What's New

Book Author(s)
Kev Darling; Illustrator Richard J. Caruana
Review Author
Rob Benson
Published on
Company
Guideline Publications
MSRP
$20.18

This new Warpaint volume covers some of the last large seaplanes used in the world. Thank you to Guideline Publications for publishing an excellent work on these planes, and providing a copy for review. I am also very appreciative of the IPMS Reviewer Corps support, whose efforts make this review program so good.

Author Darling and Illustrator Caruana’s treatment of the Martin Mariner and descendent Marlin aircraft strikes an excellent balance of book size and detail. The content is laid out in a three-column text format, with two to three photos, data tables, or drawings per page. The color profiles show a beautiful variety of the marking schemes used by all operators of the aircraft with three aircraft per page. I found no historical inaccuracies, at least not from my limited expertise.

Review Author
Floyd S. Werner Jr.
Published on
Company
Quickboost
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$5.00
  • QB 32 176 - Fw-190D-9 Mimetall Gun Cover - $5
  • QB 32 177 - Fw-190D-9 Early Gun Cover - $5

The late war production machine in Germany required that many smaller manufacturers of parts be decentralized. As such a situation developed different manufacturers modified parts as necessary to ensure they meet production quotas. This is the situation with the FW-190D-9 forward cowlings and gun covers.

Packaged is a familiar self-sealing package, these gun covers are molded in light grey resin with no visible flaws. They are drop in replacement for the kit parts. Simply remove them from the resin pour stub and add to the model.

Review Author
Floyd S. Werner Jr.
Published on
Company
Master Model
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$11.00

The Sukhoi Su-17/20/22 family of aircraft were the primary air to ground to air for the Russian Air Force. It saw service during the Afghanistan war and was a primary attack aircraft during the Cold War.

The KP models and the soon to be released Kitty Hawk model of the Su-22 are out there. The main issue with many of these kits is the fragile pitot tubes that extend past the nose. The other issue with this particular aircraft are the pitot tube and AOA vanes on these protrusions. The limitations of plastic cause these parts to be slightly oversized. The other thing is mold release marks and trying to keep these tubes circular.

Review Author
Floyd S. Werner Jr.
Published on
Company
Master Model
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$9.00

Master Model has been producing some exquisite pitot tubes, gun barrels and static discharge wicks. So it is natural that they continue that success with new barrels and pitot tubes.

The latest offering is for the Su-25 Frogfoot, the Soviet version of the A-10. Eduard, KP and Monogram have the Frogfoot in their inventory. This set is different than some others that I’ve had to deal with from Master.

Contained inside the ziplock baggie are three brass pieces which are beautifully turned brass. Each brass piece is packaged separately. This will ensure the parts are flawless when removed from the package. In another self-sealing baggie is a very fragile resin vane that contains a bunch of separate shapes from the pitot tube. This piece is protected by a foam piece and held in place by some tape which completely protects it. The resin piece is a piece of art in itself. The piece requires no clean up and is perfectly cast.

Review Author
Floyd S. Werner Jr.
Published on
Company
Twobobs Aviation Graphics
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$14.00

Wild Weasel. The name alone conjures up thoughts of F-100 and F-105 in Vietnam and F-4G Phantoms in Desert Storm. The pilots who fly these specialized missions walk around with their cajones in a wheel barrel. It is hard to believe that this mission has been around for 50 years.

As is often with these events, an aircraft is painted in a special scheme. The Wild Weasels are no different, only the aircraft is different now, the F-16. This decal sheet depicts this special aircraft of the 20th Fighter Wing on June 20, 2015. Serial number 92-0920 displayed a rather dramatic full color weasel on the tail holding a lightning bolt it’s gloved hand.

Review Author
Dave Morrissette
Published on
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$16.96

AIM-7E Sparrow’s are semi-active radar guided missiles and there were 25,000 of the “E” series produced and used extensively during the Vietnam era by all branches of the services. Eduard has produced a wonderful replica of the AIM-7E in their Brassin line in 1/32nd scale. The set includes parts to build four complete missiles which can be painted in three different paint schemes (which changed over the years). There are four main bodies and four sets of the front fins all cast in gray resin. Lastly, there is a small photoetch fret which gives depth to the rear missile motor. There is also a full set of nicely printed decals.

Review Author
Ron Verburg
Published on
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$22.95

History

The Nieuport 11, nicknamed the Bébé, was a French World War I single seat sesquiplane fighter aircraft, designed by Gustave Delage. It was the primary aircraft that ended the 'Fokker Scourge' in 1916. The type saw service with several of France's allies, and gave rise to the series of "vee-strut" Nieuport fighters that remained in service (latterly as trainers) into the 1920s.

Review Author
Floyd S. Werner Jr.
Published on
Company
Aerobonus
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$13.00

Designed for the Aerobonus DMC Logan T-40 USAF Tow Tractor, this latest figure from Aerobonus is a single block of light grey resin that features a complete seated figure. There are no blemishes or bubbles anywhere.

The figure features a driver with a boonie cap, typical of a Vietnam era USAF enlisted personel. The resin is contained in a typical self sealing bag with a card stock backing. There are painting instructions on three pages.

Removal of the figure from the pour blocks will be easy enough. How they molded and cast these parts is simply amazing. There are lots of undercuts and plenty of room behind the driver on the seat. The parts include the seated body of the driver, two arms, and a separate head.

This figure is essential if you have the Tow Tractor and want to have it in a diorama. This would look great when attached to the tractor and then to an F-4 or F-105. Aerobonus offers quite a lot of figures to represent the Vietnam era flightline.

Review Author
Eric Christianson
Published on
Company
Dragon Models
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$67.99

Dragon has recently released the interesting “cross-over” SU-76i Self Propelled Gun (SPG) in 1/35th scale, marrying their excellent and accurate Panzer III/Stug III chassis with what appears to be an out-sourced superstructure. The superstructure features intricate bolt detail, and is accompanied by new storage boxes on both sides as well as rear-mounted fuel tanks. This was an unusual armored vehicle used by the Soviets, and promises to build into an unusual subject for German and Russian WWII armor fans.

Review Author
Bill O'Malley
Published on
Company
L.Z. Models
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$44.95

Items

  • Stock - Item - Price
  • 35453 - Sheepfoot Roller Single - $24.95
  • 35454 - Sheepfoot Roller Double - $44.95

L.Z. Models from Ireland provide high quality resin models and accessories. These kits represent sheepfoot rollers manufactured by R.G. LeTourneau, whose machines represented nearly 70 percent of the earthmoving equipment and engineering vehicles used during World War II. The sheepsfoot roller is a flat head tamping roller, which employs tapered box heads, or ‘feet’ to compact dirt when towed behind a tractor or dozer.

L.Z. has produced both single and double width units as separate kits. These appeared to be simple little kits, until I noticed that there are 100+ resin parts, and over 200 in the double roller kit. Each of the feet are individual pieces that need to be adhered to the large roller drum. All but nine of the hundred plus parts are the individual feet.