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North American P-51D/K/Mk.IV Zoukei-Mura 1/32 History Whilst the earlier versions of the Mustang are well known, it is the P-51D/K with its bubble-top canopy was perhaps the most recognised and most well known version of the P-51 family. It was also the most widely used variant of the Mustang, with a grand total of 8102 machines of this type being produced. One of the problems encountered with the Merlin-powered P-51B/C was the poor view from the cockpit, particular towards the rear. The "Malcolm hood" fitted to the P-51B/C was an early attempt to correct this deficiency. However, a more lasting solution was sought. In January of 1943, Col Mark Bradley had been sent to England, and while there he saw how the newly-invented "bubble" or "teardrop" canopy had given Spitfire and Typhoon pilots unobstructed 360-degree vision. He returned to Wright Field in June, and immediately began exploring the possibility of putting bubble canopies on USAAF fighters. Republic Aviation put a bubble canopy on the P-47D Thunderbolt in record time, and Bradley flew it to Inglewood to show it to James H. Kindelberger, the President and General Manager of North American Aviation. Following discussions with the British and after examination of the clear-blown "teardrop" canopies of later Spitfires and Typhoons, North American Aviation secured an agreement with the Army to test a similar canopy on a Mustang in order to improve the pilot's view from the cockpit. A P-51B was selected to be modified as the test aircraft for the new all-round bubble canopy. The aircraft was redesignated XP-51D. The new bubble-shaped hood gave almost completely unobstructed vision around 360 degrees with virtually no distortion. The large rear section did not reach its point of maximum height until a point well aft of the pilot's head was reached, since wind tunnel testing showed that this shape was found to offer the best combination of viewing angles and minimum aerodynamic drag. The Plexiglas of the hood was mounted in rubber in a metal frame, the sill around the bottom being very deep. This was needed to provide the strength and rigidity required to avoid distortion and to prevent the binding or jamming of the canopy in the fuselage rails while it was being opened and closed. There were three rails, one along each side of the cockpit and one along the upper centreline of the rear fuselage. The canopy was manually opened and closed by a handle crank operated by the pilot. In order to accommodate the new all-round vision hood, the rear fuselage of the Mustang had to be extensively cut down. However, the amount of retooling needed to accomplish this was not extensive, and very little re-stressing of the fuselage structure was necessary. The newly-modified XP-51D took off on its first flight at Inglewood on November 17, 1943, test pilot Bob Chilton at the controls. One of the shortcomings of the P-51B was its limited firepower of only four machine guns. In addition, the guns in each wing were tilted over at quite sharp angles, requiring a sharp kink in the ammunition belt feeds and resulting in frequent gun jams. NAA took the opportunity afforded by the introduction of the new Mustang to correct this problem. The gun installation was completely redesigned, and the result was the installation of three MG53-2 0.50-inch machine guns in each wing, all of them mounted upright and all fed by ammunition belts. The inboard guns each had 400 rpg, and the others each had 270 rpg. However, Mustang users had the options of removing two of the guns and having just four, with 400 rounds each, and some pilots did actually select this option. Another visible change introduced by the P-51D was in the increase of the wing root chord. The main landing gear was strengthened in order to accommodate the additional weight, but the wheels maintained the same diameter of 27 inches. However, the wheel bays and doors were modified and the "kink" in the wing leading edge, barely seen in earlier marks, was made much more pronounced. Four P-51D-1-NA Mustangs had been completed with the original B-type canopy before the first P-51D-5-NA model (company designation NA-109) rolled off the production line. There were previously known problems with the installation of the 85-gallon tank in the rear fuselage of the P-51B and its adverse effects on the directional stability. With the P-51D these problems were exacerbated, due to the fact that the cutting down of the top line of the rear fuselage caused a lot of keel area to be lost. In order to provide for better directional stability, a dorsal fin was added ahead of the rudder during the production run of the P-51D Block 10. Some of the earlier P-51Ds (plus a few P-51Bs) were retrofitted with this dorsal fin. The extra weight and drag caused by this fin was quite small, but it helped a lot in improving the directional stability, especially when the rear fuselage fuel tank was full. The P-51D/K introduced the K-14 computing gyro gunsight, based on a British (Ferranti) design. When it first appeared, it was considered almost miraculous. The pilot needed only to dial in the wingspan of the enemy aircraft he was chasing and then feed in the target range by turning a handgrip on the throttle lever. Once the data had been selected an analogue computer worked. All that the pilot had to do then was to get the wingtips of his target lined up on the bright ring projected on the gunsight, and press the trigger. The K-14 was fitted almost from the start of P-51D production, the P-51K receiving this sight from mid-1944. This sight played a major role in the P-51D's impressive score of aerial victories. The P-51D began to arrive in Europe in quantity in March of 1944. The 55th Fighter Group was the first to get the P-51D, trading in its P-38s for the new bubble-topped fighters. The change from the torqueless twin-engined P-38 to the single-engined P-51 did cause some initial problems, and the lack of directional stability caused by the presence of a full fuselage tank took a lot of getting used to. However, once their pilots became fully adjusted to their new mounts, they found that the P-51D possessed a marked edge in both speed and manoeuvrability over all Luftwaffe piston-engined fighters at altitudes above 20,000 feet. However, Luftwaffe pilots considered the Mustang to be rather vulnerable to cannon fire, particularly the liquid-cooled Merlin engine which could be put out of action by just one hit. The Mustang was the only Allied fighter with sufficient range to accompany bombers on their "shuttle" missions in which landings were made in Russia after deep-penetration targets had been attacked from English bases. The Mustangs also participated in low-altitude strikes on Luftwaffe airfields, a rather dangerous undertaking as these fields were very heavily defended by flak. The Model This is the second P-51D Mustang released by Zoukei-Mura, but only the first this reviewer has actually got his hands on, although having several other ZM releases I am quite familiar with the Super Wing Series concept. The sturdy medium sized, yet deep, top opening box, with a lovely rendition of a British P-51K on the front, is jam packed with styrene. Each of the twelve grey and two clear sprues are individually wrapped in poly bags, with the clear sprues also having foam wrapping around the parts for extra protection. There are three large decal sheets which are supplied in another protective poly bag along with the instruction booklets. It is pretty obvious that the main instruction book is from the first P-51D release as this kit builds up in the same way, but if you are building a P-51K then you will need to refer to the supplementary booklet which is associated to the extra sprue specific to this mark. The medium grey styrene is beautifully moulded, with no sign of flash as is expected these days, but there are a lot of moulding pips, probably due to the nature of the parts design, which does mean there is a little extra cleaning up to do. The details on the parts are very well moulded with restrained panel lines, rivets fasteners on the outer skin, whilst the interior, which is what makes these kits rather special, is quite mind boggling, not just with the finesse of design but with the amount of interior parts provided. That said, there are a couple of noticeable problems, the first is that the wings have definite panel lines which I believe were actually filled to help with the laminar flow of the wing, but an easy fix. The second is the machine gun barrels, which, although quite well protected on the sprue, three or four have a pronounced warp on the review example as the barrel muzzles aren’t connected to the sprue. Of course this is easily overcome with the purchase of the metal barrel set that ZM have also released, but this shouldn’t occur with the sort of technology available these days. The instruction book is beautifully laid out, clear and easy to read, with a preface of aircraft specifications and assembly information, followed by paint colours required and the usual safety information ref tools etc. After the preface pages each major assembly has its own build section. The first page of which provides photos of the completed sub-assemblies, a written guide to what these sub-assemblies are called and in the top right hand corner of each the number of parts used in each assembly. The photos/diagrams all show the colours used to paint each part and how it should look when complete, not accounting for weathering of course. The build itself begins with the engine and what could be termed over the top in relation to the amount of detail provided that will never be seen. Each cylinder block is moulded in two halves with each of the individual cylinders moulded into one half. The completed blocks are then attached to the three piece crank case, followed by the intake manifold and cam covers. To the front of the engine the front and rear portions of the gearbox are joined, with the propeller shaft sitting between and the dual drive unit at front and the whole assembly attached to the engine block. The two piece coolant header tank is then fitted above the gearbox and the four piece ignition harness attached to the top of the engine. The two magnetos, coolant pump and cam shaft drive unit ate assembled and fitted to the rear of the engine, followed by the supercharger unit, which is made up of the two piece supercharger housing for each of the first and second stages, boost control unit, drain valve and aftercooler. The aftercooler pump and ignition harness are fitted to the port side, whilst on the starboard side the ignition harness and oil relief valves are attached. The individual exhaust stacks are then attached