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Fokker DR.1Triplane 1:24 Merit International Instantly recognisable as one of the most distinctive aircraft of The Great War, the Fokker Triplane's fame far exceeds its actual contribution to the war effort. It's service life barely stretched to 6 months, and the number built was tiny (320) in relation to other contemporary fighter aircraft such as the Albatros D.V /Va (around 2,500 built). Undoubtedly it was the association with Manfred Von Richthofen 'The Red Baron' that made it such a famous aircraft. Even members of the public with no interest in aviation will surely be aware of the man and his blood red Triplane. It was not particularly fast, but Its greatest assets were its rate of climb and exceptional manoeuvrability, which made it a deadly opponent in a dog fight. Coupled to the fact that most were only issued to elite units and flown by the most skilled pilots, it is perhaps easier to appreciate why it built up such a formidable reputation in a short space of time. Roughly speaking, it was in service with the Jastas from the end of 1917,and gone from them by the middle of 1918. Very few aircraft of any type have ever had such a short lifespan. There have been many plastic kits available, almost from the start of the hobby. There cannot be many of us who did not build an Airfix or Revell Triplane in our early years of modelling. It has been well covered in all the main scales, with noteworthy examples from Eduard (1:72 and 1:48), Roden (1:32) , and even a 1:28 version from Revell which has been around for many decades. This new kit from Merit is however the first version that I am aware of in 1:24 scale, and seems to herald the beginning of a new range of Great War aircraft, as their website lists an SE.5a to join it soon. The kit. Until recently I was not aware of the 'Merit International' brand, but they are apparently an off-shoot of the well known Trumpeter company. They specialise in large scale kits such as the 1:18 scale F-86 Sabre, Bf 109, Me 262 and AV-8B Harrier amongst others. The DR.1 kit comes in a sturdy cardboard box with a separate base and lid, which is well filled with five individually wrapped sprue trees, an etched brass fret, two sheets of decals, colour profiles for the finishing option, and an A4 sized instruction booklet. First impressions are of a well packed and presented product. Sprue A. This holds the two fuselage halves and many of the interior components. Everything is cleanly moulded with good detail and virtually no flash. The under fuselage stitching along the centre seam is moulded on, rather than being as a separate strip as Eduard do it. It should work well, but will require care when gluing the fuselage halves together. Sprues B and C. Each of the three wings are split into upper and lower halves. The fabric effect is really well done, with the underlying structure and ribs being subtly portrayed. The fabric itself looks nice and tightly 'doped on' without the excessive sag that many manufacturers mould on. I'm impressed with how Merit have done it, and it should look very good under a coat of paint. Sprue D. The welded steel tube fuselage interior is fully supplied in the form of two side pieces with separate upper and lower cross members. The instructions suggest building it all around the interior components such as floor, seat, ammo tank, etc. Personally I would be tempted to see if I could build up most of the tubular skeleton and then fit in all these parts afterwards. It would make painting of all these parts easier, but might be risky! A bit of dry fitting should give some idea of how feasible this might be. Also on this sprue are all the cylinder heads and pushrods for the engine, and the cabane and interplane struts for the wings. The moulding is all very neat with no flash and the tiniest of seams to scrape once off the sprue. Sprue E. Engine halves, firewall, cowling, axle wing, wheels, rudder, tailplane and propeller are all here. Again the moulding is neat and almost flash free. None of the sprues show any sign of sink marks and are competently produced. The Axial propeller is moulded with nice thin trailing edges and blade cross sections. It is however a little bit 'pinched looking' at the rear of the blades near the roots. It is nothing too serious, but I will build mine up a little with Milliput and blend it in. The wheels are nicely defined as single piece mouldings with sharp hub to tyre definition, which will make painting a simple easy task. The engine has nicely defined detail, with separate spark plugs. Many of us will want to add some very fine copper wire for the plug leads. I do this on all my Wingnut Wings and Eduard kits, because once you have done it you feel obliged to do it to all your builds! Etch. The etched brass sheet supplies a pair of cooling jackets for the twin Spandau machine guns, and control horns for the elevators and ailerons. Decals. The smaller of the two sheets contains all the national markings and subjects for the two individual finishing options, along with some instrument faces and propeller logos etc. A larger sheet offers a representation of the Fokker 'Streaky' camouflage for the upper wing surfaces and fuselage. If you are not familiar with this, the Fokker factory applied a streaky effect to many of their aircraft types. It was hand painted by wide brush using a green/olive colour, and deliberately streaked in one direction. If you are not confident in doing this on the model, then the decals will do all the hard work for you. I have worked out a way to do this with oil paints described here, as I personally prefer to be able to vary the tone and shade of the streaking over what most decals provide. Well done to Merit for giving the modeller the choice though. Options. Both are well known, but it is pleasing to note that Manfred Von Richthofen's overall red DR.1 has been avoided. Instead we have one of his earlier DR.1s 152/17, which in my opinion is far more attractive in its streaky green with red sections. The second option is Jasta 2's Fritz Kempf 'Kennscht mi noch?' which translates as either 'Remember me?' or 'Do you know me?'. It was something of a taunt to allied pilots, and to make sure, Kempf had his name painted in large letters on the top wing. Although not mentioned in the instructions, it would be possible to create several other DR.1s using just the basic 'Iron Crosses'. Many had simple designs painted on the fuselage which covered most, if not all, of the serial number. Guns. The LMG 08/15 machine guns are supplied with etched brass jackets, but further comment is needed here. The kit supplies solid mouldings for the guns and the builder is instructed to wrap the etched jackets around the solid barrel. While this will work, I don't see the point in it, as the advantage of the etched 'slot' openings will be all but lost. I therefore modified mine to how easy it would be to improve them. Firstly I cut off the solid barrel, leaving a lip at each end for the etched jacket to glue on to. Then I drilled a hole in each end for the new barrel. The barrels on the Spandaus were only thin tubes, the purpose of the slotted jacket was to act as a heat sink and cool it down. A new barrel was cut from 1mm brass wire, and put in place. The etched jacket can then be slid over. Finally, there is a trigger/cocking mechanism on the right side of the gun, which is not represented at all. I built this up from rod and strip to give a reasonable representation of what I can see from photographs. A simple and effective improvement that took all of 10 minutes to do. I also drilled out the solid sight on top of the muzzle, and cyano'd on a cross hair from fine copper wire. The cross hairs were 1 cm long, trimmed off when set. I feel that these modifications/additions are essential in this scale, as the guns supplied ok in shape but lacking in detail. The other item that will need dealing with is the lack of seat belts. In this scale they are essential as they are such a prominent detail in the open cockpit. I was a little surprised that none were included on the etched fret. However, it is not too difficult to fabricate a set. A simple remedy might be to photocopy and enlarge some from a 1/48th set, and use the copy to cut some from tape or wine bottle foil. Alternatively the aftermarket may offer such items. Conclusion. An interesting model in the large 1:24 scale, which won't take up too much space. It will perhaps make a good companion to those similarly scaled 109's from Airfix and Trumpeter, showing the evolution of the German air force over the space of 25-odd years. Don't be put off by omission of seat belts or need to enhance the guns, this is a very nicely moulded kit and a good first entry into Great War modelling by Merit. The DR.1 has none of the complications of biplanes as the mid and lower wings fit directly to the fuselage, and the top wing fits easily onto the 4 struts. Rigging is simple, just 2 wires between the cabane struts and 2 more on the undercarriage. The unpainted but built up example in 'The Rumourmonger' shows a very accurate looking model. The proportions all look right and captures the look and feel of the DR.1 very well. Recommended. Review sample courtesy of UK distributors for

Bell P-39Q/N Dream Model 1:32 The new 1:32 Bell P-39Q/N from KittyHawk is a very nice kit straight from the box, but there’s always room for improvement, and Dream Model have released this etch set just for this occasion. Designed purely for the cockpit the single pre-painted sheet is full of those useful little items that can really make a cockpit. The set also includes the instrument panels in a three part systems, where the instruments, printed on an acetate sheet are glued to the back of the panel, then white pare, the templates of which are provided are glued to the back of the acetate. A quick dry run shows that this is particularly effective in this scale and will look great when installed. The rest of the sheet includes items such as the throttle quadrant, throttle cables, door handles, window winder handles, gun cocking handles, various control handles, and even the numerous toggle switches, for which you will definitely need a very fine pair of tweezers and an Optivisor. The set also includes a full set of shoulder and lap straps for the seat. Some parts will require the modeller to provide their own 0.5mm styrene rod. Conclusion I’ve not come across Dream Model before, but judging by this small, yet very useful set, I will be paying more attention to them in future. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Bell P-39Q/N Airacobra KittyHawk 1:32 The P-39 Airacobra was designed in 1937 in response to a tender by the U.S. Army Air Corps. In many respects the P-39 Airacobra was an unusual aircraft. The basic idea was to install a powerful engine as close as possible to the aircraft's centre of gravity in order to improve maneuverability and stability. An Oldsmobile T-9 37 mm cannon fired through an opening in the propeller spinner. The P-39 was the first American fighter to fitted with a freely rotating nose-wheel. The Airacobra also aroused interest in the British Air Force; the RAF however later rejected the aircraft. The Russian Air Force also expressed strong interest in the aircraft and initially took delivery of 179 units. The U.S. Army Corps also equipped some of its newly formed units with theP-39, including the 8th and 35th Fighter Groups which operated out of New Guinea. Often underrated in the West the P-39 proved to be an exceptional aircraft in the Far East. Its top speed of 580 km/h was sufficient to dominate an A6M Zero in a dogfight. The Model There’s something about the P-39 that even get’s my normally maritime modelling juices flowing, and having a new one released in 1:32 is always good to see. The kit comes in a very attractive top opening box with an artistic impression of the aircraft in flight high above the clouds, (not the normal operating area for a P-39, but there you go). Inside, there are four double sprues of light grey styrene. Thankfully, Kittyhawk haven’t folded these over, as is their usual modus operandi as the box is big enough to have them laid flat. Also included in the kit is a sprue of clear styrene, a small etched sheet and two decal sheets. The mouldings are very nicely reproduced, but, and it may just be me, the details are a little soft. It may just be the styrene, or my eyes, but they are lacking some sharpness seen in other manufacturer’s releases. There is also a small amount of flash, although, thankfully, this is only seen on the sprues themselves, rather than the parts. There an awful lot of moulding pips, which will make cleaning up of parts a little more time consuming. The kit does feature a lot of the interior with a lot of panels that can be left open to show it all off, which in this scale gives the modeller a great opportunity to really go to town with the super detailing, yet detailed enough out of the box for the less ambitious/OCD modeller to enjoy. The instructions are a little messy, but clear enough to see what goes where, just needs a little careful reading to fit all the parts in their correct positions. Construction starts in the middle, with the assembly of the lovely little Allison engine. The block and cylinder heads all come as two part sub-assemblies, which are then glued together, followed by the exhaust manifolds, a large two part cooling fan, crankcase, fuel pipes, carburetor, and a host of smaller items. With the engine assembled, construction moves to the cockpit. The long floor section also includes the floor for the gun bay and engine bay and is fitted out with the joystick, prop shaft extension, and a couple of control boxes. The cockpit area is then fitted with the two spent cartridge chutes, and three part seat, which is provided with a full harness. In the gun bay area, four two part oxygen tanks are fitted, whilst in the cockpit area the throttle quadrant, complete with trim wheel are glued into place. The gun bay is assembled from a selection of trays, braces and semi-bulkheads. The top tray is fitted with a couple of radio/navigation boxes, whilst fitted under the tray is the 20mm cannon, which is made up of two parts and glued to the three piece ammunition tray. The instrument panel consists of two styrene parts onto which the various decal panels are added. The completed panel and rear cockpit bulkhead are then fitted into their respective positions within the cockpit area. The two machine guns fitted above the 20mm cannon are glued to the two piece ammunition tank, after which they are fitted into the gun bay, along with the 20mm ammunition belt and its two guides, whilst the engine assembly is fitted behind the cockpit bulkhead. Above the engine the radio tray is attached to the cockpit bulkhead and is fitted with radio set and control box. The nose wheel bay is now assembled from seven parts and fitted with the nose wheel oleo, which has a separate scissor link and fitted with the two part wheel, and the nose leg retraction actuators. The propeller hub is assembled from five parts and fitted to the forward end of the gun bay via the propshaft fitted earlier. The fuselage halves are then detailed with the fitting of several fuse boxes and the radiator core before the cockpit/gun bay/engine assembly is glued to one half of the fuselage. Aft of the engine there is another tray, this time fitted with what looks like a gyro compass unit. This tray fits in the top half of the rear fuselage, whilst there is what looks like a piece of fuselage structure fitted behind that. The fuselage can now be closed up. The propeller is made up from a separate back plate, two piece hub and three separate blades. The spinner is then attached and can be fitted with one of two styles of cannon muzzle depending on the mark being modelled. The roll over hoop is then fitted aft of the seat along with the engine and fixed gun bay panels and the propeller assembly. The cockpit canopy is attached and the removable gun bay panels fitted into place. With the fuselage turned upside down, the radiator exhaust ramp is fitted, along with the oil cooler ramps, rear fuselage panels, two piece DF aerial loop and two piece rudder. The cockpit doors have separate clear parts and can be posed open or closed. The main wheels consist of two part wheels, single piece oleo, two piece scissor links, upper and lower outer bay doors. The single piece main wheel bays are glued to the upper wing sections, along with the four piece gun bays, after which the wings can be closed up and fitted with the separate flaps, which can be posed retracted or deployed, machine gun pods, with separate muzzles, identification lights, navigation lights, oil cooler intakes, separate ailerons, plus the upper and lower machine gun bay doors. The completed wings are then joined to the fuselage, along with the horizontal tailplanes, complete with separate elevators and the upper fuselage panel is attached. The inner main gear doors are then glued into place, along with their actuators. The modeller has the choice or loading the aircraft with either a single bomb or drop tank. Both are made from two halves and fitted with two cradles before being attached to the centreline. Decals There are two decals included in the kit, one large and one small. The larger of the two contains all the national insignias for the four countries schemes included on the paint charts, along with the id markings for each option and the stencils for one aircraft. Whilst beautifully printed in very bright colours and mostly in register, the centre spots on the French and Italian roundels are slightly off centre making them look a little droopy. The Soviet stars and US Stars N Bars are perfect though. The smaller decal sheet contains the instrument panel decals, and the banner, playing card and crest markings for three of the colour options. The options provided are:- P-39Q, GC 111/6 “Travail”. Armee de l’Air P-39Q-5-BE “Snooks 2nd”, 71st TRS, 82ns TRG, 5th AF, USAAF P-39Q-5-BE, 1st AE, 30th GvlAP, 6th IAK, Co of 1st AE, 1st Lt. A. P. Filatov, 1945 P-39Q, 1st AE, 213th GvIAP, Co of 1st AE Assistant, 1st Lt. M. I.Orlov P-39N-1-BE, 9 Gruppo, 4 Stormo, Italian Co-Belligerent AF, June 1944. Conclusion This is a very nice new kit of the P-39Q/N with plenty of detail and marking options. Overall a quality kit, although it is let down by a very slight softness on some of the details, whilst at the same being beautiful and crisps in other areas. The interior detail is very well done, and will provide a good base for those modellers who wish to add more. The choices of markings is good, just a shame that all the roundels aren’t centred. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of and available soon from major hobby shops

