MMD-Squadron has released two unique detail parts in their True Details line that 1/32 scale model builders should find very useful. True Details USAAF WWII Parachute #1 (#32508) is a highly detailed 1/32 scale replica of a Type AN-6510 parachute that is casually posed as an aircrew chute would appear in pre or post-mission repose with integral pack (upturned), cushion, harness and intricate hardware. It is molded in gray resin on a very thin amount of resin molding scrap. This is a perfect accent for any 1930s-WWII US aircraft model. It is posed in the way parachutes were typically placed on the wings or stabilizers of fighter aircraft prior to a mission so pilots could quickly ‘suit up’ for a takeoff. This unique detail part is sculpted with an amazing amount of detail and is packaged on a blister card with a foam pad backing to protect the fragile features of the casting. No assembly is required.

I would like to thank Master Model for this review sample.

Master Model has been literally “turning” out numerous metal details for the model maker. This latest offering is the Alpha Probe and angle of attack probe for the F-14 in 1/48. The alpha probe is the pitot at the forward end of the radome. For a model this is a very vulnerable place and no doubt, like me, you have managed to bend or snap off the plastic one provided in the kit. Quite frankly, they never look as crisp as the real thing and once the mold seam is removed can be a bit oblong in cross section. The angle of attack probe is the pointy short probe on the left side of the F-14 below and forward of the cockpit. On the Hasegawa kit it is molded with the fuselage. I managed to snap mine off while assembling the model. It is not an easy thing to replicate.

Hasegawa's 1/48th scale kit of the Stuka is a gem with great fit and detail and there are several aftermarket parts available for it. One thing that is lacking in the basic kit is seats with belts. Quickboost latest issue has that covered and is a two piece set with the pilots seats and gunners seat as separate parts. The parts are Quickboost's excellent, bubble and flash free gray resin. To use the parts is simple, cut the mold block off of each and sand.

I want to address the two parts individually. The attached photos of the pilot seat show the enormous improvement that the Quickboost seat is with its corrected shape, seat belts and much finer detail. in a word, the kit part is wrong and Quickboost fixes it in spades.

The gunners seat has the seat belts and the open structure. When compared to the kit seat (which I have already added PE seat belts too), the parts are pretty close for either. The Quickboost parts does have the belts so a slight edge to it.

History

The Ju88 was first flown in 1936 and remained in production until the end of the war (or as factories were overrun). Probably the most versatile aircraft flown by the Luftwaffe in WWII as it was used as a level bomber, dive bomber, torpedo bomber, reconnaissance, photo reconnaissance, day fighter, night fighter, pathfinder, pilotless missiles… (You get the picture). The Ju 88S version was developed to be a high speed, low drag bomber. Due to increasing armor and armament, the idea of a ‘Schnellbomber’ that could evade or make interception a tough thing to do was becoming a problem for the Ju 88s by the summer of 1942. The S version used an A-4 airframe as a starting point that was aerodynamically refined and was first flown in 1942. The refinements included deletion of the ventral gondola, a smoothly rounded Plexiglas nose and reducing the armoring. Also the defensive armament was reduced to 1 MG 131 firing aft.

History

Production for the Type 95 began in 1936, and was first introduced in combat in 1937. The type 95 was a small, light tank weighing in at 7 tons and having a crew of 3. It was armed with a 37mm main gun augmented by 2 Type 97 light machine guns. The early version was powered by an 110hp Mitsubishi diesel engine for a top speed of 25mph (road) and was later replaced by a 120hp Mitsubishi NVD 6120 diesel that brought the speed up to 28mph. The Type 95 was obsolete by 1941 but soldiered on till the end of the war being used mainly in banzai charges or dug in as pill boxes. It was a good tank in the 30s but should have been replaced by 1941. There are at least 11 Type 95 survivors in the world today with 1 that is operational.