The Parts

The Goddess of Flight provides a sturdy and classy display base for models. The Goddess figure consists of seven parts, all cast in resin. Her feet are contained within a base that can simulate clouds or water, depending on what model she will be supporting. There are no “feet” per se, but a resin locating peg that slips into the cloud/water base.

This cloud/water base comes with a ¼” (approx.) nut that is embedded firmly in the resin. The nut slides upward through a finished wooden base which provides lateral support for the finished Goddess and a whole lot of “class”. The wooden base is circular, comes completely finished and is very attractive.

This comprehensive decal sheet covers nine F-104Gs, four TF-104Gs, and twelve F-16As. A couple of the F-16 schemes are for the same aircraft serving with different squadrons, so although the serial number on the tail is the same, the squadron badge is different. The title of the sheet indicates that it contains markings for both the F-16A and B, but there are no F-16B aircraft depicted in the instructions. Color density and registration appears to be very good. A full set of stencils is provided for the F-104 and a four-view drawing is included to aid in placement. There are no stencils provided for the F-16s. The recommended kits are the Hasegawa (F-104, TF-104, F-16) and Kinetic (F-16) offerings, so F-16 stencils should be available from those kits.

The markings offered are:

Initially designed as a medium artillery towing vehicle, the Bussing-NAG Sd. Kfz 6 was eventually converted to carry the 37mm FlaK37, providing the base vehicle for mounting captured Russian 76.2mm anti-tank guns, as well as rotary snow plows. The 37mm-armed version, known as Sd. Kfz 6/2, proved more successful, providing army anti-aircraft units with mobile, though unprotected, protection from air attack. They usually carried a crew of seven, and generally towed a trailer containing ammunition and crew equipment. Although useful, they were expensive to produce, and their jobs could be performed by other, heavier halftracks, and they were phased out of production in 1941. The surviving examples soldiered on until attrition claimed them.

The Gloster Meteor was one of the first jets to fly operational and is one of my favorites. I was very pleased to receive this kit by Cyber Models to review and was not disappointed in it at all.

Upon opening the box I was very impressed with the fine molding and details. The panel lines seemed to be truly in scale. Having built the Meteor F.3 in the white scheme, I chose to do the standard RAF scheme of light grey underneath and dark grey and green on the top surfaces.

Assembly was pretty straightforward. The cockpit is a real work of art and I painted it semi-gloss black as per my reference. To add some color, I did add seatbelts from tape.

The current rise of Chinese naval power stands in stark contrast to the period from 1900 – 1940 when China had no real Navy and lay prostrate before powerful nations which had unfettered access to its ports and inland waterways. A weak and fading dynasty and competing warlords (including the Communists) did nothing to reassure foreign interests, which led to additional intervention. Like other places in the world, the waterways of China were the highways on which goods moved in and out of the interior of the country. One river stood out in its size and importance – the Yangtze (a western interpretation of the river’s many names). Western business interests and missionaries took advantage of the Yangtze to penetrate far into the interior and the river was the principal line of communication back out to rest of the world.