This is the third book in the new Combat series from Osprey which looks at soldiers who faced each other in battle. The Zulu War of 1879 has long been a subject that captured the imagination of military historians and modelers. Numerous books on the subject have been written, including several by Ian Knight, the author of this book and one of the leading authorities in the world on the Zulu War.

This series follows a similar format in all the books, looking at subjects such as training, morale, weapons, and leadership. The book compares the fighting styles and tactics of the British and Zulus in three very different battles – Nyezane (22 January 1879), iSandlwana (22 January 1879), and Khambula (29 March 1879). Accounts from combatants on both sides are included.

Quickboost is well known for creating nicely detailed drop-in replacement parts to enhance the detail of plastic models. This time they present a trio of pitot tubes for the Mirage III, for either the Eduard or the Hobby Boss kit.

The pitot tubes are perfectly cast in grey resin, with a smooth, bubble-free finish. The molding includes two side walls to prevent accidental damage of the parts while in transit or storage. Removal of the parts should be easy, with either a hobby saw or even by scoring with a #11 blade if you take your time.

This set provides you with spare parts, which is a very thoughtful decision from Quickboost, as pitot tubes are very easily broken off. If you are careful in construction, you have spares for your next Mirage!

Perhaps the single best advantage of this replacement part is the lack of a mold seam (in comparison with the plastic one), and we all know that a nose-mounted pitot tube is one of the focal points of any airplane.

Mini Art has been releasing a series of modular buildings in 72nd scale. By modular I mean you get parts for roofs, windows, doors, walls, etc., and you potentially could mix-and-match and make your own building. The modular design allows a significant level of flexibility, but it comes with the price of multiple pieces (perhaps 83 pieces are a bit too many for a building of this size?) and with too many seams.

The kit is molded in different plastic colors with the intention of being displayed without actually painting it. I decided to build it that way so you will see what you get if you were to build it out-of-the-box.

Osprey hits another home run with this 2nd volume on Japanese destroyers. Picking up where the 1st volume left off, this book covers several classes, principally the Asashio, Kagero, and Yugumo. It also details the history, weapons, and tactics of the Japanese destroyers. The author further weighs in on the design and construction, armament, service modifications, and wartime service of each class. The book also covers an interesting experimental destroyer, the Shimakaze, with a top speed of almost 40 knots and 15 torpedo tubes. I found the book’s contents to be well thought out, with a very coherent outline. And it’s written with easy to understand explanations. It has beautiful color paintings and artwork including cutaway illustrations. It offers a wide range of vintage b&w photographs that are pretty decent and would be helpful to the ship modeler. The book has a softcover with a corded gum binding and it’s printed very well.

Eduard continues downsizing their 1/48 Bf-110 family to 1/72 with their latest G-2. I have wanted a G series forever, as the Italeri and Frog renditions leave a lot to be desired. You get a total of 194 parts in dark gray plastic, clear plastic, and etch. You also get canopy masks to make painting the frames easier. There are four decal options. The moldings are flash free and the panel lines are recessed and finely done. Some parts won’t be used and some are offered in both plastic and etch, so you will have bits left over for the spares box or perhaps to help dress-up other Bf-110s you have in your stash. The instructions are clear and easy to follow.