Publisher: Model Art Co., Ltd, 1-12-30, 1Chome, Kudankita Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 102-0073 Japan

Thanks to Model Art and Dragon Models - USA for the review copy.

Model Art No. 804, September 2010 issue features new armor model kits, which take up the first 52 pages of this issue. The focus is on WW2 German armor on the Eastern front, and includes some Russian armor as well. Oddly, the Table of Contents is on page 10 after the feature on a Russian BT-7 tank build. After that, you get kit and diorama features on German Figures, Cyber-Hobby’s Tiger I in snow camouflage, Cyber Hobby’s Sd.Kfz.165 Hummel diorama, a Dragon Elefant with Zimmerit, Trumpeter’s German 21cm Morser 18 artillery piece, and lastly, Tamiya’s 3 ton 4X2 Cargo truck diorama.

This is a fairly new company coming to us from a familiar name, Roll Models, offering a very nice set of complete “twin row” engines and cowlings for the almost antique (although still a nice kit) Revell/Monogram B-26 Marauder. The set is nicely cast in cream colored resin, with a very slight amount of flash, easily removed by 1 or 2 passes with the sanding stick.

In the box you'll find the following:

• Cowlings
• Separate cowl flaps
• Back plates
• Twin row engines
• Hose cases
• Magentos
• Prop shafts

They are direct replacements with no cutting required, hence the “no cut” conversion. Hopefully this will be the start of many more welcome additions to their product line. Visit the website https://www.kitlinx.com for this and many other fine products. Many thanks to Loon and Roll Models for the review sample.

This product is most highly recommended.

These fishtail exhausts from Quickboost are designed and recommended for the Hasegawa Spitfire Mk.IX kit. In their kit, Hasegawa offers two kinds of exhaust shrouds, the oval type and the fishtail type. The kits fishtail exhausts are done fairly well but the Quickboost exhausts offer a bit more accuracy in the shape and detail. Quickboost has made these exhausts with the weld seam on them, so don’t sand them off, and are drilled out to a scaled thickness. The affordable price is well worth the extra detail and truly enhances the look of the aircraft.

I would highly recommend these exhausts, especially at this price (Roll Models price - $7.25).

I would like to express my thanks to Quickboost for allowing us to review this sample and to IPMS for the opportunity.

Master Model of Poland has come out with brass barrels in 1/72 scale for the P-47 Thunderbolt. This is the second issue in the Air Master 72 series and a handy one it is! These brass barrels are small at only .0315” in diameter and .4055” in length, yet each front end is drilled out to a depth of .020”. One simply has to cut off the original plastic barrel, drill a hole using a #67 drill (.0320”) and insert the brass barrel and use cyanoacrylate adhesive to bond it in. The instruction sheet provides a drawing to help in getting the length of the protruding barrel correct. I took out my Tamiya P-47 Thunderbolt kit and tried these barrels out on one set of wing guns. Drilled out and inserted one barrel at a time and I had no problems (see photos).

I can highly recommend this P-47 brass barrel set for anyone who is looking for the most realistic appearance for their model. I want to thank IPMS/USA and Master Model for the opportunity to review this product.

This book is the most recent in MMPs Orange Series, chronicling the history and development of one of Germany’s most unique fighter aircraft of World War II. From the beginning, with Alexander Lippisch’s “flying wing” glider designs, through the development of the Me-163B operational rocket fighter, on through the experimental Me-163C, Me-163D, and the Me-263/Junkers Ju 248, this book covers an incredible amount of history and detail.