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Review Author
John Kaylor
Published on
Company
Revell
Scale
1/16
MSRP
$79.95

`The key word for this article is “big”.

Kenworth trucks are the “big rigs” of my childhood. I remember being entertained by “BJ and the Bear”, getting into CB-radios, Smokey and the Bandit, and being in awe of those truckers who could rattle on in CB-lingo for ten-minutes straight, and feeling lucky if I could manage to decode any of it. “10-4 good buddy – I got ya 5 by 5! Kojak with a Kodak in a gumball machine handing out invitations to meet the mayor at the Hilltop gun range. Keep to the double-nickel. Had me some hundred mile coffee last fingerprintin’ - on the way to a pickle park – over.” Even vaguely remember a series of trading cards with “trucker lingo” on them in a pack with a very stale piece of gum back in the day.

Review Author
Tom DeMichael
Published on
Company
Hasegawa
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$50.00

First shown to the public in 2007 the Su-35 has been under development since 2005. The Russians have classified the Su-35 as a “fourth ++ generation” fighter. Essentially the Su-35 is an upgraded version of the Su-27. One of the most noticeable upgrades being the Su-35 having thrust vectoring nozzles.

There are roughly 299 parts in the kit however some of them aren’t used. There are 15 total sprues, one of which is a stand for the model, and there are 3 duplicate sprues. The decals provided allow making either the 901 or 902 prototype version plane. There are a lot of options selecting armament for the plane, which makes that step fun. This is a re-boxed kit with a change of decals so there isn’t a major upgrade in any of the tooling. The fuselage comes in two halves and they fit together really nicely. The panel lines are scribed and some will need to be put back in when you sand down edges, but most of it looks deep enough that it shouldn’t be too much of an issue.

Book Author(s)
David Doyle
Review Author
Steve Collins
Published on
Company
Ampersand Publishing
MSRP
$22.95

Do you have one of the old AMT/ERTL XB-35 or YB-49 kits sitting around just waiting for the perfect reference? Or perhaps you have one of the small-scale Dragon kits and you want to add just that little something extra. Well, your wait is over, you’re out of excuses. This book is the AMS sufferer’s dream (nightmare?) when it comes to those two visionary aircraft.

Review Author
Gordon Miller
Published on
Company
Round 2 Models
Scale
1/25
MSRP
$23.95

The first Corvette made it's debut in New York City's Waldorf Historia Hotel at the 1953 Motorama, a traveling showcase of the days' automotive industry's newest styles. The '53 Corvette was designed by GM legendary designer, Harley Earl. For it's debut, the Corvette was made available in only a single color, white. Also, it had only a red interior with a black folding top. I did not know this until reading up the 1953 Corvette. And much to the chagrin of hot rodding enthusiasts, it also came with a V6! There were only 300 of these produced, as they were assembled in a single plant in Flint, Michigan.

Review Author
Dave Morrissette
Published on
Company
Scale Aircraft Conversions
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$24.95

The D-704 Buddy Pod was an aerial refueling pod used for many aircraft to refuel others in addition to the purpose built tankers of today. The military still uses an updated version of this pod to provide in-flight refueling. It contains approximately 300 gallons of fuel. Scale Aircraft Conversions has produced one in 1/32 scale for use with the kits listed above.

Review Author
Robert Head
Published on
Company
AOA Decals
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$12.00

About the Company

AOA is a new decal company and they are purpose driven. AOA’s goal was to fill the gap of a lack of decals for Marine aircraft on the aftermarket scene and boy what a way to make an entrance by going to the 1/32 Trumpeter A-6 model. For those of you looking for Marine markings in all 3 scales they should be added to your list.

What’s on the Sheet?

This particular sheet covers the stencil markings for all A-6A, A-6E, A-6E TRAM, and KA-6D Intruders.

The decals are extremely bright and colorful with very little carrier film, AOA has used Cartograf to handle their printing needs and with these being “High-Viz” stencils I know Cartograf is the way to go.

The stencils are covered in 5 separate pages from the ejections seat to the fuel lid cover. The sheets are very informative and go into great detail so no questions should arise on proper locations for stencil placement.

Book Author(s)
Gary Wetzel, Illustrated by Jim Laurier
Review Author
Frank Landrus
Published on
Company
Osprey Publishing
MSRP
$22.95

This is Gary Wetzel’s second title for Osprey Publishing, a follow-up to his first, Combat Aircraft 98 - A-10 Thunderbolt II Units of Operation Enduring Freedom 2002-2007, published in 2013. Through first-hand accounts, Gary Wetzel brings the combat record of the A-10 Thunderbolt II to life. Gary Wetzel weaves in the development of the A-10A+ and A-10C through the viewpoint of the aircraft crews, units, and the ground forces they supported. In addition to the cover art and 24 color side-views by Jim Laurier, 72 color photos are included providing ample reference to Gary Wetzel’s tale.

Review Author
Robert Head
Published on
Company
AOA Decals
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$21.00

About the Company

AOA is a new decal company and they are purpose driven. AOA’s goal was to fill the gap of a lack of decals for Marine aircraft on the aftermarket scene and boy what a way to make an entrance by going to the 1/32 Trumpeter A-6 model. For those of you looking for Marine markings in all 3 scales they should be added to your list.

What’s on the Sheet?

This particular sheet covers three Marine VMA’s from the Vietnam War covering the years of 1967-1973.

The aircraft covered are as followed:

  • A-6A VMA-225 (Vikings) – Da Nang 1969-71
  • A-6A VMA-242(Batmen) – Da Nang 1966-70
  • A-6A VMA-533(Hawks) – Chu Lai 1967-69 / Nam Phong 1972-73

The Decals are extremely bright and colorful with very little carrier film, AOA has used Cartograf to handle their printing needs and anyone who knows about cartograf know you are getting what you paid for with live colors , quality and accuracy.

Review Author
Rod Lees
Published on
Company
Airfix
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$29.99

Thanks to Airfix for providing an excellent “blast from the past” for IPMS USA to review, and to IPMS leadership for providing it to me to review.

This kit first saw the light of day back in 1961; I remember seeing the advertisements in “Flying Review International”… Yes, that pretty well dates me as a ‘60’s child. So, now that you know the heritage, what can you learn from this review?

This kit is old technology. OK… The fit is not exemplary; in particular, the nacelles for inboard engines do not fit up to the wing. Same for just about all the clear parts; there were plenty of issues with the fit of them. But it’s a 1/72 Halifax BIII.

The rivets are not huge, but they are all over the model. If you want to remove them, be prepared to spend a lot of time sanding, etc., etc. It’s how things used to be. Bring wet/dry and get busy.

Review Author
Doug Cole
Published on
Company
Moebius Models
Scale
1/25
MSRP
$59.99

The Kit

This review covers the 53’ Smooth Side Trailer 1:25 Scale Moebius Model Kit #1303. A new release, this model should be readily available at most outlets. This is a complimentary version of the original corrugated side 1:25 scale trailer model with a reefer and roll-up rear door option. Moebius designates this as a Skill Level 3 kit for modelers 12 years and older. It is molded in white styrene with soft vinyl tires, chrome wheels, waterslide decals, and an extensive instruction manual. This kit features all the details of the real thing. There is a highly accurate undercarriage featuring cross-members with angle-braced landing gear and a tandem axle configuration. The instruction booklet is top notch with a centerfold for decal placement. The completed model is a whopping 26.5” long with the reefer option. Massive but simple, this detailed kit is the perfect compliment for your 1:25 scale tractor models.