Thanks again to our steadfast IPMS supporter, Ross at SAC… and to IPMS leadership for providing it to me for review. Metal gear frequently makes a difference in the longevity of your efforts in modeling, and Ross and his team are supporting us!

This set simply replaces the main and nose gear for the new Meng F-18E through Growler series. Although Meng plastic is pretty sturdy, and the kit gear will serve the purpose out of the box, the simplicity of installing metal gear on the assembled airframe with a trailing-strut arrangement is a worthwhile effort.

19 Parts include two main gear struts with extension and drag/retraction arms incorporated, and a nose gear with the catapult arm and control rods. As stated before, Meng’s plastic is admirably durable, but the landing gear is still vulnerable to gravity.

The book provides great detail drawings of the Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet. This was the first Rocket powered fighter used by German Air Force in WWII.

I found the drawings in this book to be fascinating and very detailed, ideal for any modeler as reference materials.

Along with the many outline drawings (in 1/48 & 1/72 scales in the main pages) there is also very nice profile drawings. There are loose scale drawings in 1/32 scale. The drawings cover many versions of the aircraft.

I recommend this book to everyone with an interest in the armor and a must for modelers.

Thanks go to Casemate Publishing for providing this book to review and IPMS USA for allowing me to review it for them

This book “Operation Allied force, air war over Serbia 1999” is volume one of a two volume book series. There are two authors who both held opposing positions during this war with front line service. This volume (1) covers the chronology of events while the next volume (2) focuses of the experiences from both sides in the air war.

The beginning of this book covers the rise of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) air force. From buildup of assets, restrictions put on the new air force equipment and tables showing air asset with locations of these assets. Deeper into the book, it covers conflicts, notable air engagements, buildup of NATO forces and defenses.

Before I begin this review I think it is important to know that I flew Cobras in the Army and now fly them with the Army Aviation Heritage Foundation, so I am intimately familiar with them. So I tend to be a little bit of a nit picker or rivet counter when it comes to Cobras. Please forgive me.

When ICM released the AH-1G Cobra in 1/32^nd scale there was much rejoicing in the helicopter modeling world. We had waited so long for a replacement for the venerable Revell AH-1G. The Revell kit was released in 1968 and it was very basic. Accurate in outline but lacking in any detail. It needed lots of aftermarket to bring it up to speed. Would ICM be better? Oh heck yeah.

Eagle Editions is synonymous with Luftwaffe subjects so it comes as no surprise that their latest book in the Wings of the Black Cross series is an airplane that just evokes memories of the Luftwaffe, the iconic Ju-87 Stuka. The name and the noise of the airplane became a symbol for Luftwaffe dominance of the air in the early part of the war. By the Battle of Britain, it was grossly outclassed and obsolete, yet is soldiered on until the very end of the war.