Thanks very much to MRC for providing us this little gem, and thanks to Italeri for producing it! (and the usual appreciation to Dave and Dick for sending it my way to review...)

This model requires a bit of skill, only in that it has many miniature parts which require care in installation. We'll address that more later, but the basic model is excellent in presentation and delivery.

This kit was first “out the chute”, as our rodeo friends say, on the market for a decent, accurate F-35 production-representative model. I gave up on another company's 1/48 build, as I did not care for the tail plane inaccuracy (serious dihedral out of the box) and other issues. Italeri's kit is much better overall... now they need to pantograph it out of Braille-scale for us old guys. It would even make a great 1/32 kit, as it's relatively compact as fighters go. Box art is well done, and the now familiar license logo from Lockheed Martin is prominently displayed on the box.

History Brief

Following the Zero Model 21 (A6M2), the Model 32 (A6M3) Zero was introduced and entered service in the summer of 1942. It was powered by a Sakae 21 engine which featured superior high-altitude performance and an increased top speed. However, the Model 32’s reduced fuel capacity, heavier airframe design, and shorter clipped wings reduced the flight range. In order to fix this problem the Model 22 (A6M3) aircraft was introduced in early 1943. It came with an improved 12m wingspan to correct performance shortcomings and increase maneuverability, additional inner-wing fuel tanks to regain a longer flight range and reintroduced folding wing tips. Deployed mainly to the Solomon Islands from early 1943, The Mitsubishi A6M3/3a Zero fighter was considered by many to be the most well balanced Zero aircraft.

Aircraft and History

The Focke-Wulf Fw-200 Condor was originally developed as a long range airliner in the late 1930’s . With it’s success as an airliner, the military noticed its capabilities. The Luftwaffe made good use of the new airframe. The Fw-200 was used as a VIP transport, a maritime torpedo bomber and with the addition of internal fuel tanks, a long range maritime patrol aircraft.

Kit

This kit is basically a scaled down version of their 1/48 scale kit which has all the remarkable detail reproduced in a smaller scale. The bulk of the detail is inside the fuselage, however most of that detail is hidden once the fuselage halves are assembled. The main landing gear is highly detailed and almost a small kit in itself. All of the flight control surfaces are separate and can be displayed in neutral or deflected positions. Markings provided in the kit include one that was captured by Russia as well as one in Luftwaffe service.

Thanks again goes out to our friends and suppliers at Quickboost for yet another outstanding upgrade for a good kit, namely the Airfix Sea Vixen. If you are into Vacuforms, you could also use it on the Dynavector kit if you so desire (and have one).

These seats are designed for “right” and “left” sides, i.e. the #1 seat is for the pilot (Stick actuator), and seat #2 (as indicated on the pour stub) is for the “right”, or Radar systems operator position (in the “coal hole” as many called it).

This took maybe an hour to paint and dry; as there are no color instructions, I found a few internet pictures to determine the information I needed. The back pad was painted in leather brown, and the seat pad in dark green. Drybrush with white, pick out some details in silver, and it’s done.

Background

With increasing Allied air dominance in the European Theater in World War II, German armored forces found themselves in need of mobile and survivable anti-aircraft defenses to cover and protect their operations on all fronts. Originally equipping wheeled and half-tracked vehicles as self-propelled anti-aircraft platforms, the requirement for a more robust solution was quickly recognized. The solution came in the form of salvaged chassis from damaged Panzer IV variants retrofitted with anti-aircraft armament. One of the final variants to see combat operations was the Flakpanzer IV "Ostwind" (“East Wind”). The Ostwind’s single rapid-firing 3.7cm Flak 43 and increased armor was a marked improvement over its “Wirblewind” predecessor’s quad 2 cm mount. Of the 100 Ostwinds originally ordered, only 44 were completed by March 1945.