Fine Molds continues to add to their great line of WWII Japanese Armor – this time with a variant of the Type 3 “CHI-NU” Tank. This up-gunned long barreled version of the Type 3 was a paper-only project. The variant was expected to go into production in 1946, but as we know the war ended before then. It was thought that the gun on the Type 3 would not be sufficient to knock out US Armor at long ranges, so plans were drawn up to fit the Type 3 tank with a long barrel 75mm gun.

This kit is exactly the same as the other Type 3 “CHI-NU”, with the addition of the sprues for the longer barrel, and turret parts. In fact with this boxing, you will end up with some extra parts for your stash, as some of the parts from the earlier release are included, but not used. The kit’s 203 parts are molded in tan, with a sprue of clear parts, and nicely done ‘rubber band’ tracks.

This is a British product, the first of a series, providing a very nice set of 1/32 scale decals and an accompanying booklet, featuring three aircraft flown by Polish pilots flying with the French Armee de l’Aire during the Battle of France in 1940. Two versions of this issue exist, one in 1/32 scale and one in 1/48. The decal sheet and booklet are provided in one unit, and cannot be purchased separately.

The booklet, a rather large publication of 16 pages plus cover, measures 13 by 9 ¼ inches, and consists of detailed information on the colors and markings of each aircraft. A short history of the pilot and his operational career is included, and these make interesting reading. The booklet is filled with excellently reproduced photos, mostly from German sources, as many of the photos show Luftwaffe personnel examining the abandoned French aircraft.

The FuG 220 Sn-2b radar antennas were installed on Bf 110 and Ju 88 night fighters during World War. These radar antennas are the focal point of any night fighter kit. Model Master from Poland provides us with turned brass antenna struts and antenna dipoles to enhance the look of our next night fighter kit.

The turned brass parts mean that no mold line is present and that alone is enough of a reason to consider upgrading your kit. The other advantage is that antenna struts and dipoles actually have a circular cross-section.

Assembly is straightforward and simple. The instructions recommend soldering the parts together for assembly, but my soldering skills are not very good. I’ve used super glue instead. It worked OK, but I managed to knock off the dipoles in a few occasions during construction.

It is my distinct pleasure to present to you Paul Fisher’s latest full resin kit effort, the RB-51 “Red Baron”. I guess what surprises me most, having had the opportunity to build and review each of his magnificent 1/32nd scale aircraft kits, is his innate ability to continue to raise the bar on himself each time. This one is no exception, Paul having produced quality models for 32 years now.

His kits come to you in a very sturdy cardboard box, very carefully hand packed and wrapped in several layers of tissue by Paul’s lovely wife Suzy. I mean c’mon! What more could you ask for? No kidding, you really don’t see very many like this in today’s market. After the tissue is removed and the exquisitely cast resin pieces are exposed, it is top quality as far as the eye can see.

OK guys, a show of hands; how many of you don’t like Hasegawa kit decals? You’ve had bad experiences with them and hate ‘em to the point that you won’t build or even buy a given Hasegawa kit unless you can get aftermarket decals for it? Not a problem for those Hasegawa F-Teen kits where you easily have many more aftermarket decal choices than kits. However, when it came to cool looking, non-gray jets, like the Mitsubishi F-2, you were stuck….until now.