This model was started a while ago by my husband before we both went through a big model making dry spell. Now we're both back on track we thought we might as well start a build log. The first and oddest thing you notice about this model is that they give you this lovely framed interior, then if you buy the Eduard photo etch like he did, you find you need to cover it up with a big blank panel. Much research says that yes this is the right thing to do. So despite my disappointment, accuracy won out. He found that the cockpit actually goes together very well when carefully fitted, although i'd say plenty of test fitting was certainly key to his success. He mixed up his own cockpit interior colour, he went for a fairly muted colour as he didn't want it too appear too over bright and toy like. The next job was masking off the instrument panel, after much deliberation he decided it was best to mask the background off and spray the panels black rather than the other way around. Here's the instrument panels mostly complete. David likes to use a palette of quite a range of colours to try and achieve the best effect. Along with the eduard etch set he also bought the HGW resin seat set with textile seat belts. Neither of us had ever used these before but they were really good and actually surprisingly easy to use. Plus they were far better than the kit part. However when the HGW set arrived the rear resin seat was broken, as the plastic one wasn't all that bad he just used the kit part instead. At the most recent Cosford model show we also bought a load of weathering powder from Pinnacle modelling supplies so he tried these out on his interior. The model needed a modest amount of filler but it wasn't all that bad.

Bristol F-2B Fighter, Post War Wingnut Wings 1:32 The Bristol F.2 Fighter was a British two-seat biplane fighter and reconnaissance aircraft of the First World War flown by the Royal Flying Corps. It is often simply called the Bristol Fighter or popularly the "Brisfit" or "Biff". Despite being a two-seater, the F.2B proved to be an agile aircraft that was able to hold its own against opposing single-seat fighters. Having overcome a disastrous start to its career, the F.2B's solid design ensured that it remained in military service into the 1930s, and surplus aircraft were popular in civil aviation. Post-war developments of the F.2B included the Type 14 F.2B Mk II, a two-seat army co-operation biplane, fitted with desert equipment and a tropical cooling system, which first flew in December 1919. 435 were built. The Type 96 Fighter Mk III and Type 96A Fighter Mk VI were structurally strengthened aircraft, of which 50 were built in 1926–1927. The Bristol fighter's basic design stemmed from design studies by Frank Barnwell in March 1916 for an aircraft intended, like the R.E.8 and the F.K.8, as possible replacements for the B.E.2c – the Type 9 R.2A with the 160 hp Beardmore engine and the R.2B, powered by the 150 hp Hispano Suiza. Neither type was built, as the new 190 hp (142 kW) Rolls-Royce Falcon inline engine became available, and Barnwell designed a new aircraft around the Rolls-Royce engine. This, the Type 12 F.2A was a more compact design, intended from the outset as a replacement for the F.E.2d and Sopwith 1½ Strutter two-seat fighters: it first flew on 9 September 1916. The F.2A was armed in what had by then become the standard manner for a British two-seater: one synchronised fixed, forward-firing .303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers machine gun, and one flexible .303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis Gun mounted on a Scarff ring in the observer's rear cockpit. This remained the standard armament. Only 52 F.2As were produced before production switched to what became the definitive Bristol Fighter, the Bristol Type 14 F.2B which had first flown on 25 October 1916. The first 150 or so were powered by the Falcon I or Falcon II engine but the remainder were equipped with the 275 hp (205 kW) Falcon III engine and could reach a maximum speed of 123 mph (198 km/h). The F.2B was over 10 mph (16 km/h) faster than the F.2A and was three minutes faster at reaching 10,000 ft (3,000 m). F.2Bs often carried a second Lewis gun on the rear cockpit mounting, although observers found the weight of the twin Lewis gun mounting difficult to handle in the high altitudes at which combat increasingly took place in the last year of the war. A number of attempts were made to add forward firing Lewis guns on a Foster mounting or similar on the upper wing - either instead of, or in addition to the Vickers gun. Unfortunately this caused interference with the pilot's compass, which was mounted on the trailing edge of the upper wing. Some F.2Bs were fitted with a Lewis gun offset to starboard to minimise this effect. The Model Don’t think I need to say anything here, other than it’s a Wingnut Wings kit, there you go, that’s all you need to know. Seriously though, and for those who have to yet to experience the loveliness that is a WNW kit then I will elucidate further. This kit is for the post-war version, WNW having released the WW1 version back in 2009, and this release is an extension of it with new parts. The kit comes in the usual WNW top opening box, very a nicely printed artistic impression of a pair of Bristol Fighters flying over the Pyramids near Cairo. Inside, you will find 8 sprues of light grey styrene, a small sprue of clear styrene, a small etch sheet and a large decal sheet. The booklet style instructions are probably some of the best you will come across. They are beautifully printed and not only include very clear diagrams of the build process but also photographs of each particular area for those who would like a detailed view of what the parts should look like. The styrene parts are superbly moulded, with exquisite detail throughout. There is absolutely no sign of flash or other imperfections and only a few moulding pips. The build process begins with the assembly of the 2 part 19 gallon rear fuel tank, onto which the pilots seat is attached. The seat is a masterpiece of moulding with the wicker work precisely depicted. The cockpit floor is fitted with the joystick, rudder bar and gunners control column, followed by the seat/tank assembly. The synchronising system grease pump is fitted forward of the pilots position, whilst the hand leaver for adjusting the tailplane incidence is fitted to the right side of the tank. Both cockpit side frames have three machine gun magazines glued to each side, the port side also having the hand pump for the petrol pressurisation. The frames are then glued to the cockpit floor with the gunners sear fitted between the two. The forward bulkhead/firewall, is moulded complete with the Vickers ammunition magazines onto which the instrument panel is attached and detailed with the decal instruments, which would be further enhanced with a drop of Kear or Aqua Gloss to act as the glass face. The single Vickers machine gun breech is fitted to the centre of the instrument panel, between the magazines, and detailed with the mounting handle, PE cocking handle. The completed assembly is then glued to the front of the cockpit, between the side frames. The cockpit is finished off with the fitting of the rear mounted PE screen which has the spent ammunition pockets included and will need some careful bending, and the PE seatbelts. The instructions do provide clear diagrams for the rigging of the cockpit structure so if you’re up for the rigging challenge then this is a good place to start practicing. Moving onto the fuselage, the four PE control line brackets are fitted to the rear fuselage. The fuselage is then closed up and the cockpit assembly is slid in from the underside. The engine mounts are then glued to the forward bulkhead, the tail skid added, along with the bottom fin. The forward underside of the fuselage is then fitted with the control column linkage elevator control horns, and four struts for the attachment of the lower wing. The undercarriage sub-assembly is then built up, using the two V struts, axle and spreader bar, a pair of wheels and their separate outer hubs. The assembly is finished off with the fitting of the Rotherham air pump propeller. Before fitting the wings, several holes need to be opened up for the Holt flares and lights. The centre section of the lower wing is then glued to the struts fitted earlier, followed by the undercarriage assembly, making sure of a proper alignment. The lower outer wing panels are then glued to the centre section. The modeller has a choice of whether to fit the centre bomb rack and its four bombs at this point, but it might be easier to fit after painting. Moving aft, there is a choice of tail fin and rudder to be used, depending on the scheme you’re intending to build. Forward, the fuselage mounted cabane struts are attached, along with the pilots windscreen. The interplane struts are then glued to the lower wing, after which the upper centre section is fitted to the cabane struts, followed by the upper out wing panels to the centre section and the interplane struts. The four ailerons are then attached, as are the elevators. The engine is a little masterpiece and a model in its own right. The two engine block halves are joined together, after which the gear housing, with propshaft fitted, is glued to the front. The two banks of cylinders, each of two halves are joined together and fitted to the block, followed by the four carb intakes. The two, twin carbs are fitted with the air filters, then fitted to the front and rear of the engine, attaching to the carb intakes. The cylinder heads are then glued into position, along with the ancillary gearbox/timing mechanism, the two magnetos, water pump, water pipes, oil pipes, and oil pump. The completed engine is then fitted to its bearers, as is the oil tank and the front radiator, which is made up from two styrene parts and a very nicely etched PE part. There are a choice of exhaust pipes which run from the engine down each side of the fuselage and will depend on the scheme being modelled. The auxiliary radiator, attached to only two schemes, is fitted to a panel that fits under the engine and detailed with the inlet and outlet pipes. The four engine panels are attached, with the two parts that make up the top panel requiring the seam to be filled. The build is finished, (well, apart from the rigging), with eth fitting of the gunners scarff ring, which is a complex mix of styrene and PE parts and will probably be the most taxing part of the build. The single Vickers machine gun is fitted to the elevating section, (although the accompanying photograph does show a twin gun layout, something for the scratch builders to do then), and the complete ring fitted to the gunners cockpit surround. Decals The large decal sheet is, as usual, beautifully produced, designed by WNW and printed by Cartograf. They are in perfect register, with good opacity and very little carrier film. The decals are quite thin and should settle down well over the ribs etc, without the need for softening solution. There are markings for five aircraft:- Bristol F.2B Fighter Mk.II, F4392, “B2”, Aboukir, Egypt, 1926 Bristol F.2B Fighter Mk.II, F4435, 208Sqn, Ismailia, Egypt, 1925 Bristol F.2B Fighter Mk.II, J6647, “K”, Gerad Combe, 31Sqn, Dardoni, India, 1923 Bristol F.2B Fighter Mk.II, “19”, Irish Free State Air Corp, 1925 Bristol F.2B Fighter Mk.III, 7122, New Zealand Permanent Air Force, 1930s Conclusion Wingnut Wings don’t seem to put a foot wrong, with excellent research, design, and a full control on the moulding of their kits, they have to be at least near the top of the best kit manufacturers currently in business. This kit is just superb, with great moulding, wonderfully clear instructions and a level of detail that means that it can be built straight from the box without the real need for any aftermarket gear. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Afternoon folks Ok so my current obsession with the Hunter continues and this time it is the Hunter F6 of Fighter School 1960. A gentleman on Facebook very kindly sent me some of the photo's he had taken of these machines in 1963 when he was on DFCS at Binbrook when the unit left West Raynham. It is my second 1:32 Hunter - the first being the FGA9 of the current Revell boxing and I did this in the RAF Brawdy scheme of red spine and fin so the two together look great - some photos of the two below. This one is OOB except the pilot who is a PJ Productions figure. Upper sides are Mr Color paints and the underside is Halfords Aluminum post shaded with various Alclad shades. Pleased to say I have another F6 and FGA9 to build! May be Black Arrows for the former. I hope you like it Chris

