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Review Author
Michael Novosad
Published on
Company
Scale Aircraft Conversions
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$18.95

I must confess that I have been somewhat intrigued by the idea of using metal landing gear on my aircraft models for sometime now, but have just never followed through with a purchase. I initially felt the only time metal gear would be truly advantageous with a model that has spindly legs (like the F-105 Thunderchief) or if a particular model is quite heavy with the addition of resin parts or a good deal of nose weight. I am convinced those are the best reasons. However, I am open-minded on the issue.

When I had the opportunity to review a set of the SAC landing gear for the 1/48th scale Kinetic AMX I had to give it a go.

Contents Description

The parts are packaged in a clear blister pack and have no instructions. Many of the parts are cast as part of a metal sprue and will require cutting with side cutters or a fine saw to remove the metal parts.

Review Author
Allan Murrell
Published on
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$14.95

This is a great Photo Etch set for the Kinetic Sea Harrier FRS.1Kit cockpit. This set adds a lot of extra detail to the cockpit of the kit and makes a great kit even better.

The photo etch parts are for the:

  • Cockpit side panels
  • Instrument panel and various control details
  • Seat belts
  • HUD parts

In the packet is:

  • 1 colored photoetch sheet
  • 1 instruction sheet

Summary

This is yet another great Photo etch set. Is a must for the Kinetic Kit as it makes it into a great model with all additional interior details for this aircraft. I would suggest that if would be worth consider the large interior set product number 49769 as you get a lot more detail parts for a small premium in cost but well worth it.

Thanks go to Eduard for providing this set to review and IPMS USA for allowing me to review it for them.

Book Author(s)
Mike Rinaldi
Review Author
Frank Landrus
Published on
Company
Rinaldi Studio Press
MSRP
$49.00

This is the third edition of Michael Rinaldi’s first book on modeling techniques. It has been expanded from 208 pages in the first edition and 224 pages in the second edition to a whopping 288 pages of glossy, high grade paper. This 64 page increase over the second edition includes three additional chapters, two by Michael Rinaldi, and one by Lester Plaskitt. The chapter on figure painting by Marijn van Gils is no longer included, but figure modeling by Lester Plaskitt to go along with his Sd.Kfz 251/22 Drilling is included. This edition is touting a “Lay-Flat binding” that works quite well, allowing you to open to a particular section and have the book stay open, ‘flat’ as it were.

Review Author
Allan Murrell
Published on
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$9.95

This is a mask set for the Kinetic Sea Harrier FRS.1Kit. This set helps you save time masking the canopy by providing all you need pre-cut masks.

In the packet is:

  • 1 precut masking sheet
  • 1 instruction sheet

The masks are for the front windscreen, main canopy and the wheel hubs.

Summary

This is very good and time saving when it comes to masking which is perfect for this kit and really helps.

Thanks go to Eduard for providing this set to review and IPMS USA for allowing me to review it for them.

Review Author
Allan Murrell
Published on
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$19.95

This is a great photoetch set for the Kinetic Sea Harrier FRS.1 kit. This set adds a lot of extra detail to the exterior and makes it look even better.

The photoetch parts are for the:

  • Wing details
  • Landing gear details
  • Various grilles
  • Landing gear bay details
  • Wing pylon details

In the Packet is:

  • 1 photoetch sheet
  • 1 instruction sheet

Summary

This is great photoetch set to bring a lot of additional details to this very good kit.

Thanks go to Eduard for providing this set to review and IPMS USA for allowing me to review it for them.

Review Author
Mike Lamm
Published on
Company
Hauler
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$14.00

Hauler produces photo-etched and resin upgrade sets for armored fighting vehicles (AFVs), airplanes, cars, railway vehicles, and dioramas. They also produce a few resin kits. Their products are in most of the common scale sizes, 1/72, 1/48, and 1/35, but they also produce a number of other items in common railroad hobbyist scales.

The kit for this review is a set of sharply cast resin Dragon Teeth. Dragon Teeth are those square concrete pyramids, most often associated with the Siegfried Line in Germany during World War II. However, these types of fortifications were used in many countries, other than Germany in World War II, and continued to be used today around the world. The idea behind these formations was to create an obstacle to slow the advance of enemy AFVs, or to channel those vehicles into prepared kill zones where anti-tank units waited in ambush.

Review Author
Jim Pearsall
Published on
Company
Master Model
Scale
1/144
MSRP
$2.65

Master Model of Poland has figured out a way to produce very fine brass parts for detailing aircraft. These are wonderful additions to models, particularly the pitot tubes, refueling probes and gun barrels, which seem to get bent or broken depressingly often. Not only that, because of the strength of the brass, the parts can be made smaller diameter than the plastic parts provided in most kits.

This detail set is the pitot tube for the Panavia Tornado, currently in use with the Luftwaffe, the RAF, Italian AF and the Royal Saudi AF. There are 4 kits available in 1/144, Revell, Dragon, Academy and Anigrand. Since I already had the Dragon kit built, that’s the one I put the new pitot on.

The instructions for this detail set are VERY good. Preparation consists of removing the kit pitot and making a flat spot on the nose. I used a medium grit sanding stick to make the flat spot.

Review Author
Jim Pearsall
Published on
Company
Master Model
Scale
1/144
MSRP
$2.65

A while back I built Dragon’s 1/144 F-14D Tomcat for a review. Master Models of Poland has come out with a replacement “alfa probe” for the Tomcat. I still think of it as a pitot tube, but I’m pretty 20th Century.

In doing a little research, I found that there are two other 1/144 F-14s available, Revell and Trumpeter. In looking at the “in box” reviews, both of these kits do have alfa probes. The Dragon kit I built doesn’t have one. OK. But I have built more than one model where the pitot tube has been broken, bent or deformed to where it really needs replacement. In the past, a cut off straight pin worked pretty well. Now we have a much better looking part.

The instructions are pretty basic, but so is the procedure. We’re not doing knee replacement here.

Cut off the existing probe. In this case, I just had to use a sanding stick to get a flat spot for the drill.

Book Author(s)
Graeme Davis
Review Author
James Binder
Published on
Company
Osprey Publishing
MSRP
$18.00

The year is 1947, Operation High Jump is under way and will become a disaster. Admiral Byrd says it was due to weather and conditions in the Antarctic, but was it really? Could an attack by Nazi UFO craft have damaged and destroyed the High Jump fleet and aircraft? Did this cause the Nazi’s to then leave for an even more remote location to regroup and plan their ultimate revenge against the allies? That location…. The Moon!

Osprey Publishing brings us the new Osprey Adventures book “Nazi Moonbase”, written by Graeme Davis and illustrated by Darren Tan. This 80-page book gives an inside look at what the Nazi Moonbase is, what it’s made of, and how it got to be up there in the first place.

The book is broken down into chapters that delve into the beginnings of the Nazi space program to its present day status. Some of the chapters include

Review Author
Timothy Rentz
Published on
Company
Riich Models
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$67.00

The Kit

The kit contains four sprues for the wagon, plus sprues for two horses, and three soldiers molded in light grey plastic. The four tires for the wagon are molded in black plastic. Not sure why the separate color for the tires since they are hard plastic and the entire kit would be painted anyway. The kit also contains a metal chain, two frets of photo etch parts, nylon string for the tow cables and a decal sheet which includes markings for the vehicle and uniform patches for the figures. The parts had some minor flash, but not troubles with sink holes or ejector pin marks. The only exception is on the wagon sides above the seat for the drivers and the floor of the machinegun cart. There are some unavoidable ejector pin marks, but they are hidden by the seated figures so I chose not to fill them. The crispness of the detail on the parts could be sharper, but is still pretty good.