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As logical follow up to the Gotha Go-242 gliders (link), ICM is to release on November 17th, 2023 a 1/48th Gotha Go-244B-2 kit - ref. 48224 Source: https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/ICM48224 V.P.

After the 1/48th kits (thread), ICM is to release 1/72nd North American OV-10 Bronco kits - ref. 72185 - North American OV-10А Bronco - US Attack Aircraft (100% new molds) - released - ref. 72186 - North American OV-10D+ Bronco - US attack and observation aircraft - December 2023 Sources: https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/ICM72185 https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/ICM72186 V.P.

In Q4 2023 Q1 2024 ICM is to release a 1/48th Martin B-26B Marauder kit - ref. 48320 Source: https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/ICM48320 V.P.

In 2024 (originally in Q4 2023, but...) , ICM is to release a 1/32nd Henschel Hs-123A-1 kit - ref. 32014 Source: https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/ICM32014 Box art V.P.

Well, off we go. I've had a soft spot for the Sea Gladiator since my Dad told me the story of Faith, Hope and Charity, and the part taken by the aircraft in the defence of Malta. Some decades ago, I spent a memorable 10 days in Malta which included a visit to N5520 Faith resting in the bowels of Fort St Elmo. I'm afraid I must confess that I gave her a tender kiss on the cowling and shed a tear. Fortunately, there were no witnesses. The kit comes with decals for N5519, another of the Malta Sea Gladiators, but it didn't survive the war, being destroyed in an air raid on 4 February 1941. This was Hope, coincidentally the name of my favourite Aunt. Either N5519 or N5520 would be most satisfying to model due to these connections. I'd like to finish the aircraft in prewar silver dope. AIMS Models offers a decal set which includes markings for N5519 in this style, serving aboard the ill fated HMS Glorious as war clouds gathered in June 1939. I wonder if N5520 was similarly aboard HMS Glorious or another carrier? According to an article published on The Scarf & Goggles Social Club website (credible source?); " ... in March 1940 ... 18 Gloster Sea Gladiators, believed to have consecutive serial numbers N5518 – N5535, were unloaded on the Island (Malta) in packing cases, bound for the carrier HMS Glorious." As HMS Glorious was sunk on 8 June, these aircraft were assigned to other stations; HMS Eagle, Egypt and Malta. The crated airframes raise a question or two. According to Wikipedia; "Of the 98 aircraft built as, or converted to, Sea Gladiators, 54 were still in service by the outbreak of the Second World War." So none of the airframes in crates were fresh from the manufacturer. But were they sourced from storage? Were they repaired or refurbished airframes? Had some/all already served aboard aircraft carriers? And is it Sea Gladiator Mk.II or simply Sea Gladiator? All help, advice and constructive crits most welcome. May all our builds be 'on the top line'.

WWII Japanese Aviation Acrylic Paint Set (3021) ICM via H G Hannants Ltd ICM have recently released their own brand of acrylic paints on the market, and are creating some kit specific sets to go with their major releases, of which this is one. The set arrives in a cardboard box with six screw-capped bottles inside, each containing 12ml of paint. The bottles are clear Polypropylene, and are capped with cylindrical tops with knurled sides, and a one-time security seal that you break on first opening. A label on the side gives you basic information about the colour and code, a little information regarding application in English and Ukrainian and a bar-code. This set provides the major colours to assist you in painting your Ki-21-Ib Sally in 1:72 from ICM themselves as well as plenty of other kits from ICM and other manufacturers, and you will find the following colours in the box: 1063 Green-Grey 1023 Aluminium 1025 Natural Steel 1062 British Khaki 1073 4BO Green 2002 Satin Varnish The paint is thick in the bottle, with plenty of headroom between the surface of the paint and the lip of the neck. I dropped a glass stirring ball into each bottle, and they took a few seconds to disappear beneath the surface, indicating their viscosity. During testing, I used Ultimate Acrylic Thinners to dilute the paint to spray through my Gunze PS770 airbrush, which has a 0.18 needle chucked in. The paint dilutes well once it has been mixed thoroughly, and sprays well through my airbrush, which has a smaller than usual needle that is a good test of the finesse of the pigment grind of any brand, some of which don’t spray very well though anything less than a 0.3mm needle. There were no problems with blockages at all, and the coverage was excellent after my usual ad hoc dilution method, which was probably nowhere near the 40-60% thinners or water that’s suggested on the pack. Apart from the varnish, the other paints all dry to a matt finish. In past tests, the Satin Varnish worked very well diluted with water, sprayed over the spoons that were also partially taped up to perform two functions at once. The satin patina that resulted is exactly what was expected, and the tape lifted no paint at all, despite my best efforts to do so. Bear in mind that the spoons were prepped by a buff with a very fine sanding sponge to give them the best chance of adhesion. Using a brush, the colours cover well two coats with minimal brush marks visible. Conclusion The paints were excellent through the airbrush with nothing in the way of drama during the testing process, including the Oily Steel and Satin Varnish. The colours also brushed out very well, as did the varnish. There is a little less paint in the bottles than some brands, but a shade more than others, so it’s about average. That is more than offset by the very reasonable price they’re asking for the set, even at RRP. Highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of

