Hot on the heels of their 1/48 scale release, Master Models has released a 1/32 scale version of the GAU-8 Avenger gun tip for the Trumpeter A-10. Also included is a corrected pitot tube.

The set is straightforward with a sheet of photoetch for the front and back of the gun barrel, a turned brass center post, seven turned gun barrels, a brass main gun housing and a turned pitot tube. I included several shots of the main gun housing with its holes as it is a work of art. Finely made and with the holes made perfectly.

Assembly is done by adding the back plate and gluing the brass center post into its hole. The only tricky part is next when the front cap is added- you must make sure the holes align for the barrels. I did this by adding the end cover and holding it up to light and making sure things were straight. Let that dry and then slide the barrels through and secure them. The pitot tube is a direct replacement.

Osprey's Elite series covers many historical subjects. This is book 201 and covers the Carthaginians between the 6th and 2nd century BC. The author states several facts in the beginning in that this book is a study of the Carthaginians armament and military culture and much studying is left to do as the culture and records were destroyed by the Romans. Also, he notes that the book will attempt to represent how Carthaginian Warriors might have looked based on the current state of knowledge. From a modelers perspective, this will be most useful.

The book is broken down into the following sections:

Another of Quickboost’s drop-in replacement parts, this set replaces the exhaust nozzles on the Hobby Boss Seahawk FGA.6 and Mk.100/101 kits. The exhaust parts that come in the kit are two part assemblies and are curved. The trailing edges of the parts are slightly too thick and the seam on the inside needs to be cleaned up. With the curve, this can be difficult.

The Quickboost parts eliminate both of the above problems, giving you two parts that need to be just removed from the pour plug and installed. The trailing edges are commendably thin. The one-piece nature of the parts will save you a lot of time trying to remove the seams on the kit parts. Recommended, especially for the price.

Thanks go to Quickboost / Aires for supplying the parts and to IPMS/USA for the opportunity to review them.

This is another of SAC’s drop-in replacement landing gear sets. It is meant for the Revell 1/72 scale Airbus A400M Grizzly kit. As you can see from the pictures, they’re a direct replacement for the kit parts. With the A400M being such a large aircraft, the extra support of the metal landing gear could be vital over time.

There are a lot of parts in this set, with basically six of everything except the nose gear parts. There are gear struts, strut braces, and wheel hub/axles for the mains, plus the main gear, V-strut, and retraction strut for the nose gear.

The detail on the parts is sharp and should paint up very nicely. The parts require minor cleanup of mold seams, easily done with a knife blade. Some small parts may have been slightly bent during shipping but they are easily straightened. This set is certainly recommended.

Thanks go to Scale Aircraft Conversions for the landing gear set and to IPMS/USA for the opportunity to review it.

Kitty Hawk’s 1/48 scale Jas-39 Gripen is a detailed, well-executed kit. It does require skill to assemble, and many of the details are simplified for various reasons. This is where Aires Hobby Models has stepped in to provide some added detail.

This particular Aries resin set provides an upgrade to the Gripen’s speed brakes. Aires provides two fully-detailed brake wells and two speed brakes with fine, accurate rivet and internal bracing detail. The bays have no actuators or tubing to install, but have better detail featuring light riveting and embossed bits. They brakes and wells are truly drop-fit replacement items for the kit parts; the fit was excellent!

Thanks to Aires for providing this set for review. Your continued support is more than valued, and we appreciate it. Thanks once again to the IPMS/USA leadership for allowing me to review such a cool accessory!