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Messerschmitt Me 109E-7detail Sets for Trumpeter Eduard 1:32 Whilst the Trumpeter Messerschmitt Me109E-7 appears to be a very nice kit, it does have its problems. Unfortunately many of the problems with the possible shape issues are not that easy to rectify. If you’re not too worried about the issues, but would like to add some extra detail to the kit, then Eduard have released these two sets just for you. Interior Set (32752) The two sheets contained in the standard poly sleeve with protective card inserts provide parts for the cockpit. The small self adhesive sheet is also pre-painted and contains multiple parts for the instrument panel, including the upper and lower panels with the instrument painted onto a backing sheet and will only need some Aqua gloss or similar to represent the instrument glass. The panel is then populated with additional levers, switch boxes and T handles. The other coloured parts are for the control box facings one the side panels and a complete set of seat belts with separate buckles and clasps. The second sheet is not painted or self adhesive, but contains many useful items to super detail the rest of the cockpit. The side walls are completely replaced with brass sheet and given depth with the addition of further control boxes, trim wheels, linkages, levers, brackets, and perforated oxygen regulator case. The rest of the cockpit is given replacement joystick surround, seat raising ratchet, foot rests, rudder pedals, and rear bulkhead plates. The gunsight is given a new glass support bracket in addition to acetate parts for the glass items. Finally the canopy is fitted out with new armoured headrest details and support arms, canopy latch and the retaining wire for the open canopy. External Detail Set (32 322) This single sheet set is naturally for the external details and the larger than average sheet provides plenty of parts to enhance the kit. Starting at the front, the engine receives new ignition harness parts, lifting straps, cowling locks and an additional plate to the engine bearers. The oil tank is fitted with a new filler cap and the air intake is fitted with a new grille. Each radiator is detailed with new front and rear facings, splitter plates and cooling flaps. The undercarriage bay fittings include new internal walls and roof parts. The main doors receive new internal a facing sheet, whilst the undercarriage oleos have new brake lines, scissor links and wheel brake fitting, making them really look the part. Also included are a new support bracket for the external rear view mirror, which is also replaced, drop tank fixing strap and bomb fin link arms. Conclusion Not having this kit it does make it a little awkward to review as you can’t compare the parts and see how much extra is given by the use of this set. That said Eduard rarely disappoints with their sets and this looks to be pretty comprehensive and should make quite a difference to the completed model. Recommended Review sample courtesy of

Douglas A-1H Skyraider Trumpeter 1/32 The Model Trumpeter follow up their A-1D early version of the Skyraider, they have now released the A-1 as used in the Vietnam War. Having reviewed the A-1D on BM HERE it would be churlish to repeat the history of the design but feel it may be helpful to include the build. The kit comes in quite a large box with an artists representation of the aircraft in flight over a target in Vietnam, duelling with a North Vietnamese Mig. As with the previous release on opening the box it is stuffed full with eighteen sprues of medium grey styrene, one sprue of clear styrene, rubber tyres, a small sheet of etched brass, and two quite large sheets of decals, one for the aircraft and one for the weaponry. Both kits have exactly the same sprues and parts, with only the main aircraft decal sheet changed. All the parts appear very well moulded with no sign of flash and not too many moulding pips. Surface detail is a mixture of engraved and raised lines where appropriate such as strengthening straps and rivets. The instructions, on twenty four pages of landscape A4 are very clear and easy to follow. Since there have already been aftermarket releases for the A-1D its natural to assume that there will be quite a few for this kit. Since there is very little difference between the kits, the modeller could use the same sets for both aircraft. Construction starts with the engine build. The front and rear banks of cylinders are in two halves, each bank is then attached to each other and the push rods are fitted, as is the rear engine mounting plate. The crankcase is then built up with the addition of the magnetos and other ancillary parts before fitting to the front of the engine. The air intake manifold is the assembled and fitted to the rear of the engine followed by the complex arrangement of exhaust pipes which look quite fun to assemble and fit to each cylinder. The planetary gear case with the oil tank and sump moulded integrally is fitted with the two part battery and attached to the rear of the engine as are the very sturdy looking engine mounts. With the engine complete, the cockpit is then assembled. To the basic cockpit floor, with the side console shapes pre-moulded, the console inners and tops are added, along with the seat, joystick, rudder pedals and instrument panel. The panel consists of a backing plate and clear front portion, onto the back of which the instrument decal is positioned. The instrument faces then need to be masked off before painting. When the masking is removed if should give the effect that the dials are behind glass. With the panel in place the rear bulkhead, having had the headrest attached can be fitted to the floor. Etched belts are provided for the lap and over-shoulder positions. To the completed cockpit assembly the main fuselage bulkheads fore and aft are attached. The foreward bulkhead also has the main engine oil tank, oil pump and fire bottle fixed to the front face, whilst the rear bulkhead has the fuselage fuel tank fitted to the rear face. The engine assembly is then attached to the front bulkhead and the whole assembly fitted to one side of the fuselage. The tailwheel bay is made up of the roof, sides and small front bulkhead to which the fuselage tail bulkhead is attached. The tailwheel itself is made up of the oleo, three part wheel support structure and the three part wheel including the rubber tyre. The tailwheel is then fitted into the well and the whole assembly fitted to its position in the fuselage. There are six further bulkheads fitted within the fuselage two of which are attached to the separate lower air brake well. With everything fitted into one half of the fuselage, the other half can be attached closing the fuselage up. The newer style aerials and domes on top of the fuselage for this version can now be fitted. With the fuselage closed up work still continues on the nose area. Firstly the two intakes are attached above and below the nose, aft of the engine; the lower intake is fitted with a PE grille. The two side panels aft of the engine are moulded in clear styrene, presumably so that the internal can be seen if one or both panels are left unpainted. The four nose strakes are attached to their respective positions, two per side whilst the cowling mounting ring is fitted over the engine and attached to the fuselage. In the cockpit the two canopy rails are fitted, whilst behind the cockpit two air scopes are attached. The engine cowling has the option of being posed open or closed as do the front and rear cowl flaps. If posed closed there is a very nicely moulded single piece outer cowl, into which parts representing the internal structure and front cowl flaps are fitted. Whilst this is a nice feature, it would be a shame to hide all the great engine detail. For the open cowling there is a separate nose structure into which the front cooling flaps are fitted, the support beam, two hinged panels and their gas struts. Moving back to the cockpit opening the coaming is fitted with a switch box and glued into place. There is a panel fitted behind the headrest and fitted with a support posts. The canopy slide rail is then fitted along with a blade aerial and the windscreen. The single piece canopy, moulded in clear styrene is a very complicated moulding and due to this does suffering from a mould seam which will need some careful sanding and polishing with something like the micromesh system before sealing in Kleer or Alclad aqua gloss before fitting to the fuselage. With the fuselage now complete work moves to the tail with the assembly of the horizontal tailplanes, elevators and rudder, each of which is in two halves. For the elevators to be posed drooped two small tags need to be removed first. The lower wing centre section is then fitted out with the main undercarriage bays box structures with cross bracing between the inboard and outboard sides. The inner wing cannon ammunition boxes are also fitted, as are the fold join ribs. The inner cannon are made up of the breech, with ammunition belt feed and ejector detail and a three part barrel and barrel bracket. The cannon are then attached to the inner wing between the inner and outer fold join ribs. If the wing is to be modelled unfolded then the three piece barrel can be replaced by a single, less detailed one. With the cannon fitted the upper wing parts can be attached. Turning the wing over, the flaps are assembled and attached to the wings by four actuators the choice of parts will depend on whether the flaps are to be modelled up or down. At this point the instructions call for the main undercarriage to be fitted, but it may be prudent to leave this until after the inner wing section is attached to the fuselage to prevent any breakages. As it is, the main undercarriage is each made up of the main oleo, retraction frame, gas strut, and front bay door. The wheels consist of the inner hub with separate brake piston detail, internal axle mount, a choice of spoked or solid outer hub and the rubber tyre. Once fitted to the wing the inner and outer bay doors can be attached. With the inner wing attached to the fuselage the side air brakes are fitted, again with the option of posing them open or closed. If closed then the internal panel and retraction jack can be omitted. The same goes for the underside air brake, just forward of which, on both sides a footstep is fitted. Right aft the two piece arrestor hook is attached, presumably in either retracted or extended position, but its not clear just going by the instructions. The propeller is then constructed out of a two part boss and four individual propeller blades. The completed propeller can be fitted once painting and decaling has been finished. The outer wings are now assembled with the wing cannon constructed in the same way as the inner wings guns and fitted into the gun bays built using the front, rear and side bulkheads with the ammunition boxes outboard of the guns. The wing lights, just inboard of the tip is fitted along with the wing join rib which has had the fold mechanisms attached, the type used will depend on whether the model is to be built with wings spread or folded. With the internal parts fitted the upper wing panels are attached, followed by the clear light covers and the ailerons. If the wings are spread then the outer cannon and ammunition bays can be shown with their access panels open. The completed assemblies can then be attached to the inner wings. Again, these can be left off until after painting and decaling, particularly if the wings are to be folded. Final attachments to the wings and fuselage are the various pylons. Alternative pylons are provided for the inner wing, dependent on whether the 2000lb bombs are to be mounted. Each pylon is detailed with separate crutch plates which is an item normally missed on kits, even in this scale. The kit has plenty of weaponry provided, including:- Four M64 500lb bombs Eight Mk82 500lb bombs Two M66 2000lb bombs Eight Mk81 250lb bombs Two M-117 750lb bombs Eight M-57 250lb bombs Four LAU-3 rocket pods Four SUU-14A/A cluster bomb units Sixteen 5 rockets Two wing drop tanks One centreline drop tank Two toilet bombs, (Although it appears from research that only one was used and not by an aircraft of the units given on the kits decal sheet. At least in this release the majority of weapons can be used to give a fearsome loadout. Although research should still be carried out to fit the appropriate weapons for the aircraft you wish to depict. Etch Of all the parts on the small sheet of etched brass only five are actually used, the two lap straps, two shoulder straps and the intake grille. Although quite a thick sheet, it appears to be malleable enough to use without the need to anneal beforehand. Decals The two large decal sheets, one for the aircraft and one for the weaponry are both very nicely printed, in good register and opacity. They are quite glossy and thin, but some of the backing sheet is quite noticeable, although with a good gloss coat beforehand they should bed down well without silvering. Two aircraft schemes are provided, these are for:- US Navy, VA-176, A-1H 412/AK, BuNo135326 US Air Force, 22nd Special Operations Squadron, 56th Special Operations Wing, A-1H, 628/TS BuNo137628 The weapon sheet provides the yellow live weapon rings and placards for the M-64, M-66, Mk-82 and M-117 bombs, even though the latter two are not relevant for this era. The rest of the sheet covers the placards for each of the pylons. Conclusion Its great to see Trumpeter release the A-1H which gives the modeller the opportunity to do the aircraft in the schemes its probably most renowned for wearing and the conflict its most associated with. The detail is great and should cater for all but the most fastidious of modellers, who can add detail to their hearts content as the basics are definitely here. As with the earlier version its not as complex as the ZM releases, but should and indeed does build into an impressively detailed and large model. Highly recommended For reference we have walkround photos HERE Review sample courtesy of

