When the reviewer corps received Squadrons B-24J “Dragon and His Tail” kit, I said heck yeah, I’ll do it. By the way, I actually used my training and worked a bunch of sheet metal and other stuff on a B-24 over the years when I was the MX rep for a Museum; Specifically, the Willow run Ford-built “J” model Serial Number 44-48781that was, until recently, at Barksdale AFB and is now at Savannah. I also have Bert Kinsey and Rock Roszak’s B-24 Liberator collaboration with Detail and Scale sitting next to me as I write this.

The recent Eduard P-51B in 1/32 was quite the hit at the recent IPMS Nats in Fort Wayne. A 1/32 P-51B is rare, and this is only the second kit in this scale (the other is Trumpeter’s 2009 release). Eduard’s new release is billed as their first Royal Hybrid kit (which represents a premium extension of the standard Eduard Hybrid line), consisting of injected molded plastic, 3D printing, and cast resin parts, decals, canopy masks and wheel well masking plugs.

From the Eduard website:

The Royal Hybrid edition kit of the famous US fighter aircraft P-51B Mustang in 1/32 scale.

The kit offers markings for 8 aircraft of 8th and 9th Air Force

The iconic Messerschmitt Bf 109 almost doesn’t need an introduction as it is ubiquitous with the WWII German Luftwaffe. The E "Emil" variant was the standard Luftwaffe fighter at the start of the Second World War, and it was also the only single-engined Luftwaffe fighter in use during the Battle of Britain. The “Emil” variant was short-lived as improvements were constant, being replaced by the 109F in 1941.

Scale Aircraft Conversion has produced its famous white metal landing gear for the Messerschmitt Bf 109E-1/E-3/E-4/E-7 in 1/48 scale. As aircraft modelers well know, aircraft models displayed on their landing gear are susceptible to damage from the weight of the model, especially on styrene landing gear.

This book contains 88 pages, 62 b/w photos, 39 color photos, 16 color profiles, 1 color map, 4 diagrams, and 12 tables. It covers the war plans, policy, manufacturers, and SAC from 1945 to 1990. This is done in two chapters.

The world post WWII presented many challenges for the USAAC/USAF. The need to carry atomic weapons and to deliver them deep into the Soviet Union in time of war was paramount! This book is broken down into two chapters. The first takes up 22 pages and covers and covers how aircraft increased in size and complexity with focus on the development of more powerful engines, both jet and piston to power these aircraft.

Aires has provided the Reviewer Corps with a resin replacement of the Fine Molds Mitsubishi F-2A/B Exhaust Nozzle in the closed position. The sample review item comes in a cardboard backed plastic blister package. There are no instructions, but it does reference this is a replacement part for A48.

This is a traditional pour into a mold resin part, not 3D printed. The detail in 1/72 scale is small, yet very fine. The scribed exterior exhaust petal detail is thin and scale appropriate and the internal petals have detailed horizontal ribbing to allow a dark wash to give it more depth.

Conclusions

This is a great traditional resin part if you want to replace the Fine Molds Mitsubishi F-2A/B exhaust nozzle in 1/72nd scale. Just wash and add paint. Highly Recommend to everyone who wants to add more accurate detail to their J.A.S.D.F Mitsubishi F-2A/B!

Aries has provided this very nice resin upgrade for the Trumpeter Kit for the weapons pylons on the early version of the A-1 Skyraider.

The set includes 50 resin parts and a single sided instruction sheet.

All the parts are very detailed and will add a lot of details to the current kit details.

The parts are produced with no flash or material to remove.

In conclusion these parts will add so much more details to the standard kit.

Thanks go to Aries for providing this kit to review and IPMS/USA for allowing me to review it for them.

ICM has been producing a series of high-quality twin-engine bombers on a 1/48 scale, like the Ju-88, He-111, Ki-21, Beaufort, just to name a few. Now the Handley Page HP.52 “Hampden” has joined the club!

This boxing is for the Hampden TB.Mk.1 (TB stands for Torpedo Bomber) and has markings for 4 different Hampden airframes, likely covering all the different camouflage schemes used by the Torpedo Bomber variant of the Hampden.

The kit arrives in a sturdy white box (no markings in the box) with a separate lid providing the cover art and details of what is inside the white box. There is a total of 12 sprues with 301 parts, plus a decal sheet and an instruction book which also provides you with mask templates for the complex nose, canopy and defensive gun turrets.

One thing you can give credit to George Lucas for – he sure knows how to market his products. First seen in the Empire Strikes Back (if the box art is to be believed), the TIE bomber was a fascinating variant of the Twin Ion Engine spacecraft of the empire, designed to launch weapons against capital ships. Featuring a twin pod system, the right pod featured a cockpit (with either one or two pilots, depending on the blueprints you look at) while the left pod featured rotating weapon dispensers. Each pod had it own twin ion engines, but the ship featured no defensive armament to speak of, needing TIE fighters to protect them during their bombing runs.

AMT’s new kit is in the popular 1/48th scale, which matches other AMT products in this line, and the detail is quite good.

From the Air War Publications website:

The story of Luftwaffe night fighter airmen and their operations on the Eastern Front is one that defies the traditional stereotype of the Germans as well-organised and meticulous planners. Instead, it emphasises their successful improvisation in the face of unanticipated problems and a very tough Soviet opponent.

