What's New

Review Author
Rick Bellanger
Published on
Company
Profimodeller
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$5.00

With the release of HK Models’ 1/32nd B-25, it didn't take longer for the aftermarket companies to step in and start producing detail sets. Profimodeller is one of these, and they have come up with some really nice stuff. So far, they have released 9 different detail sets and all at a very reasonable cost. I have ordered the additional sets from Profimodeller's website and found it quite easy to use. They are very helpful in answering questions and quick to respond (please note the time difference, you are dealing with Czechoslovakia). I used Pay Pal for payment and received my goodies in a week.

This will be a "First Look" type review. I will be building a B-25 and incorporating the set in the build, but it's going to take a while.

Review Author
Rick Bellanger
Published on
Company
Profimodeller
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$8.89

With the release of HK Models’ 1/32nd B-25, it didn't take longer for the aftermarket companies to step in and start producing detail sets. Profimodeller is one of these and they have come up with some really nice stuff. So far, they have released 9 different detail sets, all at a very reasonable cost. I have ordered the additional sets from Profimodeller's website and found it quite easy to use. They are very helpful in answering questions and quick to respond (please note the time difference, you are dealing with Czechoslovakia). I used Pay Pal for payment and received my goodies in a week.

This will be a "First Look" type review. I will be building a B-25 and incorporating the set in the build, but it's going to take a while.

Review Author
Rick Bellanger
Published on
Company
Profimodeller
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$7.00

With the release of HK Models’ 1/32nd B-25, it didn't take longer for the aftermarket companies to step in and start producing detail sets. Profimodeller is one of these and they have come up with some really nice stuff. So far, they have released 9 different detail sets and all at a very reasonable cost. I have ordered the additional sets from Profimodeller's website and found it quite easy to use. They are very helpful in answering questions and quick to respond (please note the time difference, you are dealing with Czechoslovakia). I used Pay Pal for payment and received my goodies in a week.

This will be a "First Look"-type review. I will be building a B-25 and incorporate the set in the build, but it's going to take a while.

Review Author
Clarence Wentzel
Published on
Company
Quickboost
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$7.25

The Su-33 Flanker D is an all-weather-carrier based air defense fighter based on the Su-27. The airplane had a production run of 24 units.

Hasegawa has produced a kit of this interesting aircraft for modelers. As usual, Quickboost has added several items to improve the accuracy of the basic Su-33 Flanker D kit.

The first part is a correct nose cone. The attached photo shows the Quickboost part compared to an Su-27 from my collection. The new cone is the correct shape for the model and is interchangeable with the kit part. It is molded in cream colored resin. It is smooth, seamless and bubble-free.

I highly recommend this product if you want a really superior-looking model. Since this part is interchangeable with the kit parts, it can be recommended for all levels of modelers.

Review Author
Dick Montgomery
Published on
Company
Guideline Publications
MSRP
$7.00

SAM, or more precisely Scale Aircraft Modeling, is an excellent monthly publication focusing on modeling scale aircraft. No surprise there. And if you are a long-time fan of SAM, then it is also no surprise that I state that SAM is one of the best modeling magazines focused on aircraft that money can buy.

Averaging just under 100 pages, SAM is filled with “build” articles featuring some of the newer kits on the market, as well as projects based on old favorites. In the Sept issue (Vol 34, Issue 07), a number of featured articles spans subject matter from World War I to modern jets, both military and civil.

Starting with a WWI subject, Lukasz Kedzierski builds up the Roden 1/32nd scale Nieuport Ni.24bis. Lukasz finished the kit in Polish markings. This kit is labeled as an intermediate-level build. The images show a fully detailed cockpit and a stunning metal cowling.

Review Author
Michael Scott
Published on
Company
Wingnut Wings, Ltd
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$89.00

Attaching the wings. The lower wings were first and to ensure everything was in alignment, I cleaned the mating surfaces of paint, did a test fit, and applied the Gunze liquid cement. Getting everything properly lined up, I taped the wings down to the work surface to dry. Don’t do this.

Having painted all of the wing and cabane struts with Tamiya tan acrylic, and after that was dry using the basic Wingnut Wings technique for replicating wood that is found on their website, I applied burnt sienna oil paint with a sponge, then removed a great deal of that with a stiff bristled chisel brush to get in some wood grain effects. These have to dry for at least a couple of days, if not more, depending on your locale’s environmental conditions. I suspect there is a liquid agent that would speed up the drying time of oil paint and I’m going to look into this.

Review Author
Matthew Cottrell
Published on
Company
Hasegawa
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$49.99

Aircraft History

The EA-6B Prowler is an electronic warfare aircraft operated by the US Navy and Marine Corps since 1971. With a crew of 4, the Prowler can take on several roles, such as jamming and electronic intelligence gathering, or even an offensive role when equipped with the HARM missile. There have been several upgrades throughout the Prowler’s life, culminating in the current ICAP III version. Today, the Navy has begun to replace their Prowlers with the EA-18G Growler. However, the Prowler is expected to continue to fly with the USMC until 2017.

Review Author
Dick Montgomery
Published on
Company
Hasegawa
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$22.00

Hasegawa’s Voyager is the 2nd in a series of “Science World” kits. The 1st offering in this series is the 1/72 Manned Research Submersible Shinkai 6500, an intriguing kit in its own right. For those who enjoy “real space” subjects, the release of the Voyager is a stroke of luck.

NASA launched two spacecraft during the Voyager program, known as Voyager 1 and Voyager 2. The actual Voyagers were almost identical, and that being the case this model can be said to represent either vehicle.

At the time of this writing, Voyager is 18,169,754,598 KM from the Earth. In the time it took to type these two sentences Voyager extended that distance to 18,169,757,539 KM. I find that stunning!

Review Author
Luke R. Bucci, PhD
Published on
Company
Model Art
MSRP
$21.50

Model Art No. 44 is devoted to Super Dreadnoughts – battleships from the beginning (HMS Dreadnought in 1907) to the US Navy’s Iowa class (the last operational dreadnought). As usual, in this issue there is extensive historical information along with kit builds of examples. The magazine itself is A4 size – somewhat longer and less wide than standard US 8.5 x 11 inches. There is a centerfold with the full-sized cover art of the Yamato firing a full broadside and Tamiya’s 1/350 Yamato model.

The coverage starts with a 14-page pictorial on Zvezda’s 1/350 HMS Dreadnought, the battleship that lended its name to describe the world’s most powerful weapon at that time. A beautiful kit, with pages of how to build the kit.

Next up is the ultimate Super Dreadnought – Tamiya’s 1/350 IJN Yamato. 20 pages showing details on building the kit (in late 1944 fit). Again, a beautifully built model.

Book Author(s)
David Doyle
Review Author
Dave Koukol
Published on
Company
Squadron Signal Publications
MSRP
$18.95

Tracing its origins back to a set of 1950 requirements for a replacement for the M38 family of vehicles of World War II “Jeep” descent, the M151 Military Utility Tactical Truck (MUTT) became the primary ¼-ton tactical vehicle of the United States Armed Forces until the advent of the HUMMWV in the mid-1980’s.

In the course of 80 pages packed with 220 photos – mostly color – and a handful of line drawings, author David Doyle captures the genesis and service life of this legendary military vehicle. Although “In Action” in name, plenty of detail photos and narrative are provided of the vehicle in various phases of development, assembly and maintenance – a modeler’s treasure chest!

Operational photographs and narrative capture the MUTT’s service in numerous configurations, conflicts, and theaters of operation, including Vietnam, NATO and PACOM exercises, Beirut, Grenada, and others.