Hi all, I haven't posted in ages but I just got news from PCM that they have no plan to reissue their later version Hurricane kit; PCM 32012 - Hawker Hurricane MK.I Battle of Britain version w/metal wings I occasionally see these on US eBay for 100+ $ - seems to be more of the earlier "rag wing" version popping up once in awhile. Sigh... Anyone know of any other manufacturers out there with a 1:32 Hurricane in their pipeline? Given it's importance and critical role played in the Battle of Britain, and many other campaigns, I feel this aircraft has not been well represented by the industry. The Airfix and Tamiya 1:48 efforts may be the best ones out there today? Opinions, comments welcome! Cheers Eric PS - like many others, I'm still waiting to see if the 1:32 HK Models Lancaster ever does see the light of day...

My entry for the GB will be the Revell 1:32 Spitfire IIa, dressed in the colours of 19 Sqn in October 1940. Specifically this will be the aircraft QV-Y, P7423 flown by S/Lt Arthur Blake at that time, who was sadly shot down by 109s later in the month. My aim is to add some propblurs and show the aircraft in take off mode. This will need a pilot figure needless to say. Initial photos will be added later... I'll be nice to make something that isn't Science Fiction for a change!!! Wonder if I can remember how to do that...

US Navy and Air Force GBU-38 Bombs Videoaviation 1:32 A very welcome pair of releases from Videoaviation arrived at BM Londons offices the other day. Two sets of GBU-38 JDAM bombs in 1:32 scale, one of US Navy style and one US Air Force style. Each set is very well protected, being contained in a clear plastic box, within a zip lock bag wrapped in bubblewrap. Although the bomb lugs need a bit more as a couple in the review sample were broken. Each box contains eight complete bombs, and come in these separate parts. Bomb Casing Tail Lugs GPS Antenna Protective caps Decals Whilst the tails, lugs, caps are the same for each type, the USN bomb casing is a much rougher casting allowing for the ablative coating used on Navy bombs. It is details like this that make Videoavition products to be some of the best in the business. Naturally, the USAF bomb casing is nice and smooth. The extreme nose sections are also slightly different between versions, with the USAF version being a more pointed affair than the USN type. The builds are pretty straightforward, as once the parts have been carefully cut away from the moulding blocks they will only need a swipe with a sanding sponge before the tail is attached to the casing, followed by the lugs and the tail mounted GPS aerial. If the protective caps are to be used, then the nose of each bomb needs to be used before the cap can be fitted. Each type comes with its own distinct style of markings contained on a nicely printed decal sheet. Conclusion These two sets make very nice additions to the Videoaviation product range and will add something special to a completed model. With the well moulded, flawless resin, it should go together fairly easily. Once built and painted they will look great, although it would have been nice if some remove before flight flags had been provided too. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Azur kit with my own modifications.

