One thing you can give credit to George Lucas for – he sure knows how to market his products. First seen in the Empire Strikes Back (if the box art is to be believed), the TIE bomber was a fascinating variant of the Twin Ion Engine spacecraft of the empire, designed to launch weapons against capital ships. Featuring a twin pod system, the right pod featured a cockpit (with either one or two pilots, depending on the blueprints you look at) while the left pod featured rotating weapon dispensers. Each pod had it own twin ion engines, but the ship featured no defensive armament to speak of, needing TIE fighters to protect them during their bombing runs.

AMT’s new kit is in the popular 1/48^th scale, which matches other AMT products in this line, and the detail is quite good.

From Italeri's website:

Produced by Piaggio from the late 1970s, the Vespa PX is one of the most iconic models of the Italian motorcycling tradition and a true two-wheeled legend, known all overthe world and capable of captivating generations of enthusiasts. With a unique and instantly recognizable design, it is characterized by its metal body and handlebar-mounted manual gear shift. Easy to ride, the Vespa PX was designed as the ideal solution for city commuting as well as for short leisure trips. It is the most produced and best-selling Vespa model of all time, with over 3 million units. The Vespa PX was not just a scooter, but a cultural icon of the 1980s. Its presence in films, music, and fashion turned it into a symbol of lifestyle and an icon of "Made in Italy".

Quickboost has provided the Reviewer Corps with resin upgrade replacement detail for Academy’s PBY-5 Catalina Correct Cowlings with closed flaps in 1/72nd scale.

In the Package and Product Notes

The sample review came in a plastic bag with cardboard backing. There are instructions for this set, and it will show you how to integrate the new parts along with the kit’s parts.

There are traditional pour moldings for the cowlings, flaps, side air intakes, and 3D printed parts for the engine extension. The quality is excellent with very fine detail.

Please note, since this is a resin part, Superglue (CA) or another bonding agent will be needed to secure the headrest to the kit plastic.

Conclusion

This is a great resin part upgrade if you want to add more detail and correct the Academy PBY-5 Catalina engine cowlings.

I want to thank Aires and Quickboost for providing the resin set and IPMS/USA for allowing me the opportunity to review.

Few aircraft have served for as long and amongst many Western nations than the McDonnell-Douglas F-4 Phantom II. It’s first flight was 27 May 1958, and three air forces are still flying this “most charismatic” aircraft. Initially developed as a long-range all-weather fighter for the US Navy (USN). The US Air Force (USAF) “Quickly realized that the Navy had an aircraft that could fly faster, further, and carry a larger weapons load than any tactical aircraft in the U.S.A.F. inventory. Over the next decades, several Phantom variants served with distinction and worldwide not just for the Air Force and Navy, but also the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC).

This book contains 304 pages, 252 B&W and 28 color illustrations. It covers the development and use of rocket interceptors during WWII and the immediate post-war years. The book is broken down into 26 sections; many are only a single page. With most sections dedicated to those conceptual and built rocket interceptors of the Third Reich! In addition, American, Japanese, and Russian designs are covered.