Background

The Half Moon, captained by Englishman Henry Hudson under commission to the Dutch Republic, was charged with covertly finding a westerly passage to China in the early 1600s. In 1609, Half Moon sailed into what is now New York Harbor and later sailed and explored the mid-Atlantic region as far south as the Chesapeake Bay.

The Kit

Originally released by Pyro in the 1960s, Half Moon later found her way into the Lindberg Line portfolio, and finally into Round 2 Models’ fold in 2014 (still bearing the Lindberg brand). Comprised of 22 parts molded in white styrene on hefty sprue trees, instructions, and full color decals, this classic kit has weathered its 50-year life surprisingly well. Conspicuously absent, however, are ratlines and rigging diagrams. Although detail is coarse by modern standards, the basics are present for a decent beginner or nostalgia build.

HAD Models (HungAeroDecals) is a new company, at least to me. Printed in Hungary, HAD Models brings us a sheet of stencils for the ubiquitous MiG-29. Although the sheet is small in size (6.5ʺ x 4.75ʺ) it is packed with decals; 136 to be exact. The decals are well printed, in register, and easy to read, even in 1/48 scale, with the aid of my Optivisor.

The decals comes with two foldouts that show the plane in profile from both sides with large call out numbers to aid in placing the many stencils on your model. The second sheet features the same clear placement guide for the top and bottom of the plane. Additionally, the second sheet provides placement instructions for the stencils that appear on the assorted missile rails your MiG might carry. Some color pictures are provided of an actual MiG in service with placement callouts on these as well.

In this BRASSIN detail set, Eduard provides modelers with a quick and easy way to add a pair of highly realistic looking AN-M30 “general purpose – high explosive” 500lb bombs to a 1:32 scale aircraft model. The set includes resin and photo-etched brass parts and a small decal sheet for the color bands and stenciled identification. Two resin parts and three photo-etched parts make up each bomb and the decals add all markings needed for finishing the assembled and painted models. This multi-media combination promises realistic looking results.

Quickboost provides one landing light assembly, three large venturi tubes, and two small venturi tubes. Of note is the re-sealable packaging that Quickboost uses that makes the parts easy to review and then stuff securely back into the package. There are no supplied instructions; you simply swap out the kit provided plastic parts with the new Quickboost replacements. These Quickboost parts are specific replacements for the kit parts found in the ICM kits 48251 and ICM 48252, but for comparisons the photos also show the AZ Model kit parts, left to right respectively.

Quickboost has molded the venturi tubes perfectly in light grey resin with no apparent bubbles. The Quickboost venturi tubes provide no mold seams to sand off on these tiny parts, along with the superior detail for the inlets on both ends of the venturi tubes that would be difficult to replicate from the kit parts. The vacuum line on the large venturi tubes is also clearly superior to the kit parts.

Background

In December 1979 armed forces of the former United Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR), entered the country of Afghanistan under the auspices of a treaty signed with the newly formed Afghan government. The Soviets goal was to provide support and stability for the new regime. After establishing themselves in the major cities, the campaign became a reactive back and forth with the Afghan rebels known as the Mujahedeen. Before 1986 air superiority was assured as the Hind 24s and Su 25s could survive anything the rebels could shoot at them. In 1986 the U.S. indirectly provided the “freedom fighters”’ with stinger missiles. With aircraft loses averaging one per day, the USSR would eventually pull out of the conflict and demobilize. The 263^rd Independent Reconnaissance Squadron was one of the units that mobilized in country early in the conflict. Stationed both at Bagram and Kabul was the Mig 21R, white 24, depicted in this kit.