Mask sets for Wingnut Wings Felixstowe F.2a and AEG G.IV 1:32 HGW Models Two new masking sets have been received from HGW models, designed for the recent releases from Wingnut Wings. Both are cut on yellow kabuki tape with very crisp edges to each element. Kabuki tape is by far the best material for making masks from, as it adheres well to the surface, has a litlle 'give' in it for compound curves, and easliy peels off leaving no residue. 632029 Felixstowe F.2a This set is most applicable to the early version of the F.2a with the fully enclosed cockpit glazing.Masks are provided for all the glazing elements and should make light work of it. The masks for the propeller tips are very welcome. Having struggled to do similar masking on my FE.2b 4 bladed prop, I know how hard it was to make 8 similar shaped masking elements. All the hard work has been done for you here. 632030 AEG G.IV Also finely cut on yellow kabuki tape, there are elements here for the propeller hubs, wheels, and glazing. The large clear panel (part C4) on the underside adn both the small cockpit windshields are provided for. The wheel masks will also be useful and make swift work of accurately painting all four tyres. Conclusion. These are very useful items, and I notice that HGW has quite an extensive range for Wingnut Wings kits. I wish I had known about the one for the Fe2b prop earlier! It is proving virtually impossible to photograph the yellow sheets and show the detail of the elements on them. The cutting is very fine and sharp though, so I would expect them to go onto the model surfaces and give very neat edges to the paint, particularly if you spray paint. Both those reviewed here are of excellent quality, and the set for the Felixstowe F.2a (early) will be essential for anyone building this kit, and the AEG G.IV set will make light work if some fiddly masking. Highly recommended Review samples courtesy of

Spitfire MkI/II 1:32 Pavla Although having a number of problems from the box, the Revell 1:32 MkI/II Spitfire is still a very nice kit. Since there is always room from improvement a number of manufacturers have released correction sets and detail sets. With this in mind Pavla has released three new sets to improve the cockpit area. All three sets are contained in a blister pack with card backing and header. The first pack contains a replacement seat, which looks a lot closer to the real metal seat, but is still not 100% correct, although the missing detail on the seat back will probably be covered by the seatbelts. The second pack contains a replacement access door. This is very nicely moulded with some very fine surface detail on the outer skin and nice rib detail on the interior. The door does not come with a moulded on crowbar, nor is any provided, which, I believe is correct for this era. The final set contains the cockpit sidewalls, which are drop in replacements. As per the other sets the mouldings are very well moulded, with lots of detail such as the cabling between electrical boxes, the longerons, stringers and frames, along with numerous smaller details. Some careful painting and the use of washes will pay dividends in making these details pop. In addition to the sidewalls the set comes with separate throttle quadrant, oxygen bottles and trim wheels, another smaller oxygen style bottle and the undercarriage control box and lever. Conclusion Pavla have produced some very nice detail in these three sets. I thinking the sidewalls are the best of the bunch, although the door is a nice easy addition. I’m not sure when the metal seat was used, but if the aircraft you’re modelling uses this style then go for it. Highly recommended Review sample courtesy of

Seatbelt and Mask sets for Tamiya F4U-1A Corsair 1:32 HGW Models As with the set for the Revell 1:32 Fw-190, reviewed HERE, this set has been released in HGW’s Basic Line. The quality is the same as the previously reviewed set, as are the components, i.e. a sheet of laser cut seatbelts, etched buckles and clasps for the seatbelts and a sheet of masks. Being laser cut, the edges of both the seatbelts and masks are as crisp and clean as you could want. Only the small join to the sheet marring the perfection. If you’re using a new No11 blade then you should be able to cut them out without the need for any further cleaning up. The buckles and clasps are quite small, even in this scale, but the seatbelts are stiff enough to pass through them with relative ease. The completed assemblies should be given a bit of a dark wash to tone them down a bit, and then just attached to their appropriate positions. They will probably need a bit of a bend to get them to sit correctly and realistically. Job done. As with the masks in the Fw-190 set, these too have suffered a little bit of shrinkage, which hopefully has been taken into account. The set includes masks for both the interior and exterior of the windshield and canopy, which is a great help, particularly for the interior. Just fit and, using your favourite paints and airbrush, spray away. Conclusion This is another very useful set by HGW, and can be used by any level of modeller. The masks are generally used for when painting with an airbrush, but I’m sure they could be useful for those who don’t. The seatbelts are little more fiddly, but with a bit of care and patience, anyone can have a good looking addition to the kits seat. Very highly recommended. Review samples courtesy of

Focke Wulf Fw-190F8 detail sets Eduard 1:32 Eduard appear to be covering all the bases with their aftermarket detail sets for the Revell 1:32 Fw-190F8. First, you have the wonderful resin cockpit, machine gun bay, wheels and undercarriage legs, now they have released four etched sets and a set of masks. The etched parts are for the interior, seatbelts, flaps and a smaller zoom set for the cockpit. At least the modeller can’t say they don’t have a choice of what to use on his model, or how much they want to add. Interior Set (32842) 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 fittings for the gunsight and the coaming that surrounds it, the rear bulkhead seat rails and fixings, and seat fittings. The canopy slide panel is fitted with a replacement upper face and access panel, map case and strap, joystick cable, side wall stringers/longerons, and canopy fixtures. The pre-painted sheet contains the upper and lower instrument panels, replacing the moulded on dials, 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 coloured levers, knobs, side consoles, new throttle quadrant, switch clusters, trim wheel, and rudder pedal plates,. Flap Set (32372). To use this set the kit details have to be removed first, both from the flap bays and the trailing edges of the wing where the flaps join. The interior of the flap bays have their ribs joined at the tip and will require carful bending to enable the modeller to glue them in place. With the bays positioned the inner face of the flaps are also carefully folded around the leading edge so that they match the profile diagram in the instructions. The leading edge is then fitted with the provided hinge plates with the curved leading edge plates between them. The trailing edge of the flap bays are then detailed with the opposing hinges, into which the flap is slid into position. The result is a pair of very nicely detailed, and accurate flaps. Interior Zoom Set (33149) 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 (32843) This small single sheet set contains a complete and comprehensive set of seat belts, buckles and clasps. The belts really are rather fiddly to assemble, but will look great when fitted. The seat belts are pre-painted so no need for some fiddly painting, just a slightly darker wash to tone them down a bit. Masks (JX181) To complement the sets mentioned above, Eduard have also released a set of paint masks for the Fw-190, which helps masking the clear areas a whole lot easier particularly as there is a quite a lot of clear styrene edges on the rear canopy. As usual they don't provide the whole canopy, just the edges, the rest you will need to cover yourself. Conclusion There’s never a kit release without Eduard set of two being designed for it as they are so prolific. Whilst not as comprehensive as some of the previous releases, but then they have released all that resin stuff, they will add that extra level of detail sought by some modellers. The flap set looks to be particularly good and really will make the model stand out from the crowd. It is still disappointing that they chose to release the seatbelt set separate from what is basically an interior set, but I guess it gives modeller more choice on how much they want to add. The instructions aren’t the clearest, so care will need to be taken when adding the parts. The masks are always useful though. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Seatbelt and Mask sets for Revell Fw-190 1:32 HGW Each of these two sets are for the new 1:32 Fw-190F8 from Revell. The smaller of the sets contains just the seatbelts, whilst the large contains the seatbelts and a set of masks for the canopy, on in this case canopies, as there is a choice of two within the kit. This will probably be the most popular set. The laser cut belts are remarkably beautifully cut, with no ragged edges to worry about. Being laser cut, you are left with just a small join between the belts and the fret. With each part removed, it’s just a matter of threading through the etched parts and gluing the joints over. The belts are ready to fit, complete with markings and placards, to the seat and cockpit and there is a nice clear diagram showing the positioning, although you may wish to refer to actual photographs to get the correct level of sag. The masks also appear to be laser cut and there appears to be a little bit of shrinkage, which hopefully has been taken into account with regards to fit and coverage. The instructions clearly show which masks go where and for which canopy. Unlike most over mask sets HGW have included masks for both the interior and exterior making it a whole lot easier to airbrush the appropriate colours. Conclusion HGW have released two very useful sets although I imagine that the mask set will be the most popular. That said, it’s always good to have a choice and for those modeller who either don’t like or don’t need masks then they can just use the super seatbelts. Very highly recommended. Review samples courtesy of

