Coastal Kits was founded in 2011 and is based in Blackpool, Lancashire, UK. It is a family run business that originally retailed model kits and their associated supplies. Coastal Kits began marketing their own range of display bases at the end of 2012 after their bases were well received at Telford’s Scale Model World. The Business soon decided to concentrate solely on their display base product line. The range currently exceeds 220 bases in multiple scales and subjects. They also provide custom bases upon request.

The display bases are manufactured from 3mm Foamex board which is a rigid, waterproof plastic. Laminated matt vinyl is used to print the subject with the latest odorless latex ink providing a permanent and waterproof finish. The benefit over alternatives like paper based products is that the display will not fade, lift, or bubble.

Introduction

This is actually my second build and review of this kit (See review posted October 24^th, 2015). This time around it’s the same great kit with some really striking markings. My research says Aircraft # 92-8906 was specially painted for an airshow that was cancelled due to a typhoon. You do get a second marking option without the cool artwork but I can’t imagine building this kit as such.

I’m not going to go into the history of the Eagle as it is well documented many other places. Unlike the first build where I used a nice photoetch set, this Eagle was built out of the box with the exception of some seat harnesses from the spares drawer.

Thank you, Osprey Publishing, for providing a review copy of another of excellent World War I history volume. This book is a welcome and well-timed addition as the 100th anniversary of the end of the “Great War” approaches later this year. I hope reader of this book will gain an important appreciation and understanding of the raw, brutal nature of combat, often controversial decisions, poor battlefield judgments, and most of all the grit and persistence of the America Doughboys of the American Expeditionary Forces.

As always, I truly appreciate all those in the IPMS Reviewer Corps, whose work is critical to sharing new and exciting modeling and historical products with the world. Thank you for allowing me to read and review this book.

This title is from Osprey’s well received Men-at-Arms of books. It is number 512 in the series.

From the Cover

Armies of the Italian Wars of Unification 1848-70 (1)

Piedmont and the Two Sicilies

The creation of the modern nation of Italy was a complex and bloody process involving not only three wars between Italian and Austrian armies, but also bitter clashes between Italian regional forces and insurgents. This first of two books describes the two largest Italian armies, which at first briefly fought in alliance against Austria, but later confronted one another. It explains the evolving organization, uniforms and weapons of the armies of Piedmont (the Kingdom of Sardinia) and Naples (the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies) and is illustrated with contemporary prints and new full-color uniform plates.

Review

These books are great reference materials for figure modelers! This book consists of:

Master Model is a Polish company. The owner is Piotr Czerkasow who is a mechanical engineer by trade. Piotr is also a scale modeler. Master model has a broad range of accessories for aircraft, military vehicles, and ships in several of the popular scales. In addition, they also offer a blackening agent until their Tools and Supplies tab.

Background

The Dornier Do 335 Pfeil ("Arrow") was a World War II heavy fighter built by the Dornier company. It was Nazi Germany's fastest piston-engined aircraft of World War II. The Luftwaffe was desperate to get the design into operational use, but delays in engine deliveries meant that only a handful were delivered before the war ended.