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  1. A-26 Invader Late Type (7473 for Italeri) 1:72 CMK by Special Hobby Kit wheels are generally in two halves, which means you have the resultant joins to deal with, possible mould-slip issues on single part wheels, and sometimes less than stellar detail due to the moulding limitations of styrene injection technology, especially in the tread department. That's where replacement resin wheels come in, with their lack of seamline and superior detail making a compelling argument. They are also usually available at a reasonable price, and can be an easy introduction to aftermarket and resin handling, as they are usually a drop-in replacement. This set arrives in CMK’s usual yellow-themed clamshell box, and contains three wheels on a single casting blocks that join the parts at the bottom contact patch of each tyre. They are a drop-in replacement for the kit parts once you have removed them from their pouring block, and all the wheels have a fine tread. The Good Year name detail is found on the sidewalls. There is some subtle weighting to the bottom of the tyres to give the impression of the airframe pressing down on the highly compressed air in the tyres. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  2. A-20/DB-7C Boston RAAF Crew (F72374) 1:72 CMK by Special Hobby Quite often its great to have a figure, or couple of figures to add to a finished model on a base to bring it more to life. This set from CMK is for a Boston, though it can be used for a variety of Allied WWII aircraft. The set arrives in the usual yellow-themed CMK blister pack, with the instructions sandwiched between the resin parts and the header card. Inside are the two figures. The casting is up to the usual high standards from CMK/Special Hobby with minimal clean up being needed. One of the arms for the second figure is moulded away from the figure to be removed and added, apart from that no other work is needed. Conclusion Detail is excellent, and will add a great touch to any suitable model. Recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  3. Junkers Ju 88A/C Wheels Early Type (7478 for Revell) 1:72 CMK by Special Hobby Kit wheels are generally in two halves, which means you have the resultant joins to deal with, possible mould-slip issues on single part wheels, and sometimes less than stellar detail due to the moulding limitations of styrene injection technology, especially in the tread department. That's where replacement resin wheels come in, with their lack of seamline and superior detail making a compelling argument. They are also usually available at a reasonable price, and can be an easy introduction to aftermarket and resin handling, as they are usually a drop-in replacement. This set arrives in CMK’s usual yellow-themed clamshell box, and contains three wheels on three casting blocks that join the parts at the bottom contact patch of each tyre. They are a drop-in replacement for the kit parts once you have removed them from their pouring block, and all the main wheels have a fine tread. The Continental name detail is found on the sidewalls. There is some subtle weighting to the bottom of the tyres to give the impression of the airframe pressing down on the highly compressed air in the tyres. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  4. Beaufighter Hedgehog Exhausts – British/Australian (Q48386 & Q48387 for Revell) 1:48 CMK by Special Hobby The Beaufighter was used extensively as a night fighter due to its heavy centreline concentrated armament and capability to carry a dedicated radar operator in a cramped compartment in the fuselage, so damping any flames coming from the exhausts was important for two reasons. It was crucial for the pilot to retain his night vision during flight, as any bright lights could spoil his sight for up to 20 minutes, leaving the aircraft vulnerable and the chances of them finding a target reduced. It was also imperative that the aircraft was effectively invisible to both the bombers they were hunting and other enemy night fighters that may have accompanied the bombers, for obvious reasons. Hedgehog flame dampers got their nickname because of the small triangular spikes that covered the length of the extension, reminiscent of a hedgehog’s quills (vaguely). The extension contained the exhaust gases until they were out of the pilot’s eyeline, and dissipated them through various exits allowing them to cool sufficiently so that there was little if any flame coming from the rear. The Beau and many other types wore this style of exhaust, and they differed slightly between variants. British Type (Q48386 for Revell) The British exhausts were simply extensions to the exhaust stub, and are a drop-in fit to the aft of the cowlings, with a tapering tube facing toward the tail, ending in a point. They attach to their pour stubs on the inner face, so any mistakes removing them for the single block won’t matter much. Beaufighter Mk.21 – Australian type (Q48387 for Revell/others) Each damper on this set is supplied on a separate casting block with ancillary parts included that give you two options. They fit into the back of the cowlings as per the set above, but they are cylindrical and have stoppers at the rear for one version, or a stopper plus two feed pipes back into the cowling for the other option. Again, the parts are coupled to their blocks via the backside, and removal from their stubs is easy, even with a few passes from a sharp blade, which I tried successfully out of curiosity. Review sample courtesy of
