Authorized in 1936, launched in 1940, and commissioned the following year, USS North Carolina was the first battleship constructed for the US Navy since USS West Virginia’s 1923 commissioning. The first of America’s fast battleships, North Carolina compiled a sterling combat record in the South Pacific between 1942 and 1945, earning 12 battle stars while participating in every major naval campaign in the theater, making her the US Navy’s most decorated battleship. Following the war, North Carolina was eventually decommissioned, but bypassed the scrapyard when she was purchased by the citizens of North Carolina to serve as a memorial to those who served and sacrificed to preserve America’s freedom. Today, she sits moored in Wilmington, North Carolina, as one of the most awe-inspiring floating museums in the world.

The early 1960’s were characterized, in large part, by the “Space Race” between the United States and the Soviet Union to place a man in orbit, with an end goal of a manned lunar landing. Struggling to keep pace with the Soviets in those early years, the United States ultimately forged ahead, leveraging every asset at its disposal. One such asset was the Redstone rocket. Originally designed as a weapons delivery platform, the liquid-fueled Redstone was more stable and reliable than its early solid-fueled counterparts, thus making it a preferred launch vehicle for placing America’s first astronauts into space, although not into orbit. Redstone supported two manned suborbital missions in 1961 – Freedom 7, piloted by Alan Shepard, and Liberty 7, piloted by Gus Grissom – prior to the introduction of the more powerful orbit-capable Atlas rocket.

Eduard has fired up another set of seatbelts to fit in with their PE Interior set for the 1/32 F/A-18E. Aside from their beautiful and accurate seatbelts, Eduard has also included lots of stuff for the enhancement of the seat for this kit. It has colored “padding” which fits to the seat bottom and back. There are also other small items that can be added to the seat for detail that will make this seat really something to look at. The belts and all the other items are painted beautifully with details that can’t otherwise be matched by dry brushing. The instructions are clear and concise and, importantly, not intimidating. Of course, the use of CA glue will be necessary, but using it sparingly and carefully along with a little weathering or a wash should produce great looking results. I definitely recommend this package for this kit, which plainly shows that a little can go a long way. Also, the price is right, which makes it a complete value.

This set contains 5 figures. These are arranged in two groups. The first group is two litter bearers carrying a wounded soldier. The second group is a female medic comforting a wounded soldier.

These figures come on a sprue with 44 parts. The illustration on the box front is an approximation of the 5 figures. There are significant differences in the poses of the two wounded soldiers and the female medic. The computer-generated picture on the back of the box is an accurate representation of the figures.

This set had very minimal flash and no ejection pin marks. What mold lines found were easily removed with a sharp blade. There are no decals, and the painting instructions are just for the major items. The paint colors are coded only for Testors.

When I think of “Blitzkrieg,” I usually think of grey Panzers sweeping across the Polish, French, or Russian countryside, followed in hot pursuit by armored half tracks. The concept of Blitzkrieg required mechanized movement of weapons, men, and supplies. And, while the Germans used more horses than vehicles in the invasion of Russia in 1941, they did have mechanized transport in an attempt to keep pace with the tanks and half tracks. And here for the first time as an injection plastic model in 1/35th scale is the German truck produced in the highest numbers before and during WW2 – 22,000 units, in fact.