For those unfamiliar with this magazine, it is to my mind one of the finest general purpose modeling magazines in the world today. It is filled with high quality articles covering the whole gamut of plastic modeling, from aircraft, armor, and ships to sci-fi and figures. The models appearing in these articles are very well built, well photographed, and in color, and the magazine is printed on high quality glossy paper. This issue contains 160 pages and measure 7” x 10”. The modeling articles are interspersed with the odd photo essay, together with numerous advertisements. The one drawback, at least from this reviewer’s perspective, is that it is entirely in Japanese script.

Issue 834, the subject of this review, contains the following:

When I saw this title become available on the list of items up for review, I thought it might be a good title to review since I was currently working on the new Dragon Ta-152C-1/R-14 kit. I was expecting a softbound book similar to what Squadron or Kagero might do. What I received was a beautifully produced hardbound book of very high quality.

There are 136 pages divided into five sections. The first two sections only comprise four pages and are basically an explanation of what the authors have tried to achieve in putting together this book. The next section deals with camouflage and gives a brief outline of the interpretations of RLM colors used in the book. Contained in this section are five pages of printed RLM color swatches, including two pages of grayscale renditions of the colors. An interesting feature of the swatches is the inclusion of a section that shows each color with highlight and shadow effects.

If asked to name a fighter aircraft that served in WWII, most everyone will mention Messerschmitt before they begin counting on their second hand, and they generally are referring to the Bf 109. The Bf 109 actually earned its iconic position in the late 1930s, when the E model entered service with the Legion Condor in Spain, and then went on to etch its place firmly in history during the Battle of France and Battle of Britain. It’s no surprise, then, that the E has been marketed in all popular scales by almost every plastic model kit manufacturer. Now Cyber Hobby (AKA Dragon) has added one more to the list of kits to choose from when interested in building a Bf 109 in 1/32 scale.

Okay, I stepped up to review this since nobody else asked, nor volunteered. I have never used a Big Ed add-on before and I have a Tamiya A6M3 so I thought, “Why not try it?” When the Big Ed arrived, I opened it with joy like a kid at Christmas who had a good year with Santa. Then, while looking at the instructions, I realized I had the new Tamiya Zero and this Big Ed is for Tamiya’s OLD A6M3 Hamp kit. So, for a few months, I watched a bunch of these kits on eBay sell for more than I could pay. I have been unemployed for two and a half years now, so I don’t get to buy kits any more unless I can get them for under five bucks. Earlier this week I was able to borrow an old Tamiya Zero so we can at least get the review done. Of course, that Zero did not arrive until today...

Quickboost just keeps adding to their growing line of quality resin aircraft accessories. This time they have put out a nice set of propellers for the Academy B-24 Liberator. They are molded in grayish resin, smooth, seamless and bubble-free.

The propellers that come in the Academy kit are okay but lack the level of detail that the Quickboost propellers have. The Quickboost ones are just more believable when you look at the finished kit. When you compare them, the Quickboost hub detail is superior and the tool that they include ensures that you have the right pitch. Installing them is also no problem and they could go on almost any other B-24 kit.

I highly recommend this product if you want a really superior-looking model. Thanks to Quickboost and IPMS USA for the chance to do this review.