The UH-60 Blackhawk is America’s current work horse helicopter. One of its most important roles is as a Medevac helicopter. When I was an Independent Duty Medic in Korea in 1987 I was supported by the Army Blackhawks. The kit is molded in molded in resin. Molding is very good, detail is crisp and clean. I found only 2 small bubbles to be filled. Pour blocks are small and the parts can be removed with no damage in a short time.The kit includes the carousel, 4 litter pans and a panel for the ceiling of the cabin with the rotating arm molded on. The carousel can be made to rotate so it can be shown in loading or in flight position. The rotating arm is molded in the inflight position. However, when installed in the helicopter kit, that is hard to see.

The instructions are a single sheet, front and back. There are five pictures of the kit parts and four of the real thing, all in black and white. There is minimal text, but an experienced modeler should be able to cope.

This newly released radio for the AFV CLUB Nashorn kit is a really nice item. Included in Eduard’s kit are two radios which sit in a bay, one on top of the other, which is positioned between the ammo case and the rear door. Also included in the kit is a small set of headphones which attach to a small box above the radios that allows the operator to listen silently. It’s a pretty neat setup and will look nice in the rear compartment along with other items and stowage for a real look.

The Aircraft

The Kawanishi N1K2-J Shiden (Violet Lightning) was codenamed “George” by the Allies. Development was interesting in that the Shiden was developed from the N1K Kyofu (Strong Wind / Rex), a floatplane.

The Shiden was heavily armed, with 4 x 20 mm cannon in the wings. It was considered the equal of the Hellcat, and could hold its own with the Corsairs and P-51s. As a bomber interceptor, it was hampered by poor rate of climb and inadequate engine performance at high altitudes.

The prototype flew in 1943, and the type entered production in January of 1944. Production never exceeded 83 per month (April and May 1945), and only 423 were produced before VJ day.

There are 4 surviving Shidens, one at the Naval Air Museum at Pensacola, one at the USAF Museum near Dayton, one at the Champlin Air Museum (on loan from the National Air and Space Museum), and one at Shikoku, Japan.

Thanks to Quickboost for this review sample and thanks to IPMS/USA for allowing me to review it.

This little gem easily exceeds the quality and detail of the seats found in the older P-39 kits. I wanted to look at Quickboost's offering compared to one of the newer P-39 kits. The kit I used for comparison has a seat with fine detail and very little, if any, clean-up. The particular kit I used also comes with photo-etched seat belts.

Quickboost's seat is cast in gray resin and is free of flash or casting bubbles. The casting has great detail with sharp edges, great buckle detail, and even some stitching can be seen on some areas of the straps. Speaking of the straps, these lay across the seat naturally with a relaxed drape to them. However, the shoulder straps appear to be wider than the actual seat belts and are actually wider than the PE belts of the kit's seat.

The October publication of Model Art Modeling Magazine focuses on 1/35 scale German World War II armored reconnaissance vehicles. The magazine also includes new kit reviews, modeling tips, and new kit and item releases. As is typical for Model Art, the magazine measures 182mm by 258mm (about 7 and 1/8 by 10 and 1/8 inches), and is printed on thick, glossy paper. The production quality is high with these magazines, and just over half of it is printed in color with black and white pages interspersed throughout of the issue. Just in case this is the first review of a Model Art magazine that you are reading, understand that the entire magazine is printed in Japanese with only an occasional English subtitle for those of us who are monolingual, or are just unable to read Japanese text.