From Italeri's website:

Produced by Piaggio from the late 1970s, the Vespa PX is one of the most iconic models of the Italian motorcycling tradition and a true two-wheeled legend, known all overthe world and capable of captivating generations of enthusiasts. With a unique and instantly recognizable design, it is characterized by its metal body and handlebar-mounted manual gear shift. Easy to ride, the Vespa PX was designed as the ideal solution for city commuting as well as for short leisure trips. It is the most produced and best-selling Vespa model of all time, with over 3 million units. The Vespa PX was not just a scooter, but a cultural icon of the 1980s. Its presence in films, music, and fashion turned it into a symbol of lifestyle and an icon of "Made in Italy".

Quickboost has provided the Reviewer Corps with drop-in resin replacement ejection seats for the Kinetic Gold F-16I Sufa in 1/48th scale.

In the Package and Product Notes

The sample review came in a plastic bag with cardboard backing. There are instructions included and they show how to assemble the seats.

There are four pieces from traditional resin pour moldings and one 3D generated for the finer details of the grab-handle and canopy breakers. The quality is excellent with incredible fine detail.

Conclusions

Highly Recommended! This is wonderful resin replacement ejection seat. Very fine details and all you really need to do is assemble and paint. It will add more interest to the cockpit of your 1/48th scale F-16I Sufa.

I want to thank Aires and Quickboost for providing the resin set and IPMS/USA for allowing me the opportunity to review.

Quickboost has provided the Reviewer Corps with resin upgrade replacement detail for Academy’s PBY-5 Catalina Correct Cowlings with closed flaps in 1/72nd scale.

In the Package and Product Notes

The sample review came in a plastic bag with cardboard backing. There are instructions for this set, and it will show you how to integrate the new parts along with the kit’s parts.

There are traditional pour moldings for the cowlings, flaps, side air intakes, and 3D printed parts for the engine extension. The quality is excellent with very fine detail.

Please note, since this is a resin part, Superglue (CA) or another bonding agent will be needed to secure the headrest to the kit plastic.

Conclusion

This is a great resin part upgrade if you want to add more detail and correct the Academy PBY-5 Catalina engine cowlings.

Background

Aires began in 1995, making 2026 their 31st anniversary. They are based out of the Czech Republic and include not only the Aires brand name, but QuickBoost, Aerobonus, and Wheelliant.

Kit

Few aircraft have served for as long and amongst many Western nations than the McDonnell-Douglas F-4 Phantom II. It’s first flight was 27 May 1958, and three air forces are still flying this “most charismatic” aircraft. Initially developed as a long-range all-weather fighter for the US Navy (USN). The US Air Force (USAF) “Quickly realized that the Navy had an aircraft that could fly faster, further, and carry a larger weapons load than any tactical aircraft in the U.S.A.F. inventory. Over the next decades, several Phantom variants served with distinction and worldwide not just for the Air Force and Navy, but also the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC).

Quickboost has provided the Reviewer Corps with a drop-in resin replacement windshield wiper for Hasegawa’s A-4C Skyhawk in 1/48th scale. The sample review came in a plastic bag with cardboard backing. There are no instructions for this set. For the Hasegawa kit, this is a replacement for part A16. There is one 3D printed windshield wiper. The quality is excellent, and true to scale. It is a very petite part when compared to the kit’s. Because of this tiny size, eye magnification assistance (think Opti-Visor) may be needed when handling it. Please note, since this is a resin part, Superglue (CA), school glue (PVA) or another bonding agent will be needed to secure the wiper to the windscreen. This is a nice 3D resin part, and it will give you the correct scale thinness if you want to replace the windshield wiper on your A-4C Skyhawk.

This book contains 304 pages, 252 B&W and 28 color illustrations. It covers the development and use of rocket interceptors during WWII and the immediate post-war years. The book is broken down into 26 sections; many are only a single page. With most sections dedicated to those conceptual and built rocket interceptors of the Third Reich! In addition, American, Japanese, and Russian designs are covered.

This is part of a series of books by Kagero on warships and I have a few of these and are truly indispensable when building a model of the subject matter. This book goings into detail via illustrations of the HMS Vanguard – the last of the British Navies battleships entering service in 1946. It served for 14 years before being scrapped in 1960. The book is lavishly illustrated and shows every aspect of the ship in detail. The book also comes with two large scale, fold out poster size ship outline drawings in 1/400 scale The illustrations give so much details as one could wish for as a modeler or history buff.

I cannot recommend this book enough. Thank you to IPMS/USA and Kagero for allowing me to review this great book.

ICM has provided this 1/35 figures kit of Special Operations Forces of Ukraine. There are four figures in the kit. Two standing and two bending down. Three grey Sprues, One Instruction guide

At the start of WWII, the Royal Australian Air Force was little more than a glorified flying club with few pilots and only a couple of hundred effective aircraft. With the outbreak of war, the Australian Government committed to a large and rapid expansion of RAAF airpower, including the formation of a number of units in Britain to serve alongside the RAF. One of these squadrons was 452, a fighter squadron formed in April 1941 and manned by RAAF personnel but operationally controlled by the RAF.

Aries has provided this very nice Resin upgrade for the Italeri Kit for the wheel bays and gear bay doors. The set includes 27 resin parts and a double-sided instruction sheet. All the parts are very detailed and will add a lot of details to the current kit details. The photos show how good these parts are. The parts are produced with very little flash or material to remove. In conclusion these parts will add so much more details to the standard kit.

Thanks go to Aries for providing this kit to review and IPMS/USA for allowing me to review it for them.