Let me start this out as saying this is my first IPMS review and I hope you find it informative and interesting. The IT-1 was a Soviet Cold War missile tank based on the chassis of a T-62. Instead of a main gun, the tank fires specially designed 3M7 Drakon missiles from a pop-up launcher atop the turret. The vehicle saw very limited usage from 1968-1970. The tank became unpopular with the military due to the limited amount of ammunition and a large dead zone around the vehicle which was created by the missiles minimum range. Eventually the IT-1s were converted to recovery vehicles.

Thank you Lone Star Models for providing a very timely improvement to an excellent recent kit release. Thank you IPMS/USA Reviewer Corps for once again allowing me to evaluate a cool new product!

This replacement propeller set addresses the incorrectly shaped kit parts that come with the new Revell PV-1 Ventura. The Revell kit is otherwise excellent, but appears to have incorrect propellers. The replacement parts are molded in tan resin requiring little cleanup and prep, and arrived in a small plastic bag with a sheet of instructions.

The detail on the replacement parts is more finely done than the kit parts and the blades have the correct paddle shape I observed in USN photos of the PV-1. The blades are very thin and sharp on the trailing edges. This sharpness is an accurate feature, but requires careful prep. The resulting parts look great, but my clumsy sanding broke one of the blades. CA easily fixed the part and my patience.

Before I dive into this model in detail, let me first state that these 62 grey plastic parts, four clear parts (three if you close the canopy), two poly caps, and decals for three options will produce perhaps the very BEST 1/72 A6M Zero MODEL today’s money can buy, and is possibly today’s very BEST 1/72 WWII fighter kit!

Conceived in 1934 to fulfill a requirement for a monoplane interceptor with a top speed exceeding 300 miles per hour in level flight, the Hawker Hurricane became one of the most significant Allied fighter aircraft in the opening years of the Second World War, and served worldwide throughout the conflict with great distinction. Most famously known for its pivotal role in the Battle of Britain, the Mk I variant of the Hurricane served as the numerical mainstay for the Royal Air Force in its defeat of the Luftwaffe during England’s “Finest Hour.”

Tamiya’s recent release of the Hurricane Mk I is a repackaging of the new Italeri kit. Although a nice kit, it is not thoroughbred Tamiya, so modelers should temper their “shake the box and out pops a great build” expectations a bit before diving in.

All new from the elves at Alclad II, a new line of finishes (this time, enamels with a mineral spirits base) primarily for automobiles, and trust me when I say, you need to try these for yourself. First up, a bright silver base has been created that may be sprayed DIRECTLY on to the plastic, without primer. I must admit that I was somewhat skeptical until I tried it, and it is, without a doubt, exactly as advertised. Images show not only the various colors as painted on a series of 34 Ford Coupes, but also an effort of my own on an old “Snaptite” Monogram Corvette, further referred to as the “Candy Dish Corvette.”