Ki-21-Ib Sally (72203) 1:72 ICM via H G Hannants Ltd The Sally, as she was known by the Allies during WWII was a heavy bomber designed by Mitsubishi as a replacement for the Ki-20, in competition with Nakajima, who although they lost out on the design of the aircraft, were given the contract for the power plants, as their HA-5 engines were found to be superior to Mitsubishi’s offering originally installed. A small number of airframes were also built by Nakajima too, with a total of just over 2,000 built between them. It first flew in 1936 and was intended for long-range bombing missions against Soviet and Chinese opponents, first entering service in 1938 in operations against China. Initial experience showed that the design was lacking in some respects, extending to the crucial oxygen system that was found to be unreliable. The Ib was intended to address most of the issues, including the lack of armament and changes to the flying surfaces. It also had a remote tail gun installation, and could mount an additional fuel tank for extreme range missions. The type was pretty much obsolete by 1940, and mounting losses prompted the type’s withdrawal from front line service, and sale of some of the airframes to friendly nations. Uses were still found for the type with the Japanese forces however, and the remaining aircraft were used until the end of the war as cargo transports, trainers, troop transports and communications hacks. The later variants had improved engine performance with Mitsubishi units, some with alterations to the greenhouse behind the cockpit, which was changed to a turret on some, and removed entirely on transport variants. The Kit This is a brand-new tool from ICM, who continue to produce new kits despite the difficult circumstances in their home country. The kit arrives in a shallow top-opening box that has a captive top flap on the bottom tray. Inside are six sprues in grey styrene, a clear sprue in a separate bag, decal sheet and the instruction booklet, which is printed in colour with colour profiles on the back pages. Detail is well up to modern standards, and extends to ribbing on the interior of the fuselage, full representation of the engines and a nice cockpit, plus a set of crystal clear glazing parts. Construction begins with the fuselage halves, which have the armed Ib tail added to the rear, a lozenge-shaped detail insert to make the wing root recess flush, and the side windows, plus an equipment insert in the cockpit area, and a line of trunking that extends from the trailing edge of the wing to the tail. The cockpit floor is a long part, with a recessed front end for the flight crew, detailed by adding the rudder pedals for the pilot, and the two seats, which both have separate seat cushions. The twin ‘bow tie’ control columns are inserted into the floor in front of the seats, and near the rear of the floor are two large tanks that attach on pins. The assembly is inserted into the starboard side of the fuselage, and has a bulkhead fixed just in front of the crew steps under the mid-fuselage greenhouse. The front bulkhead has a small circular seat glued to the side of the fuselage and additional details with instrument decals, a choice of two clear chin inserts with an instrument panel, gun mount and a rack of bottles added to it during installation, with a choice of two types of machine gun for the belly window that has two spare mags nearby. The port fuselage is prepared with tail, wing insert and windows, plus ammo cans and forward fuselage details, more racks of oxygen bottles and a side-mounted machine gun. The fuselage can be closed around the cockpit after adding the main instrument panel, which has a centre throttle quadrant and dial decals added beforehand. The mid-upper gunner’s suspended seat is also inserted into holes, but can probably be inserted after gluing the fuselage halves together by flexing the support struts. His twin machine guns are added to a mount on a bracket, with a pair of magazines on top, after which it is fitted into the insert that is then glued into the opening in the fuselage behind the main canopy. The main canopy and greenhouse gunner’s canopy are fixed on top of the fuselage along with the nose glazing, which has a choice of two types of machine gun inserted from the inside. The tail begins by adding the elevator fins, which have separate flying surfaces and rudder panel, then the wings are prepared by inserting a two-part bay in each one before joining the upper and lower halves together, adding the ailerons and landing lights in the leading edges. They are then glued onto the wing root fairings on the fuselage, which have a lip to improve fit and joint strength. The wheels are installed under the wings before the engines and lower cowling are made up, starting with the tail-wheel in its yoke, and then adding the two-part wheels to the H-frame main gear, which has a support frame fitted to the front, and a long yoke with mudguard that links the strut lower to the back of the bay. Four small parts are fixed to the wing inside the bays, and the lower cowlings are made up out of two halves plus a round bulkhead, and a pair of intakes top and bottom, then sliding the lower nacelle over the completed wheels and mating the edges with the recessed lip of the lower wing. The engines are built-up on bulkheads with the cooling flaps moulded-in, a separate exhaust stack underneath, and a depiction of both cylinder banks, plus the front bell-housing with push-rods, hiding the prop axle inside without glue so that the props can spin later. The finished engines are covered by two cowling halves and a separate lip, gluing them to the front of the nacelles and finishing them off by adding the three-bladed prop and separate spinner. The model is completed by installing an antenna post and D/F loop over the canopy, and a curious-looking cranked pitot probe in the leading edge of the port wing. Markings There are four options on the decal sheet, all in light green-grey, differentiated by their unit markings. From the box you can build one of the following: 60th Sentai, China, Summer 1940 60th Sentai, 3rd Chutai, China, Late 1940 58th Sentai, Harbin, December 1940 105 Kyoiku Hiko Sentai, Hamamatsu, Presumably 1942 Decals are by ICM’s usual partner, which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness, and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. As is common now with ICM kits, there is a page of the instruction booklet devoted to the masking of the canopy, using the printed shapes on the right of the page and the diagrams on the left to create your own masks if you wish. It goes up to 130 thanks to the extensive greenhouse glazing. Conclusion A nicely detailed new tooling of this short-lived (in front line service at least) heavy bomber, which should put older toolings from other manufacturers out to pasture. Highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of

