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One of the projects I started in lock-down 3.0 is ICM's 1/32 Sea Gladiator. I've been meaning to start a build log, so here is progress so far. I have an asthmatic in the house, and use enamel paint, so spraying indoors is out of the question. I'll need to wait for better weather before any paint goes on. I decided that I wanted to use this opportunity to dry-fit assemble as much of the model as possible, in preparation for disassembly and a primer coat when the weather warms up. I'm also using the Eduard photo-etch sets, AIMS etch set and Aerocraft Models brass struts and landing gear. Although overall this looks to be a really outstanding kit, there are a few areas of the depiction of the cockpit that I do not like: 1. The cockpit behind the seat has been blanked off. The real aircraft had an open structure behind the seat bulkhead. 2. Opening up the area behind the seat bulkhead means that the cockpit framing needs extending aft, and this area needs detailing as it is very visible. 3. The seat seems crude. I started with the seat. This is the AIMS photo-etch seat with brass details and coil springs made from wire. I soldered this mainly, though the brass rods and coil springs are glued. I still need to add the brake lever: I prefer the AIMS seat to the Eduard one, though the latter isn't bad. I built the extension to the cockpit from plastic tube and strip. The compressed air bottles are from the spares box with lead leads: The support for the harness strap wires is from Eduard and fits like a glove. Various knobs and levers are a combination of AIMS and Eduard. And with the seat assembly resting roughly in place: That's all for now....

A stunning new release from Alistair at Aerocraft Models ... https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=873692274756402&id=100063469116534 build by 'Gondor44' ...

a bit late in posting this, finished already in december in the great and inspiring Tornado GB a classic German green green black Tornado (Norm 83) .... with the new MW-1 by Aerocraft models and @Christer A Aires whellbays and nozzles Eduuard ZOOM IP and Brassing Seats, ; POZ pod and wheels Master Pitot Quickboost gun barrels AMK Sidewinders WIP me getting facinated with the Tornado ~20 years ago, a Luftwaffe Tornado doing a full display at Airpower airshow in Zeltweg / Austria (heavy analogues gear back then!) not the easiest build, but not following the instructions definetely helps here, actually maybe is the only chance to close the fuselage... JaboG 33 Büchel in this case, markings from the kit and another Italeri kit.... the green camo looks different depending on the lighting.... very hard to get right when mising yourself! the wing mechanismen actually works.... but only on one side one locator hole lost a pin....... not worth the effort! the MW-1 by the way is massive! and together with its quickbuild GB friend hope you like it! cheers, Werner

A-26/B-26 Invader Brass Undercarriage (for ICM) 1:48 Aerocraft Models To the joy and surprise of modellers ICM recently gave started a new line in A-26/B-26 Invade kits. These are large and impressive kit and a bit weighty Ali at Aerocraft has thought of this and has been busy at work creating this set to replace the kit parts in tough brass to alleviate any concerns. The set arrives in an unassuming ziplok bag, with three parts inside, all made from brass. With two main gear legs and the nose leg. Preparation of the brass parts will involve removal of the casting gate with a file or a motor-tool at very low speed. The moulding marks on the top and bottom of the part should be similarly easy to remove using a small file with sanding sticks used to smooth it out once the task is complete. Conclusion This set not expensive by any stretch of the imagination, and guarantees resilient gear legs for years to come, providing you use either super-glue or epoxy to attach it to the plastic. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