along with their respective fairings ensuring that the stack angles are correct. The final stage of the engine assembly is the building up of the firewall, onto which the two piece oil tank is attached, along with the oil line on the front and a couple of black boxes on the rear. The engine bearers are then fitted to each side of the engine then attached to their respective points on the firewall. Lastly the oil line is fitted between the bottom of the oil tank to the pump on the underside of the engine. The next stage concerns the assembly of the cockpit and begins with the fitting of the filler pipe and gauge to the fuselage fuel tank which is then fitted to a support base, then the fuselage floor frame along with a small rear bulkhead. There is a choice of seats, one with seatbelts moulded into it, the other without, depending on whether the modeller intends to add a pilot figure, one of which is available separately. The seat is attached to the rear armoured bulkhead via two supports, whilst the aerial relay box is attached to the rear of the headrest. The radio set and battery are attached to the support framework, to the front of which the heater and ventilation pipes are attached. This assembly is then fitted to the rear of the armoured bulkhead and assembled to the cockpit floor with the battery/radio frame sitting on the fuel tank. There is a choice of instrument panel; one with very nicely detail moulded instruments, which with careful painting should look great, the other is plane as is meant for use with the provided decal. To the underside of the panel the rudder pedal unit and switch box are attached. The side panels are then fitted to the cockpit along with the instrument panel assembly and instrument pipework to the rear of the panel. Moving onto the fuselage interior, the engine assembly is attached to the cockpit assembly. The oil cooler is assembled and fitted to the supporting frame and put to one side. The coolant radiator is then assembled out of the radiator front matrix, rear matrix and sides. The oil cooler, coolant radiator and rear radiator exhaust duct are attached to the underside of the cockpit assembly. The long coolant/oil pipes are then attached to their respective radiators and the inlet/outlet fittings on the engine. The three part carburetor air induction duct is then assembled and fitted beneath the engine attaching to the supercharger intake and the front of the engine. A small oil pipe is then fitted to the starboard side of the oil cooler assembly. It’s only now that the fuselage itself is assembled. Unlike standard kits where the fuselage is split into port and starboard halves, in this kit it is made of up of individual panels and sections. First of all the sides are added, not forgetting to fit the two oxygen bottle to the inside of the starboard side panel. These are followed by the upper fairing and the lower panel which surrounds the radiator/oil cooler duct. The engine cowling is next and the modeller is given a choice of having them fitted or not, and since there is so much detail in the engine it would seem a shame to have it covered up. There doesn’t appear to be an option to have them removable, unlike the Tamiya kit and their magnetic answer. If the cowling is to be fixed permanently closed then there is no need to add the panel supporting framework around the engine, if the engine is to be exposed then these will need to be attached. Also take note to fit the correct intake filter panel for use on the Mk.IV as specified in the supplementary instruction sheet. The separate tail cone, made up of two halves into which the tail wheel bay is assembled from the two sides, roof and forward bulkhead, is now assembled, using either the standard or supplementary parts are necessary. This also goes for the vertical tail unit as the modeller has the choice one with a filet and one without depending on the model being made. Before fitting the fin and rudder the horizontal tailplanes are assembled from upper and lower full span halves and separate elevators. This is then fitted to the top of the tail cone and the fin/rudder unit on top of that. Either of the N-9 or K-14 gunsights are then assembled and fitted to the coaming which has been attached forward of the cockpit. The windscreen is then fitted along with the completed tailcone assembly thus completing the fuselage. Moving onto the wings and once again, like the fuselage, it’s like building the real thing, albeit somewhat simplified. The single piece spar and rib unit is fitted out with the six machine guns, each with their separate ammunition belts, three per side in their gun bays. The two part main fuel tanks are then assembled and fitted inboard of the gun bays before the whole sub-assembly is attached to the single piece lower wing skin part. The three clear identification lights are then fitted to the starboard underside wing tip coloured, probably best, from the inside. The undercarriage bay front bulkhead is attached to the wing by two outer spars and a central longitudinal bulkhead. The hydraulic actuators are then attached, two per side, whilst the retractable landing light is fitted to the port bay. The upper outer wing panels are then fitted, along with the separate leading edge panels inboard of the gun bays, the port leading edge having had the camera gun fitted beforehand. The flaps can be posed either retracted or extended depending on the modellers choice of display. Before the wing can be fitted to the fuselage, the joystick and associated control linkage is attached to the top of the wing and the wing fillets fitted to the mid-lower fuselage. With these in place the wing can be attached. With the kit looking more like a model aircraft the build moves on to the addition of ancillary parts, such as the radiator duct air intake, which comes in three parts and is also fitted with an additional length of pipework before fitting to the fuselage. The oil cooler and radiator outlet doors, which are then attached to the rear of the under fuselage, the radiator door is also fitted with an actuator jack and strengthening bar. The main undercarriage units are each made up of a single piece oleo, separate brake pipe and scissor link. The wheels consist of the brake unit, inner and outer hubs and two halves of each tyre. When assembled they should look rather good, although I would prefer the tyres moulded as a single piece. The completed units are then slid into position and twisted to fit the trunnions into their correct position. The inner doors and actuators are then fitted with the required droop, depending on how long the aircraft has been shut down, whilst the outer doors are fitted to the main oleos. The tail wheel assembly is a simpler affair with the main leg being moulded in a single piece, with the single piece wheel/tyre being fitted to the axle. Once fitted into the tail wheel bay the two bay doors can be attached. Whilst the aircraft could carry a variety of stores and equipment the kit comes with just a pair of drop tanks. Each is split horizontally and when assembled are fitted with the air and fuel pipes and attached to the pylons via two crutch plates. The completed assemblies can then be fitted to their respective hardpoints just outboard of the main undercarriage legs. Final outfitting means more choice for the modeller, dependent on which version or mark they are building. ZM have included three different canopies, (M-1 Inglewood built, K-1 Inglewood built and K-13 Dallas built), each with a separate internal frame and one with an external rear view mirror. There is also an option on which propeller to use as both the cuffed Hamilton Standard and un-cuffed Aeroproducts props are provided, with their respective backplates and spinners. There is also an option to have the radar warning antenna fitted to either side of the vertical fin, so check your references to see if the aircraft you are modelling was fitted with them and open up the holes in the fin halves before gluing them together. The last thing to be fitted are the gun bay doors, either open or closed, the navigation lights, tail light, pitot probe and aerial mast. Decals There are three large decal sheets included with this kit. Each very nicely printed with very little carrier film visible, with the exception of the Southern Cross decals and Star and Bar surrounds which will be covered up anyway. They appear to be in register and nicely opaque which is particularly useful if using the identification stripes on a couple of the paint options. There are stencils for one aircraft and include some cockpit placards and instruction placards for the gun bays. If you include the original kit schemes which are included in this one then the modeller can make one of seven different aircraft. These include:- P-51D-5-NA Ser.No. 44-13837 of the 343rd FS, 55th FG Miss Marilyn II, flown by Capt. Robert Welch P-51D-10-NA, Ser.No. 44-14450, of the 363rd FS, 357th FG, Old Crow, flown by Capt “Bud” Anderson P-51D-25-NA Ser.No. 44-73108, of the 334th FS, 4th FG Red Dog XII flown by Maj. Louis Norley Mustang IVa, Ser.No. KH774, 112Sqn, Royal Air Force Mustang Iva, Ser.No. KH716, 3Sqn, Royal Australian Air Force P-51K-10-NT, Ser.No. 44-12073, of the 348th FS, Sunshine VII P-51D-5NA Ser.No. 44-13410 of the 361st FG, Lou IV There is also a small sheet of masks to aid the painting of the canopy and windscreen. Conclusion If you’ve never come across a Zoukei-Mura Super Wings Kit before then have a look. They can appear to be pretty intimidating until you look at the clever and well thought out break down of parts. I don’t purport that they will be an easy build as there is a lot to do, both in preparation, painting and fitting, but the end result is well worth it. Whilst some don’t see the point of having all the internal structure, and yes it isn’t an exact replica of the real thing, but it gives options for some well detailed dioramas as well as looking interesting if left exposed. I think this kit is one of the most accessible ZM have released as it’s not overly complex and should be ok for the intermediate modeller and above. As with everything, take your time and the results will speak for themselves. With this kit you also get to build a 1:32 Mustang in British or Australian colours which has got to be good. If you want to really go to town on the model then ZM have also released a raft full of aftermarket items from the likes of Eduard and Master Models to enhance the build, although I would have liked to have seen at least an interior etched set or seatbelts included in the standard kit. Oh! And you will need to change the machine gun barrels, particularly if you’re leaving the gun bay doors open. Extremely highly recommended Review sample courtesy of

Fokker D.VII (Alb) 1:32 Wingnut Wings. The Fokker D.VII was the most succesful German single seat fighter of the Great war. Such was the demand for it that not only was it built by Fokker, but also Ostdeutsche Albatros Werke and Albatros, hence the suffix (Fok), (OAW) and (Alb) often used to denote the manufacturer of a particular airframe. In fact Albatros produced more D.VII's tha Fokker themselves, and to a better standard of quality. One of the things I like about aviation modelling is not just the aircrfat themselves, but also the people who maintained and flew them. The Great War is full of personalities, and Carl Degelow is a shining example. He was a 30 victory ace, and the last winner of the 'Pour le Merit', commonly known as the Blue Max. By all accounts he was a chivalrous 'knight of the air', and served with honour and distinction. I can thoroughly reccommend the book 'Black Fokker leader' written by Degelow and translated/edited by Peter Kilduff. Degelow survived the war, and was later jailed for a few days for refusing to give the Nazi salute! He served in the Luftwaffe in World War 2, and died in Hamburg in 1970. The Wingnut Wings kit is superb, I have now built all 3 (the Fokker, OAW, & Albatros versions), and throughly enjoyed all of them. Original review of all 3 here Hers is the latest, Carl Degelows 'White Stag' ; With cowling panels fitted; Cowling panels detached; Read the book, build the model! [edit for a late addition] All 3 Wingnut Wings together. Left to Right, Willi Gabriels (Fok), 'Sieben Schwaben' (OAW), and Carl Degelow (Alb). Not easy to photograph together![/edit] Thanks for looking, John

This is my first ever 1:32 build, and my first post on here, bar my introduction (in which I stated I don't build 1:32). I usually only do 1:48, as I find the large surfaces a bit intimidating in terms of painting / finish, but this was a gift. That said - I do love interiors - so this was a real treat. As I am sure many people will notice - there are a few screw-ups. I tend to rush, and got some bits on backwards or upside-down (see landing gear). Frustrating and embarrassing, but I will learn. Also - I am afraid to say I am not a big researcher - I just love the look of aircraft and love building models - so some of the markings and colourings are likely well off... All of that said - I was happy with this. I don't have an airbrush - so this is all done with brushes or rattle cans (Molotow, Tamiya or Citadel). With some very basic whole panel pre shading with primer, and a load of spot washes, pin washes and afters with pigments and so on. As ever - I struggled not to go overboard with weathering - as I really enjoy that part of every build. Think I might have kept it just about bearable. All markings painted with rattle cans using Montex masks. Thanks for looking. Any notes most welcome.

British and US Bombs Videoaviation 1:32 This month we have received three sets of bombs from Videoaviation, one set of British BL755 cluster bombs and two US types, the M-117 General Purpose bombs and the Mk20 Rockeye. Each set is moulded in a cream beige resin which produces some very fine detail which is protected by the reasonably sturdy bubble boxes filled with bubble wrap. Yet even with the protection there are a number of parts that have broken in transit, namely the suspension lugs, which shouldn’t cause too much of a problem when the bombs are fitted to a model. BL-755 Cluster Bomb set (153232) This set contains two bombs, each moulded in two sections, the main bomb casing and the tail section. In addition there are the distinctive arming vanes for the nose and the two support lugs. The lugs and arming vanes will probably be the most awkward parts to remove from their moulding blocks, but care and a new scalpel blade should take care of them. The casing and tail blocks are easier to remove, and with a few swipes of a sanding stick should be ready to join together. The set comes with a decal sheet containing the stencils normally found on the weapons. The instruction leaflet informs the modeller of the colours required, but there isn’t any colour picture, so some research will be required to find the correct colours. The sheet also includes four remove before flight flags to add extra interest to your completed model. M-117 GP Bomb set (16932) This set contains six complete bombs, again split in two with the bomb casing and tail sections separate. Each bomb is also provided with the nose mounted arming device and two bomb lugs. Once again the lugs will need careful removal from the moulding blocks, but the arming devices are much easier, as with the casings and tails. Once removed there shouldn’t be too much cleaning up required before the parts can be assembled. The small decal sheet only carries one stencil per bomb, although there are eight stencils on the sheet and only six bombs. Mk-20 Rockeye (USN & USAF) (164032) As with the other two sets, the bomb itself is separated at the tail and comes with separate nose caps and bomb lugs. Assembly is the same as the M-117 and once complete will look great fitted to all manner of US aircraft. The decal sheet for this set is quite a bit large and contains a full set of stencils for each bomb, along with two types of nose stripes, one for USAF service and one for USN/ US Marine service. Conclusion It’s great to see the BL-755 being released as I don’t think there has been another release in this scale. As is usual with Videoaviation the details and moulding quality is superb and the decals are very useful. They will make a great addition to any model. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

1:32 Hawk T-1 lighting kit Tirydium Models Following on from his fibre optic lighting sets for sci-fi subjects HERE, Tirydium Models has released this set for the Revell 1:32 BAe Hawk T-1. Packaged in a clear zip lock bag the set comes complete with all you need to light the following: Nose Light (White LED) Wing Tip Warning lights, (White LED’s with 2 x 0.75 fibre guides) Top Strobe Light, (Red LED with 1 x 1.0mm fibre guide) Underside Strobe Light, (Red LED with 1 x 1.0mm fibre guide) There is also a controller chip on a board for the flashing strobe lights. Everything comes pre assembled, so all the modeller has to do is fit the parts into the model as it’s being built. Due to the construction of the kit slots will need to be filed out along the wing for the fibres to fit without being pinched and the wing tip lights will require their lugs cutting off and a small hole drilled into them. The instructions are very clear and easy to read and come with a selection of colour photographs showing where and how the LED’s and fibres are to be installed, along with written instructions explaining what needs to be done. The kit is well made with all LED/Fibre optic joints well taped up, there may be a slight excess of fibre for the lights, but this can easy be cut to size. Conclusion This is a very nice and well made set-up for those who either don’t feel competent or, like me, a little too lazy to fit lighting systems to their models even though they would like to. With this kit, aided by the clear instructions, there is now no excuse. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Tamiya's 1:32 kit. Won't be an OoB build and may not get done in the time-frame especially as we're 'coming home' for a holiday just after New Year, but other than one other project I'm clearing the bench of everything to focus on this one. Put the 'block' together this morning and mixed/sprayed a cocktail of Tamiya acrylic XF-56 & XF1. Thanks for looking and/or commenting. Please feel free to make any comments or ask any questions throughout the build. Ian.

US A/M32A-60 Generator Videoaviation 1:32 The latest 1:32 release from Videoaviation is of a A/M32A-60 Generator set. The set comes in a sturdy cardboard box with a picture of the unit in side view. Inside there is quite a lot of cream coloured resin contained in either bubblewrap or ziplock bags. The mouldings are very nicely produced with very little flash and minimal webbing/attachments connecting the parts to the moulding blocks. There are twenty two parts all told, not including all the pipework which is included as uncut lengths. Construction begins with the fitting of the upper body to the lower bed. The two separate axles are fitted to the pre-moulded leaf spring suspension mounts; the front axle also has the towing beam attachment point fitted. The four wheels, which consist of separate tyres and hubs, to aid painting, are then attached, along with the rear bumper bar, optionally posed side door. The towing arm can be posed in either folded or extended position, and there are four hose storage supports and the hose pipe fitted to the roof. The different sized cables are each fitted with plugs, before being coiled up and placed in the brackets on the roof. The air pipe is also coiled up, with one end glued to the outlet pipe, and then also mounted on the roof. Of course, you can also use the cables and air pipe in a diorama setting attached to your particular aircraft. Decals are included for all the stencils and warning signs/markings for the unit, unfortunately none are provided for the gauges. The modeller can paint this unit in three different colours depending on where they’re used, Yellow, Green or Grey. Conclusion This is another great little kit from Videoaviation. Not too difficult to build, but could be fun to weather it a bit, not too much mind, and will make a super addition to any diorama next to and possibly attached to a suitable aircraft. Review sample courtesy of

CBU 104/104/105 WCMD Bombs Videoaviation 1:32 The latest set of resin bombs recently arrived at BM’s offices, and as usual they are very nice. These are the “smart” cluster bombs, or as they are known now, the Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser. The blister pack, contains four bombs, each with the following parts Bomb Casing Tail Lugs Decals The casting, in a beige resin, is beautifully done, with some nice moulded details on both the casing and the tails. Building is just a matter of cutting the parts off their moulding blocks and gluing the tail to the casing, and then carefully removing the individual bomb lugs form their block and attaching them to their respective positions. The lugs are very fragile, so you will need the sharpest of scalpels to remove them without breaking, oh, and take your time. The decal sheets, for there are two small ones; provide the yellow stripe and information placards for each bomb. Also included is a pair of remove before flight flags per sheet, one for each bomb. Conclusion This is another very nicely done and useful set for anyone who would like to arm their big F-15E’s. Although to fully arm one of these you will need to buy more than one set. Review sample courtesy of

Making a plywood fuselage on plastic! Albatros D.Va (OAW) 1:32 Wingnut Wings Wingnut Wings released this kit last summer, as the third in their line of Albatros kits. A review can be found Here Having built the WNW Albatros D.V before, I want to try to improve my build technique on this one. The main thing I noticed on my first build was that all the interior components were a tight fit, and closing the fuselage around it was a bit of a struggle. The tolerances are so tight on these kits that any paint on mating surfaces will reduce the accuracy of the fit. With that in mind I took the simple step of lining all the bulkhead locations inside the fuselage halves with thin strips of Tamiya tape, before spraying with Halfords primer. The woodwork was done with a sprayed coat of Tamiya 'Deck tan', followed by a coat of Johnsons Kleer. The wood grain was done with Griffin Alkyd tube oils paints. Blends of mostly Raw Sienna with a dash or 2 of Burnt Umber and/or Light Red. I mix them 'on the fly' in an old Pringles lid.I shade at a time is done, they only take a bout 4 hours to dry so there is none of this 'waiting 1 week' for the tube oils to dry. I then redid the stringers in Deck tan, and went over them with near Raw Sienna. The idea was to create a series of different looking wood effects. One done, the tapes were pulled out of the bulkhead locations. All the bulkheads were scraped on their mating surfaces, and they all fitted like a dream. The fuselage closes up nicely around them with no pressure needed. Main components ready for assembly; Other interior fittings; The fuselage just pressed together in a 'dry' fit. The seam is virtually non existent, and the best I have yet achieved. I'll be masking off the bulkhead loactaions on all future builds, it has made a big difference! I'm going to include a couple of MDC's 'Wings Cockpit' resin figures, the 'Groundcrew man assisting Pilot' These are beautifully cast, but need priming and painting. Test filling the pilot revealed that he will have to go in before the fuselage halves are glued. And he will hide most of my interior painting and detailing. Oh well! The ground crew man sits astride the fuselage, helping the pilot secure his straps and flying helmet' Test fit; Finally, I am going to try Uschi van Der Rosten's Woodgrain decals on the fuselage. Thanks for looking John

AIM-7E Sparrow 1:32 Brassin (632-084) This is another set of missiles, recently released by Eduard, in their Brassin range, and as is usual for these types of sets, it is contained within the standard cardboard box Brassin use for their more fragile items. The set contains four Sparrow missile bodies, complete with tailfins, separate body fins, a small sheet of etched brass, and a smallish decal sheet. As with the Sidewinder set reviewed HERE, the parts are tentatively attached to their moulding blocks by thin webs, which are easily detached and cleaned up. Construction is minimal, with the almost centrally mounted body fins glued into position along with the brass exhaust ring. The decal sheet provides all the various stencils and coloured rings, denoting whether the missile is live or inert, also denoted by the colour of the main body. The mouldings are what we have come to expect from Brassin, clean, with fine details and very cleaning up to do. Conclusion This is another missile that is actually older that you realise and this version, first delivered in 1958 was fitted to various marks of the F-4 Phantom II up to the Vietnam War. Either fitted to a model or on their own mounted on a trolley, they will make a great addition to the modellers arsenal. Review sample courtesy of

AIM-9B Sidewinder 1:32 Brassin (632-083) Contained within the standard cardboard box Brassin use for their more fragile items, are a set of four AIM-9B Sidewinders. The body and rear fins are moulded in one piece, whilst the front fins are separate, as are the seeker heads and protective “Noddy” caps. There is also a small etched brass fret that contains the rear nozzle ring and a pretty comprehensive decal sheet. Although still attached to their moulding blocks, they are only held to the block by thin webs, therefore easily removed and cleaned up with just a swipe or two of a sanding stick. With the front fins, and etched rocket ring fitted it’s just a matter of painting, adding the supplied decals, and weathering, (although from my experience, they were kept pretty clean, but there are photographs on the internet that show this wasn’t also the case. The “Noddy” caps should then be painted and fitted to the nose of each missile, covering the seeker head, although this is entirely up to the modeller how they should be used. The only fly in the ointment is the lack of Remove Before Flight flags for the caps, which is a shame, but they are readily available elsewhere. Conclusion Although this is an early version of the missile, it was extensively, everywhere from Taiwan Strait Crisis on F-86 Sabres through to the Vietnam war fitted to F-4C/D Phantom II’s, certainly a welcome addition to the 1:32 modellers armory. Review sample courtesy of

Bazooka Launchers for P-40 1:32 Brassin Arriving in the cardboard box that are used for the more fragile sets in the Brassin range, this set consists of two complete launchers, four end plates, and four fixing arms. There is also a smallish etched sheet, containing the straps that go round each three tube launcher and a small resin fixture for he straps. Construction is relatively simple, just cut the moulding blocks off the launchers and launcher end sections, for which the modeller has the option of fitting one pair for armed or the other pair for empty launchers. Each of the upright fixtures is then glued to the top attachment points of the launchers. The tubes are then fitted with six straps which go round all three tubes, and a strengthening strap that is fitted between the aft attachment point to one of the binding straps. Conclusion I didn’t even realise the P-40 ever carried these bazooka style launchers, and I suggest that some research is carried out to ensure the particular aircraft you wish to build, did in fact carry them. As usual the mouldings are superb and they will certainly give the P-40 a different look in your collection. Review sample courtesy of

Curtiss P-40 wheel set Eduard 1:32 The Hasegawa P-40 kit has been around for quite a while, even in its last incarnation from 2013. Recently Eduard have released a number of etched sets for it, now it’s their Brassin range to have a go. This lovely looking resin set comes encased in their usual clear styrene bubble packaging, and contains the two main wheels, which come with separate inner hubs, and a single piece tailwheel. The resin moulding is well up to the standard we have come to expect from Brassin and includes the makers name and size information on the main tyre side walls, along with the very nicely moulded diamond tread pattern. All the tyres have a slight bulge to give the impression there is weight on them, but not excessively. All the wheels are only attached to the moulding plugs via a small contact point on the bulged area and a couple of webs, so shouldn’t be too hard to remove and clean up. The hubs are a little more awkward, but with care and a sharp blade or saw you should be ok. The hubs will need to have the rear sanded down to thickness so that they fit into the wheel recess correctly. The set also includes a small etched brass sheet. This contains the outer hub covers, one for each main wheel. To complete the set, and make it a lot easier to spray the completed wheels a set of mask, made of kabuki style tape has also been included. Conclusion These resin wheels, with their etched detail parts make a great addition to the completed model. There is a little bit of work to get them off the moulding blocks, but there’s nothing that a moderately competent modeller can’t handle. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Albatros D.Va (OAW) 1:32 Wingnut Wings. Uschi van der Rosten woodgrain, and MDC figures. The Albatros D.V was one of the most widely used German single seat fighters of the First World War. The D.Va featured re-arranged aileron controls and a minor brace at the bottom of the interplane 'V' struts. OAW manufactured a strengthened version (which was also heavier) which is the kit featured here. Build straight from the box from Option A, but with a couple of 'Wings Cockpit' figures from MDC and the addition of woodgrain decals from Uschi van der Rosten. This is my first try at using these woodgrain decals, and I am very pleased with the results. Applying them is a slow task, explained in the WIP thread here. 4 months in building, so on with the photos; A beautiful kit to build, so much so that I wondered what to do next. So I bought another one! With Pheon Decals review set to go on it, another wooden beauty will be on its way! Thanks for looking, John

US Navy Deck Crewman With Holdbacks Videoaviation 1:32 [164332] The latest release from Videoaviation.com is this set of a USN Deck Crewman with associated holdbacks, not to be confused with a previously released set HERE, which, admittedly is rather similar. The set is manufactured in a creamy beige resin which is really well moulded and detailed. Whilst it only contains one figure, the additional holdbacks can be used separately if required and the crewman used in a different role. The crewman body, head and legs are moulded as one part, with the arms moulded separately. The holdbacks, of which there are six in the box, are moulded on separate blocks, but only by a couple of points , so should be too difficult to remove without breaking them. They can be attached to the crewman’s hands or if you are doing a launch diorama can be fitted between the deck and the aircraft. The instructions come complete with colour photographs of crewmen on a flightdeck, showing the colours of the uniform generally used by the USN. Conclusion This is another very useful set for those modellers who like to build dioramas/vignettes with their large scale models. If used with the other crew sets it will help bring to life whatever story the modeller is trying to tell. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Mk82 Air BSU 49/B Videoaviation 1:32 Continuing the growth in their 1:32 range of bombs, Videoaviation have released this set of Mk82 500lb bombs, this time fitted with the BSU 49/B high drag tail unit. Produced in the standard cream resin the eight bombs come with a variety of nose caps, dependent on whether a nose or tail fuse is fitted. As with previous sets the bombs are made up from two sections, the bomb unit and the tail unit, which, once removed from the moulding plug and cleaned up are simply glued together. The bomb lugs are also separate items, and quite fragile, so great care will be needed to remove them from the moulding blocks. Whilst the bombs as released are for use with USAF aircraft, the modeller can, should they desire, simulate the thermal protection used on USN bombs and use them with any modern naval aircraft. The decals supplied provide the stencils found on these bombs, along with eight remove before flight flags. Conclusion As is usual with Videoaviation the details and moulding quality is superb and the decals are well printed. They will make a great addition to any model. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Navy Deck Crewman Videoaviation 1:32 [164132] The latest release from Videoaviation.com is this set of a USN Deck Crewman with associated chocks. The set is manufactured in a creamy beige resin which is really well moulded and detailed. Whilst it only contains one figure, the additional chocks can be used separately if required and the crewman used in a different role. The crewman body, head and legs are moulded as one part, with the arms moulded separately. The chocks, of which three assemblies can be modelled, are made up of separate arms, chocks and chock ends. One or two of the resin arms in the review set are slightly warped and will need to be straightened using boiling water before the chock and end sections are attached. When fitted to the arms the chocks are able to be moveable in real life, and with a bit of work can be made to work on the model parts. But generally they should be fixed into position to whatever width you require. The instructions come complete with colour photographs of crewmen on a flightdeck, showing the colours of the uniform generally used by the USN. Conclusion This is another very useful set for those modellers who like to build dioramas/vignettes with their large scale models. If used with the other crew sets it will help bring to life whatever story the modeller is trying to tell. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Lockheed F-104G Detail Sets Eduard/Brassin 1:32 The release of the big 1:32 Starfighter was met with some disappointment from some quarters for various reasons. If you have got one or are thinking of getting one, then you might want to get the most out of the kit with the addition of these two sets from Eduard. (32869 - Electronic Equipment) – This set contains two small sheets, one pre-painted, whilst the other is unpainted. Naturally there is quite a bit of the kit detail in the area that will need to be removed first, and these areas are clearly marked on the instructions. The pre-painted sheet contains the equipment faces, placards and circuit breaker panels. The unpainted sheet contains the central spine of the bay, an empty bay to be fitted in the open space in the left hand bay, along with the strip that goes around the bay, complete with screw holes to affix the removable panels. The panels themselves also receive new parts, such as bulkheads, fixing strips, internal access panels, and strengthening plates. (632047 - Ejection Seat) – Contained within the now standard Brassin blister pack the resin parts are very well protected with quite a thick layer of foam, whilst the etched sheet is separate by a card backing. There are four resin parts that include the seat, the seat rail and two styles of PSP pack. The seat is beautifully detailed, but some care will need to be exercised when removing from the moulding block as areas such as the leg restraint points might get damaged. The rails, whilst more fragile are only held to the moulding block by quite thin webs, so shouldn’t cause too many problems with removal. The etched parts are used for the finer fittings, such as seat firing handle, PSP release handle, seat rail cross beams, and thankfully a full set of seatbelts. There is also a small decal sheet which provides the various placards for around the seat. Once assembled, it’s just a case of gluing the rails and seat into the kits cockpit. Conclusion Here we have another pair of useful items from Eduard/Brassin. Although I think the seat set will probably be more popular the electronic bay set will certainly give someone looking at the completed model something different to view. Review sample courtesy of

WWI and Luftwaffe Instruments 1:32 Eduard Whilst Eduard are renowned for their cockpit sets and the like, now they are introducing a new line of etch sets containing individual instruments. Each is pre-painted and are direct replacements for kit parts. [32865 – Luftwaffe WWII Instruments] – This also contains a single sheet of what looks like etched steel/nickel, on which there are one hundred and nine separate instruments. Most of the instruments are attached to either single or triple bezel layers that need to be folded carefully into position, whilst the rest are are just single piece items. All are nicely pre-painted, and although small, you can make out which instruments which, admittedly under a magnifier. Some of the instruments are provided with separate adjustment knobs. [32866 – WWI Instruments] – This single sheet sets contains forty two individual instruments in three styles. There are ten British, nine French and thirteen German. You will need to do some research to define which instruments you will need to use. You will also need to remove the styrene parts before fitting. Conclusion These are very well etched and printed instruments that would look great when mounted in a nice cockpit. They would also be very useful for those who wish to scratch build their own instrument panels. Review sample courtesy of

STEEL Seatbelt Sets Luftwaffe Fighters, Bombers, Early RAF, USAAF 1:32 Eduard As with the 1:48 scaled sets reviewed by Mike HERE, Eduard have also produced four sets of seatbelts in the new Steel range for those of us who like to build in 1:32 scale. As with the smaller scale, these are also pre-painted and appear to be remarkably flexible, and even with quite rough handling the paint adheres to the metal really well. They are still made from 0.1mm sheet with the resulting etch is thin at around 0.06mm and have the same details printed on them, such as the webbing, stitching, and shadowing. Unlike some sets, all the buckles and clasps are etched as part of the strapping, so there is no fiddly work required to assemble each belt. [32867 – Luftwaffe WWII Fighters] – There are four complete sets of belts on the single sheet. These include shoulder and lap straps along with separate padding that is fitted under the main buckles and a couple of smaller fittings. [32868 – USAFF WWII] – There are four belts included on the single sheet. Two of the belts are in olive green and two in a sandy colour. The shoulder and lap straps are once again separate, as are the the release clips and orange brown padded panels, although for some strange reason, Eduard have only provided three clips and pads. [32872 - Early RAF WWII] – This sheet contains four seatbelts, all in a beige colour and with separate lap straps. Two of the shoulder harnesses have a short attachment strap that I believe is fitted to the seat, and two with long attachment straps that fit to the rear bulkhead of the cockpit. [32873 – Luftwaffe WWII Bombers] – The single sheet in this set contains just two complete seatbelts for the pilot which include shoulder and lap straps, along with the attachment strap assembly and the reddy tan padded panels. Conclusion Those who build in the larger scales generally try to add greater levels of detail into their models, showing much skill and technique. Now, those of us who aren’t endowed with super skills can at least have some nice looking seatbelts fitted to our models, with very little skill needed, other than a bit of bending and gluing. Of course the belts can still be weathered more if required. Review sample courtesy of

US Mk-84 Bombs 1:32 Brassin (632-075) - If you’ve fancied some heavier ordinance on you finished models, then you can’t get much heavier that the Mk-84, (at least in the 80 series of bombs). Arriving in the pretty standard blister pack the set has parts for two complete bombs. The casting is up to the usual standard, with some very fine details, such as the bomb lugs moulded onto the bomb casing. Assembly is nice and simple, as once the fins and bodies are removed from the casting blocks and cleaned up it’s just a matter of joining them together, then deciding what fuse type you’re going to fit. Fortunately Eduard provide three of each, as one of the fuse extenders is a little warped, but the other two are fine. There are two types of nose fuse, one short and one on a fuse extender, there is also the option of just having a plain nose cap for an un-armed weapon. Then it’s just a matter of adding the etched brass tail ring, painting, (any colour as long as it’s olive drab it seems), adding the supplied decals, and weathering as required. Conclusion As is becoming the norm for Brassin these bombs are really well manufactured. Great moulding, good attention to detail and an excellent addition to any modellers armoury. Highly recommended Review sample courtesy of

Bell P-39Q/N exhaust set Eduard 1:32 (632-081) - The Kittyhawk P-39/N, reviewed HERE has already had quite a lot of etch and resin released for it from Eduard. They have released another set, containing a pair of very nice exhausts for it. The resin moulding is well up to the standard we have come to expect from Brassin and includes the connecting flanges and bolt heads which attach each exhaust stub to the manifold. Each stub is more indented than hollowed out, but with some dark paint it will give a better impression of depth than the kit parts, You could always open them out a bit more if you wish. Fitment is easy, just removed for the pouring stub, sand flat and glue to the model. Conclusion A nice simple addition that will add that little extra to your finished model. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Pitot and Refuelling Probes 1:32/1:48/1:72/1:144 Master Having released the Sukhoi collection, Master Models have also recently released several sets for Western aircraft, with particular emphasis on the three V Bombers in both 1:72 and 1:144. [AM-32-090] – This pack contains two parts to build up the pitot probe and fairing for the Italeri 1:32 Mirage II. Rather than brass, the two parts have been turned in alluminium and is a simple direct replacement for the kit part. [AM-48-118] – Another simple replacement pitot probe, this time for the Airfix 1:48 BAC TSR-2, it may have been along time in coming, but it is, nevertheless, a very welcome addition. [AM-72-097/AM-144-009] – These two sets have been designed for the Airfix 1:72 and any of the 1:144 kits from the likes of Micro-Mir, Anigrand or Welsh Models. Each set contains two very fine pitot probes to replace the slightly clunky kit items. [AM-72-098/AM-144-010] – These sets contain only one item, the prominent refuelling probe. The 1:72 for he Airfix kit and the 1:144 for either the Anigrand or Great Wall Hobby kits. Unfortunately even though they are meant to be different scales the review samples re exactly he same size, so do check when you buy your 1:144 as it would be absolutely massive when compared to even the kit part. In each case though, you will need to cut the kit part where it joins the nose fairing, drill out the hole then fit the metal part before adding to the model. [AM-72-099/AM-144-011] – The last of the V bomber sets is naturally for the Victor, either the Matchbox/Revell 1:72 kit or the Anigrand/Welsh Models kits. Whilst he 1:72 set contains the two wing tip mounted pitot probes and the probe end piece for the refuelling probe, the 1:144 set does provide the whole refuelling probe as well as the pitot probes. Conclusion Five more very useful additions to the Master Models range. If you thought the 1:72 scale stuff was small, you really should check out the 1:144 scale parts. I would love to know how they produce such small items, with such finesse of detail. Very highly recommended Review sample courtesy of Piotr at

Good evenin' folks, from Middle Earth. This was supposed to be my Kittyhawk OV-10A review/build thread, however I'm waiting on some EZ Line getting here and this 109 has been waiting patiently for three-and-a-half years for me to finally notice it, so this afternoon I started hacking at it: Hopefully at the end of the process it will look a little like this... hopefully !! In the meantime, I put the block together to a point where it's ready for a splash of paint and started filling/sanding the myriad of sink holes in the cowl covers. Couldn't resist taping together, just because... The moulding are superbly detailed and the rivets/panel lines very delicate indeed. Also they match exactly the drawings in the old but still good IMHO AeroDetail book from Bunrin-Do, published in the mid 1980's. Stay tuned, folks, I don't think this one will take-up too much time on the bench... or I could be completely wrong and still be working on it in eighteen months time !! AFN Ian.

Something I've been working on when I get chance, seeing as the 32nd Sabre is still missing parts from Kinetic, the Alcock & Brown phantom has stalled due to the decals self destructing, I've had this on the go to keep me ticking over. Going to be OOB apart from a master model pitot. Comparison between a 32nd and a 48th scale Hunter - A mod I've put on, first photo shows what it comes as with the kit. Hand painted the IP, No decals used here Rest of the cockpit finished. Some detail was added to the flight stick as it was a bit bland and shapeless before. Started on a weathered base for the underside LAG Then made a start on the top surface Grey. I've got some references that show some really beat up Hunters, so that's what I'm working towards. Trying to throw half an hour or so at a time for now, so it's a slow burner. Should be a good first 32nd though!