Normandie-Niémen (32092) 1:32 ICM via H G Hannants Ltd The Yak-9 was an evolution of the successful Yak-7 fighter, and was intended to retake the initiative from the Nazis’ new Fw.190 and improved Bf.109s, which it successfully did. Production started in late 1942, and by summer 1943 there were enough in service to make a difference, playing a part in the crucial Kursk battle, thanks to its agility in the denser air at lower altitudes and the heavy armament it carried. It was made in several different variants with diverse intended uses, with the D fitted with additional fuel tanks for longer range, and the DD for longer range still. The Yak-9T was armed with a larger 37 mm Nudelman-Suranov NS-37 cannon firing through the spinner but with only 30 rounds of armour-piercing ammunition carried, which it could fire in two or three round bursts and was intended for use against maritime targets and light armour, where it was quite effective. Careful aim was key of course due to the shortage of ammunition, but when used against another aircraft, a solitary shell strike would rip an opponent to pieces, making the enemy’s day end very badly. Because of the additional weight of the massive gun and its ammo, the cockpit had to be moved aft slightly to counter the change in centre-of-gravity, and various issues reared their heads thanks to the substantial vibrations from firing the cannon. Its standard armament of a 20mm UBS cannon still carried a full complement of 220 rounds as an auxiliary to the main armament. Almost 3,000 were made, and the designers later went one further and installed a 45mm cannon in one variant that had to be fitted with a muzzle brake to counter recoil of crippling proportions that could cause loss of control if fired at slower speeds. In 1942, as part of a stipulation by Charles De Gaulle that Frenchmen should serve on all fronts, a group of French pilots were sent for training in England then onto the Eastern Front to serve with Soviet forces in a squadron that became known as ‘Normandie’. They fought alongside the Soviets in Soviet fighters in several campaigns, and were well-regarded by Stalin, who added the word Niémen to their name in recognition of their participation in the Vilnius Offensive, fighting the battle of the Niémen river. Marcel Lefevre was one of the original pilots and an ace of the squadron, achieving numerous kills, and in later times flying a Yak-9T, although following the end of WWII the pilots and their aircraft were permitted to fly back to France with the Yak-3s they were flying at that time by personal order of Stalin. The Kit This is a reboxing of a brand-new tooling of this capable Soviet fighter from our friends at ICM, and it arrives in one of their standard top-opening boxes with the usual captive inner lid, and an attractive painting of the subject matter on the top. Inside the box are six sprues in grey styrene, a clear sprue in its own bag, a decal sheet and the instructions with colour covers and spot colour throughout, plus colour profiles for the decal option on the rear. Detail is crisp throughout the model, but don’t expect too many rivets to be visible on the exterior, as the metal structure was hidden away inside an outer layer of plywood impregnated with phenolic resin, that is better known in the west by its brand-name Bakelite. Construction begins with the port fuselage, which is adorned with the tubular cockpit framework and has six exhaust stubs on a runner pushed through the slot in the cowling from inside. The tips aren’t hollow, so prepare your pin vice if that bothers you at all. The starboard fuselage half goes through the same process, but adds the structure of the chin intake and its oil radiator cores, then the upper parts of the cockpit are made up, starting with the seat that has a pencil-rolled back cushion, and attaches to the short deck behind it, slotting into the starboard fuselage half along with a bulkhead and the instrument panel, which has several additional parts and a dial decal added along the way. With the completion of the tail-wheel assembly the fuselage can be closed around these sub-assemblies, with an insert added under the chin, while most of the underside is open to the elements at this stage. The kit includes an engine that you can show off or hide away in its basic form of block with cylinder banks that is made from nine parts plus another two for the cannon, which is similarly basic, but as none of it will be seen that hardly matters. The muzzle can be found in the prop assembly if you’re in the mood to drill it out. The basic assembled engine slides into the front of the fuselage with the breech of the cannon slipping through a depression in the bulkhead, after which it can be covered over by two sections of cowling after removing a pair of pips that stand up from the seamline. If you intend to expose the engine however, the power plant is further detailed with an additional twenty parts for the engine itself, and another gaggle for the compartment around it, adding ancillaries, hoses, cowling support structure, the .50cal auxiliary cannon, and a pair of ammo cans for them both that slip into the aft section in front of the cockpit to create a nice replica with plenty of detail. The surround to the cockpit aperture is detailed with the gunsight mount and a piece of clear armoured glass behind the pilot, a small coaming, and the fixed rear canopy part, with the windscreen and its separate clear armoured panel, which is best “glued” on using a clear varnish such as Klear, taking care not to trap any bubbles in between the layers. The opening canopy slides back over the aft section, or you can leave it closed to keep the snow out. In preparation for the wings, a short spar is created with a fluid tank in the centre and a couple of jacks at the ends, then a raised platform is made of the cockpit floor, which has the control column, rudder pedals and a flare pistol fixed in place for later attachment. The lower wing is full-width, and has the central radiator with textured front and rear panels added underneath, and the spar assembly inside, which forms the rear walls of the main gear bays that are joined by several other wall sections and internal ribs that are closed in by adding the upper wing halves. The bay roof is moulded into each wing half, with a little detail visible, but a single ejector-pin mark is visible, and is best dealt with before you glue the assembly together. The ailerons are individual parts that can be posed deflected, then the cockpit floor is glued in and a pair of tapering boxes are inserted in front, although I couldn’t divine their real-world purpose. The wings and fuselage are joined by carefully lowering the latter over the former, taking care not to bend or snap the control stick. The elevators and their fins are each two parts, and these also can be posed deflected if you wish, as can the rudder, which is also made of two parts and glued to the moulded-in fin. The landing gear is a little contrary in that it adds retraction jacks for the struts and inner bay doors first, which are also fitted at this time, with a scrap diagram showing the fine placement of the jack within the bay. The main wheels are each made from two halves with moulded-in hubs, and these are fixed to the axles at the bottom of the struts, with a separate scissor-link and captive bay door on each one, then they mate with the bays on a transverse pivot point, linking to the retraction jacks installed earlier. The model is finished off by adding the clear wingtip lights, gear-down indicator stalks on the wing tops, radio antenna on the fuselage spine, and the propeller assembly, which is made from the moulded-together blades plus front and rear spinner, then the very tip of the 37mm cannon’s barrel, which will need drilling out if you would like a hollow muzzle. The Figure The smallest sprue contains the figure parts, and these should build up into a credible replica of Marcel Lefevre with careful painting. It is broken down into a two-part torso, separate arms and legs, the arms having no hands due to him having his hands in his pockets. His head is also separate with a flat top, and he is wearing a two-part peaked cap, just don’t forget to add the fleecy collar to his jacket before gluing the head in position, or it might be difficult later. In order to paint him, there is a full-page drawing on the rear of the booklet, giving part numbers as well as letter-coded paint suggestions that are converted to ICM, Revell and Tamiya codes on the front of the booklet. Markings There is just the one decal option in this kit, and it has a full page of profiles giving concise locations for the decals and letters showing the colours in reference to a table on the front page that gives names and codes in ICM, Revell and Tamiya brands of paint. From the box you can build the following: Decals are by ICM’s usual partner, which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness, and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. A decal for the instrument panel can be found in the top left of the sheet, with just the dials and white lines defining the sections of the panel, allowing the paint to show through from below. Conclusion A welcome reboxing of this new tooling of this impressive Soviet fighter that should please many a large-scale modeller, with plenty of detail to be had from a relatively simple construction. The bravery of the Normandie-Niéman isn’t as well-known as it perhaps should be, so it’s good that it’s getting some attention. Highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of

The Game – Square (16210) 1:16 ICM via H G Hannants Ltd The TV series ‘The Squid Game’ has been a massive hit worldwide, but I’ll be honest and tell you that I’ve still not seen it. It’s a South Korean series consisting of 10 episodes that has become a blockbuster on Netflix, that’s insanely popular with Western audiences despite the language barrier, as most of us don’t speak Korean – thank goodness for dubs. It’s about a TV game show that involves hundreds of impoverished players competing in childish games for a huge cash prize that is paid to the ultimate winner, totalling 45.6 billion ₩ (pronounced Won) (that’s £28,664.54 or $34,810.22 for the Brits and Americans at today’s exchange rates), but the caveat is that these games are deadly. You’re going to die if you lose. Each episode is 55 minutes long, and I picked it up out of curiosity when the first kit arrived, but still haven’t watched it yet, so I still don’t know what all the fuss is about. The contestants all wear a loose-fitting jumpsuit in red to hide their gender and identity, which is further hidden by the black full-face masks that they wear, giving the impression of an ant face, which was deliberate according to the IMDb trivia section. Even the staff wear the same gear, but on the ‘forehead’ of the staff masks are simple white symbols in the shape of a circle, square, or triangle - the reason for which I don’t yet know. If you’re wondering why it’s called The Squid Game, it’s because the player board is in the shape of a squid roughly scratched into the ground. The Kit This figure arrives in a slim top-opening box with a captive inner lid on the tray, and inside are four sprues in grey styrene, and three in black styrene, a small decal sheet, and the glossy instruction sheet that is printed in colour. The final item in the box is a glossy colour print of the box top art, which you can stick on your wall or not. It’s a simple kit because it’s a figure dressed in a jumpsuit, but it is well sculpted and as detailed as we’ve come to expect from ICM. Construction is carried out according to the same diagram as the painting guide, which uses the same drawings to give paint and part numbers for simplicity. The figure has a face with lower half covered by a mask, even though the main mask tends to obscure all the detail, but there it is, so if you wanted to adapt your figure to have the mask off, you can do so by removing the strap with a motor tool or old-fashioned sanding stick. The figure is made up from sixteen parts in grey, with separate legs, arms, a two-part torso, two-part hood, a well-detailed head that is wearing a half mask, hands, separate cargo pockets with keyed attachment point, and a single black mask that fixes to the front of the head, which has the retaining strap moulded into it. This figure is armed with a revolver that is moulded into the right hand, and it is aimed diagonally upward as if starting a race, or as is more likely, vaguely threatening someone. The revolver has an empty holster included on the sprues, but there is also another part that has the gun moulded into a holster, as it’s the same sprue used for other figures. The base is moulded in black styrene, and has a choice of four different surface textures for the top and a flat base for the bottom. The choices comprise a flat asphalt surface plus three styles of cobble or paving stones, and is a constant theme of ICM’s 1:16 series of figures, so they’ll all match. Markings The decal sheet includes one square decal for the character’s forehead, and you are advised to paint the jumpsuit blood red, with rubber black (dark grey) and black for boots and other accessories. You can change the colour of the suit to your whim if you know what you’re doing and have watched the series, and some simple masks or decal strip could be used to create the other shapes if you prefer this pose for other characters, or wanted to create a new one for your own (as yet imaginary) season 2. Conclusion A nice figure that hits near the height of popularity of the series, according to my 12-year-old son who still gets bombarded by spoilers for it at school. You can use it as intended, or tinker with it to portray other players, staff, or even go totally off-piste and use it in another situation entirely. Highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of

Hello, everybody! Starting with a new model(s)... well actually started with these a while ago, but due to a slow progress haven't yet published it here. The kit is ICM ANZAC Ford Model T 3in1 kit, of which I'm building two. I have a Microdesign PE sets for both of them, a GasPatch Models beautifully made Lewis gun set and one figure from D-Day Miniature Studio for now. There is a small diorama setting with those two vehicles and a few more figures in my mind. Here are all the goodies I have at hand. The mudguards and the frame are molded into one piece and have quite a few KO marks underneath that will not be visible really, but I filled these anyway. One thing I wanted to try is to make the front axle movable at least on one of the vehicles to make the setting more lively. It required some on-the-edge surgery, but turned out to be not as hard as one might expect, As both of the kits have double details for the axle and the steering parts it made it a lot easier to do. Underneath I added brake linkages and rods. Again - won't be much visible, but an the other hand, why not. To date I'm a bit more than on a halfway there with the engine compartment, that included some added wiring and replaced piping. Here is the thing with the details dry-fitted. And with another one that is disassembled. Cheers! Kristjan

Back again with another recently wrapped project, the ICM 1/72 'Ghost of Kyiv' MiG-29. Finished this months ago, but forgot to add the wingtip nav lights. Finish was also a little too glossy, so I slapped some liquid masking on the canopy and nose sensor and sprayed it down with some satin varnish. Had this idea in mind almost as soon as I saw the kit, and while the kit itself was a little basic and required a fair amount of filling and sanding to get right, and the decals were incredibly frustrating (being far too thin and flimsy, and near instantly sticking themselves) requiring that I try to duplicate the failed ones with Tamiya masking, I'm happy with the end result. Also a bit of a disaster with the one decal that didn't decide to stick down instantly in the right side intake number, which my thumb apparently touched at some point and bunched up. Decal was beyond use, so I had to hand paint the number back in 😬 Only major modification I made to the build itself was closing the upper louvres by moulding some Miliput. Model didn't have that as an option, but the aircraft close those in flight and open up the main intakes. Added a pilot figure, pulled from my Bandai X-Wing kit where I didn't use the rebel pilot in the seated position. Thankful I had him, because I could not find any aftermarket 1/72 pilots that were suitable (certainly not reasonably priced from what I can recall). Modded him up as best I could and in he went. Second attempt at mounting a model aircraft in flight, and the first attempting to replicate a fired missile. Smoke effect wasn't brilliant at first, but then I saturated the cotton wool (superglued around a wire) with diluted modpodge and was able to shape it into something tighter. Overall happy with how it turned out, even if I couldn't get that field to go brighter no matter how many times I tried Whole thing has a display cover as well. Anyway, enjoy As always, thanks for looking Gaz

Gotha Go.242A (48226) 1:48 ICM via H G Hannants Ltd Germany broke new ground in WWII in the successful use of Paratroop landings in gliders that met with some initial successes, although that method of delivering soldiers and materiel hasn’t seen much use since the end of WWII, possibly following the experiences of the Allies later in the war and around D-Day. Gotha created the small DFS 230 that was used by Fallschirmjager units during the early part of the war, and the RLM subsequently issued a specification for a larger glider that could carry 20 fully equipped troops into action, or alternatively bring equipment of an equivalent weight to the battle. Gotha’s offering was a simple tapered box on wings, but with a twin-tail boom that allowed the cargo version to unload from the rear using a simple flip-up rear fuselage, and later the troop carrier could also unload from the rear with the addition of new doors. The type entered service soon after its initial flight in 1941, with over 1,500 manufactured in various guises. The initial A series was split into troop and cargo types, with the following B series being improved from experience and sporting upgraded landing gear, plus double rear doors for faster troop exit. A further C series was intended for water landings using a boat-shaped hull to carry explosive-laden small boats to maritime targets, although that never reached service. Gotha later added engines in nacelles that extended the twin booms past the leading edge of the wings, allowing it to get aloft under its own power, rather than being towed by a Heinkel He.111 or an adapted Stuka, but take-off was marginal with a heavy load, so RATO bottles were developed to give the aircraft an extra boost. The Kit This is a minor re-tool of their recent kit of this boxy glider, and one of a number of variants, hopefully including the powered option. Despite their difficulties at the moment, ICM are still working hard to keep on producing kits, and our collective hats have to go off to them for that. The kit arrives in a top-opening box that has the Ukrainian flag emblazoned in the top right corner, and a painting showing the aircraft from the side with its landing gear clearly visible. The outer lid is extremely tight, and if you can get it off the usual captive inner lid is exposed, with eight sprues in grey styrene, one of clear parts, the instruction booklet in spot colour, and a long narrow decal sheet. The first thing that’s evident on perusal of the sprues is that the aircraft is that the wingspan is really quite wide, and the designers at ICM have put a lot of effort into the detail that’s moulded-into the model, especially the sections that are fabric over a tubular framework. Construction begins with the large floor space, which is made up from the fabric outer skin with visible ribbing, onto which the floor surface added in two sections, after drilling a number of 1mm holes in the skin first. The forward section is then enclosed by a tubular framework that stops at the centre bulkhead, which also has short spars moulded-in, with a bulkhead between the passenger and pilot sections. The twenty passenger seats are each made from horizontal and vertical sections that are then arranged into two rows of 10 and are fitted out with diagonal braces that mate with the rear legs, plus a length of top brackets that allow the seats to stand clear of the wall. Both rows are glued into the passenger compartment either side of the central spar, and a triangular section of framework is attached to the aft section of the area, following which the side walls are made up from two parts each, and here the A variant had a different layout to the rear windows, that are applied from the inside. The walls are fixed to the floor assembly along with the roof once the cockpit is made up. This isn’t a training variant, but the controls are still duplicated on both sides of the cockpit for redundancy, starting with a well-detailed pair of rudder pedals that each comprise of four parts. The control column differs between stations, with the pilot having a two-part right-angle column with separate yoke, while the co-pilot has a straight stick for when he needs to take over, for example when landing under fire and the pilot is incapacitated. The seats differ too, as the pilot has a sturdier five-part seat that has an adjustment wheel, while the co-pilot has a simple two-part affair. These are all inserted onto a cockpit floor that is placed within the front of the fuselage at the time when the sides and roof are both added with a single tube bracing the top of the diagonal rear divide. The cockpit surround is incomplete at this stage, having the nose added along with a simple instrument panel on a pair of supports fitted and dial decal applied, then underneath a clear window is inserted beneath the co-pilot’s feet, plus two panels of side glazing and a single windscreen part that has an optional 0.8mm hole drilled in it before fitting if you are mounting the guns. Take it easy if you decide that’s the option for you, as clear styrene is much easier to damage because of its brittle nature. Light pressure and plenty of patience is the way to go. The boarding ladders are cut away from the underside of the fuselage, as the earlier crew were expected to leap up athletically. The wings of the 242 are necessarily long for lift, as once the towing aircraft cuts it loose, the only way is down, so a long glide slope is an absolute necessity. The wings are each moulded as top and bottom skins, which have some lovely ribbing and other details moulded-in as you can see above, and have the flying surfaces as separate sub-assemblies of two parts each. Once the halves are joined, they have the front fairings of the booms added top and bottom, then have the two flap sections and long ailerons slotted into the trailing edges. This is repeated twice in mirror-image of course, and the two wings are slotted onto their projecting spar sections, taking care to put them on with the leading edges and canopy pointing in the same direction. A pair of supports are added underneath in recessed sockets, although I’d be tempted to leave those off until after main painting was complete so they don’t get damaged. The aft section of the fuselage is missing at this stage, giving it the look of a “ute”, but this part is next to be assembled. The tapering sides have windows inserted from inside and the internal framework added, then they are spaced apart by three more framework sections, after which the lower part with window, internal floor with steps, and roof with framework and observation window (the reason for the steps) added, to be finished off with a transparent end cap giving even better field of view, just in case they’re being stalked by a fighter from behind. The door pivots upward between the booms, and can either be glued closed, or propped open with five supports holding it at the correct angle. Again, if you are using the self-defence armament, another 0.8mm hole needs to be drilled near the hatch in the roof of the aft section. The booms are simple and made from two parts each, with separate rudders and a single two-part elevator panel with separate flying surface. The instructions show the completed assembly being offered up to the rear of the model, but it may be more sensible to glue one boom in place first, then add the other with the elevator once the glue is set on the first boom. A number of actuators and mass balances are added all around the flying surfaces, but first the landing gear is made, based on a single axle that is mounted on an extended A-frame that runs under the fuselage, and sports a two-part wheel at each end. The rest of the airframe is supported by a trio of sprung skids, the rear two with tiny wheels on the very end, the forward one having a hook on the tip. The final parts are used for two optional self-defence machine guns that are fixed to the windscreen and in front of the observation window in the aft section of the fuselage, both having a moulded-in concertina dump bag for the spent brass, and a double C-shaped ‘snail’ mag draped over the breech. Markings There are four decal options on the sheet, three of which are very similar and sporting yellow wingtips with a tail band in the same colour, while the other is over-painted with a wavy brown camouflage pattern. ICM have also included a printed template for masking the copious glazing that’s present on this aircraft, which should come in handy, and save some hassle, even if you’re confident masking canopies yourself. From the box you can build one of the following: Gotha Go 242A, Mediterranean theatre of operations, 1942 Gotha Go 242A, presumably Eastern Front, summer 1942 Gotha Go 242A, southern section of the Eastern Front, 1942 Gotha Go 242A, Eastern Front, winter 1943 Decals are by ICM’s usual partner, which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. Conclusion The Go.242 is a quirky-looking box that appeals due to many factors, including the detail being excellent, so it’s a big thumbs up for a kit that has been produced under very difficult circumstances. Very highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of

Hi Now my 5th Ju-88 is ready. The second from ICM. Before that it was Dragon and Revell. Regarding the kit: Relatively large compromises have to be made in terms of accuracy compared to the origin. This primarily affects the cockpit, with the flat floor instead of the massive height offset. This is linked to a few details in the cockpit that made me shake my head. The additional control stick in position, the additional control stick, which was intended for the bombardier, is only installed when approaching the target, otherwise it is fixed to the right side wall. The device for storing the boarding ladder on the rear bulkhead under the radio equipment is missing! The A-4 variant is missing all ammo boxes. The ammunition feed and the sleeve hoses are also missing. Therefore I did not install the weapons. What is still missing is the large bulkhead on the large cockpit hood, not even Eduard has it with him. General: The injection molded parts just don't fit well. Some parts are warped, the wing connections have a tolerance problem with the pins and holes. They're really annoying. Many gluing areas are beveled, so that in the end there is an gluing line instead of an gluing area. So it will loosen easily! When installing the engine nacelles, the designer obviously neglected some of the geometry. The front tenons of the inside and outside nacelle would have to be chamfered so that a reasonable prefabrication of the assembly group is possible. The quality: Of the injection molded parts themselves can best be observed with small parts. There is hardly an antenna or pitot tube that does not break. Brittleness is present in smal long thin parts. Some components have so much internal stress that maximum force is required to join them. Classic example is the great pulpit. The nose pulpit has a typical tolerance problem. Tongues on upper part reach too far down left and right for lack of fit. Rework required. Especially on a fuselage front part, which consists of three or four parts, a complete fitting test beforehand is hardly possible. About the model: This A-4 has an interesting paint job that deviates from the norm. The aircraft is from KG 54 Totenkopf. Operative in Brindisi in Italy around 1943. I will make the aircraft from KG 54 Totenkopf. Operative in Brindisi in Italy around 1943. Brindisi is in the middle of the heel of the Italian boot at the eastern coast. In this area there occurred one of the biggest environmental pollutions. Here is the link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_John_Harvey By the way, the scribbling I used a pen. First time. Acrylic empty pen from Montana. My WIP: Well, so have a look on the model now: Happy modelling

#25/2022 Next Latin American subject finished by my dad. ICM A-26B-15 kit (which includes also the late canopy), Vespa Model Kits decals (based in Peru, printed by Fantasy Printshop in the UK). Upper turret hole closed with plastic sheet, removed lower turret closed panel taken from the ICM B-26C-50 kit. Wheels with correct rims and tread for this aircraft taken from a Revell Invader kit, horseshue antenna on the rear belly taken from a Monogram C-47 kit. Seatbelts from the sparesbox, added a scratchbuilt external gunsight, painted with Gunze H314 FS35622 , Tamiya XF-57 Buff and Gunze H309 FS34079. Build thread here https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235116023-coup-d’état148-douglas-b-26d-invader-fuerza-aérea-de-chile/ Chile received its first 10 Invaders in late 1954. All were B-26C models with the glass nose, painted in black, serving with Grupo de Aviacion No. 8. In 1957, 1958 and 1960, further Invaders were delivered by the US, making it 38 in total. Some of them were TB-26 versions with a solid nose for training and target tug duties. In 1963, the FACh received reports from Invaders in Vietnam, losing wing parts due to material fatigue. So from 1964 to 1965, the remaining 18 Chilean Invaders were flown to Panama and underwent the wing-spar program. In 1966, the FACh wanted more punch for their Invaders and it was decided to fit the now remaining 17 aircraft with a 6-gun nose, but the US only delivered 8 conversion kits. Ventral and dorsal gun turrets were removed too and a new two-tone camo applied. These eight Invaders were now called B-26D. Due to corrosion, lack of spareparts and no support, the last remaining five FACh Invaders were retired in January 1973, the last official flight was on March 21st 1973, the 43rd anniversary of the FACh. During the military coup in September 1973, "840" and "846" were reactivated and flew patrol and surveillence missions over the whole country until January 1974. DSC_0001 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0002 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0003 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0004 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0005 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0006 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0007 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0009 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0010 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0011 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0012 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0013 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0014 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0001 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0016 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0017 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0019 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0020 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0021 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0022 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0002 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0024 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr

For many years I've been saying I've wanted a 1:48 Beaufort because for some reason I've always liked the look of this aircraft! Call me weird, but there something about this hump-backed beast that I like! So a couple of months ago I was astonisehd to discover that ICM had just released a kit! Thankfully the IPMS Abingdon show was a couple days later and I managed to get one! I also got the 3D instrument 'decals' from Kits-world, but I think its fair to say I won't be using them again as I can't honestly say I was that impressed. The build was interesting and had it challenges, particularly around the fitting of the engine cowlings! My advise is do NOT follow the sequence in the instructions, fitting the propellers to the engines, then fitting them to the wings and then trying to assemble the cowlings around them. I ended up having to chop off the props again and assemble the cowlings as a single piece and fit them. The joint is not easy to get right and is VERY visible on the finished model if not done right! Anyway the finished pic... I'm really pleased with how it came out in the end after almost ruining it at the varnish stage!!! Now I need to build a Beaufighter and a Blenheim...

Good evening, everyone. I would like to contribute another 1/48 ICM origin Ju 88A-4, this time in the Sicily colours (with the multiple ship kill marks on the fin).. Looking forward to this - I have a couple of variants of this kit in the stash, in my little contribution to supporting Ukraine in this difficult time. I also have purchased several other ICM/Modelsvit kits this year, for a similar reason. Icarus

Hello! New items from Ukrainian manufacturers Mikro-Mir NEW 48-020 DH.112 Venom De Havilland fighter-bomber scale 1/48 35-027 Mikro Mir Dictator 13 inch Seacoast Mortar scale 1/35 ICM NEW DS7203 Soviet military airfield 1980s 72203 Ki-21-Ib Sally 48304 OV-10A Bronco US Navy 35136 Unimog 404 S “Koffer” 35716 s.Gr.W.34 WWII German mortar 32117 Pilots of the Soviet Air Force 1943-1945 New items from Ukrainian manufacturers https://amarket-model.com/ https://www.facebook.com/people/A-market-scale-model

ICM is to release an 1:350 Kriegsfischkutter in December. The Kriegsfischkutter (or KFK for short - translates into war fishing vessel) was the most common German warship in WW2. Built by yards in Germany and occupied Europe as well as in friendly Sweden (45+ hulls), the 600+ vessels were found pretty much everywhere the Kriegsmarine had a presence. It was basically a heavily armed fishing vessel used for ASW, convoy escort, mine sweeper, patrol craft, rescue vessel and light transport. After WW2, some were converted back to fishing vessels and coastal transports while others were taken over by the navies in liberated Europe. For instance, the Norwegian coastal artillery used a couple as transports for quite some time. References: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kriegsfischkutter https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_der_Kriegsfischkutter https://icm.com.ua/2022/11/17/soon-on-sale-kfk-kriegsfischkutter/ Sources: https://www.facebook.com/ibgmodels/posts/pfbid034s9i5nFSGLyQmHiteuHsvjUx6YNjjW7Gei9WNvjhLRewDPXhd4YhkCKEQP3R5iTUl https://icm.com.ua/ship/kfk-kriegsfischkutter-3/

The Tupolev SB-2 M-100A in the ICM 1:72 scale is a challenge that has been waiting for its implementation in my workshop for many years. The model was first purchased at the beginning of the second decade of the 21st century, sold after deciding to abandon the small scale, and bought again this year, out of sympathy for the silhouette of the plane, slender, with wings of a vast span compared to fuselage length. Beautiful, in its twisted way. An undervalued plane in scale modeling. SB is persecuted by bad luck regarding the availability of decent models. The new kit in 1:48 scale is probably lost with the collapse of the modeling company (supposedly, one can hunt vacuum-formed MPM for a lot of money, but you know...), Frog's or MPM injection products - either primitive or almost impossible to build, and finally ICM - which in the box it looks nice, especially when it comes to surface details, but it is so fragmented, even shredded, that it can be discouraging. But somehow, I made it to the end. No, it's not my top achievement; I just glued it together and painted it. Rob Taurus canopies are, in my opinion, a must-have accessory for this model. I also added the harness in the cabins (Eduard) and applied Print Scale decals - that's it. My Katiuska is painted with MRP, and AK Interactive 3G paints. Weathered with Modelers World washes, some subtle highlights are done with Oilbrushers from Ammo Mig (dry brushed). The model is supposed to represent a Republican aviation machine - 24th Group, Barahas, Spain, April 1939. I hope you like it!

’The English Patient’ (32053) Movie Aircraft Tiger Moth & Stearman 1:32 ICM via H G Hannants Ltd The movie ‘The English Patient’ was the screen adaptation of a novel by Michael Ondaatje and was directed by Anthony Minghella with a quality cast, many of whom went on to become stars in their own right. It starred Ralph Fiennes as a hideously burned pilot near the end of WWII with Juliette Binoche playing a nurse caring for him until he succumbed to his injuries, after which she would catch up with her unit. Of course, nothing is straightforward, and various other characters appear, muddying the waters and adding intrigue to the piece. I’ve never watched it, so if I’m off beam anywhere you’ll just have to chalk it up to me disliking romance movies, even though they’re set in WWII. Two aircraft make an appearance in the movie, namely the Tiger Moth and the Stearman, which are the subject of this reboxing of two of ICM’s recent large-scale kits. Whether the Stearman would have been in British service at the time is a moot point, as it was used in the film and that’s all that matters. The Tiger Moth The de Havilland Tiger Moth was one of the most important and most widely produced trainer aircraft to have seen service with the RAF. It was designed by Geoffrey de Havilland himself in the 1930s and was based on the Gypsy Moth, suitably redesigned to meet Air Ministry Specification 13/31. In comparison to its predecessor, the Tiger Moth's wings were swept and repositioned, and the cockpits were redesigned to make escape easier. The airframe was also strengthened and the engine exhaust system was redesigned. The Tiger Moth entered service with the RAF in 1932 and remained in service until well after the war. Over 8,000 examples were completed and the type also served with the Royal Australian Air Force, the Royal Canadian Air Force and the Royal New Zealand Air Force as well as a great many other military and civilian operators. In service it proved itself to be ideally suited to its role; easy enough to fly, but challenging enough to weed out the weaker students. It was also cheap and easy to maintain. Further variants would be the DH.82C fitted with an enclosed hood for cold weather operations in Canada; and the Queen Bee which was an unmanned radio-controlled target drone that resulted in a thinning of the herd of surviving airframes. Always popular with civilian users, many Tiger Moths found their way into private ownership after the War, with many maintained in flying condition to this day. This is a reboxing of the recent tool from ICM that was first released in 2020, so it’s a thoroughly modern model. There are four sprues in grey styrene plus one of clear parts, and a shared decal sheet for both aircraft. The detail is excellent as we’ve come to expect from ICM, and providing you aren’t phobic about rigging, should make a straight-forward build. Construction begins with drilling holes in the two fuselage halves, using holes that are pre-thinned from the inside to ease the way. The fuselage halves are then detailed with throttle quadrants, instrument panels with dial decals, and the bulkheads between the two seating areas. At this time there are a couple more 0.3mm holes drilled in the top cowling in front of the cockpit to insert more rigging wires, which you’ll need to supply yourself, along with more threaded through the holes in the fuselage sides that you drilled earlier. Helpfully, the instructions tell you the length of wire that you should plan for, although I’d be tempted to use the numbers as a minimum value, just in case. You can always cut some off, but adding some on is much more of a skill. With that the fuselage is closed up, a firewall is inserted into the front, and an elevator inserted onto a rectangular peg in the rear of the fuselage, with the wider strakes that are fitted to the decal options, followed by the standard rudder fin, which has the tail skid moulded into the bottom. There is a good representation of the four-cylinder Gypsy Major engine that outputs less power than my perfectly normal family car, which makes one stop and think for a second. The block is in two halves that trap the conical drive-shaft inside, exhaust manifold, mounts and other ancillaries, with a baffle on one side, after which it can be glued into the firewall at the front of the fuselage, and have the cowling parts installed along with the open or closed access doors for the crew, small intake on the starboard cowling, and bumper-strips on the forward edge of each cockpit aperture. The lucky crew have a three-faceted windscreen placed in recesses in front of them to keep the bugs out of their teeth, then we move onto the wings. The wings are full-width parts, and the lower wing is made first, drilling rigging holes in the top surface, and leaving off the underside of this and the topside of the upper wing until after the rigging is complete. Whilst that might work for some, I’d be a little wary of gluing big parts such as the wings together after painting, although that’s just my opinion. You may have noticed there were no more cockpit details made up earlier, which is because the rest of the cockpit is built on the lower wing centre, as that’s where you will find the cockpit floor. A narrow control assembly is made first with rudder bars and control columns in duplicate, fitting into the cockpit floor on eight small rectangular slots, then joined by the aft seat, and the weird front seat that is moulded as a deep depression into the bulkhead between the two. The lower wing (upper only) is then mated with the fuselage, completing the cockpit at the same time. The interplane struts are individual parts in the outer wings, with two Z-shaped cabane struts fixed high on the fuselage sides just in front of the cockpit. More rigging holes are drilled into the lower half of the upper wing before joining it to the struts and adding the ribbed fuel tank to the centre of the upper wing. The next two diagrams show the location of the rigging using red lines, dotting them where they pass out of sight, and numbering them in a dot-to-dot fashion. After completion of rigging, the upper-upper and lower-lower wing halves are glued in place, hiding any messy rigging knots that you might have left. It does make for a clean job of the rigging, but I’m no expert at rigging. The upper wing has a pair of slats added to the leading edge, and ailerons to the lower trailing edge, then it’s time to make the landing gear. The wheels of the Tiger Moth are moulded in two halves, and slide over the axle-ends of a single complex W-shaped (ish) strut, which once it is in place is buttressed by four support struts that prevent the gear collapsing on landing. A little L-shaped tube glues to the underside of the fuselage while it’s upside down, and actuators are added under the ailerons, plus a couple of support struts are fitted between the elevators and fuselage, which also have triangular actuators added to small slots that are mirrored on the rudder, with more rigging added there later on. The prop is a single part that snugs into the tapered drive-shaft, and after completion of the final rigging to the tail, a further diagram has a set of shapes printed that you can use to pattern your own masks for the two canopies if you don’t want to spend extra money on a masking set. I like these, but haven’t used them yet, and would suggest reducing the tape’s stickiness by applying it to a clean surface first, to avoid tearing or marring the paper when you remove it. The Stearman The Stearman Aircraft Corporation was founded in 1927 by Lloyd Stearman. then in 1929 it was sold to The United Transport & Aircraft Corporation. This would then split in 1934 due to US Antitrust legislation with Boing which had been a part of it becoming its own business again; Stearman then became a subsidiary of Boeing. At about this time they designed what would become their most famous aircraft the Model 75 Kaydet. The new aircraft was a conventional tail wheeled biplane with an exposed radial engine. The aircraft was selected as the basic primary trainer for the USAAF and the USN, as well as for the Royal Canadian Air Force. In USAAF Service it would be designated the PT-13 with a Lycoming R-680 engine, The PT-17 with a Continental R-670-5 engine, and a PT-18 with a Jacobs R-755 engine. The USN had the NS, and NS2 with a variety of engines. Canadian PT-27 aircraft were USAAF PT-17s supplied under Lease Lend. In total over 10,000 airframes were built, many were sold off post war, and a lot of these still survive today. This is a reboxing of the recent Stearman PT-17 Kaydet kit, and consists of four sprues in grey styrene and another small sprue of clear parts, plus the afore mentioned shared decal sheet, and a shared instruction booklet. Construction begins with the cockpit, which is mostly empty space with a tubular framework holding all the instruments and controls. The sidewall frames are detailed, as is the floor with a pair of linked control columns, then they are joined together and held perpendicular to each other by a triangular cross-brace. The two seats are each a single part with a ladder frame added at the rear, and they slip in between the sides, strengthening the assembly further, then the fuselage is prepared for closure and the insertion of the cockpit assembly. Just a fire extinguisher is (ironically) added to the port sidewall, which has ribbed detail moulded-in, then the two halves are closed up around the tail-wheel, which has a separate wheel part slipped over the axle. An insert with riveted panelling is placed under the fuselage between the wheel struts, which are incidentally moulded into the two fuselage halves, then the cockpit assembly can be pushed in from the front and secured on pins, allowing the ribbing to be seen through the framework. The upper fuselage deck is separate and has the two instrument panels and back rests glued to the underside before it is fixed in place over the cockpit, closing up the fuselage. Another shorter insert fits under the front of the fuselage with another added to the port side, with the firewall closing up the front. The landing gear strut ends are simple affairs with separate scissor-links that slot into the legs after adding the two-part wheels, and are covered over by inner panels that are added to the moulded-in legs. Your model can now stand on its own three wheels for the first time. The flying surfaces are started by joining the two halves of the elevator fins together, and fixing the flying surfaces to the rear, with the ability to pose them deflected if you wish. They fit into slots in the sides of the tail fin, which then receive a single thickness rudder with separate actuator. Both main wings are supplied as full span assemblies, with separate tops and ailerons on the lower wing only. A pair of clear wingtip lights are inserted into the upper wings, then the four cabane struts and two Z-shaped interplane struts are glued in place and the wing is then lowered onto the model, taking care to keep everything correctly aligned. The Continental R-670-5 7-cylinder radial engine of the Stearman is barely any more powerful than the Tiger Moth, and its six exhaust stacks are assembled on the firewall at the front of the fuselage, followed by the intake trunking and push-rods, then adding the carburettor underneath. The cylinder bank is made up from two halves, adding a short prop shaft from inside the front half that is covered over by a circular part to prevent it from falling out of position. The rear portion is glued into place, and a vertical housing is inserted between the bottom two cylinders, after which it can be fixed to the fuselage with a choice of two props, each with two blades. The narrower prop is a ground adjustable steel McCauley unit, while the thicker one is wooden fixed-pitch Sensenich unit. The last page of the instructions detail rigging of the model, spanning three steps that show the wires marked in red over a line-drawn diagram. To the side is a drawing that shows the shape of masks that you can make yourself to help you keep the clear parts from getting marred by paint during the build. Markings There is one option per aircraft as you would expect, as follows: DH.82A Tiger Moth G-AFFC Stearman Model 75 G-AFEA The decals are printed by ICM’s usual partners, and consist of dials, registration codes, and a few other small decals, with good register, sharpness and dense blacks. Conclusion Another good value boxed set from ICM that should appeal to more than just film buffs, but anyone interested in interwar biplane trainers too. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Fresh from battle with the Revell B-17f "Memphis Belle" I'm getting ready to build Revell's 1/48 JU 88 A4 Some time ago I bought Eagle Editions' decal sheet which includes F1+BR winter camouflaged marking set One lesson I learned from the B-17 is an hour spent on the exterior is worth at least five on the interior, so I intend to work through the interior in a quality, but quick way, no scratch building and no AM Then focus on the exterior Obviously the winter camo is going to be interesting I note the instructions say to paint RLM70/71 splinter pattern first, then go over roughly in white, then add decals The picture they reference seems to support this: In this build @Kilroy1988 initially applies the white distemper over the green camo, then applies the decals, albeit he overspays some white over the decals afterward @Spitfire31 comments that the white would have been applied around the markings, leaving exposed green camo around the markings The Eagle Cals decal set has a drawing of how they see the plane, and the markings look clean, and there are no obvious gaps around them where the guys were avoiding overpainting them. There are gaps around the cockpit windows, they were obviously told to give the glass a wide berth So, what's it to be? Oh hang on, since writing that I've seen this: https://akinteractive.forumotion.com/t1694-winter-white-wash-ju-88 Wow, what a stunner! So looking carefully at Jamie's model we can see he believes they did paint round the lettering, but very carefully I think I'm going to: paint the green camo 2 x Klear Apply the decals 2 x Klear Mask the lettering crosses Spray very thin layer of thinned white, but try to avoid the markings Attack it from the front to back with a toothbrush or 240 grit sandpaper or both 1 x Klear Weathering, exhaust etc Last Klear Any thoughts?

Hello everyone I'll be using the Revell rebox of the ICM tooling. Converting the A4 to the C6. It would be easier to have there own boxing of the C6 but I had this in the stash so waste not want not. So there will be some scratch building to do. I also have the aims radar and nose cone to use.

Hallo This is now my second Ju-88 from ICM. I built before my A-5 version. I will make the aircraft from KG 54 Totenkopf. Operative in Brindisi in Italy around 1943. I will make the aircraft from KG 54 Totenkopf. Operative in Brindisi in Italy around 1943. Brindisi is in the middle of the heel of the Italian boot at the eastern coast. In this area there occurred one of the biggest environmental pollutions. Here is the link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_John_Harvey From Wiki German edition translated / English version of Wiki this subject is omitted! The most momentous air raid occurred on the night of December 3rd, when II. Gruppe, together with other squadrons, attacked the port of Bari. 18 ships with a total of 71,566 GRT and 38,000 t of cargo were destroyed. The Liberty-class freighter SS John Harvey exploded with a cargo of 2,000 AN-M47 bombs filled with a total of 480 tons of mustard gas. 1000 soldiers and civilians perished. The Allies concealed the consequences of the mustard gas on those affected. The camo is interesting, a good difference to the splinter scheme of my A-5. I will use Montex masks. Which individual a/c I will do, my options are from the same squadron LR or LA. Now, to face the main issues on this kit. The cockpit is wrong. We face here a flat floor, which is not so at all in reality. We have three possibilities. · To leave it as it is · To use a resin aftermarket cockpit · Or to make some scratch I decided after my experience with the resin from AIMS for the third choice. To avoid fitting troubles with the glass and fitting problems with the Bola. (Boden Lafette) The downward gondola. To improve the fuselage stiffness close to the wings I made one bulkhead in scratch. Before continuing with the build I emptied one sprue and did the main gear already. One error in the instruction is obvious. Look at the picture 48! The gear main mount is too small in gauge. About 1 mm. I had this problem when inserting the gear on my A-5 already. In this kit the difference is more. So I increased the gauge with steel wire to the proper distance as required. Meanwhile I did also the wings. Assembling, grinding, and filling. I inserted the landing light, after spraying the backside with Aluminum. At the wing tips I drilled holes, since this kit omitted the position lights in red and green. Well, it is done! So far this day. Happy modelling

This forerunner of the modern car will be my second choice for the GB and hopefully Mrs Benz and her sons will make an appearance too, though I must warn you that my figure painting skills are not that good but we will how they turn out. Here are the box and content shots. by John L, on Flickr by John L, on Flickr by John L, on Flickr by John L, on Flickr

Hallo This is my Ju 88 A-5 in 1/48 from ICM. Since this kit has some flaws in geometry in the cockpit, I got the resin AIMS cockpit. This is fine, but you create some longitudinal displacement. This displacements accompany through the finish of the model and cause some sever headache. Most of the vertical positions are fine, but not all of them. Here meets two flaws and one single place. The trim wheel from Eduard is too big! So it causes an intersection with the horizontal cockpit panel. This horizontal panel has all the control levers. Here is one point: Exactly under the trim wheel is the throttle double lever inside and outside both sides the propeller feather control. This detail is in the original Luftwaffe manual by page diversion omitted! And Eduard etched parts, also do not show the throttle lever. I also show you some other details from the manual, which may be unknown to you. The rudder break. Eduard has this part in the interior set. The hydraulic lines, I made it with lead wire. Here number 5, the bombardier control stick, just used in attack! This control stick has to be stowd! Eduard set has the fixing here number 1! The seats of pilot and radio operator. The seats for bombardier and gunner in ready position. The bombardier seat in stowed position. I could not make it. So far some details explained. So have a look and get some inspiration for creating a more accurate Ju-88, as the kit provides it. Used aftermarket parts: · Resin AIMS cockpit · BIG Eduard set · Montex masks · New Ware masks Happy modelling