Gaahleri is a company that burst onto the North America scene first back in 2023 with a new line of airbrushes that quickly became very popular among modelers and artists. I received a Gaahleri Mobius this past Christmas, and it has quickly become my new go-to airbrush. When I found out they were releasing the new Kaleido Colorworks paint line, I had to jump on the chance to check them out.

What’s Inside the Box

The set I am reviewing here is the 24 Mecha Colors set and features vibrant colors, as well as bottles of thinner and cleaner. The box is a lift-off and inside everything is well protected with foam inserts. The paints are water-based acrylics and are factory pre-thinned for immediate use. According to their documentation, the paints are powered by RapidAir™ Technology, which addresses common water-based paint issues, such as beading, uneven coverage, and sagging, by applying in a smooth, sheet-like layer. The set includes the following colors:

Background

From Review Insert

The formation of the U.S. Army's 10th Mountain Division was inspired by Finland's success during the Soviet Union's invasion in 1939, where Finnish ski troops effectively used winter terrain to overcome Soviet armored divisions. Recognizing the strategic value of such a unit, Charles Minot "Minnie" Dole, founder of the National Ski Patrol, lobbied for a similar division in the U.S. Army. His efforts eventually led to the formation of specialized mountain warfare troops. In 1941, the War Department authorized the formation of experimental ski patrols, and by 1942, the 8Zth Mountain Infantry was created. Recruited primarily from skilled skiers, this unit was stationed at Camp Hale in Colorado. The 10th Light Division (Alpine) was formed in 1943. Later renamed the 10th Mountain Division in 1944, it became a critical component of U.S. mountain and winter warfare capability.

For us, geriatric modelers fixed on detailing some of the venerable kits of our youth, Scale Aircraft Conversions can be exceedingly useful in a number of circumstances. For many, this may be as simple as replacing fragile styrene components with sturdier metal items. In other cases, some extra features are added.

The set for the Hawker Typhoon Mk. 1b of classic Revell fame is a good example. This pack features both main landing gear legs as well as the tailwheel fork, replacement radio mast, and a nice set of 20mm Hispano-Suiza cannons without the early shrouds. In terms of modifications, the two-part tail wheel fork has been rendered into a single piece, and the shroudless cannons are a very nice alternative to the kit items. I’d been thinking of attempting this modest conversion myself anyway, but these eliminated the need for scratch-building.

This is the second in a six-volume history of air-to-air missiles (AAM). In the first volume (see my review on this website), the author Bill Norton laid down the basic terminology and operating concepts used in designing and employing these weapons. In this second volume, He begins a generational examination of the weapons by their countries of origin. The book is divided into three sections. In the first, the efforts of Germany, Great Britain, and the United States during the latter part of WWII are covered. Although no guided AAM was fielded before the war ended, their progress in propulsion and guidance systems laid the groundwork for what would happen in the post war period. Germany certainly got close with their X-4 missile, guided by wire controls that trailed the missile after launch.

For a hobbyist like me, there’s nothing more exciting than opening the box from a new manufacturer. The anticipation of learning what they did differently, how the plastic cuts, what level of detail did they achieve and myriad others questions we all banter back and forth are answered when you open the box. The new Beacon Hobby multimedia ship kit of the Jack H. Lucas and their associated upgrade kit is the subject of these very questions. This appears to be Beacon Hobby’s first ship kit as far as I could see. They came out swinging with this release by not only launching the Arleigh Burke flight III ship, but an upgrade kit designed and produced by the manufacturer. This was really exciting for me because I expected everything to fit and be designed to mate up exactly. I can tell you that they did not disappoint me! All the detail is done crisp and clean and, with the upgrade kit, it adds an element of scale to a lot of the fine detailed parts that they opted to include.