Bottom Line

Lion Roar expands its WW2 German Navy 1/700 warship photoetch set lineup with German Navy (DKM) cable reels. Caveat: these are the cable reels only – no cables/ropes are supplied – you will have empty reels after assembling that will need to be filled up (or not) with very fine thread or wire. For the advanced modeler only. This set replaces the older Lion Roar 70008 DKM IV Cable Reels set, which had fewer cable reels per fret.

Airscale Model Aircraft Enhancements’s line of cockpit details now includes a 1/32 scale set of decals that provides an assortment of instrument dials found in early Soviet jets (MiG-15, MiG-17, MiG-19, MiG-21, Su-7 and early Yaks). These decals are remarkably detailed and provide a quick solution to adding much to those blank circles that are molded on many kit instrument panels. The decals can be either placed behind the respective positions molded on clear kit instrument panel, over opaque molded instrument panels or placed inside the instrument openings found on some kits. Application of a decal setting solution is recommended by the manufacturer. Sixty-two individual dials are provided (2 each of 31 different ones) in this set for 1/32 scale models. The instructions packaged with the decals provide a full description of each of the instruments on the sheet. Also included is a small clear sheet of acetate that a modeler may punch out and place over the decal dial face.

History

The book relates the part of the air war in Southeast Asia between the U.S. Army Air Forces and the Japanese fighter-interceptor squadrons. The author begins with an account of bomber development, with the emphasis on unescorted heavy bombers relying on heavy defensive armament and concentrated in close tactical formations. When the war began, it was discovered that this didn’t work too well against Luftwaffe fighters, and only slightly better against more lightly armed Japanese fighters. The Japanese Army, on the other hand, developed fighters whose prime attributes involved light weight and extreme maneuverability. This meant inadequate armament, and no protection for the pilot or vital aircraft systems. At least the Ki-43 had two .50 cal. guns, as opposed to the pair of .30 cal. guns on the earlier Ki-27.

As previous reviews have indicated, this bimonthly magazine continues to achieve its claim of “Showcasing the very best in scale aircraft modeling.” Actually, I think it might better be said that each issue “showcases the very best photography of scale aircraft models.” Whatever the claim, this publication provides eye candy for those in the hobby who can afford the price of admission. At $14.95 a copy, it should be a cut above the rest of the crowd…and, by most measures, it is. The photography is nothing short of spectacular, the layout is professionally handled, and, in contrast to previous issues, #41 is printed on a slightly thinner, glossy paper that greatly enhances the sharpness of the 185 photos used to illustrate the six model building features (and the remainder of photos that illustrate the product reviews). In common with previous issues, #41 offers a variety of subjects that should satisfy the tastes of many model builders. In this issue, articles cover building:

Model-Master’s line of aftermarket detail parts now includes a 1/48 scale turned brass pitot tube designed to enhance any 1/48 Hawker Hunter (currently, that means an Academy or recently released Italeri kit). It is one of those small items that will dramatically improve the appearance of the finished model, something that becomes quite obvious when the metal part is compared to the injection molded kit part. Placing it next to the kit part clearly illustrates how much the injection molded plastic part is bulked up for manufacturing…resulting in something that is thicker than it should be. The photo below of the nicely tapered Master-Model metal part next to the kit part on the sprue demonstrates how much thicker (and shorter) the kit part really is.