Review Author
Mike Howard
Published on
June 25, 2018
Company
Quickboost
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$6.50

Quickboost, an Aires Resin division, continues to produce quick and simple resin upgrades for a wide variety of subjects. The detail parts are crisply cast and often add to or correct kit items.

This review covers replacement propeller blades for Hasegawa’s 1/32 Fw-190D-9. In overall dimensions, length and width, the kit and resin parts are very comparable with maybe .001 difference in length. The portion that differs is at the propeller base. The kit part starts to widen just a few millimeters from the base whereas the Quickboost parts taper more gradually and better match online profiles of the actual blades.

Review Author
Dave Morrissette
Published on
January 8, 2022
Company
Videoaviation
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$23.50

The MD-3 Ground Power unit is a portable generator designed to provide either DC or AC power to aircraft while on the ground. It is powered by a 180 hp Continental engine to drive its generators. Its initial design was for the B-47 aircraft but it can also be used for other cold war era planes such as F-84, F-86 through to F-4 Phantoms from 1960 to 1970, and this is by no means an exhaustive list.

Review Author
Jim Pearsall
Published on
June 25, 2018
Company
Brengun
Scale
1/144
MSRP
$25.59

The Missile

The V-2 was the first operational ballistic missile. It didn’t use an aiming system as such but was launched in the exact direction of the target. The engine was cut off when the missile was at the correct speed and altitude to allow it to coast to the target. The 2150-pound warhead could do a large amount of damage, and, unlike the V-1 there was no way to intercept a V-2. A V-2 was also the first vehicle to go into outer space, reaching an altitude of 100 km. (62 miles).

The V-2 was a “vengeance” weapon, to answer the Allied bombing of German cities. The main targets were London, Antwerp and Liege. Over 3000 V-2s were launched against these cities.

The Kit

This kit is mostly resin, with some PE details for the launch stand.

Book Author(s)
Dennis Showalter
Review Author
Gino Dykstra
Published on
June 23, 2018
Company
Osprey Publishing
MSRP
$16.00

There’s a sort of strange fascination within modeling circles for World War 1, which is hardly surprising. Taking place a hundred years ago now, it was a transitional period for the world at large on a number of levels – monarchies and ancient empires were crumbling, most of Europe was evolving sluggishly from a agricultural to an industrial base, and militarily, generals were still fighting 18th century wars with 20th century weapons.

Dennis Showalter delves into one major aspect of this war with intense academic furvor – the actions of the German high command and the ways and means of their decisions that hammered a generation of Germans and paved the way for the following war with a certain grim inevitability. If you’re looking for a light skimming over the topic of the German war machine for the First World War, this ain’t it.

Book Author(s)
David Campbell; Illustrator: Steve Noon
Review Author
Gino Dykstra
Published on
June 22, 2018
Company
Osprey Publishing
MSRP
$20.00

During the earlier stages of WW2, the German military demonstrated a new approach to warfare never really encountered before – the airborne assault force. In hotly contested battles in places such as Norway, Denmark and Belgium, they proved the effectiveness of a shock force that could appear virtually anywhere at virtually any time.

It wasn’t that long before the Allies took note and created their own versions of this elite force. Two units in the United States – the 82nd and 101st became the first large-scale units to develop the tactics and weapons necessary to serve as effective combat units in areas where they were likely to be surrounded and outnumbered by the enemy with little chance of immediate reinforcement.

Book Author(s)
Robert Jackson
Review Author
Pablo Bauleo
Published on
June 22, 2018
Company
Casemate Publishers
MSRP
$22.95

Pen and Sword has started a new series of publications related to Armored Fighting Vehicles (TankCraft Series) and this book is the fifth installment in the series. It covers one of the best WWII-era tanks: The Soviet T-34.

The book is broken down in the following chapters.

  • Introduction
  • Development and Design
  • The T-34 in detail
  • Camouflage and Markings
  • Model Showcase
  • Modelling Products
  • Into Service and into Action
  • Enter the T-34/85
  • The T-34 in Action after the Second World War

The first 3 chapters tell the story of the T-34, going back to the origins of the design in the Christie Tank and its design evolution, culminating on the 3rd chapter where the tank is described from the mechanical, defensive, offensive and even living conditions point of view.

Review Author
Keith Gervasi
Published on
June 21, 2018
Company
Quickboost
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$5.00

If you have a Roden or Eduard 1/48 Gloster Gladiator kit then Quickboost has come through with another nice item to add a little more detail to it. The Quickboost doors are molded well and the detail is a lot crisper than the kit doors. If you are going to detail the cockpit you will want to have the doors posed open so you can see that detail and these will make it look even nicer. I highly recommend these.

I would like to thank Aires/Quickboost for supplying this and IPMS for the letting me review this item.

Review Author
Keith Gervasi
Published on
June 21, 2018
Company
Aires Hobby Models
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$11.00

If you have the Roden or Eduard 1/48 Gloster Gladiator, Aires has come through with this very nice item to add a little crisper detail to it. The wheels are nicely molded and, with the masks that are provided, easy to paint. I highly recommend these to anyone with this kit.

I would like to thank Aires for providing this fine detail set and to the IPMS for allowing me to review them.

Book Author(s)
David Greentree; Illustrator: Johnny Shumate
Review Author
Gino Dykstra
Published on
June 21, 2018
Company
Osprey Publishing
MSRP
$20.00

The grim conflicts that occurred along the edge of the Arctic Circle during World War Two are perhaps one of the least-publicized theaters in that sad war. It’s a fact that for someone like me who THINKS he knows history fairly well, virtually everything in this book by Osprey Publishing came as a surprise. Who knew that such struggles were suffered in this treeless, roadless, virtually empty region along the northern edges of Lapland, Finland and Norway?

Book Author(s)
Author: Dr. Nigel Thomas - Illustrator: Johnny Shumate
Review Author
Frank Landrus
Published on
June 20, 2018
Company
Osprey Publishing
MSRP
$18.00

Dr. Nigel Thomas graduated from Tiffin Boy’s School, Kingston-Upon-Thames in 1964 and proceeded to attend Manchester University, earning a BA in Modern Languages. He attended Durham University and Newcastle University where he obtained his MA in German History and Literature. He was awarded a PhD on the Eastern enlargement of NATO. Nigel is an accomplished linguist and military historian and formerly a Principal Lecturer in French and German Languages and Politics at Northumbria University, He is now a freelance military author, translator and military uniform consultant. His interests are 20th century military and civil uniformed organizations, with a special interest in Germany, Central, and Eastern Europe. He has written more than 20 books on military history and uniforms, many of them with Osprey. He lives in Tyne and Wear, UK.