The German Panther is one of the most important and recognizable tanks of WWII. There were many variations and Dragon’s boxing here is a special conversion by heavy tank destroyer battalion s.Pz.Abt.653. I believe this was a one-off conversion in the field. Basically a Panther D hull with a Panzer IV Ausf. H turret added to the top. There is no history of the vehicle on the directions or box top, but there is a little to be found online. I’ve read conflicting things online stating that the gun was operational, or if it was non-functioning. The sources I’ve found did all agree with one thing – the turret was fixed forward. This vehicle saw service in Russia 1944 with s.Pz.Abt.653 – which is the kit’s sole marking option.

IPMS/USA thanks Ross and his Team at SAC for supporting the IPMS USA reviewer corps with one more of many monthly releases, with extremely useful and well-thought out landing gear additions for the modeling crowd out here in the modeling world. And thanks to IPMS leadership for sending it to me to be reviewed. New crew is on point and clearing well…

This review is for the SAC landing gear released for the new release 1/144 C-5. I shall refrain from calling the C-5 “Fred” in public because my old boss might find out. Old Generals show up at the most inopportune moments… and we were told not to call it that. BUFF is for the B-52. We’ll just call it “the Screamer” and leave it there.

Steven Joseph Zaloga was born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, on February 1, 1965. He graduated cum laude from Union College in Schenectady, New York, with a BA in History. He has completed graduate work and earned a Certificate in International Affairs from Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland. Founded in 1364 by Casimir III the Great, it is one of the oldest surviving Universities in the world. Steven has over twenty years of experience as an aerospace analyst, focusing in on the international arms trade and missile systems. He has been a prolific author with published books going back at least to 1977. He is also an avid armor modeler and is a moderator on Missing-Lynx.com as well as a member of the Armor Modeling and Preservation Society (AMPS). He is currently a senior analyst for the Teal Group based in Fairfax, Virginia, and is an adjunct for the Institute for Defense Analyses. He currently resides in Abingdon, Maryland.

IPMS/USA thanks Ross and his Team at SAC for supporting the IPMS USA reviewer corps with one more of many monthly releases, with extremely useful and well-thought out landing gear additions for the modeling crowd out here in the modeling world. And thanks to IPMS leadership for sending it to me to be reviewed.

This review is for the SAC landing gear released for the Hasegawa or Eduard Re-release of the Hasegawa P-47D. This set replaces SAC’s previous release of a set #32015 for the same base kit.

Another simple strengthening opportunity for a heavy kit, with my usual admonition to use metal gear for larger models. Larger models put more stress on plastic than metal.

Brief History

The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 NATO reporting name Fishbed) is a supersonic jet fighter and interceptor aircraft designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau in the Sovier Union. It was popularly nicknamed "balalaika", from the aircraft's planform-view resemblance to the Russian stringed musical instrument.

Early versions are considered second generation jet fighters, while later versions are considered third generation jet fighters. Approximately 60 countries over four continents have flown the MiG-21, and it still serves many nations six decades after its maiden flight. It made aviation records, became the most produced supersonic jet fighter in aviation history, the most-produced combat aircraft since the Korean War and previously the longest production run of a combat aircraft (now exceeded by both the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle and General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon).