Model Art Magazine is a monthly magazine that covers aircraft, armor, ships and car modeling. Model Art started releasing magazines in 1966 and has evolved from there over the past forty eight years.

The December issue starts off with seven pages of models and modeling tools that were shown at the 2014 All Japan Plamodel Hobby Show

The main article this month is a feature using several model ship kits that were released in 2014. The article is composed of in progress shots of the kits, a diorama, line drawings and archive photos. Some of the kits used are the Fujimi 1/700 IJN Light Cruiser Kitakami 1945, Aoshima 1/700 IJN Seaplane tender Kimikawa-Maru and the Gallery 1/350 USS Intrepid.

Following the main article are several small monthly reoccurring articles. Some of these articles are Union Fleet Organized Course, Modeling JASDF and IJA/IJN Airplane Illustrated.

Master-Model provides modelers with exquisite miniature turned metal parts that can be used in place of kit parts to add extra detail to models. Their sets generally are available for builders in all popular scales. This set (AM-48-096) provides parts to assemble crisply detailed 1:48 scale Hispano 20mm cannon in long fairings for the Fairey Firefly.

The parts are designed to replace the injection molded ones in Special Hobby kits without significant surgery. The kits have holes on the wings’ leading edge to install injection molded parts so it is likely the Master-Model barrels will literally drop in place instead. (Although the size of the holes may need to be increased to 1.5mm diameter to accept the plug on the end of the fairings).

A while back (2009 if you want to know) I built a Heller Mirage IVP with the Pavla recce pod. Last week I got a new refueling probe for this kit.

The new probe from Master Model is a single piece of turned aluminum, exactly the same length as the Heller probe. All I had to do was remove the plastic probe from the nose of the Mirage IV, drill a larger hole where the probe goes, paint the new part and install the part with some CA to hold it.

As it turns out, there was one more step to this project. The Master Model part is a tiny bit smaller in diameter than the kit part. But it was the work of only a few minutes to trim the kit nose taper to fit. A little more paint to match, and it was done.

If you are looking to improve the cockpit, both inside and out, for your 1/72 scale EMHAR F-3H Demon, I would direct your attention to this cockpit and canopy set from Pavla Models. Recommended for the EMHAR kit released in 1991, this set provides a new front end for the plane in detailed resin, which is a step above the old plastic detail provided in the kit. Modelers with some experience in using resin parts should have no issues with utilizing this set, and experience with vacuum-formed canopies will be very important if using the windscreen and canopy included in the set.

From my perspective, Pavla Models continues to quietly add new items to their product lines in order to add detail to existing kits; many of these lines are intended for aircraft modelers, but there are some AFV items as well. Pavla Models provides replacement canopies that are vacuum-formed as well as cockpit sets, ejection seats, and general detail sets for aircraft.

Here is the third review of the three sets from Master Model which are all common in design but different in utility; IPMS USA sincerely appreciates Master’s support of our reviewer corps, and thanks to our leaders for sending these my way!

This set contains turned aluminum rocket noses and a decal sheet to provide warhead options for the previously reviewed Early and Late Master Details 1/24 British RP-3 rockets. (Sets 24 0011 and 24 0012).

The instructions are comprehensive, and explain coloring, details, and what each warhead is. I can see these used in the case of either ground attack against armor, such as on a Hurricane or Typhoon, or the Naval attack Mosquito squadrons.

All parts are individually bagged by item within the generic display header bag; this prevents damage and ensures you have the correct bits in the correct order.