  5. F-4B Phantom II Wheels (4423 for Tamiya) 1:48 CMK by Special Hobby Kit wheels are generally in two halves, which means you have the resultant joins to deal with, possible mould-slip issues on single part wheels, and sometimes less than stellar detail due to the moulding limitations of styrene injection technology, especially in the tread department. That's where replacement resin wheels come in, with their lack of seamline and superior detail making a compelling argument. They are also usually available at a reasonable price, and can be an easy introduction to aftermarket and resin handling, as they are usually a drop-in replacement. This set arrives in CMK’s usual yellow-themed clamshell box, and contains four wheels on two casting blocks that join the parts at the bottom contact patch of each tyre. They are a drop-in replacement for the kit parts once you have removed them from their pouring block, and all the wheels have a fine circumferential thread, while the main wheels also have brake detail on the rear face. There are no manufacturer’s details or tyre specification detail found on the sidewalls but the detail on the hubs more than makes up for it, with a extremely subtle weighting to the bottom of the tyres to give the impression of the airframe pressing down on the highly compressed air in the tyres. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  6. Westland Whirlwind Mk.I Gun Barrels (Q32395 for Special Hobby) 1:32 CMK by Special Hobby There were lots of happy faces when the new Special Hobby 1:32 Westland Whirlwind arrived, although a few people might have been sad that it wasn’t a helicopter. We reviewed the kit here, and some nice resin wheels & canopy masks here. Now we have the gun barrels to look at, which were well-detailed in the kit, but could always do with a little more crispness that resin offers. The set arrives in a green-themed CMK Quick & Easy shallow clamshell box, with simple instructions between the resin and backing card. Inside are two pairs of resin gun barrels on their own casting blocks, which are drop-in replacements for the kit parts once you’ve liberated them from their blocks. There’s an advert for the CMK razor saw on the instructions, and one of those is the ideal solution to getting them separated, so consider picking one up if you don’t already have one. The detail is better than the styrene parts when compared against each other, and the muzzles are hollow, so you don’t need to drill anything out. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  7. A-26 Invader Wheels - Late (4422 for ICM) 1:48 CMK by Special Hobby Kit wheels are generally in two halves, which means you have the resultant joins to deal with, possible mould-slip issues on single part wheels, and sometimes less than stellar detail due to the moulding limitations of styrene injection technology, especially in the tread department. That's where replacement resin wheels come in, with their lack of seamline and superior detail making a compelling argument. They are also usually available at a reasonable price, and can be an easy introduction to aftermarket and resin handling, as they are generally a drop-in replacement. This set arrives in CMK’s usual yellow-themed clamshell box, and contains three wheels on individual casting blocks that join at the bottom contact patch of each tyre. They are a drop-in replacement for the kit parts once you have removed them from their pouring block, and the main wheels have circumferential thread and brake detail on the rear face, while the nose wheel has a mixture of circumferential and block tread toward the edges. Manufacturer’s details and tyre specification are found on the sidewalls in fine raised lettering, with a subtle weighting to the bottom of the tyres to give the impression of the heavy airframe deforming the tyres. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  8. Hello all. Here is my rendition of the Arado 234 B-2 from Hasegawa. It took me longer than usual because I have used the very nice Aires cockpit and wheel bays, some part of the CMK set showing the fuselage tanks, and also because it was important to protect all the transparencies from any blemish or scratches as this is one of the main attraction of the first Jet Bomber in aviation. As a matter of fact one is obliged to glue the undercarriage legs before the painting and it is not the best of things.The plane belongs to the 8/ KG76 and participate in some bombing missions on Antwerp and Bruxelles and on the Remagen bridge as well. Camo is RLM81/82/76 from Mr Color lacquers, markings are made with masks. Thanks for your comments to come, bye for now. 45594791-B51D-4FFA-9318-1196B54C439C_1_201_a by jean Barby, sur Flickr 50E7C2D2-B3AD-4675-B91F-ACB7C19374E5_1_201_a by jean Barby, sur Flickr 6679AC7A-27F1-47D5-8645-258E3D14B319_1_201_a by jean Barby, sur Flickr 8CCF5C80-793A-4FFA-97D0-69C447650283_1_201_a by jean Barby, sur Flickr 2B3B2B59-FDD9-4767-B0A0-6B79360FDB54_1_201_a by jean Barby, sur Flickr FAA5D30A-8A05-4BAD-B831-3938530247ED_1_201_a by jean Barby, sur Flickr 2CF72B53-5142-4154-8D03-674F0B58AEEB_1_201_a by jean Barby, sur Flickr
  9. Gloster Meteor Mk.8/9 Martin Baker Ejection Seat Mk.II (Q48388) 1:48 CMK Quick & Easy Line by Special Hobby for Airfix kit Quite often if there is one thing modellers who dont even normally use aftermarket use on a kit its a new ejection seat. Injection moulding does not offer the same level of detail and many modellers dont want the trouble of multiple PE seat belts. A resin seat with moulded in detail is the best choice. This set from CMK gives us the MB Mark II Seat used on the Gloster Meteor Marks 8 & 9. The set arrives in the usual green-themed Quick & Easy blister pack, with the instructions sandwiched between the resin parts and the header card. Inside is a single seat.. The casting is up to the usual high standards from CMK/Special Hobby with minimal clean up being needed. The only thing the modeller will need to add is the seat firing handle from wire Conclusion Detail is excellent, and will add a great touch to any model. Highly Recommended for your Airfix Kit. Review sample courtesy of
  10. US Navy F6F Hellcat Pilot & Mechanic (F72371) 1:72 CMK by Special Hobby Quite often its great to have a figure, or couple of figures to add to a finished model on a base to bring it more to life. This set from CMK is for a Hellcat pilot & mechanic; though it can be used for a variety of USN WWII aircraft. The set arrives in the usual yellow-themed CMK blister pack, with the instructions sandwiched between the resin parts and the header card. Inside are the two figures. The casting is up to the usual high standards from CMK/Special Hobby with minimal clean up being needed. The hands for the mechanic figure are mouled away from the arms so as not to interfere with the mould and will need to be removed and added, apart from that no other work is needed. Conclusion Detail is excellent, and will add a great touch to any 1/72 WWII USN model. Recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  11. Junkers Ju 88A/C Life Boat (7468) 1:72 CMK by Special Hobby There is a large group of modellers who like to open up all areas of their models and add extra detail and this set for the life raft container in the rear fuselage of the Ju 88 will appeal to them. This set from CMK is suitable for the Revell kits. The set arrives in the usual yellow-themed CMK blister pack, with the instructions sandwiched between the resin parts and the header card. Inside are three resin parts on two casting blocks, consisting of the housing. the raft and the access door. The casting is up to the usual high standards from CMK/Special Hobby with minimal clean up being needed. The housing is very thin and car will be needed if you want to remove the casting block, though as this will be inside the fuselage there is not real need. Conclusion Detail is excellent, with some work this will give your model a little extra realism on top of that already provided. Review sample courtesy of
  12. German Infantryman Carried on a Hetzer (F35370) CMK by Special Hobby Walking into battle was never really much fun (I'd imagine), as it meant that you arrived tired and could be tramping across the countryside for hours, although arriving after the battle probably wasn’t all that despised. Grabbing a ride on a tank would be the ultimate perk for the infantryman, as you’re travelling on a mobile blockhouse with a big gun that is also a useful source of cover if the shooting starts. This figure from CMK arrives in a shallow blister pack with a yellow-themed header card and the instructions sandwiched between. Inside are six resin parts on three casting blocks, the largest containing the majority of the figure, minus head, one arm, one hand and one of the jacket panels between the rear vent and the left side seam. He is sat on the angled deck of a Hetzer with one leg straight and the other brought up under his haunches. The right arm is attached over a set of ammo pouches round his waist, and the hand has a grab-handle moulded into it, which marks his location as on the rear left quarter of the vehicle, as confirmed by a small photo on the instructions. The left hand is cradling a late-war STG-44/MP-44, the successor to the ubiquitous MP40, and grandfather of the AK-47. The final part is the jacket-tail, which mounts to the rear of the figure on a block and socket, having the mess-kit and water-bottle moulded-in. Finally, the head is sculpted with a long, deeply socketed neck, and moulded-in helmet with the strap crisply moulded into the chin. Sculpting is excellent, and the helpful photo will assist with the posing of the completed figure on the rear of the Hetzer, but he’ll need some mud splattered on his legs if he’s been sat there for any length of time. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  13. German Kriegsmarine/Speed Boat Life Raft (N72037/8 for Revell) 1:72 CMK by Special Hobby Warships sometimes get holed, and by their nature they sink. Back before ships were made of metal, it was a secondary consideration, but after the massive loss of life when the civillian Titanic went down, a great deal more effort was put into saving those in peril on the sea. By WWII liferafts were standard equipment on ships of all sizes, with many different styles used by various countries. Some WWII German Kriegsmarine ships and boats used square rafts with interweaved webbing floors for weight saving, and paddles to allow their occupants to propel themselves around to an extent. These rafts, or Rettungsfloss in German are resin and Photo-Etch (PE) sets that arrive in their standard slim clamshell box with a card backing and instructions within. They’re part of the Maritime Line, with a blue watery theme as you’d expect. Inside each box is a resin raft that has the bottom flashed over, which will be sanded away during preparation, plus a small PE sheet with the floor webbing and a pair of paddles etched into it. The difference between them is the profile, one square, the other rounded and with an additional rope grabrail around the top, while they share the PE sheet. With the prep-work done on the resin part, the webbing should be pressed into the footwell, and the corners bent up and glued to the depressions in the inner sides. If you’re portraying the raft in use, the paddles can be placed in the well, but if you intend to depict the raft in position on the side of a turret (for example), you should glue the paddles to the sides of the raft and create some loops with a short length of tape or brass. German Speed Boat Life Raft/Schnellboot Rettungsfloss (N72037) German Kriegsmarine Life Raft/Rettungsfloss (N72038) We reviewed the 15cm Tbtsk C/36 gun turret recently, which has a little advert in the rear for these two sets, showing how the rafts could be attached to the cheeks of the splinter shroud. You can check out that review here. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  14. Westland Whirlwind Mk.I Updates (for Special Hobby) 1:32 CMK by Special Hobby We reviewed Special Hobby’s new large-scale Whirlwind Mk.I recently here, and at the bottom we promised to review the additional aftermarket that Special Hobby and their resin CMK line were producing. We’re now making good on that promise, as the first sets have arrived. Whirlwind Mk.I Wheels (5135) Kit wheels are generally in two halves, which means you have the resultant joins to deal with, possible mould-slip issues on single part wheels, and sometimes less than stellar detail due to the moulding limitations of styrene injection technology, especially in the tread department. That's where replacement resin wheels come in, with their lack of seamline and superior detail making a compelling argument. They are also usually available at a reasonable price, and can be an easy introduction to aftermarket and resin handling, as they are usually a drop-in replacement. This set arrives in a yellow-themed clamshell box with instructions in the rear, and contains three resin wheels, each attached to their casting block at the bottom, on the contact patch. Removing them should entail a simple saw-cut, with very little additional clean-up required, followed by a wash in warm soapy water to remove any remaining mould-release agent. Detail is excellent, with Dunlop and the tyre specification written in raised letters on the sidewalls, and strengthening ribs around the inner circumference of the tyre carcass. Westland Whirlwind Mk.I Masks (M32003) This set is flat-packed with a card insert inside the clear foil bag, and contains a sheet of yellow kabuki tape with brief instructions. These pre-cut masks supply you with a full set of masks for the canopy, with compound curved handled by using frame hugging masks, while the highly curved gaps are in-filled with either liquid mask or offcuts from the background tape. In addition, you get a set of hub/tyre masks for the wheels, allowing you to cut the demarcation perfectly with little effort. Conclusion It’s a nice kit, and this pair of initial sets makes it even nicer and just a little bit easier by simplifying the masking of the canopy and making up of the wheels. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  15. B-25 Mitchell Wheels (4418) 1:48 CMK by Special Hobby Kit wheels are generally in two halves, which means you have the resultant joins to deal with, possible mould-slip issues on single part wheels, and sometimes less than stellar detail due to the moulding limitations of styrene injection technology, especially in the tread department. That's where replacement resin wheels come in, with their lack of seamline and superior detail making a compelling argument. They are also usually available at a reasonable price, and can be an easy introduction to aftermarket and resin handling, as they are usually a drop-in replacement. This set from CMK is suitable for the Accurate Miniatures, Academy and Italeri kits in 1:48, all of which originate from the 1999 tooling by now defunct Accurate Miniatures, which is still the kit to have in this scale. Thinking of that, how about a new modern tooling soon, someone? The set arrives in the usual yellow-themed CMK blister pack, with the instructions sandwiched between the resin parts and the header card. Inside are ten resin parts on six casting blocks, consisting of three wheels and seven hub parts for optional smooth or spoked hubs on all three wheels. The wheels are all attached to their blocks on their contact patches, with additional wisps of resin supporting the wheel further and helping to reduce the likelihood of air bubbles within the moulds. These are easily removed with a razor saw and a swipe with a sanding stick that should leave all the diamond tread detail intact. The hubs are all cast flat against their blocks, so will need to be sawn or sanded off, taking the usual precautions when handling resin. When liberated from their blocks, you can choose which parts to use for your selected airframe. Conclusion Detail is excellent, with Goodyear branding on the main tyres, and crisp brake detail on the rear hubs, plus cut-outs between the spokes once they are removed from their casting blocks. The addition of a slight weighting sag at the bottom lends your model a little extra realism on top of that already provided. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  16. DAP Beaufighter Mk.21 Conversion Set (7446 for Airfix Kit) 1:72 CMK by Special Hobby The Mk.21 was a version of the Bristol Beaufighter built in Australia by the Department Of Aircraft Production. Between 1944 & 1946 365 Aircraft were built. The 0.303 guns were replaced by 0.5" guns and the ASV radar and dorsal fin were never fitted. However, the engines had their two-speed blowers made fully operational, thus becoming Hercules XVIIIs. A combination of quitter engines and increased armament led the Japanese to name these aircraft "The Whispering death". This new set from CMK provided new resin and Vac form parts along with decals. The resin parts are for the bulge in front of the canopy, and new hedgehog exhaust. There is a new vac form canopy for the observers position of which 2 are kindly provided in case you stuff one up! Decals Decals are provided in this set for two RAAF aircraft. The decals look to be in house and are well printed and should pose no issues. A8-27/DU-A - "Rockabye Baby", Morotai, 1945 A8-116/SK-N - "Babs/Pistol Pakin Gremlin", Labuan, Borneo, August 1945 Conclusion This set offers a quick drop in upgrade to the kit parts. Recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  17. Bf 109E Updates sets & wheels 1:72 CMK by Special Hobby The new 1/72 kits from Special Hobby are great kits in their own right. They have now produced a number of update sets for the kit. FuG VII Radio Equipment (7458) This set in resin & PE provides the radio equipment in the rear fuselage plus the access hatch. The radio racks are moulded in with a view of what the inside portion of the rear fuselage would look like, there are then additional racks to place on the floor. There are PE straps for the equipment. The access panel is provided in PE with the opening frame also in PE. Wing Guns (7457) This set in resin provides the wing guns for the Bf 190E-3/4/7. As well as the guns there are the ammunition drums and the gun covers. Some surgery will be needed on the kit parts to fit these. Wheels (Q72384) This set in resin from the quickline are a drop in replacement for the main wheels with more detail. Exhausts (Q72390) This set in resin from the quickline are a drop in replacement for the kit parts with more detail including hollow ends. Conclusion Whether you chose to use one of the sets, or more they will no doubt enhance your 1.72 Bf 109 kit. Highly recommended. Review samples courtesy of
  18. B-25 Mitchell Wheels (7466 for Airfix Kit) 1:72 CMK by Special Hobby The new Airfix 1/72 B-25 is a great kit out of the box, the aftermarket manufactures are now starting to offer upgrades for the kit, and this new set from Special Hobby in their CMK range offers new resin wheels. There are two main wheels and two nose wheels with a choice of hubs available for the front wheel. Casting quality from CMK is first rate. Conclusion This set offers a quick drop in upgrade to the kit parts. Recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  19. A-26B Invader Cockpit (4416 for ICM) 1:48 CMK by Special Hobby ICM’s new range of A-26 Invader kits has hit a sweet-spot with a lot of modellers of 1:48 scale, and there has been a flurry of aftermarket arriving to cater for the super-detailers amongst us. This set from CMK provides a replacement cockpit, and arrives in one of their standard yellow card boxes, with the parts inside Ziploc bags and buffered by the folded instructions. Inside the main bag are twenty-four parts in grey resin, although one part (the spare instrument panel backing) isn’t used. There is also a small fret of Photo-Etch (PE) and a slip of clear acetate film with the instrument dials printed on it in a separate bag. The instruction sheet is double-sided A4 with spot colour. The first step is to remove the moulded-in ribbing within the fuselage sides, which has the cockpit area shaded in red for your guidance. Similarly, on the angled aft bulkhead with wing spar moulded-in, there is equipment to be removed, and a hole to be closed over with filler or scrap styrene. The latter is shown in green for your ease. The instrument panel is made up from a lamination of PE, acetate and resin, taking care to paint the rear of the acetate white to “illuminate” the dials, and line them up with their openings. There is additional switch gear moulded into the back plate, which would benefit from painting according to your references. It also has a coaming part fitted to the top, a side panel, which supports a small shelf that holds an instrument box, then the rudder pedals are assembled on a double-T frame and glued to the rear of the instrument panel. The centre console is a large part, and is detailed with eleven PE engine control stalks across the top surface. The kit bulkhead is next skinned with a new resin part, and is mated with the new floor, which also has details on the underside that will be seen through the nose gear bay aperture. The centre console is glued to both these parts and will assist in obtaining the correct angle between them, then the instrument panel is glued to the front of the centre console. There are a number of cylinders placed around the cockpit with a fire extinguisher amongst them, then a stack of shelves is made up to hold all the radio gear in three layers. The crew seats are fitted with PE supports with a set of lap belts for the radio operator, and four-point harness for the pilot in his slightly sexier seat behind his control column, topped with a bomber-style yoke. Before the cockpit is inserted into the fuselage, the two interior skins are fitted to replace the moulded-in detail that was removed earlier, and during fuselage closure, a bulkhead is installed in the front to blank off the footwell area. There is no painting information included, but if you check the ICM instructions and your references, that shouldn’t pose much of an impediment to completing the task. Conclusion This set offers a substantial upgrade to detail for this kit, which is quite visible thanks to the generous glazing of the canopy. With careful construction and painting it should stand out as a focal point to your model. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  20. ESK 2000B Gun Camera (4417 & 5133) 1:48 & 1:32 CMK by Special Hobby During WWII it was helpful to all combatants to be able to verify claimed kills in order to obtain accurate numbers on enemy attrition, which helped immensely with strategic planning. They were also used during training to help the novice pilots understand where they were going wrong, and could be strapped to airframes that otherwise couldn’t be used. The Germans used such devices, which could be mounted internally where there was space, or externally on smaller airframes. These sets depict the Zeiss ESK 2000B camera, which was mounted in an aerodynamic bullet fairing, and attached to the airframe by a mounting plate. Due to the limited space available only a small amount of film could be stored in a cartridge within the fairing, so the operation of the mechanism was synchronised with the pilot’s thumb on the trigger in an attempt to catch the action, which didn’t always work out 100% due to the erratic movements in dog-fighting - even in training. Both sets arrive in the CMK/Special Hobby yellow themed blister pack, with a header card and instructions behind, completing the package. In the 1:32 set are six resin parts, and in the 1:48 set there are five due to the differences in moulding the two scales. You will also need some fine wire to lead off into the airframe on an external mounting. Construction is a piece of cake with the bullet fairing mounting onto the base, and the three tiny parts inserted into their sockets moulded into the sides of the camera. You can find the location for many of the aircraft that used it with a quick Google, but CMK have included a drawing for the Bf.109E on the instructions for both sets, even down to the location where the control wire enters the wing at a nearby maintenance hatchway. 1:48 ESK 2000B Gun Camera (4417) 1:32 ESK 2000B Gun Camera (5133) Conclusion An unusual and interesting addition to any WWII German fighter that is incredibly well-detailed, and starts to add a back-story to your latest project. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  21. Bf.109G German Pilot, Seated (F48368 for Eduard) 1:48 CMK by Special Hobby A pilot figure in an aircraft model seems to have become superfluous to requirements for a lot of modern manufacturers, which forces us to peruse the aftermarket arena for a suitable candidate when the need arises. As usual with CMK's resin sets, they arrive in the familiar clear vacformed box, with the resin parts safely inside, and the instructions sandwiched between the header card at the rear. Decals and Photo-Etch (PE) when included is separated from the resin parts by a clear piece of acetate to prevent scratching and damage during transit. This resin set provides a single pilot that has been patterned to precisely fit the recent Eduard Bf.109Gs in 1:48, and comes in four parts on two casting blocks. The pilot’s torso, arms and upper legs are moulded into one part, while the lower legs and head are separate, the former having small pegs in the tops of the boots that key into depressions in the knees of the figure. The head slots into a socket, and could easily be adjusted to look to the side with some trimming of the resin peg. The instruction sheet shows the figure assembled in the cockpit, illustrating the fact that his seat is also moulded into the figure, making the fit a lot easier, especially as the shoulder-straps are also moulded-in. next to that photo is a list of paint colours for the various parts of the figure in English and Czech. Conclusion Sculpting and casting is excellent, with loads of detail just waiting to be picked out with your best paintbrush. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  22. I'm going to try to get this finished, having started it a couple of years or so ago, can't remember what GB it was! Here's where I got to, the airframe assembled, some filling done, primed and some remedial work done. I decided to do an in-flight, 'Operation Firedog' machine. Hopefully I can manage the myriad of small resin and etch detail parts yet to add! Davey.
  23. F-104C wheels 1:48 CMK by Special Hobby - For Kinetic kits These wheels are for the new Kinetic Kits, and are a drop in replacement for the kit parts. Review sample courtesy of
  24. F-14A Tomcat Sets 1:72 CMK by Special Hobby for Academy kit CMK offer us 2 sets for the 1/72 Academy kit, a new complete cockpit, Cannon bay and port side engine bay Cockpit Set 7452 The is a complete cockpit from CMK. There is a large one part cast cockpit tub with molded in side consoles and the bulkheads behind the seats. Two new seats are provided as well with PE handles. For the tub there are new instrument panels with PE and film parts and new coamings for the top of them. There are new sidewalls as well for inside the cockpit and the pilots control column. To the rear of the cockpit the large shelf is also provided as a new part, Cannon Installation Set 7453 The is a complete set for installing the 20mm cannon in your F-14. The set comprises PE and resin. As well as the cannon bay there is the cannon itself and the ammunition bay & drum. The last two parts are the access doors for both areas. Port Engine Set 7454 The is a complete set for showing the port jet engine. In only three resin parts there is the engine bay, engine, and access door. Overall the parts are very well cast. with no issues visible at all. It will be upto the modeller how far they want to go with one or more of these sets to detail their model. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  25. Hurricane Wing Armaments (8 guns) Set 1:72 CMK by Special Hobby for Arma Hobby kit While the new Arma Hobbies Hurricanes are great kits they dont give you the option to open the wing gunbays. This new set from CMK gives us the gun bays for the 8 gun metal wing aircraft.As well as the main bays eight 303 machine guns are included with PE feed trays. PE is also provided for part of the internal structures in the wing, The last items in the box are new covers for the gun bays. All the parts are very well cast. with no issues visible at all. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
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