Roland D.VIb 1:32 Wingnut Wings Wingnut Wings latest release is for the Roland D.VIb, a lesser known but interesting little fighter developed in 1917. The most noticeable features are the 'clinker built' fuselage of overlapping plywood planks, with the lower wing attached via a stubby little pylon on the underside. With its stalky undercarriage the D.VI has a lean and delicate look, but it was actually a very competent fighter and an improvement over the Albatros D.V's it was intended to replace. Unfortunately for Roland, it appeared at the same time as the formidable Fokker D.VII and was largely outclassed by it in all key performance areas. Most of the early D.VI's were powered by the old Daimler-Mercedes 160hp D.III engine and classed as D.VIa's of which about 150 were built. These were followed by a further 200 with the 200hp Benz Bz.IIIa engine which were classed as D.VIb's. The later D.VIb's also introduced ailerons and elevators with increased balance areas that helped increase manoeuvrability. Wingnut Wings have already kitted the D.VIa (Kit 32022 In 'Ready For Inspection') , so it was a logical step to include a couple of new sprues to produce the D.VIb, providing the different engine and control surfaces. The kit. I'll never lose the thrill of seeing a new Wingnut Wings kit for the first time, and this one is most definitely a thriller! The box art is just gorgeous, showing a Jasta 59 D.VIb scoring a victory over a USAS Nieuport 28. Inside the weighty silver edged box are six plastic sprues, one etched fret, three A4 sized decal sheets, and the usual Wingnut Wings superb instruction /reference manual. Lovely! let's take a more detailed look. Sprue A. Unsurprisingly several of the sprues are common with the D.VIa kit, such as this one. Beautifully moulded interior parts, undercarriage legs and cabane struts are included, all with fine surface detail and free from flash. The fabric covered bulkhead behind the pilots seat even has wrinkles and stretch marks in it. Sprue B. Both wings are supplied here, along with the early tailplane, elevator and ailerons. The rib tapes are delicately and effectively done, and there is a very subtle sag effect of the fabric over the ribs themselves. It has that 'tight as a drum' effect typical of doped linen over wooden ribs. Sprue C. The smallest of the sprues, holding the two optional windscreens. Sprue D. Here we have the fuselage halves with a beautifully executed rendition of the clinker planking. Even the nail heads are present, showing the pattern of the bulkheads underneath.These are extraordinary pieces of moulding and dry fitting them together, the join along the top and bottom virtually disappears. Also included are the early (not required for this version) and late interplane struts, wheels, and LMG 08/15 Spandaus. 'Solid' Spandaus are provided if you are not confident of rolling the etched jackets to fit on the 'high detail' versions. One thing to note is the difference in inspection panels between the D.VIa and D.VIb. The instructions show where you will need to remove and replace the panels. Sprue E (Engine) and F (D.VIb parts) 'E' This holds all the parts for the Benz Bz.IIIa straight six engine, and 'F' is the 'new' sprue that holds all the parts appropriate to the 'b' version of the D.VI, and the interior bulkhead frames. The control surfaces with the larger balance surfaces are included as is a new tailplane to accommodate the reshaped elevator. Two sets of cylinders are provided, one with pushrods and ignition wiring moulded on;and another 'plain' set omitting these for if you prefer to do your own. Oddly the 'plain' option is marked as not for use on the parts map, and not referenced in the instructions. But I see no reason why you could not use them if you so wished. The 'moulded on' version is very well done, and I guess many of us will be happy to use them. If you are tempted to complete the missing wiring from the end of the carrier tubes to the magnetos, be aware that this area is pretty much hidden from view on the finished model. (Well it is on my D.VIa). Optional intake manifolds are provided for the Bz.IIIa and Bz.IIIaz 'high altitude' engines. The mouding on the crankcase is beautifully done and worth a close look; Photo etch. Essential in this scale are the jackets for the Spandau guns and their sights, which are supplied here along with the four point harness for the pilot. In addition this fret for the 'b' also has the two empty shell ejector chutes not found on the 'a' model. For the first time that I have seen on a Wingnuts photo etch sheet, the panel identifying it can be detached and used as label alongside the completed model. Decals. Richard Alexander points out in his notes for this kit that photographic evidence shows Rolands were frequently fitted with wings and tailplanes of 4 or 5 colour lozenge material. I.e the top wing might be in 4 colour, and one or both bottom wings in 5 colour, or any other combination. Thus you are supplied with an A4 sheet of each type to mix and match, or make a choice of using just one type on your model. Strips of rib tapes are also supplied in generous quantities, including a set of plain linen ones. The individual markings for each option are provided on a third sheet along with all the stencils and instruments. Some of the smaller details are exquisite, such as the propeller logos and the data plates. All three sheets are sharply printed with minimal carrier film, and in perfect register. The decals themselves appear to be very thin and the colours all look very good. Options. A) Roland D.VIb, 'Berg Wappen', mid 1918. 'B) Roland D.VIb, Jasta 59, mid to late 1918. C) Roland D.VIb, 7502/18, 'P132', McCook Field, Dayton, Ohio, USA. May to June 1920. D) Roland D.VIb, 7504/18, November 1918. E) Roland D.VIb, 7535/18, 'Marie', Oskar Frieherr von Boenigk, Freikorps late 1918-1919. And a 'Bonus' is included for Roland D.VI, 2225/18, preserved in the Krakow museum in Poland. This is just the serial number, and folows closely the finish of option A, but without the shield marking on the side. Conclusion. Another beautiful kit from Wingnut Wings of an interesting and unusual aeroplane. The clinker built fuselage mouldings are exceptional and perfectly executed, the sharpness of the mouldings needs to be seen to be fully appreciated. Having built the D.VIa kit I can vouch for the fact that it all fits together with absolute precision and contains no pitfalls. I remember particularly how snugly the interior framework sat in the fuselage halves without interfering with closing them up. The choice of colour schemes offers something to modellers of all skill levels, with camouflage for those not confident with natural wood finish, to that stunning looking Jasta 59 example on the box top. I can see the post war example from McCook field holding strong appeal to modellers in the USA, with its experimental camouflage and early US roundels. Well up to the standard we have come to expect from this market leading manufacturer, and I'm sure it will be another box of pure model building pleasure. Highly Recommended Review sample courtesy of

