This is the third release of ICM’s excellent kit of the Liberty B Truck. This release includes four figures of WWI soldiers that are extremely well sculpted and detailed.

Standard B Liberty WW1 US Army Truck

ICM‘s description of the truck: “The US Army Liberty Trucks produced at the end of the 1st World War were the first attempt in the world to create a standardized range of military vehicles, serially produced by several firms from standardized units.

The most famous were cars of Category B Series 1 with a capacity of 3 tons, which from the beginning of 1918 were produced by 15 American companies. They were hood trucks with an open cab equipped with a four-cylinder engine, a cardon drive of the rear axle with worm gear and cast tires.

Before the end of the war, 9452 Liberty Trucks were assembled, of which 7600 were sent to Europe.”

I am often in a quandary with how to begin an IPMS/USA product review (It usually doesn’t last too long.) More often than not I'll just use the material that the manufacturers have made available via their websites. So, without further ado, via AMMO/MiG's website:

“Which are the most basic pigment colors a modeler needs to get started? Which are the most used colors across all types of modeling subjects including aircraft, ships, military vehicles, or spacecraft? This set (First Aid Basics) provides the easiest solution to the novice modeler who is just starting in the hobby and does not really know what is needed.

Total number of parts: 25 each package.

As I’m scratch building a 1/16 scale PT boat, when I saw these neat little shells and cartridges I was curious. What arrived was 4 small packages which included 25 shells or cartridges each in both .50 caliber and .30 caliber. For a large scale I was surprised at how small they were. I was able to compare the .50 caliber ones with a real .50 caliber cartridge and shells, and there is a gigantic difference in size.

These detailing parts are made from brass, have the right dimensions for their scale, and the shell cases even have a hollowed-out end on them. I have photographed them with a real shell just to show the relative size of them. Overall they are very consistent and I’ll bet they will look awesome on any 1/16 scale vehicle, boat, or tank. Their Master-Model website calls them the Ground Master Series.

I want to thank Master-Model and IPMS USA for the opportunity to review these accessories.

Nearly every aircraft modeler has at least one iconic WWII P-51 Mustang in their collection. Based on the quick sell-out of Eduard’s recent 1/48 new tooling at the 2019 ‘Nooga Nats, its popularity is long from over. The subject of this review however is a diminutive 1/144 scale version of the Mustang produced by Japanese model-maker Platz.

According to their website, “Platz was founded in April, 2000, and is based in Shizuoka, Japan. PLATZ comes from the term "place" - or to be more precise, a "gathering place" for modelers from various categories to develop and produce something new, something really wanted by the public and moreover, something "we" would also want.

Based on the knowledge acquired with a 20-year experience in the modelling business, we would like to challenge the market with a combination of renovated ideas, technologies and materials.

One of my planned retirement builds is a Resolution Island, Labrador winter diorama scene. My father, a retired career pilot and Colonel in the USAF, passes along a magazine he receives each month as a member of the Air Force Association. Several years ago, an article in one issue titled “Life on the Pine Tree Line” captivated me. The article details daily activities at a remote DEW-line radar site on Resolution Island in far North Newfoundland back in the 50s and 60s. In particular, photos of an H-21 Shawnee or “Flying Banana” as it is more commonly referred to in Artic Red conspicuity markings, caught my eye. Other aircraft and vehicles documented in the photos included a C-123, a TWA “Connie”, various cargo trucks and vehicles, and a small WWII utility vehicle known as a “Weasel”. Visions of a winter diorama scene began to take shape.