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Does anyone have a listing of dimensions for the AiM-9 Sidewinder pylon and rail used on the FJ-3M. I have a schematic drawing posted by @Sabrejet last year but i cant see any dimension’s to scratch-build them. The other obvious question, would it be easier to use the parts from an F-86F presuming they're the same equipment ? Any help is gratefully acknowledged and thanked for in advance. Dennis

Hi all. I'm on the search for some information regarding the Swedish naming of the AIM-9 Sidewinder, in the Swedish case it's the Rb-24. I've got a photo of a jet armed with a blind round noted as an Rb-24E. Applying the same methodology from the AIM-9B being equivalent to the Rb-24B, I take that the Rb-24E version I'm looking at in the photo is an AIM-9E? Any info from the rocket gurus would be appreciated. Cheers, Mick

Hey, I'm planning on building a Tornado GR.4 from the latest Revell 1/48 kit depicting ZD714. The empty fuselage pylons kind of bother me so I planned to place some Eduard Storm Shadows down there and also replace the AIM-9s from the box with their Eduard resin counterparts. The question is: Would these weapons be carried at all by this machine? From the images I've been able to find the Storm Shadows should be OK but I'm not sure about the AIM-9s. If these would be carried are Eduard's AIM-9M/L the correct version? Also, is there any resin replacement for the GR.4 cockpit? I've been able to find NeOmega's IDS cockpit but this is not the correct one here.... right? Many thanks in advance! Cristian

"Danger Zone" Upgrade Sets 1:48 Eduard Brassin To complement their Limited Edition kit of the F-14A (Danger Zone, Kit Number 1192), Eduard have added some superb additions to further improve the detail of this kit. There are four sets in total, all of which are available separately so that you can choose which area interests you, and how far you wish to stretch your budget. Big Sin F-14A Weapons Set (SIN64814) This includes all the missiles that you could need for your Tomcat, in quantities that it actually used, rather than theoretical maximums. The figure sized box is a top-opener, and has a small picture of the contents in the top left corner, and the horned Big Sin logo in the opposite corner. Inside is a festival of resin missiles all bagged by type, and with a bubble-wrap cocoon protecting it all. An additional bag has some card stiffeners to protect the Photo-Etch (PE) and decals from bending. AIM-9M/L Sidewinder Four of these almost ubiquitous short-range missiles are included, with the main body and aft fins moulded as a single piece. When cut from the casting block a PE exhaust part finished the tail, while a PE jig is folded up to act as support for the separate forward steering vanes that plug into slots in the nose area. Once set, the jig can be removed and discarded. A clear seeker head is included from clear resin, or you can plug in the protective cover if you are modelling your aircraft on the flight line with all the Remove Before Flight (RBF) tags dangling. Speaking of which, you get a set of eight, four of which have white stencilling, the rest having black. To differentiate between the M and L variants, a small PE part is added for the M, and a fastener is removed in the same place for the L. The decals include all the stencils and banding for both the M and L variants too, with Gunze painting call-outs throughout. AIM-7M Sparrow Four Sparrows are included, with the tail fins moulded into the main body, separate forward steering vanes, and a PE exhaust aperture. A small PE part is added behind the steering vanes, preferably after main painting, as it is pre-painted for ease. Decals include all relevant stencils and banding for your missiles, and Gunze colour call-outs are used throughout. AIM-54A Phoenix Although the F-14 could theoretically carry 6 Phoenix missiles, this configuration wasn't used in practice, so the four that are included in the pack should be sufficient. The main body and forward fins are moulded as one, with a separate tail and aft fins attached, which has a deep exhaust aperture within. In order to obtain the best fit, it might be as well to use a drill-bit slightly smaller than the diameter of the missile to hollow out the contact face, to avoid any odd angles creeping into your build. There is no PE included with this set, but a comparatively large decal sheet is needed due to the quantity of stencils and bands that the missile wore. You will need to pay careful attention to the alignment of the bands too, as they are split into short sections by the missile's fins, so each band is made from four parts. Colour call-outs are of course using Gunze paint codes. "Danger Zone" F-14A Upgrade Set (48817) This set comes on two large 14cm x 7cm brass frets and takes up where the set included within the box leaves off, detailing much of the rest of the airframe as necessary. This includes parts for the radar assembly, nose gear bay, refuelling probe, and most significantly, the 20mm Vulcan cannon bays, which receive a set of detail skins to update the bland interior. The bays each get a surround into which the fasteners lock on the real thing, all of which should enhance realism significantly. A strip of 20mm shells and a skin for the large drum finish off that area. Further skins are added to the aft air-brakes between the tails, as well as some scab-plates and slime lights. The crew steps are each replaced by a single part that is folded up into a three-dimensional part, and their bays are each given a skin. The crew ladder is replaced by a pair of PE sides, to which you must add three lengths of 0.7mm rod to make the steps. This is then attached to the upper section, which is also upgraded with more detail and a PE top step. The nose landing gear is updated with small parts, plus a PE plate on the retraction jack, while the retraction jacks of the main gear are given detailed PE sides. The gear bay doors are updated with PE skins and hinges, but the nose gear covers are replaced completely with new PE parts, which also include new hinges. The arrestor hook housing is skinned with riveted PE, and the remaining parts are used to give the pylons more detailed mating surfaces, which includes the semi-conformal ones on the belly. F-14A Seatbelts in Fabric (49069) Eduard's collaboration with Martin from HGW continues to bring his innovative fabric seatbelts to the main stream, and this set is exactly that. The PE seatbelts included with the kit look nice, but they don't quite drape in the same easy manner than flexible fabric does. This intricate set aims to remedy this with a small sheet of pre-printed, laser-cut seatbelt material, and a small fret of plated PE that is full of buckles and fixings. The belts are crumpled up, removed from the backing and then threaded and glued through the PE parts to form a full set of belts, which includes the leg restraints that pull the pilot's legs close to the seat to prevent injury in the event of an ejection. These are all then fixed to a painted seat, giving a superb realistic look to them. They are small and need patience to assemble them, but they are most definitely worth the effort. F-14 Remove Before Flight Tags in Fabric (49693) Comprising three small sheets of the HGW printed "Super Fabric" and a small fret of plated PE, this set will permit you to deck out your F-14 with those handsome RBF tags that flutter in the wind on airbases. There are three types of attachment, either a ring and hook, clamp and hook, or just a loop of wire. You supply the wire, in case you were wondering. You simply peel the pre-printed tag from the backing paper, scrunch it up between your fingers and then straighten it out, which can be a bit tricky, as small parts sometimes stick to each other, and the material is incredible thin. Then you thread one of your three attachment types through the hole at the top, and attach it in the places marked X on the opposite side of the instruction sheet. You'll need to check your references to see which type goes where, but the result will be stunning, and they actually do flutter in the micro-breezes in the room. If you remove too many, you can straighten them up and stick them back on the backing paper until needed again, as I just found out. Review sample courtesy of

R-3S AA-2 Atoll-A and R-13M AA-2 Atoll-D 1:48 Eduard Brassin The AA-2 Atoll as it is known by NATO terms was a reverse engineered copy of the AIM-9 Sidewinder that was fielded in the early 60s, with upgraded versions in the form of the AA-2C and AA-2D both increasing range, a proximity fuse and accuracy due to improved manoeuvrability. The missiles saw fairly wide service with Soviet Bloc forces as well as export operators, while China decided to copy it as the PL-2. The sets are available separately and arrive in Eduard's familiar bubble pack, with parts for four missiles and their launch rails included. Each set includes four missile bodies with moulded in rear fins, four blocks of four forward fins, four launch rail adapters, four clear seeker heads and four resin covers, plus a small PE sheet and a large (for the size of the set) decal sheet. All of this is well protected by a double layer of foam, with the PE and decals trapped between the front of the case and black backing card that is taped in place. R-3S AA-2 Atoll-A (648125) R-13M AA-2 Atoll-D (648122) Construction is easy once the casting plugs have been removed, involving adding the four steering vanes to the holes on the forward portion of the missile, the clear seeker heads, or resin covers (which involves removing the very tip of the missile), and a few small PE parts including the exhaust ring at the rear. The AA-2A has a larger, more rounded seeker head and no green proximity fuse section behind the steering vanes that is visible on the D. Their launch rails are also different, with the newer D rail being more streamlined. Markings There are a surprisingly high number of decals included on the sheet, split between the missiles and rails almost equally. Keys show where each one goes, and detailed colour call-outs are made using the excellent Gunze paints, which although not widely available in the UK, are becoming more so via MDC, and are a good basis for a conversion to your favourite brand. Conclusion Excellent detail and decals to create some highly realistic looking Atolls. Suitable for using on Mig-21s, Mig-22s and Mig-23s, plus the many variants of the Sukhoi Su-17/20/22. Construction is simple, you have all the painting references you need, and the decals to add that final detail. Much improved over almost any OOB offering you could mention. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of