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Löök Resin Instrument Panels & Seatbelts – December 2018 Eduard 1:32 Continuing their line in the LOOK series of instrument panels, Eduard have released two more sets. These are for the Tamiya Spitfire Mk.IX Late, and Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6, both in 1:32 scale. As with the previously released sets, the modeller is provided, in these cases with the main instrument panel. Each set also includes a sheet of etched steel for the seat belts. The panels have all the correct markings and placards painted on them and the faces of each instrument is glazed, making them look very realistic, particularly with a bit of weathering to get away from that newly built look. Conclusion This series is a great resource for those of us who are unable to replicate all the markings on a panel, all in one easy package. They are certainly a neat and innovative idea from the masters of aftermarket. Review sample courtesy of

Halberstadt Cl.II (Early) 1:32 Wingnut Wings (32049) Announced a couple of months ago, Wingnut Wings have now released two boxings of the Halberstadt CL.II, in ‘Early’ and ‘Late’ versions. Designed in 1917as two seat escort fighter and ground attack machine, the CL.II served from July 1917 until the end of the war in November 1918. Of all wood construction, the CL.II was smaller than existing two seaters (‘C’ types) and lighter (the ‘L’ part of its designation). Consequently is had a good rate of climb, top speed, and manoeuvrability, with excellent communication possible between the closely located pilot and gunner. It proved to be popular with its crews and very effective in its designated roles. Some 700 were built by Halberstadt and a further 200 by Bayerische Flugzeug-Werke (BFW). They were often attached to specialised ‘Schutzstaffel’ Protection Squadrons, whose job was to fly escort to traditional two seat reconnaissance and artillery spotting aircraft. Following their transition to the ground attack and infantry support role, they were renamed ‘Schlaststaffel ‘ Battle Squadrons. The Kit. Presented in Wingnut Wings familiar silver edged box, the glorious Steve Anderson painting depicts the ‘flame’ decorated Schusta 26b machine (options C) over the lines, about to receive attention from an approaching Sopwith Camel. Lifting the lid reveals the plastic components on four large and one smaller sprue, with a further small one holding the clear parts. The decals fill two large A4 sized sheets covering all the individual markings for five options, with a full set of five colour lozenge in upper and lower colours. As always the ‘icing on the cake’ is the superb instruction booklet in full colour. This is more than just a set of construction drawings as it contains period photographs of CL.II’s, showing detailed close ups where these help to illustrate particular details. Further photographs show some of the actual aircraft offered as options. The assembly drawings are beautifully clear, explain every step with clarity, and pointing out many of the variations that must be made for the particular aircraft chosen to build. One thing I always appreciate is the full colour sub assembly drawings, showing how the completed cockpit area should look. Not only does this remove any doubts, but it helps to plan the painting sequence for all the components. Construction begins with the cockpit, filled with lovely details like the fuel tank upon which the pilots seat is affixed, the compass, the pressurising pump, wire reel etc, finished off with etched brass seat belts and numerous little placard decals. The Telefunken Type D wireless and amplifier set is a little gem that I expect most modellers will want to install. A small number of control wires run down the cockpit sides, and can be replicated with the rigging material of your choice. The illustrations show exactly where they go. The Daimler Mercedes D.III engine can be built as one of three versions, a standard 160hp D.III, a 180hp D.IIIa, or a 200hp D.IIIau. The instructions make it very clear which parts are appropriate for which version, and are backed up with contemporary black & white photos, and full colour CAD drawings of the finished engine. A fixed LMG 08/15 Spandau machine gun is fitted on the port side in front of the pilot. Wingnut Wing provide a choice of two, one as solid plastic moulding, and the others with and etched brass slotted cooling jacket for higher detail. A similar choice is available for the observers LMG 14 Parabellum later on in the build. With the engine and interior built up, the two fuselage halves are joined together. Various ‘rivets’ and tabs need to be shaved off the exterior surface, as they are only appropriate to the ‘late’ version Halberstadt. This is a simple task to do, and clearly pointed out in the instructions. With the fuselage halves together, construction moves on to adding the lower wings and tailplanes, and that very distinctive gun ring over the observers cockpit. Very early machines (Options B & D) had a smaller rudder than later ones, and although the difference is subtle Wingnut Wings supply both. All the parts for the 'Early' version are on sprue 'F'. One little detail that I particularly like about German aircraft of this period is that several of them had a compass mounted out on the port wing, away from magnetic interference. This Halberstadt is one of them, and it makes an interesting and eye catching detail on the finished model, particularly as the decal for it is a little masterpiece that is fully readable under a magnifying glass. Struts and engine cowlings (complete with etched brass flash guard for scale thickness) are fitted next, in preparation for the multi-part upper wing being fitted. This comprises of upper and lower center sections halves, solid outer panels, and separate ailerons. The radiator detail is moulded into the center section parts, with lovely sharp definition. The fuel tank even gets a clear plastic sighting tube to fit on its top surface. The wings themselves have rib and delicate fabric ‘sag’ detail, with ultra fine trailing edges. No doubt the top wing will fit on flawlessly with everything lining up to perfection. One thing I learned early on is not to use cyano on the struts, but slower setting glue such as Revell Contacta. This gives you time to pop all struts fully into their sockets and check that everything is lining up as it should. Next up is the undercarriage, with the option of faired and unfaired axles. (I always use fine fishing line to rig the legs, and it is amazing how much strength this gives them, just like on the real thing). The kit supplies Neindorf, Garuda, and Axial propellers, with the instructions pointing out which one goes with each option. All are impressive mouldings with superb hub detail moulded in, and unlike many other manufacturers, there are no sink marks on the blade roots. The build is completed by fitting either an LMG 14 or LMG 14/17 machine gun for the observer, plus a choice of flare racks and cartridges to locate around the rear cockpit. There is even a choice of flare pistols to put inside. The rigging is at moderate level, as this is a single bay biplane. There are no double wires or awkward runs, so it should not present any difficulties using your preferred method of elastic line, fishing line, stretched sprue etc. Options. A. Halberstadt CL.II 5702/17 “3 Martha & Else”, Max Niemann & Rudolf Kolodzicj, Royal Prussian Schlasta 21, October 1918. B. Halberstadt CL.II “4 Rosi” Royal Bavaraian Schusta 23b, Early 1918. C. Halberstadt CL.II “4” Royal Bavaraian Schusta 26b, Early 1917. D. Halberstadt CL.II “1”, Fridolin Redenbach, Royal Bavaraian Schusta 27b, September 1917. E. Halberstadt CL.II “4 Dora”, Royal Bavaraian Schusta 27b, March 1918. Decals. Decals are printed by Cartograf, and are of the usual faultless quality. Everything is in perfect register with minimal carrier film and good colours. Two A4 sized sheets are provided, with the first covering all the different markings and detail items. It is always the little placards and instrument dials that impress me most, they are such perfect little miniatures and really add so much to the finished model. The ‘flame’ section for option C is wisely provided as the ‘fingers’ only, as it will be necessary to paint the forward section of the fuselage due to the compound curves. The second sheet contains a set of ‘upper’ and’ lower’ 5 colour lozenge in ‘cookie cutter’ format. This is a very helpful idea as the fabric on the CL.II was applied at 45 degrees, which would be a little awkward to do with strips of decal. Pay attention to the instructions, because only option E had the standard upper and lower lozenge fabric applied. C,D, and B had the ‘lower’ lozenge applied on the upper surfaces, with the lowers covered in bleached linen. Option A had yellow painted wings, but this would have been over the standard lozenge as per option E. Whether you want to do this or just omit the lozenge and go straight for yellow paint is your choice, but all of this is shown in the instructions. Halberstadt had an unusual method of painting the CL.II’s fuselage. Patches of greens, brown yellow and blue were covered with a ‘stipple’ effect. Wingnut Wings helpfully have a guide on their website showing how to achieve this with an airbrush set to low pressure. Both the ‘Early’ and ‘Late’ versions of this kit have an option in them that does not have this stipple finish, should you want to avoid it. Conclusion. Without a doubt, another masterpiece from Wingnut Wings. It has everything we have come to expect from them, attractive box art and packaging, flawless mouldings, superb decals, and instructions that are more like a detailed reference manual. This is a very good looking aeroplane with lots of interesting marking options. I wouldn’t be at all surprised to learn that it quickly becomes one of their best sellers. Very Highly recommended  Review sample courtesy of

I-16 Type 29 ICM 1:32 Design work on the I-16 began during the summer of 1932 at the Central Aero and Hydrodynamic Institute. When the tiny I-16 flew for the first time in December 1933, it was far ahead of any other fighter design in the world, featuring retractable landing gear, a cantilever wing and variable pitch propeller. Although not among the best remembered aircraft of the thirties, it was nevertheless a very able and rugged machine and featured prominently in the events of the time. When the Spanish Civil War broke out, almost 500 were put into service with the Republicans. The outstanding manoeuvrability, firepower and rate of climb, surprised the enemy leading to the opposition nickname of Rata (Rat) and the friendly name Mosca (Fly). Equipped with the Soviet 20 mm cannon it was the most powerful aircraft weapon in front line service with any nation on the eve of World War II. It had a very high rate of fire and was extremely reliable. Another batch of I-16s was purchased by China to fight the Japanese, again surprising the other side with excellent performance. When it first appeared, the I-16 Ishak (Little Donkey) was powered by a radial engine which developed a modest 450 hp. Even with this it achieved a creditable 376 km/h (234 mph) and, as the world's first single-seat fighter to have low monoplane wings, an enclosed cockpit (on some versions) and a retractable undercarriage. It was immediately put into mass production alongside the Polikarpov I-15 biplane fighter. Development led eventually to one version of the I-16 reaching over 520km/h (325 mph), with an engine of about two-and-a-half times the original power. At this point the I-16 might well have faded into obscurity, if not for the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in July 1936. This war drew support from all over the world. The Nationalists, supported mainly by German and Italian forces, were the better equipped. Britain, France, the United States, the Netherlands, Czechoslovakia and Turkey all sent an assortment of aircraft to the Republican forces, directly or indirectly. But by far the major supporter of the Republicans was the Soviet Union, which supplied 1,409 of the 1947 aircraft contributed by other countries. 475 of these aircraft were Polikarpov I-16s. They first entered combat in Spain in November 1936. Flown in many cases by Soviet pilots, they proved more than a match for German He 51 fighters and Arado Ar68, but met their equals in the Italian C.R.32 biplanes and were overpowered by Messerschmitt Bf 109s. From March 1937, all remaining I-16s were concentrated into Fighter Group 31, and this was by far the most successful of all Soviet-equipped units. Meanwhile, I-16s were fighting also in China, and in 1939 were operated against the Japanese in Mongolia. Their final fling came during the early part of the Second World War, but by then they were overshadowed by more advanced foreign types. Suffering the brunt of the German invasion, those remaining were replaced by more modern fighters in 1942-1943. The Type 29 differed from the earlier Type 28 by having two synchronized ShKAS in the nose and a single 12.7 mm (0.50 in) UBS in the bottom of the fuselage; it had no guns in wings which were reserved for ground attack weapons. Three rocket racks were mounted in each wing. Additionally, starting in 1941, the external fuel tank hardpoint was changed so that it became multipurpose: it could carry the new type of drop tank, PLBG-100, or a FAB-100 bomb. Wartime photographs from the summer of 1941 show two configurations: one with 6 RS-82 rockets and two FAB-100 bombs and another with four RS-132 rockets The Model This is the third in ICM’s series of I-16’s, the previous releases being a Type 24 and a Type 28. As with the previous release there is a nice artist’s representation of the aircraft on the box top. Once you take the lid off the box and opened the inner lid, you will find four large sprues of grey styrene, one small clear sprue and a medium sized decal sheet. All the parts are superbly moulded, with no sign of flash or other imperfections and only a few noticeable moulding pips. There are a few swirl marks in the plastic, but nothing to worry about and will easily be covered when the kit is primed and painted. Since the aircraft was mostly wood there are very few panel lines, where fabric was used in the construction, the kit shows the underlying structure, but in a nicely restrained way. Is is interesting to note that this is not5 just a re-release of the Type 28 with added weapons. The wing sprue is completely new with the correct modifications/differences not only to the wings, but also the cowling front. Construction begins with the wings and the two upper sections being attached to the single piece lower section, after which the port and starboard clear navigation lights are attached. Each aileron is moulded in top and bottom halves, which, once joined together are fitted in the desired poses, along with the lower underside of the nose. The cockpit is assembled next, and is a very nicely detailed area. The rear bulkhead is fitted with the seat backrest and support, while the two piece rudder pedals are assembled. The pedals are fitted to the cockpit floor, along with the rear mounted battery box. The front and rear bulkheads are then glued into the left hand fuselage section along with some sidewall detail. The floor is then slide in through the front bulkhead opening and glued to the rear bulkhead. The two piece throttle is assembled and glued into position, and then the instrument panel, which is moulded in clear plastic is fitted with the instrument decal. The rest of the cockpit is then detailed with the oxygen bottle instrument panel, joystick, a couple of handles, and seat. On the opposite side wall the undercarriage handle and a couple of instrument clusters are attached. The firewall is fitted with the two piece oil tank and two gun troughs, before being fitted to one half of the fuselage. The two piece rudder and three piece elevators are then assembled, as is the two piece upper nose section. The fuselage halves are then joined, and the rudder, horizontal tailplanes and upper nose section attached, as are the two door panels. The fuselage and wing assembly are then glued together. The engine bearers and attached to the engine mounting ring, followed by gearbox case and intake manifold, the two halves that make up the cylinders, each with exquisite fin detail, are joined together, then fitted with the piston rods and individual exhaust pipes, before the gearbox assembly is fitted to the rear. The completed engine is then attached to the fuselage. The engine is cowled with three optionally fitted panels, plus the three piece nose cowl, with optionally positioned vents. The two machine guns fitted to the upper nose are then slid into their associated troughs, followed by the gunsight and windscreen. The build is finished off with the assembly of the two main undercarriage units and the various weapons, including two piece drop tanks and two piece rockets on separate single piece rails.. Each undercarriage unit is made up of a two piece wheel, single piece main leg, complete with actuator, two outer doors, with separate hinged lower section, there is a second support rod fitted with another door which is glued to the leg and rear mounting point in the wing. The tail wheel is then attached, as is the tail cone and rear light, the drop tanks and rockets, side mounted venturi style pitot, aerial mast and what looks like an aerial unit, aft of the cockpit. Decals The decal sheet is printed by ICM themselves. The decals are quite glossy, well printed, in register and nicely opaque, particularly useful for the large white arrow. There are four decal options with this release, they are:- I-16 Type 29, Red 75 of the 4th Guard Fighter Regiment of the Baltic Fleet Aviation, Winter – Spring 1942 in white over light blue camouflage I-16 Type 29, White 12 of the 4th Guard Fighter Regiment of the Baltic Fleet Aviation, Winter – Spring 1943 in dark green over light blue camouflage. I-16 Type 29, White 75 of the 71st Fighter Regiment, Autumn 1941 in dark green and black over light blue camouflage. I-16 Type 29, White 13 of the 158th Fighter Regiment of the Northern Fleet Aviation, Pskov Region, July 1941 in dark green and black over light blue camouflage. Conclusion I really like the I-16, there’s something about the old I-16, no matter which type. Whether it’s the cute little plane, or the plucky little fighter going up against the odds, with only the skills of the Soviet pilots keeping the aircraft, which was quite difficult to fly and fight with, in the air. Even though it is really very nice and will build up into a great looking model there is plenty of provision for the super detailers amongst us to really go to town on the interior. Review sample courtesy of

Avro Lancaster Instrument Panel Upgrade Airscale 1:32 In preparation for the release of the huge HK Models Lancaster, we have Airscale providing a replacement instrument panel, which includes each individual panel, levers and shrouds for the throttle quadrant and a set of decals, and knowing Peter's penchant for detail, highly accurate. There are also two small sheets of acetate with exceptional optical quality. The etched steel parts should be painted and finished off to the modellers taste before assembly can begin. For the main instrument panel, engineers panel, navigators and circuit breaker panel the clear acetate sheets should be cut to size, using the panels as a template, the gluing the acetate to the rear of he panel followed by the decal, ensuring the instruments align with the positions on the front of the panel, the etched backing plate is then glued into position completing the assembly. Some of the instrument decals are for the front face of the panels such as the switch covers. For the throttle quadrant, you will need to make slots in the kit part before adding the various levers. The shrouds should be removed from the sheet separately in order to fit the correct to the correct position on the quadrant as there are left and right shrouds in addition to the main shroud for the throttle levers. Conclusion Peter's decal panels and Photo-Etched (PE) instrument bezels have rapidly gained a reputation for quality within our hobby, and Fantasy Printshop have done another fine job of printing his work. The big Lancaster will be a labour of love with as much detail as possible by most modellers who buy it and what better place to start than the cockpit. When I talked to Peter at Telford, he assured me this set will also fit the newly announced 1:32 Lancaster from Wingnut Wings. Review sample courtesy of Peter at

Dassault Mirage IIIE/RD/O Revell 1:32 History While the initial Mirage IIIC model was heading towards quantity production, Dassault promoted a long-range, all-weather air defense/strike fighter (multirole) variant of the design as the "Mirage IIIE". The prototype first flew on April 1st, 1961 and included a lengthened fuselage with increased avionics and fuel, a Marconi navigation radar, Radar Warning Receiver (RWR) and Cyrano II series air-ground radar. The Mirage IIIE was outfitted with the SNECMA Atar 09C series afterburning turbojet engine and a total of three prototypes furthered the endeavor prior to production. After adoption by the French Air Force, the IIIE was also licensed-produced in the countries of Australia, known as the Mirage IIIO(A), and Switzerland while fielded by the forces of Argentina, Brazil, Lebanon, Pakistan, South Africa, Spain and Venezuela under various export designations. French Air Force Mirage IIIE models were cleared for nuclear ordnance. As with other interceptor aircraft of the period, a dedicated reconnaissance variant soon emerged as the "Mirage IIIR". This variant offered the ground attack frames of the Mirage IIIE models with the avionics suite of the Mirage IIIC interceptor. They lacked radar under the nose cone and housed multiple cameras for photo-reconnaissance sorties instead. The Mirage IIIR was then improved through the "Mirage IIIRD" upgrade. Reconnaissance types were adopted outside of France by the forces of Israel, Pakistan, South Africa and Switzerland. The Model Originally released in 2016 by Italeri, Revell have now re-boxed the kit with new decals. The kit comes in a top opening box which is still incredibly flimsy, which showed by the fact that the review samples windscreen had been badly cracked. Inside there are six large sprues of grey styrene, one of clear and a large, colourful decal sheet. The moulding of the parts looks to very nice and fine, with no flash or other imperfections. Whilst quite detailed out of the box, there is plenty of room for extra, should the modeller wish. Construction begins with the assembly of the nine piece ejection seat with a choice of ejection handles on the head box. Although nice, the kit only comes with decal seatbelts, etched steal/brass or cloth would be much better, so you will have to resort to aftermarket items. The single piece cockpit tub is fitted out with a lower front bulkhead, alternative two piece instrument panels, depending on whether you are building the E/O or RD versions, joystick, and three piece coaming with optional head-up display. The upper rear bulkhead and sidewalls are then attached to the tub, followed by the three piece nose wheel bay, which is attached to the rear of the cockpit tub. The cockpit/bay assembly is then glued to the lower fuselage, which will also need some holes drilled depending on which version you are building. The main wheel bays are each made up from four parts, which are then glued into the lower fuselage. The full length intakes are each made from two halves, but in such a way that there shouldn’t be any seams to worry about. The rear sections of the intakes where they join is a single piece, which when all assembled allows the intakes to be fitted to a bulkhead which is then glued into one half of the upper fuselage. Strangely enough, the instructions then tell you to build the engine at this point, which is a very nice six piece assembly, as a standalone model itself, but could have been left till the end where its transport stand is also assembled. The fin is then assembled and again, the modeller has to drill out holes depending on the version they are building. The fuselage halves are then joined together, sandwiching the intakes in-between, after which the fin assembly is glued into place. Each wing, also requiring holes to be drilled out depending on version are each made up from upper and lower halves, but before joining them together the modeller has to fit the upper and lower airbrakes, outer main gear bays and main gear oleos. Clear lenses for the navigation lights are then attached. If you’re building the RD reconnaissance version then the camera nose needs to be assembled. Each of the four cameras are made from three parts including clear lenses. The rear nose bulkhead is then fitted with the camera platform onto which the cameras are then fitted. The lower camera bay hatch is fitted with clear ports, after which the nose halves are glued together with the bay in-between and a fifth camera in the extreme nose and the final clear parts to cover the ports. The bay hatch can either be posed in the open or closed position with support rams to hold it open should the modeller wish it. The upper and lower fuselage sections are glued together, followed by the fitting of the wing assemblies, intakes and either the RD or E/O nose sections having fitted 20g of nose weight just forward of the cockpit first. Now the rather confusing bit in the instructions, which show the engine assembly being slid into the exhaust orifice before the exhaust fairings and nozzle sections, yet in another diagram it shows the nozzle and fairing being fitted without the engine. So, it looks like you can either engine on the display stand or in the aircraft, yet there are no other details for the interior of the fuselage should you want to display it out. The wings are fitted with half of the flap and aileron actuator fairings, whilst the other half is fitted to the control surfaces. The main undercarriage assemblies are then completed with the addition of scissor links, actuators, outer doors and two piece wheels. The inner doors are fitted with separate hinges before being glued into place. The nose wheel is made up from thirteen parts not including the bay doors and once assembled is glued into position. In front of the nose wheel bay there is a bulged panel, which looks like a doppler panel, and depending on the version the modeller is building there is an option of two types. The build of the aircraft is completed by the fitting of the windscreen, canopy, which can be posed open or closed, various aerials, pitot probe and a nicely produced access ladder. The optional engine stand is then assembled from thirty six parts and will look great in a diorama setting. If you are building the E/O strike version then the kit comes with a wide selection of weapons to hang of the aircraft. These include the Matra R530 missile, 500 l, 1300l and 1700l drop tanks, JL 100R Rocket pods/fuel tanks, R550 Magic missiles, AIM-9B missiles, Matra AS37 Martel missiles, Barax pod, Barracuda pod and Phimat pods Decals The decals come on a large sheet and provide options for three aircraft. The decals look very nice, being in register, good colour density but with quite a matt/satin finish. Some of the decals are quite large and will probably need some softening and setting solutions to bed down correctly. The sheet also contains a full set of stencils and warning symbols for both the aircraft and the ordinance. The options are:- Mirage IIIE 3-XT “50 Years EC 3/3 Ardennes” Armee De L’air, BA133, Nancy-Ochey, 1993 Mirage IIIRD 33-TI ER 3/33 Moselle, Armee De L’air, BA124, Strasbourg-Entzheim, 1987 Mirage III0, A3-49, 3 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force, Butterworth AB, Malaysia, 1983 Conclusion I never got to see the Italeri kit when it was first released, so it’s nice of Revell to re-box it. The kit does look very nice and will certainly look stunning in any collection, just a shame that you have to use the separate engine either on the stand or in the aircraft. It would have been nice to have a simpler tube just to fit in the aircraft. Not really knowing the subject I can only go by those who have reviewed the Italeri kit when it comes to accuracy and from what I’ve read it does measure up well with the real aircraft. Revell model kits are available from all good toy and model retailers. For further information visit

Pre- Painted Instrument panels Eduard LOOK 1:32 Continuing their line of LOOK series of instrument panels, Eduard have released two more sets. These are for the Tamiya Spitfire Mk.IX Early, and Hasegawa Fw 190A-5, both in 1:32 scale. As with the previously released sets, the modeller is provided with the main panel, side panels and centre panels as required. Each set also includes a sheet of etched steel for the seat belts. The panels have all the correct markings and placards painted on them and the faces of each instrument is glazed, making them look very realistic, particularly with a bit of weathering to get away from that newly built look. Spitfire Mk.IX Fw 190A-5 Conclusion This new series is a great resource for those of us who are unable to replicate all the markings on a panel, all in one easy package. They are certainly a great and innovative idea from the masters of aftermarket. Review sample courtesy of

Hawker Tempest Mk.VI detail sets Eduard 1:32 Eduard appear to be covering all bases with their aftermarket detail sets for the Special Hobby 1:32 Hawker Tempest Mk.VI. First, you have the wonderful resin cockpit and machine gun bay, and now they have released four etched sets and a set of masks. The etched parts are for the interior, seatbelts, flaps and a smaller zoom set for the cockpit. At least the modeller can’t say they don’t have a choice of what to use on his model, or how much they want to add. Interior Set (32926) 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 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 little dab of aqua clear will give them the appearance of glass fronts; 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. The sheet also contains the myriad of coloured levers, knobs, side consoles, new throttle quadrant, switch clusters, trim wheel, and rudder pedal plates,. Flap Set (32423). 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. Interior Zoom Set (33191) This zoom set contains only the above pre-painted sheet and allows the modeller to build a well detailed cockpit without the hassle of getting bogged down with detail that might otherwise be deemed superfluous. Seatbelts (33192) This small single sheet set contains a complete and comprehensive set of seat belts, buckles and clasps. The belts look like they will be rather fiddly to assemble, but will look great when fitted. The seat belts are pre-painted so no need for some fiddly painting, just a slightly darker wash to tone them down a bit. Masks (JX215) 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 off-cuts 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. Conclusion There’s never a kit release without Eduard set of two being designed for it as they are so prolific. Whilst not as comprehensive as some of the previous releases, but then they have released some resin items as well, they will add that extra level of detail sought by some modellers. The flap set looks to be particularly good and really will make the model stand out from the crowd. It is still disappointing that they chose to release the seatbelt set separate from what is basically an interior set, but I guess it gives modeller more choice on how much they want to add. The instructions aren’t the clearest, so care will need to be taken when adding the parts. The masks are always useful though. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Focke Wulf 190A-8 Detail Sets 1:32 Brassin Propeller - (632-124) Although the general feeling is that the Revell 1:32 Focke Wulf 190A-8 is pretty well detailed straight from the box, it seems Eduards intent to replace almost every bit of detail other than the main fuselage and wing components. With this in mind they have just released a replacement propeller set and upper machine gun set. The propeller set comes in the hard blister pack that Eduard/Brassin parts are usually found. On opening there is a small etched template under a card backing, three dark grey resin propeller blades and four light grey resin parts, protected by foam inserts. The propeller boss and cooling fan need to be carefully removed from their moulding blocks and cleaned. The tangs on the brass template are then folded to 90 degrees which are slipped over the boss back plate so that the shaft hole can be accurately drilled out. The set includes a jig so that the propeller blades can be fitted to the boss at the correct angle. The spinner also needs to be carefully removed from its moulding block, and for some strange reason Eduard have made this so that the pour stubs are on the out surface of the spinner. This makes for quite a bit of careful sanding and polishing to get a really good smooth surface. With the blades attached to the boss, the spinner can be added along with the cooling fan and the whole assembly slipped onto the kits propeller shaft. MG-131 mount – (632-122). Along with the propeller, Eduard have also released a new set to replace the gun bay that sits in front of the cockpit on the upper nose. As with the set above, this set comes in a blister pack with Etched and resin parts. The small etch sheet contains a new bulkhead skin, with additional stringers, fittings and centrally mounted webs. To this the two resin ammunition containers are fitted, followed by the resin upper decking which onto which the two MG-131 machine guns are fitted. The resin ammunition guides are then glued into position, as are the spent cartridge chutes. There is a PE frame that is fitted to the lower section of the windscreen, plus six PE latches, three per side of the fuselage, for the resin hinged panel which naturally would be posed open to show off all the lovely details Conclusion Although the new Revell kit has superb detail straight out of the box some modellers are just not content. The prop is a very nice, but slightly marred by the way the spinner has been moulded, but hey, this is modelling, right? once assembled the propeller will look superb. The gun deck set is also very well moulded and designed, but be aware that one of the gun barrels in the review Review sample courtesy of

AN/AAQ-28(V) Litening 1:32 Brassin (632-126) – LITENING is an integrated targeting pod that mounts externally to the aircraft. The targeting pod contains a high-resolution, forward-looking infrared (FLIR) sensor that displays an infrared image of the target to the aircrew; it has a wide field of view search capability and a narrow field of view acquisition/targeting capability of battlefield-sized targets. The pod also contains a CCD camera used to obtain target imagery in the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. An on-gimbal inertial navigation sensor establishes line-of-sight and automatic boresighting capability. The pod is equipped with a laser designator for precise delivery of laser-guided munitions. A laser rangefinder provides information for various avionics systems, for example, navigation updates, weapon deliveries and target updates. The targeting pod includes an automatic target tracker to provide fully automatic stabilized target tracking at altitudes, airspeeds and slant ranges consistent with tactical weapon delivery manoeuvres. These features simplify the functions of target detection and recognition, and permit attack of targets with precision-guided weapons on a single pass. The single sniper pod comes in the blister style pack normally used for the smaller items, well protected by foam pads inside. It is really well detailed, as we have come to expect from Eduard and the parts are very neatly moulded. The pod comes in two grey resin parts, a small etched brass fret and decal sheet. Once the two resin parts have been removed from the moulding blocks and cleaned up, assembly begins with the fitting of the brass end piece to the main body of the pod. The seeker head is the glued to the front of the main body, at whatever position you want, although it can actually be just push fitted allowing it to be moved as and when the modeller wants. The whole pod is then painted in overall grey and the decals added. Conclusion This is another very useful piece of kit to add to your 1:32 aircraft. They are, or have been fitted to so many types now; everything from the F-16 via the A-10 to the Harrier GR-7/9 so could be of interest to a whole host of modellers. Review sample courtesy of

Pre- Painted Instrument panels Eduard LOOK 1:32 The first release of this new series was for the Revell P-51 Mustang (reviewed here). Eduard have now released three more sets of these innovative panels. These are for the Tamiya P-51D, and D-5 and the Tamiya F4U-1A Corsair. As with the first set, the modeller is provided with the main panel, side panels and centre panels if required. Each set also includes a sheet of etched steel for the seat belts. The panels have all the correct markings and placards painted on them and the faces of each instrument is glazed, making them look very realistic, particularly with a bit of weathering to get away from that newly built look. Tamiya F4U-A Corsair Tamiya P-51D-5 Tamiya P-51D Conclusion This new series is a great resource for those of us who are unable to replicate all the markings on a panel, all in one easy package. My only concern is if a model was to be put into a competition without the modeller declaring they have used a LOOK set, as, to me, it’s a form of cheating still stands though. Review sample courtesy of

Soviet Pilots (1939 – 1942) ICM1:32 ICM have a great selection of figures in their catalogue, the latest set is of is for Soviet Pilots, consisting of two pilots and a member of the operations staff. One pilot is in a sitting position, just right to pose in your lovely I-16 or I-153. The other pilot is standing and should be posed with the third figure as it looks like he’s giving the pilot a briefing before a mission. Each figure is made up from separate legs/lower torso, upper torso, arms and head; the standing pilot also has a two piece helmet. Then there is a selection of map and ammunition pouches, holsters, and parachutes and goggles. The parachute packs could do with some better webbing as the two parts provided for the standing pilot don’t look that realistic. Conclusion As usual ICM brings us something a little different, and it’s nice to see some 1:32 scale figures for use with their lovely aircraft kits. Review sample courtesy of

Good evening everyone, I thought it might be worth shifting my attempt at the RAF Centenary Groupbuild to the WIP area, seeing as I never had chance of meeting the deadline! (The build can be found by clicking here) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- So, To bring everyone up to speed: -I plan to build a representation of the Panavia Tornado ZA326 in its iconic raspberry ripple colours. I'll be using the 1:32 Tornado GR1 kit from Revell and an abundance of plasticard, to model her with a plethora of panels open (nose, side electronics bays, ground equipment connection points, the spine, and maybe even an open engine bay!) Here are a few select images which visually describe the process so far: (Note that the paintwork on bits and bobs has been tidied up since these images were taken) What's the plan of action going forward, then? -Nose electronics bay -Nose hinge and detailing -Cockpit wiring -Fuselage panels and internal gubbins -Fuselage rescribing (+rivets, should they be required) -Engine bay (there might be a bit of a surprise in that regard, stay tuned!) -Wings -Other (landing gear, etc) It will be a slow (I've got a summer placement in a research lab at my university) but hopefully steady project. As for references that I'll be using: The good General's own Tornado build The Tornado SIG The ZA326 group's Flickr Stay tuned for more! Best wishes, Sam

Pitot Probe for OV-10 Bronco 1:32 Master The latest release from Master Models in their series of replacement pitot probes have recently arrived at BMs London offices. It is well up to their usual standard and very sharp, so care should be taken once fitted. It is so much better than the styrene ones found in the kit. [AM-32-109] – Has been designed for the lovely North American OV-10 Bronco from Kitty Hawk Conclusion Master Models must have a tremendous machining set up to be able to produce these pitot probes and to produce them with such finesse. The always look great on the finished model. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of Piotr at

Dornier Do335 and other Gun Barrels 1:32 Master Models The latest batch of items from Master Models included these three sets for 1:32 Do335’s, but can also be used on other aircraft in the same scale. As usual, they are beautifully turned and finished and are so much more realistic than the kit parts. [AM-32-106] – This set is for any German aircraft that used the Mk103 30mm cannon, such as the Do335 and Hs-129. The set includes turned brass barrels with 3D printed muzzle brakes turned brass mounting rings. The set contains two versions of cannon muzzle brakes. [AM-32-107 – This detail set has been designed for the HK Models 1:32 Dornier Do335 and contains turned brass MG-151 gun barrels, FuG 25a antenna and a pitot tube. [AM-32-108 – This detail set has been designed for the HK Models 1:32 Dornier Do335B-2 and contains turned brass MG-151and MK-103 gun barrels with muzzle brakes, FuG 25a antenna and a pitot tube. Conclusion Here we have another group of really useful and well produced items. All the sets are well up to standard we have come to expect from Master Models. All you have to do is a bit of research on what the particular aircraft you are modelling was fitted with and choose the correct set. Review sample courtesy of Piotr at

Fokker E.V 1:32 Miko Mir with Pheon Decals The parasol winged Fokker D.VIII was the last of this companies aircraft to enter service before the end of the Great War. Originally designated the Fokker E.V. it was an agile little machine with a parasol wing and rotary engine, much like some of the early machines from the start of the Great War. It might have had greater success, had it not suffered from poor manufacturing standards. After barely two weeks service in August 1918, The E.V. had to be withdrawn due to failures causing the wing to disintegrate in flight. Badly made wings and poor materials were found to be the main cause. Examination of several sets revealed such things as incorrect wing spars, and nails that secured the plywood skinning completely missing the ribs it was supposed to attach to. Redesigned wings were manufactured under more stringent quality control, and the aircraft resumed production with the new designation of Fokker D.VIII. Surviving E.V.s were retro fitted with the new wing, and it seems were also then referred to as D.VIII's. Re-entering service in October, it did not much have much time to prove itself before the 11th November armistice brought the conflict to a halt. The Mikro Mir kit is typical short run injection molded, quite buildable but inevitably you need to do a bit of fettling to get things to fit, particularly the tailplane where it sits on the rear fuselage. I didn't much fancy any of the kit colour scheme options, so purchased Pheon Decals set 32061 which gives seven options, including five from Jasta 6 with the attractive striped tail and petaled engine cowling. Not only that, but Pheon supply a superb set of assembly jigs, more of which later. (Mrs Viking, without prompting, was looking over my shoulder while I pondered which colour scheme to apply, and pointed to this one, saying it was really nice. That decided that!) The E.V is a dainty little machine, I persuaded Leutnant Wolff to nip out during his coffee break to stand alongside and lend a sense of scale; There has been a lot of discussion on the wing colours applied to the E.V / D.VIII series, originally it was thought that it was olive green top and bottom. A few years ago Dan-San Abbot researched this, and concluded that it was incorrect. It was very likely that it was treated with woodstain, in Mocha brown and True green on top, with Azure blue and Violet underneath. I decided to go with this, and try to replicate it on my model, following the drawings on the Pheon instruction sheet . I used solid base colours in lighter versions, and then used thinned oil paints over the top to produce a streaky stained affect. I wasn't sure how it was going to turn out, but I'm pretty happy with the result. If anything I might try to make it lighter If I do another one. The Pheon decal sheet comes with a brilliant pair of assembly jigs that you need to apply to thick card, and put together. They are printed on sticky back paper, making the job very simple. I can't praise them enough, that are absolutely superb and make the otherwise complex assembly of the undercarriage and wing as easy as it could be. They ensure that everything lines up precisely with the correct spacing. It gets the wing on absolutely square to the fuselage, with the correct incidence. Utterly brilliant and essential to building this kit!. Add to Pheon's superb rapid service, and excellent choice of colour schemes and really can't go wrong. I was fortunate enough to have some airfoil sectioned brass 'Strutz' material (long out of production), to replace the plastic items in the kit. The whole model is very strong. The Undercarriage assembly jig ensures you get it spot on. (note the replacement brass legs). The second jig, where you place the wing in first, and then the fuselage. You can then fashion your own struts, or fit the less substantial kit ones; I used the kit plastic 'V' struts , but had to cut them at the point of the 'V' to fit them accurately to my brass replacements; I used Wingnut Wings aftermarket 4 colour lozenge decal which I had to cut to shape, but there is also the option of Aviattic's 'Cookie Cutter' set which provides for 2 aircraft. It's been a fun project, and I'm pleased to finally have a Fokker E.V to join my line up of Wingnut Wings kits. (But why do you always spot the devil dust on the photos after you've taken them 😠) Thanks for looking, John

Good afternoon everyone! I think it's time I stepped into the breach and had a crack at this group build that I had promised to get involved with quite a while ago. So, what will I be building? I'll be having a go at the 1:32 Revell Tornado GR.1 kit that I picked up from Telford last year, hopefully in a raspberry ripple scheme used by the Royal Aircraft Establishment (the Tornado in question being ZA326 currently at Bruntingthorpe). Hang on a minute, you might be thinking, RAE is not part of the RAF and therefore ineligible for this group build! Well, I fully admit that this would ordinarily be the case, this build will be dedicated to JARTS (JARTS standing for the Joint Aircraft Recovery and Transportation Squadron) which "assisted with the dismantling and reassembling of the aircraft for road transportation" of ZA326. (Source) To further reflect the relation to JARTS, I'll be building ZA326 in a similar state to its current situation with multiple panels removed and/or left open. And finally to distance the aircraft from RAE, I will be painting/decalling ZA326 in its current scheme at Bruntinghthorpe (IE: without the RAE lettering and crest seen during service). -Pictures will soon follow as I commence the build. Thanks for dropping by! Best wishes, Sam

Junkers D.1 - 1:32 Wingnut Wings This was one of Wingnut Wings surprise releases in April this year, few of us would have predicted that A Junkers D.1 was on the cards. Although Wingnut Wings are well known for producing beautifully engineered and presented kits, this one was so impressive when reviewed here it went straight onto my workbench, pushing all other projects aside. It hasn't disappointed, it is an absolute joy of a kit to build, pretty much flawless in every respect. The fit of parts is outstanding, virtually perfect, and there is no filler used at all, anywhere. Wingnut Wings kits are always outstanding, but this one probably tops the lot from all those I have built from their range so far. And with only one length of fishing line on the undercarriage. there is hardly any rigging either. The Junkers D.1 was the worlds first all metal monoplane fighter, and a hugely significant aircraft in the history of aviation. It arrived too late at the end of the First World War to have any real opportunity to prove itself, A few, perhaps four, were delivered to the western front, but most were delivered after the November 1918 Armistice. They saw post war service in the Baltic during 1919, with the German Freikorps fighting the Bolsheviks, where they were used to good effect. On with the photos; I've only lightly weathered, with a dark wash on various details and a bit of mud splatting on the underside. Cockpit details; To give an idea of its size, I've used that standard WW1 unit of comparison, an Albatros DV.a. The D.1 is surprisingly big. And a final comparison with Wingnut Wings other kit for a Junkers, the two seat J.1 ground attack machine. Those of you who have built one will know what a whopper of a model the J.1 is. Perfect companions; If you are thinking of trying a Wingnut Wings kit, but are wary of the biplane wing and rigging, then try this one. Cheers John

US MD3 Generator Videoaviation 1:32 The latest 1:32 release from Videoaviation is of a MD3 Generator set. The set comes in a sturdy cardboard box with a picture of the unit on top. Inside there is quite a lot of cream coloured resin contained in either bubblewrap or ziplock bags. The mouldings are very nicely produced with very little flash and minimal webbing/attachments connecting the parts to the moulding blocks. There are twenty one parts all told, not including all the pipework which is included as uncut lengths. Construction begins with the fitting of the leaf spring suspension units to the rear of the generator body, followed by the two, two piece rear wheels. The front axle mount and fuel tank are then added, after which the front pair of two piece wheels are fitted to the axle and the whole assembly fitted into the mount hole. The towing arm can be posed in either folded or extended position. The different length cables are each fitted with plugs, before being coiled up and placed on the roof. Of course, you can also use the cables in a diorama setting attached to your particular aircraft. Decals are included for all the stencils and warning signs/markings for the unit, including the white edge markings. The modeller can paint this unit in two different colours depending on where they’re used, Yellow, or Green overall. Conclusion This is another great little kit from Videoaviation. Not too difficult to build, but could be fun to weather it a bit, not too much mind, and will make a super addition to any diorama next to and possibly attached to a suitable aircraft. Review sample courtesy of

12.7mm, (0.5”) Ammo Belts Brassin 1:32 Eduard seem to have a never ending stream of ideas for making modellers lives easier, or more difficult, depending on your point of view. If you’ve ever wanted extra ammunition belts to pose on your latest 1:32 creation, or replace the kit ones with something a little more accurate, then this set could be the answer. The blister pack contains four lengths of ammo belts, each around 70mm long. Once removed from their moulding blocks they are reasonably flexible, enough to drape over a wing or fit into an ammo tray and inserted into a breech. If you want more curvature then you will need to use hot/near boiling water to make them truly flexible to get that realistic look. Conclusion These belts are very well moulded and will look great once painted up and added to your model and/or diorama. Review samples courtesy of

SUU-20 Bomb Dispenser Videoaviation 1:32 The latest release from Videoaviation.com is this, well, what I can only call it a model for that is what is in its own right, of a SUU-20 Bomb Dispenser. Inside the sturdy acetate blister pack are twenty eight parts in the standard creamy beige resin and the instruction sheet. The resin is beautifully rendered, with no signs of bubbles or other flaws. The casting blocks don’t look to difficult to remove, but it will take a razor saw to do the best job on the larger parts. The kit includes the following resin parts:- Main bomb container Nose cone 12 crutches although only 6 required 6 BDU-33 practice bombs with 2 spares 6 attachment lugs for the container with only 2 required The details on the main container are very finely done with recessed panel lines and screw heads and the resin is wonderfully smooth. Construction is easy once the parts have been removed from the moulding blocks and cleaned up. The nose is fitted to the central container part followed by the 6 crutches, 2 attachment lugs and the six practice bombs. The colour scheme is white overall with metal or dark grey rocket tubes. The practice bombs are blue and just need the addition of RBF flags, (not provided) to complete the look. The instructions are very clear and easy to read, but it would have been nice it parts were actually named as well as numbered. Conclusion This is a very nice addition to the Videoaviation product range and will add something different to a completed model. With the well moulded, flawless resin it should go together fairly easily. All the modeller has to do is check their references and see if the model they are building needs one or two SUU-20s. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Hi, Dora from Hasegawa with few corrections. Fast to build, easy kit. Needs a little bit of fitting but nothing hard to deal with. Side inscription means: "Sell my clothes I'm going to heaven!". List of modifications: - pilot seat - added seatbelts and Yahu IP - modified gunsight - Quickboost exhausts - Eduard Bronze legs from Revell F-8 - gun barrels / pitot tube / bottom antenna from syringe needles - pilot motto - shortened tail wheel - wings crosses from Montex Masks WIP: https://forum.largescaleplanes.com/index.php?showtopic=74576

USAF Crewchief Videoaviation 1:32 The latest release from Videoaviation.com is this figure of an USAF Crew chief. The figure is manufactured in the standard creamy beige resin which is really well moulded and detailed. [186532] USAF Crew Chief – This set contains just the one figure, with a single piece body standing, and separate arms and head. The figure is in a marshalling pose with hands clenched which indicates brakes on. Conclusion Videoaviation continue to release great sets to add life to your large scale dioramas, and this one is up to the usual standard. Just needs careful painting. Review sample courtesy of

IAR-80A/81C Wheel Set 1:32 CMK Q32 291 – Wheels. This set is part of CMK Easy Line of resin replacements, and consists of just the two late production style main wheels, each with a slight bulge to show the aircraft has a bit of weight to it. Just remove the moulding blocks from the contact point of the wheel, clean up with a couple of swipes from a sanding stick then glue to the axle of the kit main legs. Conclusion A great direct replacement for the kit wheels and eliminating the hardest part of wheel assembly, removing the seam without creating flat spots. Review sample courtesy of

Yakovlev Yak 3 Exhaust Stubs 1:32 CMK Q32 292 – Exhausts. This set is part of CMK Easy Line of resin replacements, and consists of just a pair of exhausts. Each exhaust stub is hollowed out give a really realistic look. The brief instructions show where they are meant to be removed from the moulding block, but since there is nothing inside the kit fuselage you could get away with just sliding the exhausts through the kit apertures with removing the blocks. Job jobbed. Conclusion This set is definitely more of a plug and play and an easy way to improve the look, however small of the finished model. Review sample courtesy of

Junkers D.1 - 1:32 Wingnut Wings. The Junkers D.1's main claim to fame is that it was the world's first all metal monoplane fighter. It entered service in very small numbers in October 1918, just before the end of the First World War. Further examples saw action with the German Freikorps in the Baltic during 1919. An example of the kit was received from Wingnut Wings, reviewed here. I was so impressed with it, that I could not resist starting it right away. The cockpit area is quite a 'birdcage' of tubework, but has been broken down into comparatively few parts. The moildings are exquisite, and I started by removing all the interior parts to make into a few sun assemblies ready for paining and priming. A quick dry fit if the main parts shows how well it all fits. The precision is so high that no glue is used here; Interior painting is suggested as either bare metal or grey-green primer. I went for bare metal as I want to show that this was an all metal aeroplane. The two side frames at the top of this photo had a few injection 'towers' to cut off their rear faces, something to do with ensuring that the plastic flows fully through the mold I guess. It is a 30 second job and simple to do, but don't miss it or you'll have problems fitting the cockpit between the fuselage halves. After a spray of Halfords rattle can grey primer, I gave everything a spray of Tamiya X1 Black. I find that if you are going to apply silver paint, by far the best thing to do is apply a black undercoat. A coat of Vallejo 'Metal Color' aluminium followed. (Ok, technically these were steel tubes, but I'm happy with this colour). The fuselage parts were done at the same time. However, such are the close tolerances on Wingnut Wings kits that I have learned that even a coat of primer & paint on mating surfaces can interfere with the fit of the cockpit area between the fuselage halves. Just that little extra thickness can keep it from making a tight join. amazing but true, so I routinely mask off areas where cockpit bulkheads & frames will butt up to. It is only a 15 minute job. but will save you hours later. Primer & then black on; Then Vallejo 'Metal Colour' Dark Aluminium. I'm probably taking a bit of artistic license here, as I want to have a contrast between the fuselage skinning and the framework. It's got nice paint free channels for the frames to sit inthough! I'll let this lot settle down before starting on painting all the little brackets & fittings etc. Thanks for looking John