Iliad Design has provided IPMS/USA reviewer corps with a wonderful decal set for the WWII Supermarine “Silver” Spitfires in service for the Royal Air Force, USAAF, and RAAF. There is no specific mention of a preferred model company for this decal set.

This 1/48th scale decal sheet covers five schemes:

1. Spitfire LF IXc, No. 601 Squadron, Italy, 1943.
2. Spitfire Mk. IXc of Lt. Col. E.P. Allen, XIX TAC, St. Dizier, France, October 1944.
3. Spitfire Mk. Vc, No. 85 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force, Pearce, Western Australia, February 1945.
4. Spitfire Mk. VIII, used as a “hack” by the 307th FS, 1944.
5. Spitfire LF XVIe of No. 1 (Pilots) Refresher Flying Unit, 1950.

In the Package

There is one decal sheet and one page of instructions (printed front & back). It has all the individual markings and roundels for all five aircraft. Stencils will need to be provided by the kit’s decals or an aftermarket source.

During the holiday season of 2025, I became interested in some YouTube videos about the Gaahleri Mobius 0.2mm airbrush. What intrigued me the most was the MAC (Multiple Air Channel) nozzle with its spiral-shaped channels, which makes the overall nozzle easier to handle than some brands. I purchased my airbrush during the Gaahleri Black Friday Sale through Amazon, and I have been very pleased with everything that I have used it for. If you are looking for an airbrush made for detailed work at a nominal cost, I would highly recommend looking at this model.

I have been using airbrushes for nearly 40 years now, all double-action and mostly from a single manufacturer, so I do not sway from my typical brand much at all. I own six airbrushes in all from that manufacturer, and I now have three from other manufacturers. Of the three, one was a gift many years ago, one is a trigger-style airbrush (think pistol grip) that I wanted to try, and now this one from Gaahleri.

The non-profit UK-based group known as the Great War Aviation Society publishes their journal, Cross & Cockade International, four times a year. Issues are available in English as printed [Softbound, A4 (8.27” x 11.69”), 80 pages plus centerfold] as well as digital copies (or both). A new magazine, Contact!, is now available in both print and digital download. The Society also provides a free newsletter (sign up on their website) and occasionally publishes WWI-themed books like the Sopwith Dolphin monograph I reviewed earlier for IPMS-USA. This Journal is the sister of the US Journal, Over The Front. The Great War Aviation Society also hosts a lecture series available through Zoom. If interested, you will need to register early as the call is limited in attendance.

According to the blurb on the back cover, the F-35 was developed under the largest weapons program in history. After reading this book, I can probably agree that is true. In fact, you could add the words “most complex” and “relentless shortcomings” to the above description too.

This in-depth text looks at the F-35 program from a critical standpoint and reads more like a collegiate textbook or government briefing paper. The F-35 program is described in intense detail from its origins, technological trends that have influenced the development, testing, capabilities, global implications, deployment, and the future of the F-35. The text is arranged into eleven chapters, and each chapter is divided into multiple sections via headings.

Recently received from the folks at ResKit is this US Navy A/S32A-31A “Mule” tow tractor, short version, with exclusive markings in 1/32 scale. These tow tractors are used aboard ships as well as land bases to move aircraft as needed. Suggested aircraft to pair this vehicle with include the following: AV-8B, F-14B/D, F/A-18 C/D/E/F/G, C-2, E-2C, EA-6B, S-3B, UH-1, UH-60, CH-47, CH-53, and SH-3. Modelers with some experience with 3D printed resin kits should have no issues with adding this tow tractor to their collection.