Mike

Tempest II Upgrade Sets (for Special Hobby) 1:32 Eduard The second kitted variant of the Mighty Tempest in 1:32 released by Special Hobby has been equally well received as the earlier Mk.V release, and Eduard have been working away in the background to create a number of upgrade sets that will make your model even better, which if you already have the Mk.V sets will be very familiar (they're as close to identical as can be). As usual with Eduard's Photo-Etch (PE) and Mask sets, they arrive in a flat resealable package, with a white backing card protecting the contents and the instructions that are sandwiched between. You can pick and choose what you want from the following sets. Interior Set (32905) This set contains two sheets of PE, one of which is nickel-plated and pre-painted, the other in bare brass. It improves on the kit detail in the cockpit by adding items to the sidewalls; replacing chunky styrene details on the turtle-deck behind the pilot; adding sill details to the cockpit sides; detailed new side consoles with throttles, levers (with a little added colour this time around) and switches; replacement foot pedals for the rudder; a complete re-skin of the instrument panel with multi-layered pre-painted PE plus a more detailed compass mount; a complete new pilot seat with masses of extra detail, and using the kit mounting brackets, and finally a few small details on the rear wheel yoke. Zoom! Set (33165) This reduced content set just includes the pre-painted and nickel plated sheet as seen above, for those that are primarily interested in the cockpit's instruments. The reduced price also makes it more attractive for many reasons. Seatbelts STEEL (32906) These new belts are just what the Medical Officer ordered, and work very well in this scale. They are still PE, but on a very thin steel base, which is extremely flexible and gives you the ability to create a realistic drape of the belts over the seat. Landing Flaps (32402) The kit's flaps are moulded into the wing, so if you wanted to show them dropped, you'll need this set, which is surprisingly simple once you get past the preparation stage. You first need to remove the flaps from the underside of the wing, then the narrow section that's visible in the upper wing, taking care to thin the very edge of the remainder, which is shown in a scrap diagram for your ease. The flap bays are made up from one main part each, with a number of hinge-guides along their length, and a small wedge-shaped part just past half span. The flaps are made up using one main part which has all the tapering ribs attached, each one having a small fold at the base before twisting them round to glue them. You need to slide a piece of 1.6mm styrene (or brass) rod through the loops in the forward end, and add a small number of ancillary parts for inner and outer flap sections, and once done they are glued against the hinge-guides installed in the bay earlier. Masks (JX199) Supplied on a sheet of yellow kabuki tape, these pre-cut masks supply you with a full set of masks for the canopy, with compound curved handled by using frame hugging masks, while the highly curved gaps are in-filled with either liquid mask or offcuts from the background tape. In addition you get a number of masks for the various light lenses, and a set of hub masks for the wheels, allowing you to cut the demarcation perfectly with little effort. Review sample courtesy of

Su-34 Upgrade Sets (HobbyBoss) 1:48 Eduard The 1:48 Su-34 was greeted by a huge buying frenzy, and it's now surprisingly difficult to find one for a decent price in the UK, so it has clearly sold well. Eduard's new range of sets are here to improve on the kit detail in the usual modular manner. Get what you want for the areas you want to be more of a focal point. As usual with Eduard's Photo-Etch (PE) and Mask sets, they arrive in a flat resealable package, with a white backing card protecting the contents and the instructions that are sandwiched between. Interior (49824) Two small frets are included, one nickel plated and pre-painted, the other in bare brass. A complete set of new layered instrument panels and side consoles are the primary parts on the painted set, with new rudder pedals; ejection seat details; throttle quadrant; HUD framework with acetate film glazing; rear-view periscope and canopy internal structure also supplied. Oddly, a number of external parts are added, such as a number of sensors and AoA probe in the nose; static wicks on the wings and tail, and chaffe and flare racks in the stinger between the engine exhausts. Zoom! Set (FE824) This set contains a reduced subset of the interior, namely the pre-painted parts that are used to improve on the main aspects of the cockpit, as seen above. Whatever your motivations for wanting this set, it provides a welcome boost to detail, without being concerned with the structural elements. Seatbelts STEEL (49825) In case you don't already know, these belts are Photo-Etch (PE) steel, and because of their strength they can be etched from thinner material, which improves realism and flexibility in one sitting. Coupled with the new painting method that adds perceived extra depth to the buckles and other furniture by shading, they are more realistic looking and will drape better than regular brass PE. As well as the belts and cushion pads, you also get a set of pull-handles between the pilot's knees that gets him out of there in case of an emergency. Exterior (48921) This larger bare brass set contains some important upgrades, such as delicate new afterburner rings, with concise instructions on how to achieve the correct shape with them; a replacement to the rear face of the engine that slots over the bullet fairing in the centre; a substantial upgrade to the detail in the highly visible nose gear bay that also acts as crew access, with the ladder also getting new treads and the mudguard being fitted with a new flexible rubber section (in brass of course). Finally, the intake inner walls are skinned with more detailed panels, which will need blending in with the styrene at the edges for a more realistic look. Masks (EX550) Supplied on a sheet of yellow kabuki tape, these pre-cut masks supply you with a full set of masks for the canopy, which are solid masks for each pane. In addition you get a set of ancillary masks for the sundry lights, allowing you to paint your model with little concern for them. Review sample courtesy of

I like it a lot My old Mission Models one got a bit out of true after I dropped it, so I'm idly looking out for a new one. I'm not making fun, as I realise you are from Poland, and English is probably not your first language. If you say "I am a modeller", less people will laugh and think you pose for the camera or walk up and down a catwalk at a fashion show Your English is a MILLION times better than my Polish, which is non-existent

US Marine with Flamethrower M2A1 – Iwo Jima 1945 1:35 CMK from Special Hobby By 1945 Allied forces were using Flamethrowers to root out the tenacious Japanese soldiers that simply wouldn't surrender, but would fight to the death, inflicting heavy casualties during each Island clearance. The US Marines did much of the drudgery, often being the first in and last out, and used the flamethrower extensively. The original M1 was developed in 1940, and improved until the M2 became prevalent later in the war. Containing only seven seconds worth of flammable napalm, it could project this lethally sticky burning liquid some 40 metres with a good wind behind it, although the wearer was weighed down by over 60lbs/30kg when full. They were also vulnerable targets and a round penetrating their fuel tank must have been their worst nightmare. With the introduction of flamethrower tanks, the man portable packs were withdrawn from service, with many destroyed. A similar design was also used in the Korean War, as well as later in the Vietnam War after more improvements. The set arrives in a clamshell box, with the resin parts safely cocooned within, and the instructions sandwiched between the header card behind. Inside is one figure (our photo shows the rear of the figure too for illustration purposes), separate head and arms, with the leading hand also separate to give flexibility of pose. The propellant bottle (nitrogen), hosing and the gun are all separate parts to add extra detail, and give the modeller the facility to change the pose, using hot water to manipulate the resin hose, or replace it with flexible tubing or wire. CMK's figure sculpting is excellent, and coupled with the ability of resin to depict undercuts in the mould, the cloth, belts and straps all appear very life-like. With careful painting, an impressive figure should be the result. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

No problems here - I just followed the link from your first post, copied the URL from the resulting address bar, pasted it into my post, and it turned into a picture, as if by magic! Give it a go

aboard John

aboard Ilker

Phew! That took a lot of time clearing down. There were 40+ new members, and for a while it seemed like every time I cleared one down, another one would register! We've got a zero cue now, and to illustrate we've had over a hundred new members join since we hit the 20k the other day. Welcome aboard everyone!

aboard Pete

To the forums Ed

Aboard Jindy. Good to have you here

Aboard Ollie

Agreed in full Tim

We've had a couple of political(ish) comments in this thread - can we just not please? I'd much rather that people left their political feelings at the door, rather than have to edit them. It's not my idea of a fun way to spend my day