P-38 Lightning Brass Undercarriage (for Tamiya) 1:48 Aerocraft Models To the joy and surprise of modellers Tamiya recently gave us a new tool of the iconic twin boom Lockheed P-38 Lightning. Ali at Aerocraft had the same feeling, and has been busy at work creating this set to replace the kit parts in tough brass to alleviate our concerns. The set arrives in an unassuming ziplok bag, with three parts inside, all made from brass. With two main gear legs and the nose leg. Preparation of the brass parts will involve removal of the casting gate with a file or a motor-tool at very low speed. The moulding marks on the top and bottom of the part should be similarly easy to remove using a small file with sanding sticks used to smooth it out once the task is complete. Conclusion This set not expensive by any stretch of the imagination, and guarantees resilient gear legs for years to come, providing you use either super-glue or epoxy to attach it to the plastic. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Cessna O-2A Skymaster Brass Undercarriage (for ICM) 1:48 Aerocraft Models To my immense joy, ICM have recently released their brand new tooling of the quirky Skymaster in 1:48, which we reviewed here recently. Immediately on seeing the main gear leg there were some concerns about strength, as the styrene part is scale-thickness, so necessarily thin. Ali at Aerocraft had the same feeling, and has been busy at work creating this set to replace the kit parts in tough brass to alleviate our concerns. The set arrives in an unassuming ziplok bag, with three parts inside, all made from brass. The main gear “bow” that supports the airframe, running under its width from one wheel to the other, the short nose gear leg, and a length of brass tube that forms the axle between the two sides of the yoke, holding the kit wheel in place. For this review I’m comparing the kit part with the replacement brass part, and as part of this I have nipped the kit part from the sprues, which showed just how flexible it is, and was something of a shock. The brass bow is immensely strong by comparison and of the same dimensions, with the curve captured exactly, as are the two pips on the top surface that locate it under the fuselage. While I was testing the styrene part, a mild flex led to it snapping in half, presumably at a weak-point where two wave fronts of hot styrene had met, the results of which you can see below along with the six sprue gates you'd have to remove and make good without damaging the part. Preparation of the brass part will involve removal of the casting gate with a file or a motor-tool at very low speed. The moulding marks on the top and bottom of the part should be similarly easy to remove using a small file with sanding sticks used to smooth it out once the task is complete. The little nose gear leg has its oleo-scissor moulded in, which is one of the benefits of brass casting. Again there are a few fine lines and a pouring stub to remove, then check the tubular brass axle will fit through the holes, which is 0.8mm across. You may need to gently twist the axles or ream them out slightly to ensure a good smooth insertion, which is best done before any paint is applied. Conclusion This is an absolute must for anyone that intends to rest their finished model on its gear, and even if you’re planning an in-flight pose, you should consider it for its strength during construction alone. It’s not expensive by any stretch of the imagination, and guarantees resilient gear legs for years to come, providing you use either super-glue or epoxy to attach it to the plastic. Extremely highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Messerschmitt Bf 108 Brass Undercarriage Set 1:72 AeroCraft Models for Eduard Kit It was good to see Eduard bought and completed the 1/32 Bf 108 project from "Striped Fighter". The kit as it arrives looks great, however the undercarriage is scale thickness and does look thin. Ali has recast this into brass which should help support the model for as long as is needed. While some cleaning up of the brass parts might be needed these look virtually ready to fit as is, with just the stubs on the axles to remove. I would recommend these as a buy if you have the kit. Review sample courtesy of

DHC-6 Twin Otter Update Sets 1:72 AeroCraft Models While the available kit is a good one, it leaves room for improvement which Ali has now addressed. New cockpit Set This is a complete new cockpit section with the windows cast in clear resin with correctly proportioned windows. As well as the lower part there is also a new cockpit bulkhead. Tail Planes Set Most of the versions of the kit suffer from sink/shrink marks in the tail planes and this is a quick drop in replacement for these parts. Engine Upgrade Set This is a new set of engine fronts for a more realistic look, with new spinners and new prop blades. These can now be properly set as feathered when the aircraft is shut down. The casting of the parts is upto Ali's usual high standards. Highly recommended to bring your Twotter up a notch. Review samples courtesy of

Blackburn Buccaneer S.1 Intake, Exhaust & Air Brake Update Sets 1:72 AeroCraft Models There was little doubt that once the new Airfix Bucc was released that there would be plenty of options being produced for it. This is really a pair of backdate sets to make the earlier S.1 Intake Conversion Set There are new intakes for the S.1 These are hollow cast, with new fan blade faces. The intakes feature the section of wing which joins them. Comprehensive instructions are supplied online. Exhaust and Air Brake Set While you can modify the kit parts for this Ali has taken the hard work out of it by supplying these parts for the shorter exhausts, and the air brake with the heat shield removed (opened & Closed option provided). These can still be open or closed. As with all Aerocraft products the casting is first rate and the online instructions easy to follow. Highly recommended of you want a Buccaneer S.1 n your model line up. Review samples courtesy of

P-51D Mustang Canopy Set for Revell Kit. 1:32 AeroCraft Models There was little doubt that once the new Revell 1.32 P-51D is a great kit, however one of the areas that lets it down is the overly thick canopy. Ali has worked on this with a new resin canopy. This new canopy is very thin for a resin one, and this reviewer at first thought it was vac form. The canopy is thin and as distortion free as it can be while still keeping all the lines needed for masking. Indeed for masking internal support will be a must. The caopy shown here is as it comes and the clarity is good, but will no doubt be improved with a light polish, and or dip in your solution of choice. Review samples courtesy of

Hawker Hunter T.7 Conversion (for Airfix) 1:48 AeroCraft Models There was little doubt that once the new Airfix Hunter was released that someone would do a conversion for the T.7 Family model. First of the mark was Ali from Aerocraft in time for 2019 Telford. They were used for training by the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force as well as overseas (With different designations). In the box are 27 resin parts including a full cockpit and ejection seats. A beautifully cast resin canopy (in two parts), additional clear parts; a small PE fret, a length of plastic rod and the decal sheet. Instructions are available to download from Aerocraft models thus saving costs on printing them and posting them. There are two versions available with the same high quality resin parts but with different decals for you choice of RN & RAF. RN Version This comes with decals for 4 aircraft from Yeovilton, Lossiemouth and Brawdy Royal Navy RAF Version This comes with decals for 5 aircraft from Valley, Guttesloh, Leuchars, and Coltishall. Royal Air Force Review sample courtesy of

Hawker Hunter Brass undercarriage set (for Airfix) 1:48 AeroCraft Models By now you've probably noticed there was a Hunter theme going on yesterday. We reviewed the flying surfaces here, and the corrected pylons here, and now it's time to finish the triple with the landing gear, or undercarriage as we sometimes call it. As usual with AeroCraft sets, it arrives in a ziplok bag, with the brass parts within a smaller one to prevent chaffing between the disparate materials. Inside the bag are five brass parts and one resin part. The main gear legs are ostensibly the same as the kit parts only stronger, but the nose gear leg has been strengthened and augmented to improve its accuracy, with the new resin nose wheel of the correct spoked type. The brass parts give you extra strength in that department, and I'm sure everyone's had some kind of gear breakage in the past due to mishandling or weakness in the original design. You will need to remove the casting gates that have already been nipped off, which you can do simply by sanding them smooth with a good quality file. While you're doing that, any slight imperfection and mould seams can be cleaned off too, leaving you with a smart and strong set of gear. The resin wheel is cast within a thin wafer that can be scraped/cut off with a sharp blade, and then any left-overs sanded away with a fine grade stick for a much more detailed and strong nose wheel. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Brass Landing Gear (internal) for Hobby Boss B-24J Liberator 1:32 Aerocraft Models We reviewed the new Hobby Boss B-24J recently here, and we generally liked it, with one very important issue that could affect the finished model's durability. The plastic gear legs. I measured the weight of the seven largest parts as 640g, to which there is 300g of nose weight to be added, plus a complete interior, engines, paint, glue and any aftermarket that you may decide to throw into the mix. My estimate of the finished weight could be 1.5kg or more, and Hobby Boss have included a strong(ish) possibly ABS plastic interior that is then surrounded by a more detailed styrene outer. I don't think that will cut it, although the weight is pressing down near enough vertically, so the main point of stress will be the area around the transition to horizontal and the axles. This thought must have occurred to Ali from Aerocraft, as he was already working on this set when I reviewed the kit and was able to send a sample almost immediately. The set turns up in an unassuming bubble-wrap package, with three legs in nicely cast, dense and strong brass. They are almost drop-in replacements, requiring you to just cut off the overflow section from the top and tidy up the casting lug at the bottom. You'll notice that the overflows on the side of the parts are no longer needed, and that Ali has removed the numbers from the cuffs around the bottom of the legs that are used to identify the plastic parts. The main gear legs are handed and there's only one nose gear leg, so it's not a big deal, and removing them from brass would be a pest. When they're tidied up, just glue on the plastic surrounds with some CA or epoxy and tidy up the resulting seams in the same manner as you'd do them with the plastic inners. Conclusion I'm going to go out on a limb (a leg?) and suggest that these should be pretty much mandatory if you want your kit to stay on its legs for a considerable length of time. If you're posing your model in-flight, you won't need them, but I hope you wouldn't have needed me to tell you. Get some. Extremely highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Vickers Wellington DWI (Directional Wireless Installation) - Conversion 1:72 Aerocraft Models - For Airfix Kit The Wellington DWI Directional Wireless Installation was an unusual looking aircraft to say the least. This was developed to deal with the increasing problem of magnetic mines dropped in UK waters early in WWII. After an intact mine was recovered and examined various ways to deal with them were looked at. The idea of detonating the mines from ships was quickly dispensed with due to damage to the ships. It was then thought an aerial means was possible. A large aluminium ring cased in balsa wood was fitted to a Wellington bomber. Power to generate a magnetic field was generated from a Ford V8 petrol engine generator fitted in the airframe. While the system did work it was not as simple as it seemed and while the aircraft had to fly low and slow they also had to fly fast enough to leave the area of the explosion, doing this over water and at night was not easy. It is thought 15 aircraft were produced. The DWI designation was actually nothing to do with the mine-sweeping role but a cover as to the purpose of the large loop. The new set has been made by Ali of Aerocraft models and first seen at Telford this year. The main ring is in quarters and is assembled with over lapping joints. the yoke at the front is one piece brass casting and brass rod is supplied to be cut to length to make the underwing and rear fuselage supports. A small plastic strip is supplied to make the sliding rails for the original hatch on the top fuselage, the hatch being supplied in resin. As the aircraft was unarmed turret blanks for the nose and tail are provided. The nose one having pre-drilled holes for the front support. Vokes filters are also included as most if not all of these aircraft operated in the middle east at some point. All of the parts are well cast and the inclusion of the smaller details and the filters is a nice touch. Conclusion It is great to see Ali back in the game and this is certainly an interesting project in 1/72 with the new Airfix wellington out there. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Typhoon Landing Gear Strut (for Revell) 1:32 AeroCraft Models It's a known fact that the nose gear leg on the Eurofighter Typhoon is a little weak on the Revell kits of any scale due to the slender nature of the real thing, but the 1:32 kit is a big model once built, and if you add any resin to the mix, you're going to be putting a fair amount of additional stress on an already weak part. Ali has had a new master of the strut made, which includes all but one of the ancillary struts in a single metal casting. It has been augmented with other details too, so it's not just a slavish copy of the original like some, and as it is made from brass, which is much stronger than white metal. All that's needed is to clean up any mould seams, which are an inescapable part of this type of casting, and will require use of a decent file due to the toughness of the metal, and sanding sticks don't really do a good job, taking substantially longer to accomplish the same amount of work as with a file. A set of small diamond files you can pick up off eBay or Amazon would suffice, and you'll find them a useful addition to your modelling tool kit in general. Once prepared, the leg can be dropped into place instead of the kit parts, just using one small jack from the kit that is purely cosmetic and takes no structural weight at all. The weight of the new part will also reduce the need for nose weight, although it's probably best to ignore it when establishing how much to put in, and treat it as a bonus later. Review sample courtesy of

OV-10 Bronco Replacement Metal Undercarriage 1:32 Aerocraft Models - For Kitty Hawk Kit The 1/32 Kitty Hawk Bronco is a good kit. However the undercarriage is a weak point (literally) in the kit. New brass ones have been made by Ali of Aerocraft models. Metal Undercarriage legs In this set you get new replacement cast brass undercarriage legs for the kit. The new parts are direct replacements for the kit parts. The quality of the castings are some of the best I have seen and much better that other metal sets. There are some slight casting marks to clean up but these are small. The front leg does fully articulate so can be used in any direction. Conclusion It is great to see Ali back in the game and this is certainly a needed set for the Kitty Hawk Bronco. Very Highly recommended. Review samples courtesy of

F-4 Phantom Undercarriage & Doors Replacement Sets 1:32 Aerocraft Models - For Revell Kit The 1/32 Revell F-4 is a good kit. However it is lacking in a couple of areas. These three new sets have been made by Ali of Aerocraft models. Main Gear Doors These are new main gear doors who's shape has been reworked to improve the look. They are direct replacements for the kit parts. Undercarriage Wheel Doors Set As well as the new main gear doors above there are new nose gear doors and their lights. These are direct replacements for the kit parts and work to improve them. Metal Undercarriage legs In this set you get new replacement cast brass undercarriage legs for the kit. The new parts are slightly shorter than the kit part to correct the stance of the kit and are direct replacements for the kit parts. The quality of the castings are some of the best I have seen and much better that other metal sets. A few bits of the original piping can be added back in if needed to improve the parts. Conclusion It is great to see Ali back in the game and this is certainly an interesting set of items for the Revell Phantom. Highly recommended. Review samples courtesy of

UK Phantom replacement Exhausts, Intake ramps & pylons. 1:72 Aerocraft Models - For Airfix Kit The new 1/72 Airfix UK Phantom was a very welcome kit. However it is lacking in a couple of areas. These three new sets have been made by Ali of Aerocraft models. All three sets come in a double style of packaging which is done to reduce the cost ratio for shipping. This though is a bad move which will encourage the modeller to buy more kits Exhausts The new exhausts are 3D printed and are a direct replacement for the kit parts. Detailed Intake Ramps The new ramps address the issue of the missing vents on the top and bottom of the intake ramps. Also included in the set are new inserts for the rear fuselage by the exhausts. A small amount of kit surgery will e needed for this set. Unarmed Inner & Outer Pylons In this set you get new unarmed inner and outer pylons for the Phantom. The inner pylons can have the sidewinder rails mounted or not. The outer pylon was used on some occasions when the tanks were not fitted. The mounting plates at the top of the pylons are included as well. The new parts are direct replacements for the kit parts. Conclusion It is great to see Ali back in the game and this is certainly an interesting set of items 1/72 with the new Airfix Phantom out there. Highly recommended. Review samples courtesy of