eastern Front, his insight into combat in that arena is very interesting. Krupinski concluded his flying career with the West German Air Force after learning to fly jets in the US post-war.

After reviewing Lifelike #72-021 for Messerschmitt Bf-109s, I opened this set and found it difficult to resist working on a Tamiya 1/72 Fw-190A-3 that I had started dry fitting a few months ago. Lifelike’s set #72-022, much like the Bf-109 set, offers a number of appealing decal options that beg almost immediate attention.

Included on the two small sheets packaged in the zip-lock sleeve are markings for: