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Lewis MkII WWI guns 1:32 Brassin With the burgeoning number of 1:32 WWI aircraft kits available it’s unsurprising that Brassin have started to release some aftermarket bits for them. In this case they have released a pack of two WWI vintage Lewis machine guns. They arrive in the now standard blister pack with the resin contents held in place by a nice slab of foam, while the etch sheet is sealed under a taped down piece of card. Naturally the quality of the resin parts is superb with some exquisite details. There will be the need for some cleaning up of the parts once the parts have been removed from their moulding blocks. Each of the two guns are made up of the barrel and breech sections moulded as one, with the resin handle attached to the rear, along with a resin cocking lever, barrel muzzle and ammunition drum. The only etched part is for the forward sight. Brassin have also included four spare ammunition drums to add to the aircraft racks. Conclusion For those modellers who have a collection of WNW or other 1:32 British aircraft kits, these guns will be a super addition to the finished models. As I’ve said before you can’t really go wrong with Brassin and this set goes a long way to prove it. Highly recommended Review sample courtesy of

Albatros D.V & Sopwith Pup Instruments 1:32 Yahu models Yahu models of Poland specialise in pre coloured photo etched instrument panels in all the common scales. Received for review are a pair of sets for the 1:32 scale Wingnut Wings kits of the Albatros D.V and Sopwith Pup. Both sets are very simple and will mostly directly replace kit decals to give a more three dimensional look. The instrument faces are very finely printed and readable under a magnifying glass. The separate bezels can be glued on with Johnsons kleer, which will not only hold them in place but also act as the glazing. Set YML3202 contains instruments located at various places around the cockpit of the Alabatros. It had no conventional instrument panel, rather the compass was on the floor, the tachometer between the guns, fuel pressure gauge on the cockpit side, and a small panel holding switches for various valves. These switches are very finely reproduced on the second brass fret in this set, and will require that you sand off the moulded versions on part A39 in the kit. They should look extremely good, and give finer detail than is possible with injection moulding. Set YML3203 provides dial faces and bezels for the Sopwith Pup's instrument panel, part A13, and is suitable for both the RFC and RNAS releases. Again the detail printing is very fine, down to the individual screw heads on the bezels. It may be necessary to lightly sand the moulded bezels on part A13 to flatten them and enable fitting of the etched replacements. Again, Johnsons Kleer can be used as a combined adhesive/glazing. Conclusion. Wingnut Wings kits are already very complete, so people might ask why would you need to apply any aftermarket to them? The answer here is that the brass etch is extremely fine and offers enhanced detail over the injection moulded equivalents. Few of us would be capable of accurately painting in the screw heads on the bezels to a consistent and correctly spaced size. These sets therefore are aimed at the serious modeller who wants to take what are already very good kits up to an even higher level. (Yahu do some other lovely sets which are shown on their website, the one for the Revell 1:32 Spitfire looks spectacular). Highly recommended Review sample courtesy of

Junkers JU-87A detail sets Eduard 1:32 Trumpeter have released a couple of Ju-87s in the past, but it was good to see an early A version getting the 1:32 treatment. Apparently the kit itself is pretty good with some really nice detail straight out of the box. But, as is their way, Eduard have found areas that could do with even more detail with the release of these recently released sets. Detail Set (32832) The parts are contained on two sheets of relief etched brass of roughly equal size, with one being unpainted and the other not only pre-painted but self adhesive as well. The unpainted sheet contains items such as the rudder pedal plates, side console lower pipe covers, oxygen filter perforated cases, document pockets, rear machine gun perforated barrel sleeve, ammunition drum handles, radiator grille screens, pilots gas mask container and mounting bracket, joystick cable and additional fittings not included in the kit. The pre-painted sheet contains the instrument panels complete with the instrument faces on the backplate. A little dab of aqua clear will give them the appearance of glass fronts. The sheet also contains the myriad of colour levers, knobs, auxiliary instrument clusters, new throttle quadrant, switch clusters, trim wheels, gun sight fittings and radio face panels. Interior Zoom Set (33145) 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 (32833) This small single sheet set contains a complete and comprehensive set of seat belts, buckles and clasps for both the pilot and radio operator/rear gunner. The belts look like they will be rather fiddly to assemble, but will look great when fitted. The gunners seat also receives a new cushion pad top. Although the cushion needs to be sourced by the modeller out of 1.0mm plasticard, and the flexible back rest. 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 (JX178) To complement the sets mentioned above, Eduard have also released a set of paint masks for the Ju-87A, which helps masking the clear areas a whole lot easier particularly as there is a quite a lot of framing on the Stuka. Conclusion There’s rarely a kit release without an Eduard set or two being designed for it, they are becoming so prolific. Whilst not as comprehensive as some of the previous releases, (perhaps Trumpeter got it right and didn’t need as much), they will add that extra level of detail sought by some modellers. It 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 masks will probably be most useful though. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Wires and stretchers 1:32 Eduard With the current popularity of 1:32 WW.1 kits from the likes of Wingnut Wings, Roden, and Special Hobby, Eduard have produced this set of etched rigging wires and stretchers. (Most of us will probably refer to these as turnbuckles). Various methods can be used to simulate rigging, from stretched sprue, E-Z line, fuse wire, or fishing line. All of them have their pros and cons, so this is an interesting new approach. The turnbuckles have lines attached to them with 2 different sizes over a total of 36 individual lines. Holes will need to be drilled at each end of the line, with the turnbuckle secured at one end. A small eyelet is secured at the othere end, and the line pulled through it and folded back on itself and glued. Obviously each line will need to be trimmed to a suitable length before fixing to the model. It looks like a simple enough method, key will be securing each turnbuckle and eyelet. A drop of cyano with a dab of accelerator should be the ideal way of doing this. Conclusion. This is an interesting method of replicating rigging, and should also give some strength to the finished model. It looks no more fiddly than threading fishing line or E-Z line through eyelets. Also the turnbuckles are more detailed than tubing or line tied off, and should look good once painted and in place.

Jagstaffel 30 Volume 2 1:32 Pheon Decals Jasta 30 was formed in January 1917, and remained based at Phalempin in northern France until virtually the end of the Great War. For most of this time the commanding officer was Hans Bethge, a 20 victory ace. Bethge was a little unusual as he survived for fourteen months in this role, before being killed in action in March 1918. Few Jasta commanders lasted this long. The unit commenced combat operations with the Albatros D.III, progressing through the Albatros D.V and D.Va, the unloved Pfalz D.III and D.XII, to the much sought after Fokker D.VII. Examples of all of these are covered on this latest release from Pheon, with the exception of the Pfalz D.III which is covered on sheet 32026. These sets are only avaialble direct from Pheon at £15.75 + P&P (which is a one off charge per order, no matter how many decal sets are purchased), although prices may increase in the near future as they have been held down for several years now. Initially the Jasta left the choice of markings up to the individual pilot, so the D.III's showed a wide variety of markings. Bethge himself chose to paint the Mercedes three pointed star on the side of his D.III, in appreciation of the reliable powerplant in his mount. Other options I particularly like on this sheet are no. 3. Kurt Katzensteins Albatros D.V. A fellow pilot, Otto Fuchs, painted the cat on the fuselage side, but it came out looking more like a fox. Maybe this was no accident, as 'Fuchs' is German for fox! Hans Holthusen's red and white striped, Josef Heiligers black, Karl Weltz's pale blue and Emil Liebert's darker blue Albatros D.VA's all make for very attractive subjects. My favourites though are the Fokker D.VII's of August Hartmann (option 13) and the unknown orange / black & white striped machine (option 15). 1. Albatros D.III, Oblt. Hans Bethge, May/June 1917. 2. Albatros D.III, D2054/16, Ltn. Heinrich Brügman, April/June 1917. 3. Albatros D.V, Ltn. Kurt Katzenstein, August/October 1917. 4. Albatros D.V, D1012/17, Ltn. Paul Erbguth, June 1917. 5. Albatros D.V, Ltn. Otto Fuchs, September/October 1917. 6. Albatros D.V, D 2140/17, Ltn. Otto Fuchs, July/August 1917. 7. Albatros D.V, D1016/17, Ltn. Hans-Georg von der Marwitz, June 1917. 8. Albatros D.V, Ltn. Hans-Georg von der Marwitz, November 1917 to February 1918. 9. Albatros D.V, Ltn. Hans Holthusen, November1917/February 1918. 10. Albatros D.V Vzfw.Josef Heiligers, November/December 1917. 11. Albatros D.V, D4420/17, Ltn. Karl Weltz, November 1917. 12. Albatros D.V, Uffz.Emil Liebert, November 1917/January 1918. 13. Fokker D.VII, Ltn. August Hartmann, July/November 1918. 14. Fokker D.VII, Ltn. Hans-Georg von der Marwitz, September/October 1918. 15. Fokker D.VII, Pilot not known, Autumn 1918. 16. Pfalz D.XII, Ltn. Hans-Georg von der Marwitz, Summer 1918. 17. Fokker D.VII, Pilot not known, Autumn 1918. 18. Fokker D.VII, 370/18. Ltn. Hans Holthusen, June/September 1918. Conclusion. As with the previously reviewed set for Jasta 17, I really like these sets of decals that cover particualr units. They provide decals for several differnt types of aircraft and thus you get to apply them to several models, lowering the unit cost of the sheet per subject. The instructions are as informative as ever, I really appreciate the extra little bits of background information. I can well imagine why Hans Holthusen (option 9) applied for single seaters. Flying a Rumpler 2 seater in August 1917 he was first picked on by German AA, then attacked by a Jasta 37 Albatros and crash landed with a seriously wounded observer. The decals are printed by Fantasy Printshop, and are of excellent quality. The printing is pin sharp and in perfect register, on thin and minimal carrier film. The colours look right with good opacity, and the detailing is exceptionally good, as shown on this close up. This is another great release from Pheon, who are providing a steady stream of interesting and important markings for the enthusiastic modeller of the Great War period. There is always a mix of the well known and the obscure on their decal sheets which goes to enhance their appeal. The only problem with them comes in selecting which ones you are going to do! Review sample courtesy of

AEG G.IV Late 1:32 Wingnut Wings [Edit] January 2017 - kit now being built over in 'Work in Progress' [/Edit] Introduction. The AEG G.IV late first started to appear with front line units in early 1917 although it wasn’t until the summer that were available in useful numbers. Developed from an early concept of the heavily armed ‘battleplane’ which was designed to fight it’s way through enemy formations, it was the first of the line to be intended solely as a bomber. The battleplane concept was proven to be flawed after heavy losses were suffered, although it partly resurfaced in later years with the Me.110 ‘Zerstorer’. The G.IV is less well known than the Gotha series of bombers, but in fact was able to carry a heavier bomb load. It was also the most popular amongst aircrews as it was considered to be the easiest of the twin engine bombers to fly. At first it was used as day time bomber, but heavy losses soon saw it switched to night bombing raids. Another lesson that was re-learned in second world war. The aircraft commander was not the pilot, rather he occupied the nose gun position and presumably issued any instructions from there. Due to the high likelihood of the aircraft nosing over during the take off run or on landing, he had a temporary seat beside the pilot, which he used at the these times. Wingnut Wings have now released a model of this aircraft in 2 versions covering its early and late incarnations, of which we have received the ‘late’ boxing for review. Of all Wingnuts promised releases, this is the one I have been most eagerly awaiting since their series of Fokker D.VII’s came out. Packed in large (deeper and wider) box than most, the lid has a striking painting of a shark mouthed G.IV lifting off against an orange sunset. Compared to an Albatros box; Anticipation was high as the lid was lifted for the first time, to reveal a box absolutely filled to capacity with individually shrink wrapped sprues. First glances show that the wonderful level of intricate and detailed mouldings that are the hallmark of Wingnuts engineering are all there across 17 sprue trees. There are also 3 A4 sized decal sheets of night lozenge fabric, another of Balkenkreutz & individual markings, and a smaller one with interior lozenge and more exterior for the nose area, including the shark mouth. Also included is a small etched brass fret with 3 sets of seatbelts and some internal pulleys and chains. Finally we have the Instruction book/reference manual, in the full and complete Wingnuts style. Sprue A. This covers many if the detailed cockpit interior components, all very finely moulded. Internal bomb racks are provided along with seats and various ancilliary fittings. The construction sequences are accompanied by detailed photographs of both original machines and the one preserved at the Canadian Aviation and Space Museum in Ottawa. There are some fabulous pictures of the whole of the interior, showing a goldmine of information. close ups of the sharp and neatly defined mouldings; Beautiful finesse on the these parts; Sprue B. Here we have the upper wing outboard sections, and the fin & rudder. Sprue C. The small windscreens and glass door for the lower gun. Sprue D1. Here we have the engine mounts and associated strutting, along with a choice of 3 different propellers. The intricate frameworks are only needed if you choose to build fully or partly exposed engines. Otherwise there are all the panels that go to create anything from a partly to full cowled engine nacelle. Finely moulded radiators, pipes, and mounts are provided, and there are even small deals to fit to the tops of them. A pair of the larger 100 Kg PuW bombs are also supplied for mounting on the external bomb rack under the fuselage center. Sprue D2. The tailplanes, various bombs, the wing struts and wheels are the main components here. Again two sets are provided. A nice touch is the choice of weighted or unweighted tyres with separate outer hubs to ease painting. If you are going to build your G.IV bombed up ready for a mission, the weighted tyres are an obvious choice. Sprue E. Again there are 2 of these, for the Daimler-Mercedes D.Iva engines. Beautifully moulded detail with every nut and bolt, and easy assembly are standard on every Wingnuts engine I have built. I usually start all my builds with these as they are model in their own right and give you an early sense of satisfaction. They are little gems, with even the dataplates as decals to attach, the only thing you might want to add is some spark plug leads from fine thread or fuse wire. On the G.IV the engines can be left exposed, and will form a centrepiece of the model. I expect most will go for one or both engines exposed, perhaps just setting one fully or partly cowled. Sprue F. The fuselage halves, cockpit floor, and interior side panels with very delicate moulding are here. The instructions point out where various holes will need drilling to cater for the differences between the ‘early’ and ‘late’ boxings of the kit, and the different fittings that go in them. The rear cockpit has internal bomb racks on both sides, wheras the early version only has a rack on the starboard side, so this needs to be opened up as well. All is very clear shown in the instructions. Sprue G. There are 3 of these, with various machine guns on them. Only 1 type, the LMG 14/17 Parabellum is required. As usual these are crisply moulded with excellent detail. Sprue H. Here we have the upper and lower wing centre sections, and cockpit coaming. Beautiful detailing on the walkways between the fuselage and engines; Sprue I. The lower outer wing panels, engine ‘bath tubs’ and side panels. Lovely rib tape details are moulded on, with a gentle amount of fabric sag between them. They are quite large mouldings but there is not a trace of any sink marks anywhere on them. Large tabs are provided at the root end to locate them in to corresponding slots in the centre section, making it a doddle to line everything up. Sprue J. More strutting and the other halves of the tubular frameworks for the engine cowlings. These frameworks will not be required if you decide to fully cowl your engines. There is some complicated looking struttery to go between the fuselage sides and the engine cowlings, but these are moulded in pre-set units of 3 struts each, a forward and aft set, that again will make child’s play of setting and aligning everything up. Engine mounting struts and cowling framework for the uncowled engine option; Sprue L. A small sprue holding the gunners coamings and gun mounting rings that fit in them. Photo Etch. Lap type seat belts for each of the 3 crew positions, and some nice pulley & chains to affix to the control column/steering wheel assembly. The other items are not required, so those unneeded LMG.14’s from sprue G can all go into the spares box with etched jackets. Very useful! Decals. An impressive set of decal sheets are provided to cover virtually all of the exterior with night type lozenge fabric. All are in pre-shaped ‘cookie cutter’ format, and there are even lighter sections provided for the fuselage interior. Data plates, instrument faces, propeller logos and a mass of other tiny items are the sheet holding the individual aircraft markings. All are printed by Cartograf, so quality is assured. 5 Options are provided, all for night bombers. Option A. G.IV 848/17 ‘White 1’, Bogohl 8b, May 1918. Option B. G.IV 850/17, ‘White 2’ Bogohl 8b, June 1918. Option C. G.IV ‘White VII’, mid to late 1918. Option D. G.IV 567/18, ‘White 7’ Bogohl 8b, mid to late 1918. Option D. G.IV 574/18, ‘White IV’ Bogohl 8b, November 1918. Conclusion. Well what can I say? Every new Wingnut Wings release is eagerly awaited and nudges the bar higher each time. Who would have ever thought a few years ago that a 1:32nd AEG G.IV would ever be produced as a mainstream injection moulded kit. What we have here is just extraordinary in its depth of detail and completeness. The quality of moulding is faultless, and previous experience says that it will fit together with precision. These kits require careful building as the fit tolerances are so tight that you can’t have primer or paint on mating surfaces, particularly those in recesses or sockets. But that’s what we want isn’t it? Accurate models engineered so you don’t have to use filler and brute force to get them together. This one isn’t for beginners, but if you’ve got a couple of Wingnut Wings single seaters under your belt, it should be well within your capabilities. By every measure this is an outstanding kit. Simply fabulous. Very highly recommended Review sample courtesy of

MHU-12 Munitions Trailer Videoaviation 1:32 The latest 1:32 release from Videoaviation is of a MHU-12 Munitions trailer. The set comes in a sturdy cardboard box with a picture of the two options included in the kit. 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 fifty two parts all told, but some will not be used depending on whether you’re building an early or late trolley. Construction begins with the fitting of the various underside fittings for the two pallet like beds, which consist of two tube mounts, six boxes, and four suspension mounts. Between the two beds there is a removable section that can be left unglued, depending if you’re likely to change the weapons the trolley is carrying. The extension tube is fitted to the two underside mounting plates, along with the extension box, mechanism and handle. Once the tow axles have been attached to the suspension mounts, the wheels can be fitted. These are made up of a separate hub and the choice of early or late style wheels, once these are attached the steering rods and tow hitch are fitted. To go with the early or late theme the modeller can choose from two styles of towing beam. The eight tie down rings, four per side are fitted, followed by the rear tow hitch and the eight weapon pads, which can be fitted as to the modellers wishes, depending on what weapons are being used. The small sheet of decals contains a couple of warning signs and what I presume are reflective panels for around the trolley. Conclusion This is another very useful piece of ground equipment from Videoaviation, which will look great in a diorama next to one of the myriad of 1:32 US aircraft on the market. The quality is superb, not just with the moulding, but also the details included. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Chance Vought F4U-1A Corsair detail Sets Eduard 1:32 The Tamiya 1:32 Corsair F4U-1A is a fantastic model straight out of the box as are all of this series of 1:32 kits, but there are always more ways to gild the lily. This is Eduard come in with their range of update sets for it, six in fact if you include the zoom and mask sets, and there’ll probably be joined by others in the near future. Each set is held in the usual poly sleeve packaging with a card insert to prevent damage, and the instructions still leave a lot to be desired. Typically some of the kit details need to be removed before the brass parts can be added. Interior Set (32828) Contained on two sheets of relief etched brass, the larger one is unpainted whereas the smaller one is not only pre-painted but self adhesive as well. The unpainted sheet contains items such as the rudder pedal heel and toe plates, rudder cable attachments, side console inside faces, document pockets and additional fittings not included in the kit. On the engine bulkhead there is a pair of new cable runs and pipes, whilst the foot rests/”floor” troughs are fitted with more detailed bulkhead fittings complete with lightening holes. There are a large number of instrument boxes fitted around the cockpit, on the side consoles; coaming and side walls onto which the pre-painted faces are attached. The instrument panels are also pre-painted complete with the instrument faces on the backplate. A little dab of aqua clear will give them the appearance of glass fronts. The fire extinguisher and oxygen bottles receive new straps and supports and the canopy is fitted with new frames fore and aft and latching handle. Interior Zoom Set (33144) 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. Engine Set (32365) To really enhance the details on the kits engine this set provides a wealth of additional and finer parts for the job. Quite a few areas need to be cut away before the etched parts can be added, particularly around the cowling mounting bulkhead between the cylinder banks. Holes need to be drilled into the cylinder banks ready to accept the new wiring harness which is pretty complex and care will be needed as whilst the instruction diagram is better than usual, it could have been clearer. The exhaust manifold receives new flanges and jubilee style clips. Another complex area of the build is the fitting of the individual cowl flaps and cowl flap ring. Each cowl flap is fitted with a three piece etched actuator which will need a very steady hand to assemble and fit. The front cowl mounting ring is also provided as are the interior rib detail for each of the opening cowling panels. Exterior (32366) This single sheet set contains some very nice additional detail for the exterior and open areas of the kit. There are quite a few parts dedicated to the interior of the tailwheel bay, especially on the mounting bulkhead which has new mounting fixtures and fittings for the tail oleo, whilst the foreward bulkhead is fitted with new fittings which include the rudder cable arm and mounting bracket. The tailwheel bay doors are fitted with new hinges panels and attachment links. The main wheel bays also get a dose of additional detail with the fitting of new panels around the bay walls and roof along with additional cabling and pipe work. If you’re building the model with wings folded then you have the option of adding new end plates to the flaps and ailerons along with replacement brackets and web pieces. The wing fold areas have a host of new hoses and pipework fitted which will really make the areas look not only more accurate but busy. Placards (32829) This small single sheet set contains much of what is already on the interior sets pre-painted sheet and naturally the zoom set, which is rather annoying to be honest. There are a few parts different that the modeller could use in the cockpit, but not nearly enough to make this set worth being separate to the interior sets. Masks (JX176) To complement the sets mentioned above, Eduard have also released a set of paint masks for the F4U-1A, which helps masking the clear areas a whole lot easier. Conclusion As with most of Eduards releases there are questions as to why some sets are so comprehensive yet still missing vital parts that are held back to make up other smaller sets. The placard set should be contained in the interior pack as should a set of seatbelts which will probably be released later. The quality of these sets is superb, and will certainly help to the making of a super detailed model. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Republic P-47D Thunderbolt detail Set Mk1 Design 1:32 The Hasegawa 1:32 P-47D Thunderbolt has been released in various guises for some time now, in fact the first release was in 2007. Whilst there has been a fair few update sets released, Mk1 Design have decided to release one of their own. The clear poly sleeve contains two sheets of etched brass, one large unpainted sheet and one small sheet which comes pre-painted. The etch is accompanied by a pair of white metal main undercarriage legs, turned brass barrels and a full set of resin wheels. The instructions are very clear, and are mostly a series of photographs showing the parts fitted to the actual plastic of the kit. The small pre-painted etched sheet provides items for use in the cockpit and provides a selection of placards, console faces, auxiliary instrument panels and separate switches. As with the Corsair set reviewed HERE, the main instrument panel is painted in a black crackle finish, although in this instance it appears a little more restrained and looks much better for it. The backing plate with the instrument faces printed on is glued to the rear of the instrument panels, but will be much improved with a drop of Aqua Gloss or similar to represent the instrument glass. As per their other sets, a full complement of seatbelts is provided each with separate buckles and clasps which have to be carefully threaded onto the pre-painted belts. The much large etched sheet contains a range of new panels for use on various points on the wings and fuselage. The supercharger vent doors on the sides of the fuselage are replaced and the modeller has the option of posing them either open or closed along witht eh vents that are fitted to the lower cowling. There are a lot detail parts that some manufacturers miss, such as the intake grilles fitted at the bottom if the inner cowling and the visible plates that close of the flaps moving sections and the fixed wing sections. The main wheel bays are detailed with the numerous flange plates that are fitted to the forward edge of the bay. The engine is provided with a new wiring harness which will need a fair bit of care to get positioned and folded correctly, whilst the cowl flaps are completely replaced and can also be posed either opened or closed. The resin wheels are very nicely moulded with a well slightly softer block tread pattern than those found in the Corsair set, but unlike that set the bulges moulded into the tyre is much more restrained and therefore look a little more realistic, particularly for such a heavy aircraft using a rough airstrip. The tailwheel also looks better than those found in the other Mk1 Design sets. The main wheels are quite deep dished, with some nicely moulded detail and finished off with the fitting of the separate outer hubs. The metal main undercarriage legs are pretty well moulded, but there is still a seam that needs removing and a fair bit of flash on one of them that needs to be cleaned off. They are finished off with a pair of scissor link parts which just slot into each other and the undercarriage leg/oleo. The turned brass barrels are only used to replace the outer sleeves seen on the aircraft and don’t include any gun detail, but they’ll still look a lot better than the styrene ones found in the kit. Conclusion This is probably the best of the three sets that I’ve seen from Mk1 Design. The amount of detail included is just right for those who don’t want to do too overboard with their model, but also enough to bring the model up a level or two. The replacement cowl flaps and vents do bring much more of a scale thickness to the finished models and the options to have them open a closed are a nice touch. Even the wheels look better than the others I’ve seen, which all in all makes for a very nice package. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Chance Vought F4U-1 detail Set Mk1 Design 1:32 The Tamiya 1:32 Corsair is a beautiful model straight out of the box with perhaps the only real area that needing attention being the magnetos on the crank case, and yet there have been quite a few aftermarket sets released for it and this is yet another one. Mk1 Design are pretty new to the aircraft update scene having mostly concentrated on producing amazing sets for the maritime modellers. This fairly comprehensive set comes in a clear poly sleeve and contains three sheets of etched brass, one of which is pre-painted and a set of resin wheels. The relief etched sheets are nicely produced but not overly complicated. The instructions though are really clear and easy to decipher, unlike some other companies, and are printed in full colour. Areas that need removing or modification are shaded in red and the photographs are of the actual kit with the etched parts fitted. The cockpit is provided with a whole set of placards, console faces, auxiliary instrument panels and separate switches. The main instrument panel is painted in a black crackle finish, which although looking slightly overdone on the fret, it will probably look good in the cockpit. Each of the panels has a backing plate with the instrument faces painted onto it give the completed panels some depth, but could still do with a drop of Aqua Gloss or similar to represent the instrument glass. Also included in the package is a full set of seatbelts, each with separate buckles and clasps. The majority of the PE set is used for detailing the engine, (ignition wires), Cowl flaps, with the interiors and hinges, intakes, (grilles and baffles), Wing fold and undercarriage bays, (wiring and pipework). There are also panels for between the tailwheel legs, and the ends of the flaps at the wingfold join. The resin wheels are very nicely moulded with a well defined blockish tread pattern, but I think they are little too heavily bulged at the bottom, making them look like they are under inflated, and the tailwheel, which I believe is a solid rubber item, is also bulged when there is little deflection on the real tyres. The outer hub is separate, allowing the interior of the wheel to be detailed with the provided etched parts, which should look very good once assembled. Conclusion As mentioned above this is quite a comprehensive set that will go a long way to help set off the magnificence of the kit. There is nothing that needs complicated folding and there arent too many fiddly parts either, so would be good for an intermediate modeller to use. The tyres on the wheels are the only real fly in the ointment with their excessive bulges, which are not particularly easy to rectify. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Well, it would appear that a Tamiya F14 in 1:32 dropped on to my door mat yesterday... I wonder how that happened I really want to make this kit the best one I've built, and as a mediocre modeller (and maybe I'm giving myself a little too much credit there) I wanted to ask you good people for some help and advice to help me along. Do any of you have any recommendations for decals, photo-etch parts, resin extra's? I've seen a few on Hannants that take my eye but thought I'd see what you guys came up with before I bought anything? Are there any metal undercarriage sets out there as I'm not sure I trust the plastic parts to hold the kit up? Do any of you know of any 'work in progress' threads (I've looked but can't find any)? And basically anything else I should be aware of that will help me make a really good go of this kit... Thanks guys and girls, look forward to reading your replies. James

Diorama accessory sets Videoaviation 1:32 The latest releases from Videoaviation.com these three sets for USAF and USN based dioramas/vignettes. Each set is manufactured in a creamy beige resin which is really well moulded and detailed. Each set also includes a figure which adds some human interest to a diorama. [130832] This set contains flightline fire extinguishers as used by the USAF. Inside the sturdy cardboard box are two poly zip lock bags of creamy beige resin parts, a couple of parts wrapped in bubble wrap, a small decal sheet 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 large halon extinguisher sits in a hand pushed, although there is a towing eye so could be attached to the back of a truck or tractor, trolley and is made up of the framework, extinguisher tank which has a separate nozzle and retaining clip, the trolley wheels a rubber hose and the extinguisher head. The included figure comes in three parts the body, including head and legs and the separate arms. These are meant to be attached in such a pose as to have the figure pushing the trolley. The kit also includes three hand held extinguishers which come as the main tank, separate handle and some more of the rubber hose. The painting guide is pretty simple and the decals provided are well printed and include the general markings used on these extinguishers. [141132] makes up into an Aero 12C Bomb Skid. Contained in a zip-lock bag with a card liner, on the back of which are the instructions, this is once again moulded in the creamy beige resin. The mouldings are really well rendered and the details crisp and clean. Construction is quite simple, with the main skid body being fitted with the two wheels, rear stands and the two long arms. If you are going to use the provided figure then the hand rings on the end of the arms need to be removed. There is only a small amount of cleanup required once the parts have been removed from the casting blocks, but be aware of the handles as they are quite fragile and require the flash between them and the block to be carefully removed. As with the above set the figure is complete apart from the arms which make it easier to pose as the modeller wishes. Also make note that most of the time only one handle is attached, as in the picture below. [141232] Contained in a zip-lock bag with card liner, this is the simplest of the three sets as it contains the figure, again with separate arms, and six holdbacks, as used to hold back the aircraft nose wheel when on the catapult shoe. The resin is the same colour as that used in the sets above and is of equal quality. There are no instructions as the assembly is so simple and the colours are shown on the card liner. Conclusion If you’re going to build a one of the amazing 1:32 aircraft on the market you may want to give it even more of a lift by placing it a diorama. For that you will need accessories such as these, and you really can’t go wrong with Videoaviations releases, as they are of superb quality and provide those little details that aren’t usually noticed on the flightline or flightdeck. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

NC-02A Mobile Electical Power Cart Skunkmodel Workshop 1:32 History The NC-02A is a self contained mobile electrical power plant for use primarily on board USN aircraft carriers. The vehicle provides 115/200 volts, 400 hertz AC and 28 volt DC to provide external power to aircraft. They are generally used when maintenance checks or servicing is required on deck without the need to start the engines. They can also be used to help start an aircraft up which hasnt got an Auxiliary Power Unit, (APU) fitted. The Model The kit, or kits, as there are two complete models are contained within the rather flimsy end opening box with a series of pictures of a completed model in a diorama scenario. Although the box titling states it is a NC-8A Mobile Electric Power Plant, (MEPP), it is fact a NC-02A, the 8A being more generally used on shore stations and is of a completely different configuration. The four sprues of light grey styrene appear to be really quite hard and as such could be quite brittle when removing parts from the sprues. Detail is generally nicely moulded although the slotted louver grilles along the sides need to be opened up or replaced as the solid items dont look particularly good. The single piece tyres have a seam going around their circumference which will need to be removed, but since there isnt any tread on that section this should be easy with a few swipes of a sanding sponge. The build is pretty simple, with the sides, front and rear being affixed to the chassis bed, along with the drivers position panels, plus front and rear bumpers. The roof section is fitted with the side of the drivers position, the head rest and a cross strengthened panel before being glued into position, along with the drivers seat squab. The next three sub-assemblies are built up with the steering wheel being attached to the steering column, the instrument panel is made up of four parts and an electrical box is made up of three parts. These are then fitted into the drivers compartment, along with the accelerator and brake pedals. The four axles are attached to in hull bottom inside each wheel arch, whilst each wheel is made up of a single piece hub and two tyres per corner before being fitted to the axles. Apart from painting and adding the decals that is pretty much it. Decals Each of the two decals sheets are the same and provide the placards, MEPP ID numbers, corner markers and bumper stripes. There are two different ID numbers for the MEPPs thus allowing both units to be used in one diorama should you wish. The decals are well printed, in good register and quite thin with little sign of carrier film. Conclusion These two kits will make a nice addition to any diorama or even as a display item in its own right. I would like to have seen the cable tray/reel panels to be positionable and perhaps even some electrical cable to have been provided, but I guess costs needed to be kept down and a good modeller should be able to knock up a few cables. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Hi everyone! Thanks to Mike's review yesterday and some time off work this week I've decided to crack on with the UHU... This will be a pretty-well out of box build with the aim of keeping things simple and making some progress. For the purposes of this exercise I'll be going into 'assembler of kits' mode as opposed to the usual AMS induced 'stress bunny'. Wish me luck! Taking a leaf out of those pesky armour modellers approaches to assembly I'm going for a lot of sub assemblies - in fact that's today's focus - so that I can then have a sanding binge all at once at some point. I have to say that whilst the kit looks superb - and is remarkable value - the instructions let it down a little! Starting with the wings - read the instructions carefully if you want to drop the flaps as there are sections that need removing! The flap areas have the inserts shown below that provide detail for the dropped flaps - as well as strength to the assembled wings: Wings are now glued and on the window-sill drying off. Tailplane next - main sections quite straightforward... The fins are more complex - and need a little gymnastics to put together - along with careful use of glue (personally I'm not bothered if they don't move): On the theme of assemblies and racking them up ready for sanding in one session here are the tyres and main gears - all pretty straightforward stuff: That's all for now folks... Iain

Grumman A-6A Intruder detail sets 1:32 Eduard The Trumpeter intruder is a fabulous kit straight out of the box, with loads of detail included. But theres always room for improvement as is shown with the release of these etched sets from Eduard. Interior Set (32813) This set consists of two sheets of photo etched brass. The larger of the two, printed in colour provides the larger parts for the cockpit, such as all the different panels that make up the instrument panel, side and centre consoles. The smaller sheet contains a new vent and other smaller parts for the coaming are also included. The canopy is also catered for with new rear view mirrors, handles, overhead console, framework and grab handles. The rear under canopy panel receives new rails and panels whilst the rear bulkhead also receives new fixtures and fittings. The ejection seat are fitted with new firing handles, pipework and head box fittings. Naturally there is quite of lot of the moulded detail on the kit parts that need to be removed before fitting the etched parts, so read the instructions carefully before starting. Seatbelt Set (32809) Surprisingly separate from the interior set this single sheet of pre-painted tinned etched brass gives the modeller everything to make two very detailed ejection seats. Since some of the seat details are contained in the interior set, this set only provides the seat straps, lap straps and the all important leg restraints. Whilst not overly complex, items such as the buckles make the job of assembly rather fiddly. The time taken though will pay dividends and you will have some extremely good looking straps, and all without the need to paint them. External Set (32288) Another two sheet set, which, whilst described as an External set and is pretty comprehensive. The majority of the parts appear to be concerned with the detailing of the various open panels with lots of new ribs and frames for hte internal structures. The airbrakes also have circular strengthening rings to fit around the lightening holes, whilst the chaff and flare boxes are fitted with new end plates. There are also a large number of parts to super detail the inner and outer wing fold panels, with pipework, ribs, brackets and panels. The undersides of all the pylons get the Eduard treatment too making them much more realistic, particularly if you want to have your model bare of weapons. Talking of weapons, there are [parts for these too, such as the Rockeyes, Mk82s and AGM-45s. Undercarriage (32359) This single sheet set may be named after the areas its designed for, but in fact it covers more than that. Yes there are new panels, fixtures, brackets and other items for all three bays and their respective doors, but there are also new fixing rings, tie down points, pipework etc. for the main and nose wheel oleos. The main wheels also receive new brake details whilst the access doors/step interiors are almost completely replaced with new frames and steps. Conclusion These sets provide a superb level of detail for the big A-6A Intruder. The etch work is excellent and even the pre-painted sets look great. Just choose how much or how little you wish to add. Im sure a Big Ed set will be released soon, providing all the sets in one package which does save a little money if you want to go the whole hog. Im more than happy to recommend these to all, although, you will need to have some experience of working with etched parts. Review samples courtesy of

RAF Roundels Paint Mask Set A1 1:32 Raikisan! When the painting is finished and the decals are going on ok, but you really can’t that painted on look you are striving for, the only way forward is to actually paint them on. A new company, new to me at least has begun producing masks for just such a product. The set reviewed here is the RAF roundel Type A1 and provides a selection of roundels in different sizes. Cut out of a green kabuki type tape the there are the following types included:- 35” x 12 49” x 8 56 x 6 The instructions are simple and straight forward. 1. Place the pre-cut square mask that surrounds each roundel into the desired position. Spray a light coat of white, although this can be preceded by a light coat of grey primer. Leave to dry 2. Place all the ring masks into position ensuring they are aligned correctly. 3. Remove the outer ring and spray the yellow and leave to dry. 4. Replace outer ring and remove next ring in. Spray the blue and leave to dry. 5. Replace the blue ring and remove the middle disc. Spray the red colour and leave to dry. 6. Carefully remove all the masks and the completed roundel will be revealed. Conclusion Although they take a little time and require some care in getting aligned you just can’t beat the look of painted on markings, and this set will be very useful for the modeller who wants it just right. Raikisan already have a good selection of roundel masks suitable for all eras available on their website. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Messerschmitt Me-110 E-2/Trop 1:32 Dragon/Cyberhobby History The Messerschmitt Bf 110, often (erroneously) called Me 110, was a twin-engine heavy fighter (Zerstörer—German for "Destroyer") developed in Nazi Germany in the 1930s and used by the Luftwaffe and others during World War II. Hermann Göring was a proponent of the Bf 110. It was armed with two 20 mm cannons, four 7.92 mm MG 17 machine guns, and one 7.92 mm MG 15 machine gun or twin MG 81Zs for defence. Development work on an improved type to replace the Bf 110, the Messerschmitt Me 210 began before the war started, but its teething troubles resulted in the Bf 110 soldiering on until the end of the war in various roles, alongside its replacements, the Me 210 and the Me 410. The Bf 110 served with considerable success in the early campaigns, the Polish, Norwegian and Battle of France. The Bf 110's lack of agility in the air was its primary weakness. This flaw was exposed during the Battle of Britain, when some Bf 110-equipped units were withdrawn from the battle after very heavy losses and redeployed as night fighters, a role to which the aircraft was well suited. The Bf 110 enjoyed a successful period following the Battle of Britain as an air superiority fighter and strike aircraft in other theatres. During the Balkans Campaign, North African Campaign and on the Eastern Front, it rendered valuable ground support to the German Army as a potent fighter-bomber (Jagdbomber or Jabo). Later in the war, it was developed into a formidable night fighter, becoming the major night-fighting aircraft of the Luftwaffe. Most of the German night fighter aces flew the Bf 110 at some point during their combat careers, and the top night fighter ace of all time, Major Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer, flew it exclusively and claimed 121 victories in 164 combat missions. The production of the Bf 110 was put on a low priority in 1941 in expectation of its replacement by the Me 210. During this time, two versions of the Bf 110 were developed, the E and F models. The E was designed as a fighter bomber (Zerstörer Jabo), able to carry four 50 kg ETC-50 racks under the wing, along with the centerline bomb rack. The first E, the Bf 110 E-1 was originally powered by the DB 601B engine, but shifted to the DB 601P as they became available in quantity. A total of 856 Bf 110E models were built between August 1940 and January 1942. The E models also had upgraded armour and some fuselage upgrades to support the added weight. The aircraft wasn’t universally liked by the pilots as they reported it to be slow and unresponsive. The Model This kit is a variation on the earlier versions that Dragon has released since 2008, but this time it’s in their Cyberhobby range. The large, sturdy box has a nice depiction of an aircraft in a desert colour scheme on the front. Inside there are nineteen sprues of medium grey styrene, two of clear and two small sheets of etched brass. According to the parts diagrams there are a lot of unused parts destined for the spares box. The parts are all very nicely moulded with fine panel lines and raised panels where required, with no sign of flash, but there are a lot of moulding pips throughout the sprues. The earlier kits are recognised as being very well detailed and this is no exception, there are a lot of small parts that help build up a very nice cockpit and the two DB 601 engines and yet it doesn’t look to be a complicated build which is something I don’t normally say about Dragon kits. The instruction sheet is quite large allowing the diagrams to be bigger and thus clearer to read. There are still a few areas you need to be wary of, so read carefully before starting the build. The build begins with the cockpit assembly and the construction of the pilots seat which is made up of the seat and tow supports, with the left hand support featuring the seat adjustment handle moulded in place. The etched seat belts are then fitted and adjusted to shape. The main instrument panel is fitted with the gun-sight and small selector box and attached to the main cockpit floor, along with the rudder pedals, joystick, throttle quadrant to the left and side console the right. To the rear of the floor there is a large spent cartridge bin for the rear machine gun. The rear bulkhead is fitted with the spare ammunition drums for the rear machine gun, whilst the central framework is fitted with the radio panels and spare 20mm ammunition drums. There is a panel that fits in a trough just behind the pilots seat, this is the mounting panel for the 20mm cannon, two of which are fitted on the underside, whilst the ammunition drums, air bottles, radio operators seat and associated frame are fitted to the topside. These subassemblies are then fitted to their respective positions on the cockpit floor, followed by the side walls. The upper cockpit frame is then assembled from the main shoulder height frame, upper frame over the radio section, auxiliary instruments over the radios and the rear machine gun at its mounting plate. The completed framework is then fitted to the cockpit assembly and the whole cockpit glued into one half of the fuselage which can then be closed up. Meanwhile the nose gun mounting is assembled and the two machine guns fitted along with their ammunition belt runs before being slid into the single piece nose cone. This seems to be a bit of a waste as none of this detail will be seen unless the access panels in the nose section are carefully removed. The numerous sections of the cockpit greenhouse are then attached and the opening parts posed as per the modellers wishes, followed by the rear cockpit/fuselage fairing. With the fuselage closed up, the single piece centre wing spars complete with extra cannon bay detail is attached and covered with the fuselage centre panel, thus again covering all the detail previously fitted. Whilst the fuselage is upside down the PE DF aerial and styrene HF aerials are glued into position. The build moves onto the two DB 601 engines. These begin with the assembly of the main block which comes in two halves onto which the cylinder head and two cam covers are attached. Onto this main block the ignition harness, engine bearers, turbocharger assembly, oil tank and pipework are fitted. The undercarriage is the assembled, with the main units made up of the oleo, scissor link, retraction jack and support framework. The main tires are in two halves to which the separate inner and outer hubs, also in two parts are fitted. Smaller sub assemblies are now built up, these includes the two radiator cores to their respective housings, the upper cowling is fitted with the oil cooler intake, the exhaust stacks and their fairings are assembled and the main undercarriage bays are assembled from the firewall and roof sections, and completed with a selection of pipework and fittings. The exhaust stacks are then attached to the engine assemblies which are then fitted to the firewalls and the main undercarriage fitted to their bays. Before the radiator housing can be fitted to the lower cowling a large section must be cut out. The separate upper cowlings can be fitted, or left off to show off the engines. The instructions move onto the wings and the assembly of the underwing radiators which are made up of five parts then attached to the lower wing panels. The main wing bays are detailed with internal frames after which the wheel bay doors are attached. The engine/undercarriage sub-assemblies are fitted to the lower wings followed by the upper wing sections, wing tips, leading edge intake scoops and landing lights. The propellers are assembled by fitting the three separate blades to the hub, which is then attached to the backplate and finished off with the spinner. Finally the modeller has a choice of whether to fit the two drop tanks or two pairs of bombs and their respective racks. The completed wings are then slid onto wing spars on the fuselage and glued into place. The final section is the assembly of the tailplane with the two halves of the vertical fins joined together then attached to the horizontal tailplane which comes as a single piece upper and two lower sections. In the centre of the lower section the tailwheel bay is attached then fitted with the tailwheel, made up of two wheel halves and single piece oleo, then the bay is completed with the addition of the bay doors. The completed tailplane is then attached to the rear of the fuselage thus completing the build. Decals There are two sheets of decals one large and one small addendum style sheet. The small sheet just has a selection of single code letter to be used on the three schemes provided. The main sheet comes with a full set of stencils for one aircraft, with the Swastikas made up of two sections for obvious reasons and markings for the following options:- Bf-110 of 8./ZG.26 based in North Africa during 1942 Bf-110 of 7./ZG.26 based in Italy during 1941 Bf-110 of 7./ZG.26 based in Libya during 1942 The colour scheme of RLM 79 over RLM 78 is the same for all three aircraft with the only differences being the colours of their I.D. stripes. The decals are printed by Cartograf and are well up to their usual standards, with good colour density, in register and with fine carrier film. Conclusion I’ve not had the chance to view one of these large Dragon Bf-110s before, but they are really quite impressive and will build into quite a large model. There is a lot of detail included, but what puzzles me is that much of it is covered and there is no option to have the access panels open to show it all off, which seems a bit pointless. That said with a bit of modelling, some care and a sharp knife, the panels could be cut away and some interior detail added to them. Highly recommended Review sample courtesy of UK distributors for

This build was started back in December but I've been unable to write about it on Britmodeller until now, so here goes with a slightly mammoth catch-up! This build is the first in a long term project I've been researching for some time now - the title of the project is "The planes my Dad fixed!". Let me explain... My father was in the RAF during WWII. He was an electrician and joined up in 1941 and remained in the RAF until demob at the end of 1945. Sadly he died in 1979 when I was 18 so I never got to be able to talk to him as a proper adult. I did, however get him to tell me some stories of what he did during the war. Whenever the atlas or the globe came out it'd be "Dad, show me where you went?" He'd point to Algeria, Tunisia, Sicily, Egypt India and Burma. When my mother died eralier this year, my brother and I went thorugh all her effects and found a load of stuff about our Dad, including an Xmas dinner menu from December 1943, with 81 Squadron inviting him for Xmas. This piqued my interest so I applied to the RAF to get a copy of his war record. This is quite easy to do - you just need a death certificate (if the subject is deceased) and you need to be next of kin. Thankfully in his effcts we also foudn his demob card which had his service number on so it was very easy to provide identity details to the RAF. It also costs £30 admin fee - well worth it as it turned out! 3 months later I got a large envelope through the post which has a copy of both sides of the paper war record that details his time in the services. From this I was able to see which squadrons he was attached to at various times and from that was able to deduce what aircraft he worked on. Essentially he was in training school until Feb 42 and was then stationed at South Detling, during which time 280 Sqn was present, flying Avro Ansons. From there he was attached to 122 Sqn during 42, 122 Sqn was at that time equipped with Spitfire Vb and Vc, then in October was transferred to 81 Sqn who were at that time in Gib, supporting Operation Torch, the invasion of NW Africa. So that accounted for his travels through Algeria, Tunisia and then eventually to Sicily in later 1943. 81 Sqn was at that time flying Spitfire Vc (trop) and Spitifre IX. Then in November 43, we was transferred to 5 Sqn, then based in India. By sheer coincidence, 81 Sqn itslef was posted to India and ended up just down the road from where 5 Sqn was based at that time (Sampam), which explains the Christmas menu invitation! He was then with 5 Sqn for the rest of the war, initially operating Hurrican IIc and IId in a ground attack role. In early 45, they converted to Thunderbolts. In the training section of my Dad's record is also notations for Mosquito and Lancaster, but I can see no evidence in the record that he ever really worked on them. So that gives me a very interesting selection to choose from. Well to start with I want to do a diorama which includes my Dad at work! In the photo album we have several of him his bush hat and shorts in Burma, so this seems a natural place to start, so here we go with the Hurricane IIc from Revell. I was lucky enough to pick up at the Telford Kitswap as the basis: Its not a terribly complex kit - its major downfall being that it has raised panel lines and it is the Revell bodge job of taking a Hurricane I kit, slappipng a couple of blisters on the upper wing, replacing the machine gun insert with cannon mounts and thats it. The panel lines on the wing are all wrong, the nose is wrong, the tailwheel is wrong... and so it goes on! So to improve the build itself, I invested heavily in aftermarket gear at Telford, picking up several items from Grey Matter Figures such as the cockpit and wheelbay enhancements. here is all the aftermarket stuff I aim to be using: Moving in a clockwise direction: on the black page you can see the cockpit set in the top left and the wheelbays in the bottom right. Next to that is a set of decals for the lettering in the right colours and size for 5 Sqn in India. Below that is a vacform canopy and next is a set of replacement exhausts, then replacement cannons and finally some masks for the canopy. In this one we have replacement radiator, main wheels, tail wheel and undercarriage doors. The next photo shows the main part of this set, the resin replacement nose Of course this is the build that I want to make diorama out of, featuring my dad doing his job as an electrician. So here are the final extras that will be used to create the diorama. In the family photo album, we've got several pictures of my dad from this period and in all of them he's wearing a bush hat, open shirt and shorts. So to get that combination I've got this little lot: Clockwise from the left: Airfix 8th Ary Multipose figures - this will be useful for the lower body, Airfix 1-32 Australian infantry - this will be great for the bush hat and open shirt torso. Next is the 1:32 Aber hand tools set - you'll have seen the 1:48 version of this in my Mohawk build, I suspect that this set will be easier to put together - not so eye-straining! Finally, I will toss in the 1:32 resin accumulator trolly from Iconair. Now I think this will need to have a compressor motor scratch built on the top, but lets cross that bridge when we come to it! So let us begin with the build. One of the first things I noticed was the elevators are cast as one complete piece. Well thats no good if I'm build a parked up machine undergoing maintenance! So I assembled them and then the razor saw came out and they were cut up. The notch that exposes the hinge was cut in and some plastic rod added. Two brackets were also added in the appropriate places to provide the attachment points for later. I also started opening up the fuselage to expose the electrics that my dad would have been working on: which also shows the elevators in an earlier stage of construction. Since the plastic of the fuselage is quite thick I chamfered the edges to thin the visible skin: I've been researching the internal layout of the fuselage so I can scratch build what will be visible behind these panels. Follow this link to the IWM collections to see the sort of thing I will be aiming to achieve, although not with the wellies!

Gloster Meteor F.4 Decals 1:32 Pheon Decals Pheon Decals are probably best known for their superb range of decals for World War 1 aircraft in the three major scales. But with the release of the HK Models 1:32 Gloster Meteor F.4, Rowan has branched out and released two fabulous sets of decals for this kit. The two sets each provide markings for two aircraft along with enough stencils for one model. Presentation of the sets is beautifully done too, with a colour profile of the two options printed on one sheet of glossy printer paper along with two further sheets depicting the top and bottom views respectively. These are so good the modeller could easily mount them in a frame on completion of the build and would look resplendent on the man cave wall. Two other sheets, printed on standard paper, one double sided is provided to give clear and accurate locations for all the stencils on each side, top and bottom of the fuselage along with the upper and lower wings. A small A5 booklet completes the set with a brief history of each squadron, a note on the paintwork of the Meteors, some information on details the HK kit is missing, notably certain panels and instructions on the best method for applying the decals. The research taken is self evident and the decals are beautifully printed, with excellent colour density and opacity, whilst keeping the carrier film to a minimum. The large areas of carrier film usually seen on the underwing codes have been reduced to the minimum. There is just a thin strip of film at the top and bottom of each code, just enough to keep them together at the correct distance, yet dramatically reducing the possibility of silvering. Volume 1, (32054). Contains markings for the following:- VT219 C 63 Squadron, RAF Thorney Island, Hampshire, 1950 VZ420 1 Squadron, RAF Tangmere, Sussex, 1950. Whilst Volume 2, (32055). Contains markings for:- VT413 W 56 Squadron, RAF Waterbeach, Cambridge, 1951. VZ240 263 Squadron, RAF Acklington, Northumberland, 1950. Conclusion Rowan has kept the quality of these sets well up to his usual, may I say fastidious standard. All in all a superb package, well thought out and printed, especially with those glossy colour profiles. For once Im running out of superlatives, but if you have one or more copies of the kit then you need these decals. Very highly recommended Review sample courtesy of Pheon Decals

F4U-1Corsair Cockpit Set Brassin 1:32 Cockpit Set (632039) Having reviewed a fair number of add-on sets from Eduard for he Tamiya 1:32 Corsair I thought they had done everything possible, but it turned out I was wrong, especially when this set arrived from them. The set is packaged in a pretty sturdy top opening cardboard box, inside of which are an amazing number of parts, including both resin and etched brass, surrounded by foam padding for complete protection. The larger than normal instruction sheet provides some of the clearest diagrams I’ve seen from Eduard/Brassin which will help greatly in getting the most out of this set. There are forty seven resin parts in a mixture of medium and dark greys, plus two clear resin parts, a sheet of pre-painted etched brass. The detail on the resin parts is nice and sharp, with good depth, although some parts have small sections of flash which need to be removed on top of the removal from the casting blocks. The cockpit is literally a tub made up of the front and rear bulkheads, what would be the fuselage side walls and the lower fuselage interior, which has the lower windows in the need of flash removal. The kits interior rib detail needs to be completely removed to allow the fitment of the tub, which shouldn’t take too long with a nice sharp curved blade and some sanding sponges. The moulded detail on the bulkheads and inner fuselage parts needs to be seen to be believed, add to this all the smaller sundry parts and you will have a truly amazing cockpit. Yet the modeller will still need to add their own small wire parts for which the dimensions and shape are provided in the instructions. When it comes to the instrument panel, Eduard have included both a full resin item as well as one that is made up of an etched sandwich, between which a decal is attached, whichever takes you fancy. Presonally I would use the etched one, but fit it out with Airscale decal instruments and some Clear Glaze. The resin is further enhanced with the addition of the two etched brass sheets, one of which contains the pre-painted seat belts which are quite complex, but with care and attention will build into a pretty amazing representation of the real things. Also included on the etched sheet are a number of levers, but the majority of these are taken from the kit, as even Eduard appear to realise they couldn’t improve on them. Conclusion The Tamiya F-4U Corsair is already an outstanding kit with very few problems or vices that haven’t already been fixed by other aftermarket companies. The kit already has a very nicely detailed cockpit so I do wonder whether this set will sell that well, but I’d imagine Eduard have thought of that. The level of detail and the superb moulding is really quite amazing, and with some careful painting and weathering it will look amazing. So, if you absolutely have to have every aftermarket release for your build then you will need this one. Highly recommended Review samples courtesy of

Guys I'm looking for guidance on painting the pilot that comes with with the kit ( Revell Bf 109F-4 1/32 ) has anybody got any photo's of previous builds or colour guidance , any help or guidance welcome :-) Many thanks

Paveway II and Paveway III Laser Guided Bombs 1:32 CMK The Guided Bomb Unit-12 (GBU-12) utilizes a Mk82 500-pound general purpose warhead. The operator illuminates a target with a laser designator and then the weapon guides to a spot of laser energy reflected from the target. The GBU-12 is a member of the Paveway II series of laser guided bombs (LGBs). These weapons are hybrids. At the core of each is a bomb: a 500-pound Mk 82 for the GBU-12. A laser guidance kit is integrated with each bomb to add the requisite degree of precision. The kit consists of a computer control group at the front end of the weapon and an airfoil group at the back. When a target is illuminated by a laser - either airborne or ground-based - the guidance fins (canards) react to signals from the control group and steer the weapon to the target. Wings on the airfoil group add the lift and aerodynamic stability necessary for in-flight manoeuvring. The pack contains two well detailed and moulded resin bomb units, with the rear fins folded for carriage. There are separate forward fins and guidance heads which characteristically droop when on the ground and un-powered. A decal sheet is provided containing a full set of stencilling for both bombs and a sheet of pre painted photo etched remove before flight flags complete with attachment wire and rings. To only awkward part of the assembly would appear to be the removal of the moulding plug at the base of each bomb where care will need to be taken not to damage the rear fins. The seeker heads are also a bit awkward in that the cut line of the moulding block is indistinct, fortunately the paint guide should aid where the cut is to be made. The forward fins are much easier to remove and fit though. The painting guide shows the colours required for the bombs in service with different air arms, that of the US Navy, US Air Force and Luftwaffe. The Guided Bomb Unit-24 (GBU-24) Low Level Laser Guided Bomb [LLLGB] consists of either a 2,000-pound MK-84 general purpose or BLU-109 penetrator bomb modified with a Paveway III low-level laser-guided bomb kit to add the proportional guidance in place of the bang-bang type used in the Paveway II. The LLLGB was developed in response to Sophisticated enemy air defences, poor visibility, and to counter limitations in low ceilings. The weapon is designed for low altitude delivery and with a capability for improved standoff ranges to reduce exposure. The GBU-24 LLLGB/Paveway III has low-level, standoff capability of more than 10 nautical miles. Performance envelopes for all modes of delivery are improved because the larger wings of the GBU-24 increases manoeuvrability. Paveway III also has increased seeker sensitivity and a larger field of regard. This bomb is not nearly as delivery parameter sensitive as is the Paveway II LGB, nor is it affected by early laser designation. After a proper low altitude delivery, the LLLGB will maintain level flight while looking for reflected laser energy. If it does not detect reflected laser energy, it will maintain level flight to continue beyond the designated target, overflying friendly positions, to impact long, rather than short of the target. In 1996 the Navy conducted tests of the F-14A Tomcat with the GBU-24B/B Hard Target Penetrator Laser-Guided Bomb at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., as part of an air-to-ground development program to support clearance for use of the weapon in the fleet by F-14 Tomcats. As with the Paveway II pack this set contains two bombs although these are appreciably larger, naturally as the core is that of a 2000lb bomb. Each weapon is made up of the body, separate tail unit which doesnt look as awkward to remove the moulding block as it is attached to the forward edge rather than the rear so the guidance fins are unaffected, the forward fins, which will need some careful removal from their moulding blocks and clear resin seeker heads. Once again the detail is really well done although I imagine the bomb lugs will need to be removed if fitting to an aircraft pylon. The included decal sheet includes all the stencils required depending on which service they are in use with and the colour painting guide shows which go where as well the correct colours for use with the US Navy, US Air Force and RAF. TO finish them off the set also has a sheet of pre-painted photo etched remove before flight tags. Conclusion Both of these sets of bombs are really well designed and will provide quite a visual impact to any model they are fitted to. Alternatively they can be used as part of a diorama on a trolley or bomb sled that are available from other manufacturers. There are also quite a few 1:32 aircraft that they can be used with so Id imagine that youd need more than just one set. Very highly recommended. Review samples courtesy of

Bristol M.1c 1:32 Special Hobby History The Bristol M1C was a well designed and effective aircraft that was not given a real chance to show its true potential. The M1C had a maximum speed approximately 30-50 mph (50-80 km/h) faster than any of the contemporary German Fokker Eindecker monoplanes. The M.1A prototype was designed by Frank Barnwell in 1916 and built as a private venture by the Bristol Aeroplane Corporation. The War Office ordered four aircraft for evaluation - designated M.1B - which had a single 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers machine gun mounted on the port wing and a clear-view cut-out in the starboard wing to give the pilot more downward visibility. Despite its excellent performance, the Bullet was rejected by the Air Ministry for service on the Western Front. The reason given was because its landing speed was considered too high for small French airfields. It was more likely because of a widespread belief that monoplane aircraft were unsafe in combat. Nevertheless, a production order for 125 aircraft was placed on August 3, 1917. Designated M.1C, this version was fitted with a Le Rhône 9J, 110 horsepower (82 kilowatt) 9 cylinder air-cooled rotary engine. The aircraft was armed with a single Vickers 0.303 in (7.7 mm) machine gun, centrally-mounted in front of the pilot. The Model The kit comes in rather an attractive top opening box with an artists impression of the aircraft overflying the enemy somewhere in the Middle East. Inside there are four sprues of medium grey styrene, a sheet of photo etched parts, decal sheet, a couple of resin parts and a small acetate sheet for the windscreen. The parts are all cleanly moulded with no sign of flash or imperfections and very few moulding pips. Surface detail is well defined and fitting for a model in this scale. Although the model looks quite simple there is a lot of detail included, particularly in the cockpit area, which, considering the size of the cockpit opening will probably be lost once the fuselage is closed up, which is a shame. There are currently two versions of this aircraft released, this one being the “Wartime Colours”. The build naturally begins in the cockpit which as mentioned above is highly detailed. Firstly the sub assemblies for the two instrument panels, with each instrument face provided on the decal sheet, which will look great, having had a small drop of Crystal Glaze, Future or the like on them to simulate the instrument glass. The foot rest structure is fitted with the joystick and rudder bar on top and a dwarf bulkhead on the underside. The sub assemblies are then fitted to one side of the internal structure of the fuselage which are moulded as two cross braced panels, followed by further lateral cross bracing, dwarf bulkheads, front bulkhead and the front face of the fuel tank at the rear of the main structure. The beautifully moulded resin seat with ultra fine wickerwork backrest is fitted with the etched seat belts and lap straps, which are pre-painted and the styrene seat cushion. The completed seat is then fitted into position and the other braced panel is attached to the front bulkhead and rear tank assembly to form a rigid structure. If you really want to go to town there are a couple of nicely drawn diagrams showing how and where the bracing wires are fitted around the cockpit structure. The completed assembly is then fitted into one half of the fuselage, but before closing up there several more control levers to be added should you wish as they are shown as optional in the instructions, along with the non-optional tail skid. With the fuselage closed up it’s now onto the engine assembly. This consists of front and rear halves of the cylinders, individual cylinder heads, individual push roads and a single piece exhaust manifold. The engine is then slid onto the rear mounted shaft and fuselage attachment point. The engine is then mounted on the fuselage and covered with the three-quarter cowling. At the same point in the instructions the horizontal and vertical tailplanes are fitted, followed by the separate elevators and rudder. Each mainplane is moulded as a single piece with the exception of the separate ailerons and are mounted on to the location points at the shoulder of the fuselage. With these firmly set in place the undercarriage can be added, which consists of two struts and the aerofoil/axle fixed between them. The wheels have separate outer hubs and slide onto the axle on either side. With the build coming to completion, it’s on with the propeller, which is made up of the steering wheel looking backplate, single piece two bladed prop, bullet shaped spinner and two etched parts that are fitted around the propeller slots in the spinner. The single machine gun is then fitted into position, along with the streamlined belt covers, fuel tank filler cap, oil tank filler cap followed by the two twin braces fitted over the cockpit. The modeller has a choice of windscreens to fit. Either one with a simple single etched mounting or one with a more complex twin armed etched mounting. To complete the model there are clear diagrams showing the rigging, which, being a monoplane is mercifully quite easy. Decals The decal sheet, printed by AVIPRINT.CZ provides markings for two machines. They are well printed, in good register, which is vital with the size, particularly of the roundels. They are also remarkably thin, with little carrier film visible, but appear to be nicely opaque. The markings are for:- Bristol M.1c, C4907, of No.150 Squadron, RAF, Ambarkoy Airbase, Mesopotamia Autumn 1918. This machine is painted brown uppers over light blue undersides and spinner. Bristol M.1c, C4918, of No.72 Squadron, C flight, Mirjana Airbase, Mesopotamia Spring 1918. This machine is painted with brown fuselage and upper wings, natural linen colour on the undersides of each wing and wheel hubs and with a grey forward fuselage and spinner. Conclusion This is a lovely kit of a beautiful looking aircraft that will certainly make an an interesting addition to any collection, and will stand out in a collection of WW1 biplanes. The mouldings of both the styrene and resin parts are very well produced with the seat a masterpiece of resin moulding. With everything in the box the modeller could possibly need it should bring hours of fun without any extra outlay. Some parts could be tricky so probably not for the novice modeller but anyone with some experience shouldn’t have a problem. Highly recommended. Review samples courtesy of

P-51 Mustang Propeller blades Red Roo Models 1:32 There seems to many a variation in the style and shape of propeller blades used on the NA P-51 Mustang. Not all of them are supplied in the various kits currently released. Meaning it’s been the tasks of the modeller to either modify what’s been provided, or buy in aftermarket propellers. To this end, Red Roo Models have released three sets of propeller blades to give the modeller more options on which 1:32 scale P-51 variant they wish to build. Each set includes four individual resin blades for both NAA and CAC built aircraft. The blades are almost ready to use straight out of the packet with only a minimal amount of cleaning up required around the root of each blade. They appear really well moulded with fine leading/trailing edges and tips plus the right amount of twist on each blade. The sets provided for this review include:- CAC P-51 Mustang with HS “Cuffed” paddle blades (RRR32007 CAC P-51 Mustang with HS “Cuffless” chisel tip blades (RRR32008) NAA P-51 Mustang with Aeroproducts blades, (RRR32009 Conclusion This is the first set of Red Roo resin that I’ve been asked to review and I am really impressed with the fine mouldings that they’ve managed to achieve. That and the fact they can be used straight out of the packet without the fuss of removing them from moulding blocks makes them even more desirable. I had to check they were in fact made of resin as they looked like injected moulded styrene but with the extra finesse. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Wingnut Wings Fokker D.VII The Seven Swabians. The Fokker D.VII probably needs no introduction, Germany's best fighter of WW1, and the only aircraft named in the Armistice as having to be turned over to the allies. Wingnut Wings have produced a brilliant range of D.VII's covering all three versions (Fokker, OAW, & Albatros) along with a superb range of aftermarket decals. Both were received and reviewed at Britmodeller, The kit here and The decals here It has taken a while to get this one on to the workbench, mainly because I just could not choose a colour scheme for it. All those in the box are very tempting, and I will do some of them, whist the aftermarket sheets offer more lovely ones! I have solved the problem by buying more kits, which enabled me to open the box and get started on this one without agonising about which one to do! This is 'The Seven Swabians' from the Brothers Grimm fairytail about a gang of seven foolish men who go hunting for a dragon, and terrify themselves by dicovering one in the forest which turns out to be a rabbit. Wilhelm Scheutzel of Jasta 65 had this design painted on his D.VII, and flew it in combat in late 1918, scoring 1 victory over a DH.4. The decal instructions point out that Scheutzel had a flare pistol mounted on the centre section in front of the cockpit, forunately it is one of the many extras that come in the standard kit. The kit is a joy to build, WIP Here On with the photos, I also bought a 'Wings cockpit' figure from MDC of a pilot taking a break with a mug of coffee, he seemd perfect as they guy looking at his aircraft and wondering what he was thinking when he ordered this scheme to be applied. What do you do when you finish such an enjoyable build? Get another D.VII out of the stash and start building it! D.VII (Albatros) engine and interior under way; Thanks for looking, John