Messerschmitt Me109 G-10 Revell 1:32 The history of the Me-109 is written large all over the web and also included in the earlier review of the Revell Me109G-6 release, HERE, so I won’t go repeating it. As it is, its relevant to post the differences between the two aircraft as far as I can ascertain. In the Reich Luft Ministerium (RLM) vision, the G6 was designed to be the last version of the Gustav to be ever produced. Consequently, as early as 1943, Messerschmitt started working on an improved 109, the K. The K was essentially a refined G6 with emphasis on improving the aerodynamics, flight controls and cockpit ergonomics. There was no engine limitation and as with the G, a wide selection of versions powered with the DB605A & D families were forecast. Implementation differed from design, however, and in the spring 1944, the G6 was still the only 109 mass produced. It had evolved a bit from the first G6 produced, having seen the following changes: • Erla Haube • Glass head armour • DB605AS • DB605AM • Tall metal tail & Rudder • Tall wood tail & Rudder • Tall tail wheel • MW-50 Water-methanol over boost • MK108 axial canon Most of the above became standard as production continued. Because of these delays and other new high performance fighters entering mass production (Ta152, Fw190D, Me262), the conversion of all existing factory lines to the K production was meaningless. Having developed the type for some time, Messerschmitt was however allowed to switch from the G6 to the K4 as soon as possible. Sometime during June 44, a new interim version of the G was planned. It was supposed to incorporate the latest equipments found on the G6 and K4 (Erla Haube, tall tail, tall tail wheel, Fug 16ZY & MW-50) and to be powered by the same DB605D. The version number was the first available for unpressurized planes: G10. The aim of this new version was to provide a K4-level fighter without retooling existing production lines and to use up the massive stock of G6 components. The plan was to have the 2 licensed factories (Erla and WNF) switch to the G10. However, the lack of DB605D prevented the G10 and the K4 from becoming a reality for months to come. Externally, the G10 airframe was identical to the G6-MW50. It had the Erla canopy, the tall tail wheel, the extra hatch on the right side to refill the MW50, the Morane antenna and the “battery box” behind the head armour. As with many aircraft there is a lot of misidentification through the series due to different manufacturers adding their ideas. Erla manufactured G10s are one of these, and have been often referred as G10/AS in the past. A properly integrated flat panel replaced the previous faired panel on the port side, sometimes known as the “moon” fairing. The engine cowls were also different, in that they covered the nose without the requirement for chin bulges along with a different oil cooler which was slimmer yet larger than that used on the K4, and was probably designed for the H version. The Erla solution for covering the DB605D was much more elegant and streamlined. They were the only manufacturer to use this possibly due to the fact that the tooling had been pre deigned and built in preparation for building the H model. Since Erla started the G10 production quite early, the first a/c still used G6 wings with “small” wheels and the Erla canopy with antenna mast. Later, Erla used the same new wing with larger wheels as the other manufacturers. The Model Obviously based on the earlier release it comes with all the new parts to produce a G-10 such as the tall tail wheel, upper cowlings, aerial mast, taller fin and rudder. Instead of using the G6 fuselage and changing the side panels, they appear to have moulded a completely new one with the panel moulded integrally. The moulding of the fourteen sprues is, as you would expect of a modern release, really very nice. No sign of flash or moulding imperfections on any part and just a few moulding pips to remove and clean up. Details such as the engraved panel lines and rivets are very refined. The styrene appears quite soft and yet eminently workable so the modeller shouldn’t need to break a sweat when cleaning up the joins. Construction starts with the cockpit floor, onto which the rudder pedals and foot rests are fitted. Unlike the G6 there is only one choice of breech cover, and that is for the Mk108 30mm cannon with the two halves joined and fitted to the front of the cockpit floor, onto which the joystick is also attached. The cockpit is further built up with the attachment of the pilot’s seat to the rear bulkhead. The pilots harness is pre-moulded onto the seat pan and the bulkhead, with the bulkhead ones being slightly too short and will need to be lengthened or replaced completely with aftermarket items. Rather than having parts moulded onto the insides of the fuselage halves Revell have gone for separate panels for the cockpit sides onto which further parts are added. On the starboard side the clear part that represents the fuel feed pipe is to be masked off before painting so that the inspection tube is left clear, beneath the fuel pipe the fuel pump is fitted. On the port side there is a pair of trim wheels and control runs attached. The instruments dials for the panel are in decal form but with some softener/setting solutions they should settle down ok onto the individual bezels. The gunsight is then attached to the top of the instrument panel. The cockpits side panels and instrument panel are then attached together with the cockpit floor and rear bulkhead creating a sturdy and rather good looking tub. Underneath the tub the wing spar is attached, whilst on top the rear upper bulkhead is fitted, along with the battery box. With the cockpit complete several other assemblies need to be built up before the fuselage can be closed up. The long tail wheel strut is fitted into position along with the propeller shaft and oil cooler panel. The engine exhaust stacks also need to be fitted from the inside pre painted and masked of before full painting commences. The exhausts are a little bit disappointing in that they are solid and will need some very careful opening up due to their shape. There’s bound to be some aftermarket items released soon to replace these. Once the cockpit tub, propeller shaft, tailwheel and under nose radiator mount are fitted the fuselage can be closed up. The new upper nose panel is fitted with the machine gun barrels and affixed into position, followed by the two piece carburettor intake to the port side. Under the nose the two radiator grilles are fitted onto their mounting points before the radiator cover is fitted. The wing radiator grilles are attached to the upper inner wing panels which are then attached to the wing spar. Each main undercarriage bay is has the roof part moulded into the inner panels whilst the bay walls are made up of three separate parts. The one piece lower wing panel is then fitted to the upper inner wing panels and spar. While the model is upside down the two wing radiators have the forward intake lips added and two panels are fitted to the centre fuselage. With the model the right side up the upper outer wing panels are attached and the vertical tail unit is fitted along with the rudder. The rudder trim actuator is then attached to the starboard side of the fin and the horizontal tail assemblies are, with the optionally posed separate elevators, fitted. The model comes with the option of having the flaps posed up or down with each section being made up of upper and lower halves as do the ailerons. The inner and outer flaps of each wing are attached as per the modellers’ wishes after which the ailerons can be fitted. The leading edge slats are also fitted at this point and can also be posed open or closed, but being spring loaded they would normally be deployed on the ground. The main undercarriage legs are each made up of an inner and outer oleo parts onto which the axle unit is attached along with the scissor links and a small link near the top of the inner oleo. The main door is then attached to the oleo. Each tyre is in two halves into which the inner and outer hubs are fitted. The details are quite nice, but these may get a little lost with having to sand the seam around the tyre unless fitted well. With the wheels assembled they can be fitted to the axles. The two part tail wheel is then fitted to its yoke. Next in the build sequence is the assembly of the drop tank. Whilst he details on the tank are quite good it’s still a little pointy in the nose area and should be blunter. This may be rectified with a little surgery or sanding but most people will be able to live with it. The completed drop tank is then fitted to the adaptor plate and the four stays are fitted. The whole assembly is then fitted to the fuselage centreline. Unlike the previous release there is only one option of canopy, but Revell still provide two of them in case one gets damaged. The windscreen comes with separate armoured screen which would be best “glued” with a drop of Klear or similar. With the aerial masts fitted to the rear of the canopy the armoured plate can be fitted internally along with the locking handle. If the canopy is to be positioned open there are two blocks on the starboard cockpit side panel to provide a good strong joint. The propeller is now assembled out of the backplate, three individual blades, internal blade clamp and the boss. Unfortunately the join between the backplate and boss isn’t at a natural panel line on the real aircraft so will need to be carefully filled and sanded. The propeller assembly is then fitted onto the propeller shaft. With the addition of the pitot probe and underwing aerial for the late version, all that needs to be done is paint and adding a stretched sprue aerial wire for the model to be complete. Decals The decal sheet is printed in Italy for Revell, so presumably by Cartograph, although they don’t look up to the 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. There two marking options provided:- Bf-109G-10 Erla W.Nr. 491446, flown by Major E Hartmann April 1945 Bf-109G-10 W.Nr. 152016 JG-300, Praha-Kbely AB, May 1945 Conclusion Revell should be very proud of themselves with these latest releases. They are beautifully moulded, appear quite easy to put together and have enough detail out of the box to satisfy most modellers. There is enough different in this release to be noticeable should the modeller have both versions, which of course you could since they are so reasonably priced. With the amount of aftermarket items released for the G-6 I can see the same happening for the G-10, so those modellers who want to gild the lily they shouldn’t have to wait long. Very highly recommended Revell model kits are available from all good toy and model retailers. For further information visit

Messerschmitt Me262 Wheels 1:32 Brassin To replace the wheels in the Trumpeter kits, Eduard/Brassin have released this set of resin parts. The parts 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 and the nose with transverse are beautifully moulded with a more natural look than the kit parts. 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. The set also comes with a set of masks to aid in painting which are always very handy. Conclusion This is another very simple but useful upgrade set from Eduard/Brassin for your Me262 kit. They will certainly be quite a noticeable improvement in this scale. Highly recommended Review sample courtesy of

Kawanishi N1K2-J Shinden-kai (George) 1:32 Hasegawa History The N1K2-J Shinden-kai (George) was a single-seat, all-metal monoplane fighter with a enclosed cockpit. The George holds a unique place in the history of airplane construction. This land-based interceptor was based on the N1K1, which had been designed to support amphibious operations. The first prototype N1K1 (Kyofu) (Mighty Wind) was flown on May 6, 1942, and mass production began in May of 1943. However, when the first seaplanes started to arrive on the front, the situation in the Pacific theatre had changed so that this type of plane was simply no longer needed. Therefore, a land version project of the fighter was developed as a private initiative, based on the Kyofu. Originally it was planned that the only distinction between the two planes was that the Shinden-Kai would have retractable landing gear instead of floats, but it was quickly decided that the engine should be replaced with a more powerful alternative. In addition to having a more powerful engine it was decided to fit a large four bladed propeller. The size of the propeller and the mid-wing arrangement meant that the undercarriage oleos had to be designed to be telescopic, allowing them to take up less space when retracted. The land-based version made its first flight on December 12, 1942. The prototype's private designation was the X1, and in mass production its designation became N1K1-J Shinden (Purple Lightning). Production began in August of 1943. The new fighter proved to be an excellent interceptor. However, its operation was complicated by the frequent failure of its engine, the Homare 21, the complex design of its chassis, and its ineffective brakes. Consequently, the number of the N1K1-J's non-combat losses was very high. The next model of the Shinden was designed to eliminate these shortcomings. The aircraft's redesign began simultaneously with the N1K1-J's military trials. The N1K2-J's first flight was made on December 31, 1943. The production model was designated the Shinden-Kai («Purple Lightning Improved») Model 21 Marine Fighter-Interceptor. The new model, like its predecessor, featured a 14-cylinder air-cooled radial engine, the Nakajima Homare 21 NK9H, with a takeoff power of 1820 hp. It also retained the basic wing construction and armament of the N1K1-J. However, the Shinden-Kai was really a new plane. During the planning phase, special attention was given to ensuring ease of production and, at least to some extent, the use of readily available materials. Unlike its predecessor, this model had a low-wing design which allowed the use of conventional landing gear. The new design was finally rid of the N1K1-J's main operational problems. The shape of the fuselage was completely changed and somewhat lengthened, and the vertical tail fin was completely redesigned. The empty weight of the aircraft was decreased by 240 kilograms. The N1K2-J was armed with 4 Type 99 Model 2, 20mm wing-mounted cannons. The inner pair was provided with 200 rounds of ammunition each and the outer had 250 each (900 rounds in total). On the two pylons suspended underneath its wings, the aircraft could carry two 250-kg type 98 or two 60-kg type 97 bombs. Or, it could carry unguided 60-kg No.27 rockets. In addition, an extra 400-liter fuel tank could be installed under the fuselage. Unfortunately, because its center of gravity was towards the plane's rear, the N1K2-J was somewhat difficult to control, and was usually flown by experienced pilots (especially former Zero pilots) after they underwent retraining. The Model Unusually these days, this kit is a full, brand new tool from Hasegawa and it is up to their usual standards. The attractive box, (with an artists impression of the aircraft flying over puffy clouds, surrounded by a white border on the top), isnt exactly stuffed with styrene, but what is provided is very cleanly moulded, with fine details and with enough detail where it counts to make it a nice model to build. There are nine sprues of medium grey styrene and one of clear, along with four poly caps and decal sheet. The instructions are well printed, very clear and easy to read. The build, which is covered in 17 steps, begins with the included pilot figure. This is a very well moulded multi part assembly, with front and rear torso, separate legs and arms, including alternative styles of head, one with the leather helmet open and one with the helmet fastened up. Fitted with the separate parachute pack and after a careful painting session it will make a nice addition to the completed model. Next up is the instrument panel, which is attached to the forward bulkhead, has moulded instrument bezels, but uses four blocks of decals for the faces. Depending on how these settle it might be an idea to fit each face separately, much like using an Airscale set. A drop of Aqua gloss or Kleer can be used to seal the decals, with the added advantage of drying to look like the instrument glass. The gunsight is made up of the support structure, internal armoured glass and two clear reticules. This is then fitted to the top of the instrument panel. The cockpit, which consists of the floor, seat back, seat bucket, seat supports, seat cushion, rudder pedals, four piece radio and side console tops. Before the cockpit can be fitted to the fuselage, the two side walls need to be installed, along with control leavers and a pair of oxygen bottles on either side. The instrument panel, rear bulkhead and sidewalls are assembled to produce a cockpit box structure. The two front sections of the fuselage are glued together with the addition of three bulkheads along their length. There is a panel that needs to be removed from the port side fuselage, just aft of the cockpit opening and the panel lines re-instated, (there is a diagram showing what needs to be done). With the forward fuselage assembled the cockpit tub is slid into position from the bottom. The single piece lower wing is fitted out with the main spar and just in front of that are the two main wheel inner bays. The two upper wing sections are then attached to the lower wing, ensuring that the fragile inner flap race is not damaged, to the top of the upper wing panels are fitted the aileron linkage fairings. Remember to drill out the holes it the drop tanks are to be fitted. The kit comes with separate flaps, which can be posed extended or retracted, depending win which hinge parts you choose. With the wings done, its onto the tail assembly. This consists of the two tail halves, which includes the fin and rudder and the upper and lower halves of each horizontal tailplane, which are attached to the tail once assembled. The mainplanes are then attached to the fuselage, followed by the tailplane assembly, which, due to the solid plug shouldnt cause too many problems with fit and as the join is on a panel line it shouldnt need any filler, but careful fitting will always pay dividends. The main wings are then fitted with the four cannon barrels and the separate clear navigation lights and pitot probe. The main undercarriage consists of the main oleos, separate scissor link, brake pipe and two piece gear bay doors. The tyres are in two halves with separate inner and outer hubs, when assembled these are attached to the oleo axles. With the model on its back there are two cannon bay panels to be fitted, one on each outer wing panel and another on the centreline of the fuselage. The main undercarriage assemblies, retraction jacks, inner bay doors with associated retraction links, single tail wheels are attached, along with two footsteps on the inner wing fairing are also attached. The optionally positioned flaps can now be fitted as can the centreline drop tank, (if fitted), which consists of two halves and separate crutch plates. With the main structure complete its on with the powerplant. For the propeller each of the separate blades are fitted to the hub which is fitted to the backplate and enclosed with the spinner. The cowling is then assembled with the addition of the cooling gill. The engine is made up of the front and rear cylinder banks, two sets of valve rods at the front plus the intake and exhaust manifolds to the rear. The reduction gearbox, with separate pipework and fastener ring is attached to the front. The completed engine is then attached to the fuselage followed by the cowling and finally the propeller. The build is completed with the attachment of the windscreen, pilots headrest, radio aerial, rear canopy and sliding canopy, with grab handles fitted Decals The decals are printed by Hasegawa themselves and do look very well done. Apart from the aircraft identification numbers there is very little carrier film to be seen. Opacity and register is good and the decals are slightly matt. There is a choice of two aircraft, both in dark green over silver colour schemes and full stencils for one aircraft. These are:- Aircraft No. 343-15 of the 343rd Naval Flying Group, 301st Fighter Squadron, piloted by Squadron Leader Lt. Naoshi Kanno Matsuyama, April 1945 Aircraft No.343-03 of the 343rd Naval Fighter Group, 407th Fighter Squadron, flown by W.O. Kouji Ohara Matsuyama, April 1945 Conclusion This is a lovely looking kit and should build into a very attractive looking model. The detail is there for those who just want to build out of the box, but there is still plenty of scope for superdetailing. The pilot figure is always a nice to have addition, but it would have been nice to have some separate seat belts if he was not to be used. Highly recommended. Usual caveats apply, in that you may comment on the kit, but please leave pricing out of any comments. Review sample courtesy of UK distributors for

So I might have kinda FUBAR'd my 1:32 Hawks canopy (Kinetics hawk).Tried contacting Kinetic direct, got a reply back in chinese script (they could have been insulting my horribly for all I know), phoned UK supplier which is Hannants and another couple of stockists, they can't get hold of spare parts. So now I beg for help... Does ANYONE out there know how to get spare parts for a kinetic kit? Cheers guys, James.

Messerschmitt detail Set Part 3 Brassin 1:32 Engine Set (632025) Brassin are going mad for the Revell 1:32 Me-109G6 along with their other sets, such as the cockpit and undercarriage sets as reviewed HERE. They have now released this amazing set containing a complete and very detailed engine and upper fuselage deck. As with a lot of Brassin sets, this one comes in a cardboard box inside of which are seven bags of resin parts and two sheets of etched brass. These are all very well protected by blocks of foam. The large instruction sheet is very well laid out clear, and certainly a big improvement on the standard instruction sheets. A lot of the parts are very fragile and care will be needed when removing them from the moulding blocks. The larger parts look pretty easy to remove and clean up as they are only attached to the moulding block on one edge. The engine could easily be assembled and displayed as a model in its own right it is so well detailed. There are 59 resin parts, (if you include the separate exhaust stubs as one), in a mixture of medium and dark greys. The detail on the resin parts is pin sharp, and with a good depth, which a dark wash will help bring out. The engine block is a single piece casting and it is onto this that most of the other parts are attached, including the propeller gearbox and oil tank at the front, comprehensive ancillary drive, with accessories on the rear, numerous pipes, fittings, turbo charger, engine mounting beams etc. Even with all the detail included there are a number of pipes that need to be scratch built from wire, but it’s all well explained in the instructions. Alternative parts are included, particularly on the firewall bulkhead and machine gun deck, depending on whether the G6 or G10 are to be built. The machine guns and ammunition boxes are also included along with their associated spent cartridge chutes. Naturally there will require a fair bit of surgery on the forward fuselage of the kit to enable the engine to be fitted, but to aid with the improved look of the finished article, Brassin have provided a pair of replacement engine cowl panels and air intake for the port side panel. These are joined at the top centre line by the well moulded alternate teeth of the piano hinge and held open with bracing struts. Conclusion Considering the retail price of the Revell kit it does allow those who want to go the whole hog in detailing it that extra bit of cash to do so. In my mind this engine set is a must, even if you don’t mount it on the aircraft it’ll look great, but if used in conjunction with the other sets you could be onto making a masterpiece up to museum quality. Highly recommended Review sample courtesy of

The Albatros D.V was a development of the earlier D.III and featured a more streamlined looking plywood moncoque fuselage, but turned out not to have any significant advantages over its predecessor. It was still a potent fighter though, and saw widespread service from 1917 to the end of the war in November 1918. There is a huger range of potential colour schemes to finish any model of a D.V in, many of them wild and colourful and incredibly inticate. One of my favourite units is Jasta 5 which featured all green tailplanes edged in red on their aircraft, with pilots free to decorate the fuselage in any way they saw fit. Fritz Rumey was an NCO pilot with a fearsome skill for downing allied aircraft, gaining his first kill in July 1917 and going on to a final tally of 45 victories. As well as the Albatros he also flew the Fokker Triplane and D.VII. In September 1918 he suffered a mid air collision, and was killed when his parachute failed to open. I bought Wingnut Wings kit when it first came out about 3 years ago with the intention of doing Rumey's distinctive black & white striped machine. However, testing the scheme by winding strips of masking tape around the fuselage to represent the black, had me puzzled for some time. It just wouldn't work! An update on Wingnuts website solved the mystery for me, so I decided to crack on. Build log here This has been one of the most difficult paint jobs I have ever taken on, but I persevered as I really wanted this on ein my collection. There is a small amount of weathering and dirt on it, but not excessive as Jasta 5 kept their aircraft in very good condition. Anyway here is the result after several miles of masking tape have been used up; At Telford last year I picked up one of MDC's superb resin figures, designed specifically for this kit as he sits very neatly in the cockpit opening. I couldn't resist giving him a matching scarf! Thanks for looking, John

Completed this just in time to hand it over to the Kingston Aviation Heritage Project last time at the West MIddlesex club. It is one of six Sopwith models we built for them to be used in their desire to keep the Kingston's heritage in the public limelight. After handing them over we were given an excellent presentation on the history of Sopwith which became Hawker and finally BAe and the aircraft they built in Kingston, Dunsfold and Langley. Although this was my first ever build of a biplane/triplane in this scale i enjoyed it for the most part and learnt a lot, which hopefully I'll be able to be put into good use in future projects. Build thread HERE

Mitsubishi J2M3 Raiden, (Jack) 1:32 Hasegawa History The J2M was designed by Jiro Horikoshi, creator of the A6M Zero to meet the 14-Shi (14th year of the Showa reign, or 1939) official specification. It was to be a strictly local-defence interceptor, intended to counter the threat of high-altitude bomber raids, and thus relied on speed, climb performance, and armament at the expense of manoeuvrability. The J2M was a sleek, but stubby craft with its over-sized Mitsubishi Kasei engine buried behind a long cowling, cooled by an intake fan and connected to the propeller with an extension shaft. Pilot visibility was poor, but a domed canopy introduced later in production partially alleviated this concern. Teething development problems stemming from the Kasei engine, unreliable propeller pitch change mechanism and the main undercarriage members led to a slowdown in production. A continual set of modifications resulted in new variants being introduced with the ultimate high-altitude variant, the J2M4 Model 34 flying for the first time in August 1944. It had a 1,420 hp Kasei 23c engine equipped with a turbo supercharger (mounted in the side of the fuselage just behind the engine) that allowed the rated power to be maintained up to 30,000 ft. Two upward-aimed, oblique-firing (aimed at seventy degrees) twenty mm cannons, mounted in the German Schräge Musik style, were fitted behind the cockpit with the four wing cannons retained. Unresolved difficulties with the turbo supercharger caused the project to be terminated after only two experimental J2M4s were built. The first few produced J2M2s were delivered to the development units in December 1942 but severe problems were encountered with the engines. Trials and improvements took almost a year and the first batch of the serial built J2M2 Model 11 was delivered to 381st Kokutai in December 1943. Parallel with the J2M2, production of the J2M3 Raiden Model 21 started. The first J2M3s appeared in October 1943 but deliveries to combat units started at the beginning of February 1944. The Raiden made its combat debut in June 1944 during the Battle of the Philippine Sea. Several J2Ms operated from Guam and Saipan and a small number of aircraft were deployed to the Philippines. Later, some J2Ms were based in chosen airfields for defending these areas and fighting against Soviet Naval Aviation units. Primarily designed to defend against the Boeing B-29 Superfortress, the lack of a turbocharger handicapped the aircraft at high altitude. However, its four-cannon armament supplied effective firepower and the use of dive and zoom tactics allowed it to score occasionally. Insufficient numbers and the American switch to night bombing in March 1945 limited its effectiveness. Two captured J2Ms were U.S. Technical Air Intelligence Command (TAIC) tested using 92 octane fuel plus methanol, with the J2M2 (Jack11) achieving a speed of 655 km/h (407 mph) at 5,520 m (17,400 ft), and J2M3 (Jack21) achieving a speed of 671 km/h (417 mph) at 4,980 m (16,600 ft). The Model This kit was originally released in 2011 as one of Hasegawas 70th anniversary release schedule. This version is released as a limited edition with the markings of aircraft from the 302nd Flying Group. Since the moulds are still fairly new there is no sign of wear, so no flash and only one or two moulding pips too. The moulding is very nicely done, with fine recessed panel lines and fastener details as we’ve come to expect from Hasegawa. There are eight sprues of grey styrene and three of clear plus four vinyl retainers. The instructions are relatively clear and easy to read, in an A4 sized booklet format. The build starts with the cockpit and the instrument panel, which is attached to the forward bulkhead has moulded instrument bezels, but uses four blocks of decals for the faces. Depending on how these settle it might be an idea to fit each face separately, much like using an Airscale set. A drop of Aqua gloss or Kleer can be used to seal the decals, with the added advantage of drying to look like the instrument glass. The seat bucket is fitted with a support arm each side whilst the rear bulkhead is adorned with the seat adjustment bracket, adjustment handle, headrest and rear armoured plate. The radio set is assembled from four parts and fitted to the rear shelf, which is then attached to the rear of the bulkhead, with the seat assembly attached to the front. The sidewalls have well defined details moulded onto them and this is enhanced with additional parts and decals. The cockpit floor is fitted with the a console on the port side which also has a couple of smaller parts fitted, followed by the throttle lever on the port side floor, rudder pedals, joystick, undercarriage and flap levers on the starboard floor. The sub-assemblies are then fitted together, creating the sturdy cockpit structure. There are two parts that look like harness attachments fitted one per side of the headrest support structure, but the harness will need to be sourced from an aftermarket company as it is not included in the kit. What the kit does include is a very well moulded multi part pilot, with front and rear torso, separate legs and arms, including an alternative right arm plus three styles of head, one with a mask and oxygen hose, one with the leather helmet open and one with the helmet fastened up. Fitted with the separate parachute pack and after a careful painting session it will make a nice addition to the completed model no matter what flying state it is in. If you’re not going to use the pilot then Hasegawa have provided a separate seat cushion to be fitted. With the cockpit and pilot assembled it’s onto the fuselage. There are five bulkheads of various sizes and shapes to be fitted to the starboard side followed by the cockpit assembly. Inside the port fuselage a square hole has to be opened up and a lever assembly passed through, I believe this may be a canopy opening lever and only used on two of the aircraft options. The fuselage can then be closed up. The wing assembly begins with the assembly of the front spar, rear bulkhead and adjoining structure. This is then attached to the single piece lower wing section with the spar just aft of the wheel wells. There is also a block to be attached between the well bays and two strengthening spars attached to the outer sections of the wing. Before fitting the upper wing sections it should be decided whether the external fuel tank is going to be used or not as the flashed over holes will need to be opened up in the lower wing. On the insides of the upper wing sections the gun troughs also need opening up. The upper wings can now be attached to the lower wing and two clear parts, which I presume are some form of formation lighting are fitted to the top of each upper wing. The fuselage assembly is attached to the wing assembly, whilst the two part horizontal tailplanes are attached to the rear fuselage. The gun barrels, gun fairings, pitot probe and clear navigation lights are now attached. Next up is the assembly of the main undercarriage, each made up of the main oleo, two part scissor link, two part tyre, poly retainer, inner and outer hubs and main bay door. The inner doors are attached to the fuselage with their associated retraction linkages while the outer doors are fitted to the outer edge of the bay adjacent to the oleo attachment. The tail wheel, tail cone and a pair of lower wing panels are attached, followed by the main undercarriage assemblies. The optional drop tank consists of two halves with separate horizontal tail fins. Once complete it can be attached to the aircraft, between the undercarriage bays. With the main structure complete it’s on with the powerplant. Firstly the modeller will need to decide which of the two types of propeller blades to use, either the standard type or the high performance type. Each of the separate blades are then fitted to the hub and enclosed with the spinner, while to the rear a locating propshaft is attached. The cowling is then completed with an air intake fitted to underside of the single piece cowling and two blanks to be fitted to the upper machine gun trough. The internal structure is then assembled from the ducting, fixed stator with poly retainer fitted and rotating fan blades. This structure is fitted to the inside of the cowling. The engine is made up of the front and rear cylinder banks, two sets of valve rods at the front plus the intake and exhaust manifolds to the rear. The completed engine is then attached to the fuselage followed by the cowling and finally the propeller. The build continues with the attachment of a clear “armoured windscreen” and support structure to the upper decking between the cockpit and the cowling, plus optional Type 4 or Type 98 gun sight. The main windscreen is fitted out with a pair of grab handles, and then fitted to the front of the cockpit once the upper deck assembly has been attached. The two separate gun bay panels for the upper wings are fitted followed by the aerial and side window support structure, side windows, and canopy, and that is the build complete. Decals The quite large decal sheet provides markings for three aircraft, each of the 302nd Fighter Group. the colour schemes are the same for each aircraft and only the serial numbers changed and the 1st option having a yellow band around the rear fuselage. The decals are all nicely printed, in good register and with very little carrier film, even around the instrument blocks. While the decals appear to have been gloss once they seem to have lost the gloss coat and are now quite matt. They should settle well though on a good gloss coat with suitable setting and softening solutions. followed by a coat of gloss varnish followed by a coat of matt varnish. Conclusion I’ve always liked the Raiden, and this is very nice looking kit of a great looking aircraft. This will also make for a good alternative to the complex ZM release and also a fair bit cheaper. If you are going to comment on this review, please don’t bang on about Hasegawa pricing, as this one is actually quite reasonable. The detail is superb out of the box, but if you want to go the extra mile then the usual companies already have aftermarket parts for this kit. So if you fancy having a Raiden in your collection you can’t really go wrong with this one. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of UK distributors for

Douglas A-1D Skyraider 1:32 Etched sets The Trumpeter 1:32 A-1D Skyraider, even with the odd issue, is a really nice kit, with plenty of detail straight out of the box. Obviously this is not enough for the crew at Eduard, where more is definitely more in their eyes. To this end they have released three etched sets for the big SPAD, well four if you include the cut down Zoom set. They provide details for the Interior, exterior and engine. They are up to the usual standard we have come to expect from the company, but they still really need to sort out the clarity of the instructions. All the sets come in the poly sleeve style packaging. Some of the kit detail needs to be removed before being replaced by the etched parts. Additionally you are instructed to add depth to the strengthening ribs in some of the panels by rolling a ball point pen back and forth until the rib is correctly formed. A-1D Exterior Set – 32330, comprises of two sheets of etched brass and contains new panels for the rudder and vertical tail, a panel for the tail wheel oleo structure, additional details for the exposed wing fold areas and end plates for the flaps, which is exposed by the folding of the wings. Along the upper wing fold line there is a new strengthening plate and angle plate fitted, whilst there are replacement details for the outboard cannon including the mounting structure and spent cartridge chute. The most work takes place within the main undercarriage bays. The bay doors receive new hinges and bead seal, in the bay, new side walls are added and, after what looks like a very interesting series of folds the wing structure visible on the bay roof is fitted. The oleos and retraction struts also receive replacement details, such as link arms, hinge link, and end seal for the jack along with new brake pistons. Moving to the airbrakes, each internal panel is replaced with a new, and quite large, etched panel. The gun bay access panels are fitted with new piano hinges and right aft there is a new arrestor hook fairing and inspection panel. There are also new items for the weapons, including arming vanes for the bomb noses and more complex ones for the tails, inspection panels for the drop tanks, bomb hangers and pylon cover plates for the main inboard pylons. A-1D Engine – 32349. Naturally, as the title purports, this single sheet set is for the engine, but also covers parts for the cowling panels. While the set doesn’t appear too complex, it will require a lot of patience and a steady hand, as there is a lot of rolling to be carried out, particularly on the wiring harnesses, cylinder head covers and cowling attachment rings, which make up the majority of the parts. There is also a large ring that fits at the rear of the cowling nose panel, new hinges for the side panels and, rather interestingly, a work platform which hangs from the side of the aircraft, allowing a maintainer to access the top of the engine in some comfort. This is a neat addition, especially for those modellers wishing to use the model in a diorama. A-1D Interior – 32789. The parts are contained on two etched sheets, which whilst quite small, appear to contain a lot of addition detail for the cockpit. One sheet is not only pre-painted, but also self adhesive saving a lot of hassle gluing them in place. The smaller of the two is plain etched brass. The set provides a comprehensive rebuild of the cockpit which will need to have most of the kit detail removed first. The main parts are the instrument panel with additional backing plate with the instrument dials painted on, each of the different facets that make up the side consoles tops and sides, additional circuit breaker panels and the like for around the cockpit, rudder pedals and what looks like a map table projecting off the instrument panel. Most, if not all of the knobs, levers and other paraphernalia are also included, some on the pre-painted sheet, the others on the standard sheet. The joystick is provided with an extension to bring it to the correct height, which will need to be careful folded to ensure a good fit. There are also grab handles and locking handle for inside the canopy. Both the coaming and rear decking receive a host of additional details, including brackets, instruments and a birds nest of wires. Unusually, the seat belts are included in this set rather than being available separately and include all the buckles and fittings required to make up a very realistic set-up. Finally there a couple of data plates that are wrapped around each of the main wheel oleos. A-1D Interior Zoom Set – 33127. This is the much simplified set for those modeller who don’t want to add too much to their model, but just add that little extra detail to enhance the completed model. The set includes just one sheet which contains all the parts that are on the pre-painted, self adhesive sheet mentioned above. Conclusion These are all very nice and useful sets to really enhance the big Skyraider, particularly in the main wheel bays and the cockpit. The quality of the pre-painted items is superb and will really help even a less experienced modeller build a good looking cockpit. There’s nothing too tricky to catch the modeller out, just take care with the folding. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of Review sample courtesy of

North American T-6 Texan 1:32 KittyHawk History The Texan originated from the North American NA-16 prototype (first flown on April 1, 1935) which, modified as the NA-26, was submitted as an entry for a USAAC "Basic Combat" aircraft competition in March, 1937. The first model went into production and 180 were supplied to the USAAC as the BC-1 and 400 to the RAF as the Harvard I. The US Navy received 16 modified aircraft, designated the SNJ-1, and a further 61 as the SNJ-2 with a different engine. The BC-1 was the production version of the NA-26 prototype, with retractable tailwheel landing gear and the provision for armament, a two-way radio, and the 550 hp (410 kW) R-1340-47 engine as standard equipment. Production versions included the BC-1 (Model NA-36) with only minor modifications (177 built), of which 30 were modified as BC-1I instrument trainers; the BC-1A (NA-55) with airframe revisions (92 built); and a single BC-1B with a modified wing center-section. Three BC-2 aircraft were built before the shift to the "advanced trainer" designation, AT-6, which was equivalent to the BC-1A. The differences between the AT-6 and the BC-1 were new outer wing panels with a swept forward trailing edge, squared-off wingtips and a triangular rudder, producing the canonical Texan silhouette. After a change to the rear of the canopy, the AT-6 was designated the Harvard II for RAF/RCAF orders and 1,173 were supplied by purchase or Lend Lease, mostly operating in Canada as part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. The next variant, the AT-6A, was based on the NA-77 design and was powered by the Pratt & Whitney R-1340-49 Wasp radial engine. The USAAF received 1,549 and the US Navy 270 (as the SNJ-3). The AT-6B was built for gunnery training and could mount a .30 in machine gun on the forward fuselage. It used the R-1340-AN-1 engine, which was to become the standard for the remaining T-6 production. Canada's Noorduyn Aviation built an R-1340-AN-1-powered version of the AT-6A, which was supplied to the USAAF as the AT-16 (1,500 aircraft) and the RAF/RCAF as the Harvard IIB (2,485 aircraft), some of which also served with the Fleet Air Arm and Royal Canadian Navy. The NA-88 design resulted in 2,970 AT-6C Texans and 2,400 as the SNJ-4. The RAF received 726 of the AT-6C as the Harvard IIA. Modifications to the electrical system produced the AT-6D (3,713 produced) and SNJ-5 (1,357 produced). The AT-6D, redesignated the Harvard III, was supplied to the RAF (351 aircraft) and Fleet Air Arm (564 aircraft). The AT-6G (SNJ-5) involved major advancements including a full-time hydraulic system and a steerable tailwheel and persisted into the 1950s as the USAF advanced trainer. Subsequently the NA-121 design with a completely clear rearmost section on the canopy, gave rise to 25 AT-6F Texans for the USAAF and 931, as the SNJ-6 for the US Navy. The ultimate version, the Harvard 4, was produced by Canada Car and Foundry during the 1950s, and supplied to the RCAF, USAF and Bundeswehr. A total of 15,495 T-6s of all variants were built, quite a few of which are still used as warbirds, demonstrations, by flight experience companies, plus used as film extras and stars. The Model This is a wholly new tooling from KittyHawk it’s certainly great to see it being released in 1:32 scale, being their first in this scale. Arriving in a very attractively designed box, with one an artists representation the aircraft in flight over a somewhat rocky area of the US. On each side are colour profiles of four of the eight colour schemes included in the kit. The box is quite deep and it’s easy to see why, as on opening it is full of styrene. The kit is contained on 6 large sprues of bluey grey styrene, with one of clear styrene and a small etched brass sheet for the seat belts. The main sprues, some of which are folded over from the centre, one of KittyHawks little idiosyncrasies, and need to snapped apart before inspecting the parts. Detail looks very refined, with engraved panel lines and raised areas where required. The styrene feels quite soft so take care when removing from the sprues. There is no sign of flash or moulding pips, but there are a number of parts which have quite large injection towers, particularly the inside of the engine cylinder parts, which will need to be carefully removed before assembling. The clear parts are very well protected from damage by being in their own separate cardboard box. The build begins with the construction of the complex looking cockpit. The seat pans are attached to the supports and each fitted with a grab handle and seat a lowering/raising bar. The cockpit floor looks like it’s meant to represent the upperside of the centre wing, but isn’t curved enough as in the real thing there is no floor for the front pilot, only the for the rear. Still once all the parts are added and the completed assembly fitted to the fuselage I doubt much of it will be seen. There is a choice of joystick styles, depending on the variant being built and these are attached to the cockpit floor, along with a pair of fott runners and a foot rest for the front pilot. The nicely moulded tubular cockpit structure is fitted out with throttle quadrants, a fire extinguisher and radio box, whilst the two rudder pedal pairs are attached to their connecting rods. The instrument panel is made up of upper and lower sections onto which the decals are positioned and a back piece, with the instrument backs moulded into it, is attached to the rear of the upper panel. The floor, tubular sides, front instrument panel and rudder pedal assembly are then assembled. The rear bulkhead is the, made up of the bulkhead, rear decking and semi circular support, is attached to the rear of the cockpit whilst the single piece front bulkhead is, naturally, fitted to the front of the cockpit. A shelf, fitted with two trim wheels, control levers and other items is fitted to the port side of the cockpit from the outside. The rear cockpit instrument panel is then fitted along with its associated coaming whilst the two piece starboard console for the front cockpit is also attached. There are two black boxes fitted to the rear decking, whilst a separate shelf is fitted to the rear bulkhead below it. A two piece rollover bar is attached between the cockpits and three internal structure parts are fitted to the rear deck. To the front bulkhead there is another control box and the two piece oil tank attached. Moving onto the engine, the first parts to be attached are the two cylinder bank halves, (once the injection posts have been removed). The cylinders are then attached to a backing plate and the valve rods are fitted to the front face, along with the magneto to the gearbox cover.. There is an option of having either a short exhaust or a long one, depending on the variant being modelled, each being in two parts, with the completed exhaust then fitted to the collector ring. This assembly is then attached to the cooling gill part along with the intake manifold and the engine fitted to the exhaust and intake manifolds. To the rear of the engine a multi part accessory gearbox is fitted as is an five piece air intake and filter. Four V shaped engine bearers are then fitted to the rear of the engine, followed by three plates that fit onto the outside strut of each bearer. The whole engine assembly is then attached to the front of the cockpit assembly and everything is sandwiched between the two fuselage halves, closing it all up. Once again depending on the option being modelled there are different parts for the front upper fuselage one with a slightly different shape for the SNJ, and the rear of the cockpit glazing, either framed or unframed. The rear upper fuselage is then fitted, as is the two piece rudder, starboard side air filter intake and two foot rests. The horizontal stabilisers are each made up of an upper and lower half and fitted with a single piece elevator. The completed parts are then attached to the rear fuselage. There doesn’t appear to be an option to have the engine cowling open so the four parts have to be glued together and slipped over the engine. The windscreen is now fitted and the option of two types of radio mast, or a DF loop fairing, large blade fairing and even what looks like a GPS fairing, again depending on which scheme the modeller is building. The propeller is made up of the two blades, four piece pitch mechanism and boss. Onto this there is a choice of either a two piece or a single piece spinner, should the option require them. The propeller can then be fitted as can the three piece cockpit canopy. The wheels are assembled from a single piece oleo/axle, onto which the two parts of the scissor link is attached. The tyres come in two halves with separate inner and outer hubs. With the main wheels done, it’s on to the wing centre section. Into the single piece lower part two pieces are added that represent the front spar that can be seen through the wheel wells. These have very prominent injection towers that need to be removed before fitting, fortunately though they are the rear face so any damage won’t be seen. With these fitted the two upper wing panels can be attached and, according to the instructions the centre flap, wheel assemblies and gear bay doors are also fitted at this time, but it may be prudent to leave until later. The outer wings, each of upper and lower halves and landing light innards which, when assembled, can be fitted out with the clear landing and navigation light glass parts, pitot probe, (on the port wing), ailerons, with mass balances and flaps.The outer wings are then attached to the centre section and the whole thing fitted to the fuselage. Finally the under nose air intake and the three piece tail wheel assembly are fitted completing the main build. Since these aircraft were used for weapon training etc, the kit comes with a variety of underwing stores, these include:- Six off T-10 Rockets and their launch rails Two off Matra 122 rocket launchers Four off 250kg Bombs Two off twin 7.7mm machine gun pods Two off 20 gallon drop tanks. Decals There are two large sheets of decals and one small, almost addendum style sheet, with markings for the following options, which I believe are all preserved machines:- USAF aircraft. Ser.No.N9623C, TA-349 “Deb”, in a very flash red white and blue scheme over natural metal. USN aircraft. Ser.No.93449, in a colourful yellow wing, medium sea grey fuselage scheme. USMC aircraft. Ser.No.90917 in overall silver scheme with yellow nose and green stripes on the wings and rear fuselage. Canadian Air Force aircraft. Ser.No. CF-UUU in overall trainer yellow with a blue nose. German Air Force aircraft. I.D. number BF + 056, in overall trainer yellow with green nose including a chequer board panel on either side. Italian Air Force aircraft. Ser.No. MM-54101 in overqall silver with yellow outer wings/tail and extreme nose of cowling. South African Air Force aircraft. In overall silver fuselage, with orange panels on the wings, tialplane and cowling plus medium sea grey panels on the upper wings. Royal Air Force aircraft. Ser.No. FT239 in brown and mid stone over light aircraft blue camouflage scheme. The decals look very well printed, with good opacity and density, in register and without too much carrier film, with the notable exception of the large USAF titles. There are a complete set of stencils for one aircraft included. Conclusion This is a great looking kit, especially considering it is Kitty Hawks first foray into 1:32 scale. The details on the parts are sharp and there is a nice finesse to them, especially the detail cockpit interior. With so many colour schemes offered, it will be difficult to choose which one to do and it’s good to see that it’s not just the schemes that change, with the different parts included; it is possible to represent each aircraft accurately as far as I can tell. There have been a number of grumbles about the cockpit floor, which, whilst it’s not accurate, it is a reasonable compromise to aid in making the kit easier to produce and perhaps build. You won’t see much of it anyway, unless the modeller wishes to de-skin the fuselage, in which case they will have the skills to reproduce the upper wing centre section. For those that want a good sized Texan/Harvard/SNJ in their collection I can highly recommend this kit. Review sample courtesy of and available soon from major hobby shops

Messerschmitt detail Sets Part 2 Brassin 1:32 With Eduard having produced a number of etched sets for the Revell 1:32 Me-109G6 it looks like their sister company are now getting more involved, other than just releasing wheel sets as reviewed HERE. The three new sets we have been kindly provided with here offer the modeller to add even more detail to the Revell kit and at the same time providing them with an alternative to other manufacturers. Cockpit Set (632022) Arriving in a top opening cardboard box, inside of which are a large number of parts, both resin and etched brass, surrounded by foam padding for complete protection. The larger than normal instruction sheet provides some of the clearest diagrams I’ve seen from Eduard/Brassin which will help greatly in getting the most out of this set. There are 25 resin parts in a mixture of medium and dark greys, plus two clear resin parts, two sheets of etched brass, one pre-painted and a small acetate sheet for the gun sight glass. The detail on the resin parts is nice and sharp, particularly on the side walls. The cockpit is made up of the cockpit floor including the lower section of the rear bulkhead, two side walls, front bulkhead, seat bucket, joystick, footrests, a choice of central cannon breach covers, upper rear bulkhead, two styles of gunsight mount, rudder pedal uprights and oxygen regulator. There is also a choice of two instrument panels, on for use with the etched parts and one on which you could use instrument dial decals, such as those from Airscale. The resin details are enhanced with the addition of the etched parts, and these include the trim wheels along with the chain drives, gunsight glass mounts, rudder pedals with foot straps, joystick enhancements, various rods and brackets for both side panels, as well as the canopy opening mechanism on the starboard panel. The pre-painted seat belts are quite complex, but with care and attention will build into a pretty amazing representation of the real things. Also on the painted sheet are the various layers that go to make up the detailed instrument panel. The plain etched sheet also provides optional panels for use on either the early or late versions of the G6. Even the canopy receives addition detail in the form of the armoured glass, (clear resin), and internal structure for the opening section, not to mention the support strut to keep this section open, plus vents and grab handles on the windscreen section. Undercarriage Legs (632 021) This set is part of Brassins increasing range of undercarriage legs produced in bronze. Not only is the detail really very good, but using this material means the legs won’t begin to buckle, particularly under the weight of all the resin and etch that is now on offer for the kit. They have been designed to fit into the kit undercarriage recesses, so no further modification is required. The set also includes a pair of new undercarriage doors made out of resin. The doors are only lightly affixed to the casting blocks, so cleaning up after removal should be a doddle. Exhaust set (632 020) This isn’t quite as simple a set as it first looks. Whilst the rows of exhaust stubs are moulded in one piece and are a simple slot in replacement for the kit parts, before the etched parts can be used the kit needs to be modified. The upper and lower vanes need to be carefully cut away from the fairings and also a small section of the fairing lip on the fuselage parts. The etched vanes can then be glued into position, followed by the resin exhaust. Conclusion Just when you thought that there couldn’t be anything else to be added to the Revel Me109, Brassin come along and blow that thought away with these sets. The cockpit set is wonderful and will really stand out with some careful detail painting and weathering, the exhaust set is very nice and will add some finesse to the nose are, but it’s the bronze undercarriage legs that really do it for me as they are not only strong, but look great. They probably won’t be cheap, but when you’ve put so much effort in building your ultimate Me109, it deserves to be standing on these superb legs, particularly when matched with the corresponding Brassin wheels. Review sample courtesy of

F4U-1 Corsair Wheels 1:32 Brassin To replace the rubber tyres in the Tamiya Corsair kit, Eduard/Brassin have released this set of resin parts. The parts come in the standard blister pack with two layers of foam protecting them. On opening the quality of parts really stands out. The wheels, with their distinctive treads, are beautifully moulded with great depth of the internal vanes. The holes between the vanes will need to be carefully cleaned up as there is a thin veil of resin flash over them. 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 brake details and attachment holes that match the kit axles. The outer hubs with their spokes will also need to be carefully cleaned up as the triangular holes between the spokes are also flashed over, but the flash is quite a bit thicker than on the wheels. This looks like it will be quite a tricky job, but will be worth it in the end. Fortunately it will be easier to paint the wheels as there is nice mask sheet included in the pack. Conclusion You can’t really go wrong with Brassin and this set goes a long way to prove it. It’s not perfect mind, as the flashed over holes in the wheels and especially the outer hubs, really shouldn’t be there with modern tooling, even in resin. Other than that I can happily recommend them. Review sample courtesy of

SUU-21 Bomb Dispenser Videoaviation 1:32 The latest release from Videoaviation.com is this, well, what I can only call it a model for that is what is in its own right, of a SUU-21 Bomb Dispenser. Inside the sturdy cardboard box are two poly zip lock bags of creamy beige resin parts, a small decal sheet and the instruction sheet. The resin is beautifully rendered, with no signs of bubbles or other flaws. The casting blocks don’t look to difficult to remove, but it will take a razor saw to do the best job on the larger parts. The kit includes the following resin parts:- Main bomb container Nose cone Tail Cone Closed off bomb bay parts A pair of bomb lugs, for the main container 6 x BDU 48 bomblets 6 x Mk75 bomblets 2 x display stands. The details on the main container are very finely done with recessed panel lines and screw heads and the resin is wonderfully smooth. Construction is easy once the parts have been removed from the moulding blocks and cleaned up. The nose and tail cones are fitted to the central container part followed either by the closed door parts or the bomb bay roof and 6 of either type of bomblet. Job done bar the painting, (which is white overall and either blue or possibly yellow bomblets) and the decaling which consists of the container placards and six RBF flags which only need to be added if the bomblets are fitted. The instructions are very clear and easy to read, but it would have been nice it parts were actually named as well as numbered. Conclusion This is a very nice addition to the Videoaviation product range and will add something different to a completed model. With the well moulded, flawless resin it should go together fairly easily. All the modeller has to do is check their references and see if the model they are building needs one or two SUU-21s. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Kit: Hasegawa 1:32 ‘Nowotny’ edition. Paint: All Tamiya & Lifecolour acrylics. MIG weathering pigments (wheels & tyres). Decals: Eagle Cals, MicroScale & kit. Extras: Eduard ‘Zoom’ set. Cut & dropped elevators. Cut & repositioned tail wheel & rudder. Brake lines from various gauges of fuse wire. Master MG17 barrels (not in photo). Focke-Wulf Fw190A-5 5 Staffel I/JG54 Operation ‘Zitadelle’ Summer 1943 ….and we’re done. Thoroughly enjoyed this project. Kit went together with the minimum of fuss. Camouflage came-out exactly as it looked in my head before I began, something that doesn’t happen too often. Especially happy with the weathering on the underside and the way the MIG pigments settled in to the main wheels & tyres giving a dry/dusty ‘feel’. Built for the ‘Battle of Kursk’ Campaign/Group Build on www.modelersalliance.com . As ever happy to take any questions, criticism and comments. Thanks for taking the time to look, I’m off now to start decaling my TF-104…. That’s going to keep me busy for a while !! Ian

I bought this kit a while back when i saw it in the LHS for much lower than retail because it had ever so slight box damage. Now that I have finished off most everything else on my bench, I thought that i could get a start on it. I didnt realize until I opened up the box just how big it really was. The fuselage halves are each bigger than any model i've ever built. This could be an interesting introduction th 1:32 scale modeling... I plan on doing it copletely OOB with the scheme on the front of the box. The first update will be coming soon.

Messerschmitt detail Sets Eduard/Brassin 1:32 Revell produced are cracking kit in their 1:32 Me-109G-6 particularly for the price, but it have some shortcomings and Eduard believe the detail also needed to be spruced up. With this in mind they have released a selection of sets for this kit, and an additional one for those modellers who would like to use the kit in a diorama. All these sets can be found in the Big Ed set or bought separately, it’s entirely up to the modeller to decide how much detail they would like or need to add. The relief etched brass is up to their usual high standards yet the instructions still let them down and really should be clearer on how parts are folded and fitted. Detail Set (32788) The two sheets contained in the standard poly sleeve provide parts for both the interior and exterior, so no need for separate sets. The majority of parts are on a medium sized relief etched sheet whilst the smaller sheet containing the cockpit parts is mostly pre-painted and self adhesive. For the cockpit the set includes a new seat support and panel for the rear bulkhead, new seat pan, a pair of very well detailed rudder pedals, trim wheel control chains and support bracket. The instrument panel is made up of several layers with the instruments printed on the backing plate, as other sets of this nature a drop of Klear or Aqua Gloss will be needed to represent the instrument glass. On the side walls there are several new or replacement instrument boxes and pre-printed faces, along with new cable runs and pipework. Each of the alternative gunsights receives new reflector glass supports, lens surround and brackets. Externally the set provides new radiator front and rear grids, a new intake grille, internal fittings for the radiator housings and main wheel bays; brake pipes and replacement lower undercarriage leg doors. The ailerons are given new end plates and the slats are provided with new internal lip strips. There is a nicely detail aerial mounting bracket on the tail fin and strap for the drop tank. Finally, each of the alternative canopies receive new armoured back plates and handles for the windscreen frame. Interior Zoom Set (33128) 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. Tools and Boxes (32351) For those modellers that want to use their model in a diorama, whether in a workshop or on the line then this two sheet set will be just for you. The main part is the carry case, which, once folded to shape is fitted with four carry handles, two per side. Into this are fitted four shelves, two shallow ones for the general tools, such as spanners, snips, hammers, cutters and the like, (all provided), and too deeper ones in which the more specialist tools are held, all safely kept in place by various spacers and locking parts. Also included is a large tool roll, which when assembled and painted up should look great lying on a wing on the grass by the aircraft. The roll is also well populated with the more popular tools such as screwdrivers, cutters, rule, adjustable spanners etc. Seatbelts (32784), and (32791) These two sets of seatbelts give more choice to the modeller, they can either buy the all etched brass set, which is pre-painted and go through the process of annealing to make them more flexible to sit in the seat pan correctly, or go for the fabric ones which should sit more naturally. Both sets come with a full selection of buckles and clasps and whilst whilst quite fiddly to assemble they will really help make the cockpit stand out from the crowd. Brassin Wheel Set (632 018) In addition to the etched sets Eduard, in their Brassin range have also released this set of replacement resin wheels. The inner and outer hubs, plus the tyres are all separate, making painting so much easier. Detail is also enhanced with the tread looking very nice and the brake details more representative. Once removed from the moulding blocks it shouldn’t take to much cleaning up before they are ready for use. Conclusion This is another great selection of sets from Eduard, who seem to be churning them out like it was going out of fashion, yet keeping the standard high. The tool box set is my favourite and I hope they produce more diorama sets in the future. The rest of the sets will go towards making the finished model look top notch, particularly when the Brassin wheels are used as well. Review sample courtesy of

Salmson 2-A2/Otsu 1 1:32 Wingnut Wings The newest release from Wingnut Wings covers the French Salmson 2-A2 and is available in two different boxings. The USAS version offers five different finishing options for machines in service with the United States Air Service Army, whilst the version received here for review offers four French and one Japanese option. The Salmson Company started off building Automobiles, and then aero engines, before progressing to designing their own aircraft, initially without much success. In 1916 they began work on a design to replace the Sopwith 1 ½ Strutters that they were then licence building, producing an aircraft that was both larger and heavier, but which incorporated interesting features such as a radial engine (in an age of rotary and in-line engines) and self-sealing fuel tanks. The initial Salmson A was not a success, but was developed into the 2-A2 utilising Salmsons own 9z water cooled radial engine of 260hp. This gave it a useful ceiling of 19,000 ft, range of 300 miles and top speed of 116 mph. Entering service in October 1917 with the French Air Force, it was well received and went on to equip 52 Escadrilles and achieved a production run of 3250 machines. Of these 705 were supplied to the USAS who also found it to be a useful and reliable workhorse, no doubt appreciating its self sealing fuel tanks in an era when fire was a very real and deadly risk. Built under licence in Japan as the Otsu 1 reconnaissance aircraft some 600 further examples were produced up until 1927, and remained in service until 1933. Other post war users of Salmson built machines were Czechoslovakia, both sides in the Russian Civil War, Poland, Belgium, Peru and Spain. The kit. Presented in Wingnut Wings familiar style with beautiful artwork in the silver edged box, the Instructions, decals, and all sprues are sealed in their own individual plastic bags. As ever, the instruction manual is in a class of its own that no other manufacturer has yet bettered, never mind equalled. Filled with CAD drawings showing the assembly sequences, further illustrated with drawings of completed assemblies, and supplemented by period photographs of both overall and detailed areas, it goes far beyond just showing you how to assemble your kit. Finished off with full colour profiles by Ronnie Bar, there are the usual five colour schemes to choose from, always difficult because they are all so appealing. Sprue A. This contains most of the detail items, many of which are for the cockpit interior. There is no flash or any sink marks to be found, and ejector pin marks are pretty much on non visible surfaces. The moulding technology is fantastic, the fuselage side frames being an example. The cabane struts will not only be as strong as possible, but also they are pre-lined up for you. Sprue B. The upper and lower wing panels featuring nicely done rib tapes and sharp trailing edges. As with all Wingnuts kits the strut mounting sockets are surrounded with pre made holes to anchor the rigging into. Depending upon your method of rigging these can be used as is or further reamed out with a micro drill. Sprue C. The smallest one, containing the clear parts. Sprue D. Two of these are provided to cover all the parts such as wheels and struts that need duplicating. Fine moulding is in evidence on the Lewis guns and lettering on the tyre sidewalls. Sprue E. The 9z radial engine. I always start my Wingnuts builds with the engine as they make up into beautiful little models in their own right. This one looks like it will be even nicer than most as it has lots of contrasting metal colours on it, including lovely copper jackets around the cylinders. Sprue F. This holds the fuselage and empennage mouldings. The drum tight fabric effect on the fuselage is very realistic, although hard to capture in a photograph. Sprue G. Larger detail items are on here, the cockpit floor being another example of the standard of moulding achieved by Wingnut Wings. Even more amazing are the sets of louvered panels. Look at them at the right angle and it clear to see that they actually are louvered! Photo Etch. Useful items are supplied here, such as the seatbelts, gun ring mounts, gun sights etc. All the items that would be too fine to do in plastic. Decals. Produced by Cartograf, the sheet almost equals the length and width of the box. Each design is sharply printed on minimal carrier film, in register, and with accurate looking colours. A common area provides all the fine detail such as the instrument faces, stencils and strut bindings. And being Cartograf gives the assurance that they will perform excellently when the time comes to apply them to the finished model. Finishing Options. A) Unknown serial, Col. Hamonic?, SAL 122, late 1917 to early 1918. 'B) 251, 4, SAL 16, 1918. C) 381, 4, SAL 28, 1918. (This possibly could be 581 rather than 381. Wingnut Wings point this out and give you the option of both on the decal sheet. Attention to detail!) D) 602 Le Gone, SAL 61, late 1918 to February 1919. E) Type Otsu Model 1 Reconnaissance Aircraft 1123, mid to late 1920s. Conclusion. The Salmson 2-A2 is probably less well known to British modellers although still an attractive subject, It will have extra appeal to our French and American friends due to its widespread use with their Air Forces. Other First World War enthusiasts will want one because of all the fabulous colour schemes that will be possible, particularly when aftermarket decals are available. And for those who like their 1:32nd Zeros, Hayates, Raidens, Shindens, and Claudes, how about an Otsu 1 to park alongside them? Wingnut Wings releases never fail to delight as they are so beautifully done, with obvious care and attention to detail from the team who produce them. You start to get your moneys worth from first opening the box, there are hours of pleasure to be had admiring the mouldings and working out the options to fit, and colour scheme to finish it in. Another flawless winner from Wingnut Wings. Highly Recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Sea Lynx Mk.88A 83+21 MFG-3 Norsholz Build for the Lynx Single Type Group Build (Build thread HERE).

Bell X-1 Decals and Stencils 1:32 MH Models Now, MH Models are new to this reviewer and I was passed this set from another BM member who received them from the company. They appear to be a Czech form of Local Model Shop that has decided to produce their own decals and masks. As a first effort I think they have done very well. Inside the ziplock poly bag you will find quite a large sheet of paint masks and a small, but well filled decal sheet. The decals are very well printed in good register and with minimal carrier film. They look very thin and only usage will determine how they adhere and settle down, hopefully without breaking up. There are decals and masks for other Bell X-1s in the program not just Chuck Yeager’s aircraft. There is a full set of stencils for both the exterior of the aircraft and the cockpit, along with the famous name, us titles, test site name and the Bell Aircraft logo. The larger items, such as the national insignia, photographic crosses, identification codes etc come in the form of paint masks which are pretty easy to use once you have found the correct colours. The instructions only show the markings for Glamorous Glennis so research will need to be carried out if other aircraft are to be modelled. Conclusion As stated above, for a first product I think MH Models have done very well. The masks are die cut, so easy to remove from their backing sheet and the decals are very well printed. Apart from the extra research required for the other X-1s I’m quite happy to recommend them to anyone who has the 1:32 kit. Sample provided by MH Models

P-51D Mustang 1:32 CMK Since some modellers don’t particularly like the rubber/vinyl tyres used in the various 1:32 Mustang kits, there is the option of replacing them with resin parts. There are a number of sets from different manufacturers and now CMK have joined the fray with this set Q32 184, in their Quick and Easy line. The resin comes in a small poly bag stapled to card header with a small instruction sheet also inside the bag. On removal the quality of the mouldings can clearly be seen. The diamond and hole tread pattern is beautifully rendered and with the moulding block thinly attached to the inside of the tyres inner edge no damage will be caused to the tread on removal. Clean up is nice and simple, as it is for the inner and outer hubs. There is a choice of outer hubs, one for the Dragon and Tamiya kits and one for the Trumpeter kit. There is also a set of diagrams on how to modify the different kits oleos to give the correct height for the Dragon kit and to reduce the size of the axles on the Trumpeter and Tamiya kits. CMK have also been good enough to provide a replacement tail wheel complete with finely moulded radial tread. Conclusion I’ve not seen this line of add-ons before, but am pretty impressed by the detail in this set. The only downside in this set is that the brake detail on the inner hubs is a little soft and could be better defined. Other than that I can happily recommend this to all owners of any of the three kits this set is aimed at. Review sample courtesy of

Chance Vought F4-U detail Sets Eduard 1:32 The Tamiya 1:32 Corsair in a beautiful model straight out of the box with perhaps the only real area that needing attention being the magnetos on the crank case. Eduard obviously feels differently as they have released a raft of update sets for it, seven in fact if you include the zoom set. Each set are in the usual poly sleeve packaging with a card insert to prevent damage, and the instructions still leave a lot to be desired. Typically some of the kit details need to be removed before the brass parts can be added. Interior Set (32781) Contained on two sheets of relief etched brass, the larger one is unpainted whereas the smaller one is not only pre-painted but self adhesive as well. The unpainted sheet contains items such as the rudder pedal heel and toe plates, rudder cable attachments, side console inside faces, document pockets and additional fittings not included in the kit. On the engine bulkhead there is a pair of new cable runs and pipes, whilst the foot rests/”floor” troughs are fitted with more detailed bulkhead fittings complete with lightening holes. There are a large number of instrument boxes fitted around the cockpit, on the side consoles, coaming and side walls onto which the pre-painted faces are attached. The instrument panels are also pre-painted complete with the instrument faces on the backplate. A little dab of aqua clear will give them the appearance of glass fronts. The fire extinguisher and oxygen bottles receive new straps and supports and the canopy is fitted with new frames fore and aft and latching handle. Interior Zoom Set (33126) This zoom set contains only the above pre-painted sheet and allows the modeller to build a well detailed cockpit without the hassle of getting bogged down with detail that might otherwise be deemed superfluous. Engine Set (32343) To really enhance the details on the kits engine this set provides a wealth of additional and finer parts for the job. Quite a few areas need to be cut away before the etched parts can be added, particularly around the cowling mounting bulkhead between the cylinder banks. Holes need to be drilled into the cylinder banks ready to accept the new wiring harness which is pretty complex and care will be needed as whilst the instruction diagram is better than usual, it could have been clearer. The exhaust manifold receives new flanges and jubilee style clips. Another complex area of the build is the fitting of the individual cowl flaps and cowl flap ring. Each cowl flap is fitted with a three piece etched actuator which will need a very steady hand to assemble and fit. The front cowl mounting ring is also provided as are the interior rib detail for each of the opening cowling panels. Exterior (32344) This single sheet set contains some very nice additional detail for the exterior and open areas of the kit. There are quite a few parts dedicated to the interior of the tailwheel bay, especially on the mounting bulkhead which has new mounting fixtures and fittings for the tail oleo, whilst the foreward bulkhead is fitted with new fittings which include the rudder cable arm and mounting bracket. The tailwheel bay doors are fitted with new hinges panels and attachment links. The main wheel bays also get a dose of additional detail with the fitting of new panels around the bay walls and roof along with additional cabling and pipe work. If you’re building the model with wings folded then you have the option of adding new end plates to the flaps and ailerons along with replacement brackets and web pieces. The wing fold areas have a host of new hoses and pipework fitted which will really make the areas look not only more accurate but busy. Placards (32795) This small single sheet set contains much of what is already on the interior sets pre-painted sheet and naturally the zoom set, which is rather annoying to be honest. There are a few parts different that the modeller could use in the cockpit, but not nearly enough to make this set worth being separate to the interior sets. Seatbelts (32784), and (32791) The first of these two sets is made completely from etched brass, pre-painted for the most part, but with unpainted clasps, buckles etc. The second has the etched seatbelts replaced with fabric ones, which really do look nice and may sit better on the seat. Either will look good even though they look quite fiddly to assemble. Conclusion Eduard do produce a very nice selection of sets here, although I do feel that they are taking the mickey a little with the placard set in that is does really add anything that are already included in the interior/zoom sets. The seat belt question also needs to be asked, why isn’t the brass set at least included in the interior set? That said they do what they do very well and the selection does give the modeller a choice on how far they want to go with detailing. So I can still recommend them, but be aware of what’s included. Review sample courtesy of

Grumman Intruder decals 1:32 Super Scale International Two new sheets of decals for the Trumpeter 1:32 Grumman A-6A Intruder have been released by SSI and they’ve been kind enough to send them here for us to look at. Each ziplock bag contains a medium sized sheet of decals and a full colour plan that not only shows the decals positioning but also the correct colours to use for the model. They are printed by Cartograph of Italy, so you can get an idea of the quality of these sheets. Both sheets only contain the national insignia, unit markings and items such as rescue arrows and intake warning triangles, there are no other stencils, which isn’t a problem as they are on the kits decal sheets. They are very well printed, in good register, slightly glossy and are nicely thin. The carrier film isn’t too intrusive except between the larger lettering and tail markings which could have been printed separately to alleviate this, but should be ok on top of a good gloss coat. SheetMS320264 contains markings for A-6A 500 BuNo.156995 of VA-95 “Green Lizards” based on-board USS Coral Sea August 1974 Sheet MS320265 contains markings for A-6A 503 BuNo.156995 of VA-115 “Arabs” based on-board USS Midway May 1973 Conclusion These are a very nice pair of decal sheets that will look great on the completed model and will make a pleasant change to the kit markings. They will certainly add a dash of colour to the standard grey and white scheme of the day. From experience, the decals should settle well with your favourite softening and setting solutions. Highly recommended Review sample courtesy of