Focke Wulf 190 Cockpit and MG 131 compartment 1:32 Brassin Having just finished reviewing the last two sets from Brassin, HERE, a further two sets arrived from Britmodeller HQ. The first is a comprehensive set to replace the kit cockpit and the second is to replace and detail the upper gun mounts between the cockpit and engine bay. (Cockpit Set 632-056) This set is provided in the small cardboard box now standard for the larger Brassin sets. On opening and removing the top layer of foam, the modeller is confronted with a large resin part, three bags of smaller parts in both dark and light grey resin plus a bag of three etched brass sheets, a small sheet of acetate and a small decal sheet. The single large resin part completely replaces the kits cockpit tub. This will need to be carefully removed from the moulding blocks and have the thinned resin panel behind the seat cut away. The complex seatbelt assemblies are built up from the pre-painted etch sheet and fitted to the seat once the squab and back rest have been added, which is then fitted to the tub, along with the joystick, a small instrument panel between the rudder pedals, and an access panel just behind the seat, (there are two styles of panel to choose from). The rudder pedals are next and these are made up from both resin and etched parts, followed by the lower instrument panel complete with undercarriage lever, rocket and MG FF cannon controllers and a number of other levers, and finally the two piece throttle lever. Before the cockpit can be fitted to the kit fuselage the set adds a three part canopy opening handle, replacement coaming, upper instrument panel, with each instrument provided on the decal sheet and two styles of very intricate gun-sights. The windscreen framing is then added to the kit part, whilst the armoured head rest is fitted to the new canopy decking and fitted with one of two styles of armour support, as both the open and close styles are provided, along with the slide for the canopy movement, all fitted to the inside of the canopy. MG 131 Mount 632-060. This set comes in the more normal blister pack and contains both dark and light resin parts and a sheet of etched brass. Before doing anything, you will have to remove all the moulded detail off the lower front bulkhead. The replacement bulkhead is made up of a brass panel, to which the various strengtheners and fittings are added. The two resin ammunition tanks are then fitted to the bulkhead hangers. The upper kit decking is completely replaced by a beautifully moulded resin part, to which the replacement MG 131 machine guns are fitted. One of the sets barrels was slightly bent, so some careful manipulation may be required on yours, using some warm water. The ammunition tracks are then attached followed by a PE framework/pipework that sits around the windscreen, the six panel fixings, three per side and the large resin access panel. Conclusion Although the new Revell kit has superb detail straight out of the box some modellers are just not content. These sets will certainly scratch that itch with a level of detail that injection moulding cannot, certainly at the price point Revell try to aim at. So if you want as much detail as you can get in your completed model these sets are for you. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Focke Wulf Fw-190F8 Revell 1:32 The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Würger (English: Shrike) is a German single-seat, single-engine fighter aircraft designed by Kurt Tank in the late 1930s and widely used during World War II. Along with its well-known counterpart, the Messerschmitt Bf 109, the Fw 190 became the backbone of the Luftwaffe's Jagdwaffe (Fighter Force). The twin-row BMW 801 radial engine that powered most operational versions enabled the Fw 190 to lift larger loads than the Bf 109, allowing its use as a day fighter, fighter-bomber, ground-attack aircraft and, to a lesser degree, night fighter. The Fw 190A started flying operationally over France in August 1941, and quickly proved superior in all but turn radius to the Royal Air Force's main front-line fighter, the Spitfire Mk. V, especially at low and medium altitudes. The 190 maintained superiority over Allied fighters until the introduction of the improved Spitfire Mk. IX in July 1942. In November/December 1942, the Fw 190 made its air combat debut on the Eastern Front, finding much success in the specialised ground attack units called Schlachtgeschwader (Battle Wings or Strike Wings) from October 1943 onwards, following the redesignation of all former Sturzkampfgeschwader dive-bomber wings at that time. Though Soviet pilots considered the Bf 109 the greater threat, the Fw 190 and its pilots proved just as capable as the "lean" (to VVS pilots) inverted V-12 inline-powered Messerschmitt in aerial combat. In the opinion of German pilots who flew both, the Fw 190 provided increased firepower and manoeuvrability at low to medium altitude. Still, it never entirely replaced the Bf 109. The Fw 190A series' performance decreased at high altitudes (usually 6,000 m (20,000 ft) and above), which reduced its effectiveness as a high-altitude interceptor, but this problem was mostly rectified in later models, particularly in the Junkers Jumo 213 inline-engine Focke-Wulf Fw 190D series, which was introduced in September 1944 and restored relative parity with Allied opponents. The subject of this kit is that of the F8 variant which was basically an A-8 model re-designated, having a slightly modified injector on the compressor which allowed for increased performance at lower altitudes for several minutes. Armament of the Fw 190 F-8 was two 20 mm MG 151/20 cannon in the wing roots and two 13 mm (.51 in) MG 131 machine guns above the engine. Fw 190 F-8/U1 - long range JaBo, fitted with underwing V.Mtt-Schloß shackles to hold two 300 L (80 US gal) fuel tanks. ETC 503 bomb racks were also fitted, allowing the Fw 190 F-8/U1 to carry one SC 250 bomb under each wing and one SC 250 bomb on the centreline. Fw 190 F-8/U2 - torpedo bomber was fitted with an ETC 503 bomb rack under each wing and a centre-line mounted ETC 504. The U2 was also equipped with the TSA 2 A weapons sighting system that improved the U2's ability to attack seaborne targets with a 700 kg (1,500 lb) BT 700. Fw 190 F-8/U3 - heavy torpedo bomber was outfitted with an ETC 502, which allowed it to carry one BT-1400 heavy torpedo (1,400 kg (3,100 lb)). Owing to the size of the torpedo, the U3's tail gear needed to be lengthened. The U3 also was fitted with the 2,000 PS BMW 801S engine, and the tail from the Ta 152. Fw 190 F-8/U4 - created as a night fighter, was equipped with flame dampers on the exhaust and various electrical systems such as the FuG 101 radio altimeter, the PKS 12 automatic pilot, and the TSA 2 A sighting system. Weapons fitted ranged from torpedoes to bombs, however, the U4 was fitted with only two MG 151/20 cannon as fixed armament. The Model This completely new moulding came as bit of a surprise, but very welcome none the less. The quite large, and unfortunately end opening box is pretty much full of styrene. Each of the eight blue-grey sprues are very nicely moulded, with little or no sign of flash and not too many moulding pips, although some of the them and the sprue gates are quite large. There are quite a few flow marks visible on a lot of the parts, but these shouldn’t cause too many problems under a coat of primer. Details are finely produced with neat panel lines and other fixtures and fittings. Throughout the kit there are lots of details, particularly the engine and cockpit, which means it can be made pretty much out of the box with perhaps the exception of some replacement seatbelts. Construction starts with the modeller having to decide which version of the two provided that they wish to make. Since each version requires having different hole opened up from the inside of the lower wing depending on whether the single SC500 centreline bomb and two wing drop tanks or the single SC250 on the centreline and the two pairs of SC50s are going to be fitted. There are also two larger holes that require to be opened up should you wish to use the large stand that is provided in the kit. Actual assembly begins in the single piece cockpit tub with the fitting of the joystick, rudder bar and footplates. These are followed by the lower instrument panel, seat, with separate squab, plus the decal lap and shoulder straps. The main instrument panel is then fitted with the revi gunsight and its two clear screens the gunsight is then carefully slid thought the gap in the coaming and the panel glued into place. For the instruments on the upper and lower panels Revell have provided a some nicely printed decals, but in this scale it may be better to use some separate instruments and bezels from the likes of Airscale. At this point, several sub-assemblies are constructed. These include the forward upper gun mounting deck consisting of two parts, the tailwheel is made up of two halves for the tyres plus the inner and outer hubs, which is then slid onto the axle of the oleo and enclosed with the port side of the mounting yoke. Once the insides of the fuselage have been painted there are a couple of parts fitted to the fuselage sides, before the instrument panel/coaming are glued to one half, as is the tail wheel, (in either retracted or extended position), before the fuselage can be closed up. The completed cockpit assembly is then fitted from beneath and the forward gun mount fitted just in front of the coaming. Moving onto the wings the two inboard cannon barrels are attached tot eh main wing spar along with the centre section of the main undercarriage bay. The assembly is then glued into position, with the spar aft of the main wheel bays. Behind the main spar there is another plate which moulded with the two rear spars, whilst the main wheel bays are fitted ahead of the main spar, covering the openings. The two ammunition canisters for the upper machine guns are then fitted to the main spar panel, along with the engine bearers and the engine mounting ring before the whole assembly is attached to the underside of the fuselage. The two part ailerons are then assembled and fitted to the upper wing panels, which are then attached to the lower panel. The optionally positioned flaps are then fitted. Each of the horizontal stabilisers, elevators and rudder are made up of two halves, which when all assembled are glued into position. Probably the most complex assembly of the kit has to be the engine. Each of the two banks of cylinders is made up of two parts, but where the moulding differs here is that the cylinder heads are moulded complete and the rest of the cylinders are on a smaller inner section, thus elevating any awkward seams to worry about. With the banks assembled the two sets of push rods are attached and the banks joined together via a spacer ring. The inlet manifold is then fitted from the rear, followed the exhaust manifolds, the prop shaft and the auxiliary gear box. The completed engine is then attached to the previously assembled engine mount, followed by the two small lower panels and the front cowling ring. The main undercarriage units each consist of the main oleo, with separate scissor link, five part wheels, (two tyre halves, inner and outer hubs and outer cap), and the undercarriage door. The undercarriage assemblies are then glued into position, followed by the retraction jacks. If the undercarriage is to be posed retracted then there are separate wheel parts to be used. With the undercarriage attached, the kit is turned over and the windscreen is fitted followed by the upper and lower cowling covers, again with optional parts for them to be posed open or closed. On the upper decking the machine gun breeches and barrels are fitted and the area is finished off with the cowling side panels and the large machine gun panel. The kit comes with optional canopies, early and late, (flat and bulged), with slightly different parts for the interiors. With these fitted then the turn of the multitude of aerials access step and pitot probe to be fitted. Depending on which type the modeller is building there are variations on the pylons and weapons fit to be attached. Each drop tank and weapon comes in two halves, with the bombs having extra struts for around the tail fins. Each pylon is fitted with separate sway braces and attached to the holes that were opened up at the beginning. Finally the propeller consists of a single piece three bladed prop, back plate, spinner and cooling fan. If the stand is to be used, this is assembled from four parts which are then inserted into the large circular base. Decals The decal sheet appears to have been designed by Revell and printed in Italy so presumably by Cartograph, although they feel quite thick and not up to their usual standard. They are well printed though, in good register and nicely opaque with very little carrier film except in each of the outline crosses. The decals are quite matt in appearance but should settle down well with the appropriate solutions. A full set of stencils are provide which will make a lot of modellers happy, but as is the ruling over in Germany there are no swastikas included. There two marking options provided:- Fw-190F-8/R1 ,”Black 6”, St.SG.10, Czech Territory. 1945 Fw-190F-8 “Black 2”, St.SG.10. Czech Territory 1945 Conclusion As with their 1:32 Me-109s, Revell should be very proud of this kit. Not only is it highly detailed, but the mouldings are superb as well. From what I’ve seen the price has increased quite a bit, but it is still worth it as there is a lot modelling to had from the box. Of course, Eduard have already started releasing add-on sets for this kit so if you want to guild the lily then you can. Very highly recommended. Revell model kits are available from all good toy and model retailers. For further information visit

Turned Japanese Barrel sets 1:32 Master We’ve recently had quite an influx of new barrel sets from Master Models with several in 1:32 scale. These three sets continue in this vein with replacement barrels for 1:32 Mitsubishi Zero kits. No matter how many sets I get to see, it’s still amazing how Master produce them with such finesse and detail, making them a must have to replace what can be rather clunky styrene parts. Only the first set has been designed for a specific kit, the fabulous Tamiya A6M5 Zero and contains not only the machine gun barrels, with separate cooling sleeves, but also the cannon barrels and pitot probe. The other two sets contain only barrels, one for the two Type 97 7.7mm machine guns with the perforated cooling sleeves, and the other containing four Type 99 20mm cannon. All the parts are just drop in parts or, with a quick cut to remove the styrene parts followed by drilling out an appropriately sized hole for the barrels to be glued into and can be really be used with any 1:32 Zero, making sure you’ve done some research to identify which weapons were used on which mark. [AM-32-006] 1:32 A6M5 Zero for the Tamiya kit [AM-32-007] 1:32 Type 99 20mm cannon [AM-32-008] 1:32 Type 97 7.7mm Machine gun Conclusion As with the other sets recently reviewed these three continue to impress with the way they have been manufactured with so much fine detail. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of Piotr at

Turned Hellcat Machine Gun Barrels 1:48/1:32 Master As if it wasn’t enough producing new sets for barrels in 1:350 and pitot probes in 1:48 Master Models have also released a raft of barrel sets for the Grumman Hellcats in both 1:48 and 1:32 scales. The sets are marked F6F Early, so I presume a -3, F6F Late, presumably a -5 and F6F Night Fighter. It’s quite interesting seeing the different styles of barrels used for each of these marks. As is the norm, the kit barrels will need to be cut off and a small hole drilled into the wing to accept the new brass barrels. All have a drilled out muzzle, which is quite amazing, particularly in the 1:48 sets. [AM-48-107] 1:48 F6F Early [AM-48-108] 1:48 F6F Late [AM-48-109] 1:48 F6F Night Fighter [AM-32-078] 1:32 F6F Early [AM-32-079] 1:32 F6F Late [AM-32-080] 1:32 F6F Night Fighter Conclusion With so many sets being delivered in such a short time it does get rather difficult to say something different for each review. But if you have a Hellcat in either of the scales provided for here then they really are a must have. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of Piotr at

F4U-1A Corsair Cockpit Set Brassin 1:32 Cockpit Set (632053) Having released numerous additional sets for the previously released F4U-1 Corsair, Eduard have now turned their attention on the newer F4U-1A version, starting with the cockpit. The set comes in a very well packed cardboard with the parts in several zip lock bags and prevented from being shaken around by two foam pads. There are fifty two resin parts in a mixture of medium and dark greys, plus one clear resin parts, a sheet of pre-painted etched brass and a sheet of unpainted photo etched parts,. The detail on the resin parts is quite amazing, being super 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. Painting of the parts, especially those pre-moulded will be a bit of a chore, but with care you will end up with something of a masterpiece which would be good on its own, let alone fitted to the model. The resin is further enhanced with the addition of the two sheets of etched parts, 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, whilst the unpainted sheets contains a selection of brackets, levers and an alternative instrument panel for which an acetate sheet of instruments is provided. Conclusion The Tamiya F4U-1A Corsair is already an amazing kit with very few apparent problems or vices but the detail that this cockpit set delivers really will take it to the next level. Having said that, as with the previous kit, the cockpit in this model is already superb, and it makes one wonder if this additional set is really required. 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 sample courtesy of

Lewis MkIII WWI guns 1:32 Brassin Having released the Lewis MkIIs last month, this month Eduard Brassin have now released the MkIIIs. 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. As with the MkIIs 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, and ammunition drum. The etched parts are for the rear and forward sights. The differences between eh two types is that the MkIIs have cooling jackets around the barrels, whereas the MkIIIs do not. Brassin have also included four spare ammunition drums to add to the aircraft racks. Conclusion As with the previous set these two guns will make worthy additions to any 1:32 aircraft. Very highly recommended Review sample courtesy of

Focke Wulf 190 Wheels and Main Undercarriage 1:32 Brassin As good as the wheels and undercarriage are on the new Revell 1:32 Fw-190F8 the seams on the tyres will take some careful sanding to completely remove them and thus probably a lot of detail. These new wheels come in the standard blister pack with two layers of foam protecting them. On opening the quality of parts really stands out. The tyres, with very finely engraved treads, the mains with radial treads along with the tailwheel which whilst having no tread the hubs are beautifully moulded with a more natural look than the kit parts and come complete with the manufacturers name on the sidewalls. Clean up of the wheels should be quick and easy as the webs holding them to the moulding blocks are very thin. Any excess left after removal will only require a quick swipe of a sanding stick to tidy up. Also included in the set are the inner hubs, with nicely rendered brake details and attachment holes that match the kit axles. The outer hubs have a finesse and depth to them that would be impossible to do in injection moulding. The hubs are on quite large moulding blocks for their size, but since they are on the rear of each item it’s just a matter of razor sawing them off and flattening them with a sanding stick. To complete the set Eduard have included a sheet of masks to aid painting. Meanwhile, the second set of parts, in a similar blister pack, contains a pair of replacement resin undercarriage doors which have a much better scale thickness as well as extra detail, the thin webs holding them to the casting blocks shouldn’t cause too much of a problem to clean up. The best bits about this set are the superbly produced bronze undercarriage legs. The casting is superb and appears to include all the brackets and clamps seen on the real items. All that is need is the addition of some brake hoses to complete the look. It’s just a shame that they have to be painted as the look really good as is. Conclusion The new Revell kit is a feast of detail in its own right, but the addition of these simple parts will not only aid the look of the undercarriage, without too much effort in cleaning any seams, but will also give increased strength to the undercarriage thus preventing them legs to spread and distort. Highly recommended Review sample courtesy of

Calling this one done - earlier stuff can be seen here. Comments/thoughts/abuse appreciated! Have fun... Iain

Well this started of as a quick easy project with no extras that I thought I'd use to try my metal painting technique out on before I did my B.A.C Lightening, well I got that a little wrong! Quick and easy...............not likely! But it was enjoyable as it certainly put the brain, fingers and other skills to the test. Fit is poor and a challenge at almost very stage, but lets be fair to it, its getting on a bit and you can pick it up for £15 or less. The cockpit was very sparse so I add some cabling and extra switches to make it look a bit more interesting and realistic, added oil washes and chipping inside and outside of the plane. All painted with Humbrol metal coats which I must say I was really pleased with, I haven't tried other brands but these went on really well after a base coat of matt black. I used matt black as I wasn't after a nice and shiny aircraft but a rather beaten up and weather one. Here we go, all comments welcome on the Critter!

North American OV-10D Bronco detail sets Eduard 1:32 It was great news when Kinetic announced and actually released their 1:32 OV-10D Bronco last year. The kit had a lot of detail included straight out of the box, with plenty of panels that could be posed open and al the interior detail within. Well, now Eduard have released three sets, (four if you include the zoom set), of etched brass. Whilst these won’t sort out the slight problems the kit has, particularly concerning the landing gear, but he will add lots of surface detail throughout the airframe. Detail Set (32830) 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, all the switches that protrude through the painted parts from the other sheet and therefore need to be painted beforehand. It also contains the rear cockpit foot plate with adjustable rest, the seat release handle box, a new control box for the rear cockpit and the latching mechanisms for the cockpit access panels. There is a numbering problem with some of the parts so check everything carefully before gluing anything. 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 side console panels, ejection seat parts; The ejection seat main firing handles are not shown in the instructions so check your references before attaching. The rest of the sheet contains the switch panels mentioned above, circuit breaker panels and radio panels. Interior Zoom Set (33146) 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. Fortunately this sheet does include the switches that are on the second sheet in the main detail set. Seatbelts (32831) This small single sheet set contains a complete and comprehensive set of seat belts, buckles and clasps for both the pilot and co-pilot. The belts look like they will be rather fiddly to assemble, but will look great when fitted. The seat belts are pre-painted so no need for some fiddly painting, just a slightly darker wash to tone them down a bit. To fit the lap-straps the modeller will need to cut a slot on both sides of each seat pad to all the ends of the straps to slide into them. Exterior (32368) This two 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 main wheel bays, including new side panels and roof frames. The main wheel bay doors also receive new hinge panels. The nose wheel bay also get the benefit of new panels, stringers, a control box, and hinges for the doors. The tween bulkhead of the cockpit is fitted with new panels and pipework, whilst the anti IR missile unit is fitted with new screw frames and top. The undercarriage legs receive brake pipes, brake detail, new scissor links and strengthening straps. Note that if you’re going to alter the kits lower oleo so that it represents a working unit then the scissor links and brake pipes will need to be altered too. Around the exterior of the model there are new access panels, new fittings for the flap bays and the flaps themselves. The stub wings are fitted with new gun bay panels which can be posed open or closed, whilst on the underside there are several new panels. The engine intakes and equipment bay intakes are fitted with new grilles. On the side of the aircraft there are new crew entry steps which can be posed open or closed. The detail upgrades aren’t confined to the aircraft, there are also parts for the weapons, including new strakes, panels, rocket motor ends, fuse clips and straps, whilst the pylons undersides are enhanced with new panels and the Sidewinder launchers are fitted with a new rail. Conclusion Once again it’s proven that there’s never a kit release without Eduard set of two being designed for it, they are so prolific. Whilst not as comprehensive as some of the previous releases, 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. Watch out for the instructions though, as there are several discrepancies in the numbering and the absence of some parts which are actually needed Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of