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Curtiss-Wright AT-9 Jeep (DW48043) 1:48 Dora Wings Curtiss-Wright designed the AT-9 as an advanced two-engined trainer for new pilots to learn how to fly the new high-performance twin-engined bombers and fighters that were coming into service, such as the B-25 Mitchell and P-38 Lightning. As such it was aerodynamically unstable to mimic their characteristics, and was ideal for teaching candidates that were previously only trained on single-engined airframes. Its prototype was made from a tubular framework covered with fabric on the fuselage and wings, but for the production machines, a metal stressed skin was substituted, giving it a sleek look. The Lycoming R-680-9 engines were mounted low on the low wings, which gave the pilot a good view from the cockpit, although the thick frames on the side doors reduced that a little, but they were relatively underpowered, so the aircraft couldn’t break 200mph even at full throttle, which gave plenty of time to get out of the way. Around 500 of the AT-9 were made, and they gained the nickname Jeep in preference to the official name ‘Fledgling’, and a further 300 of the improved AT-9A were made with more powerful Lycoming R-680-11 engines, and new hydraulics that were improved over the original. Production ceased in 1943, and once the airframes were out of service, they weren’t offered to the general public as they were considered a little too twitchy for inexperienced civilians. As a consequence, there is only one complete example in existence in the US, which was rebuilt by using the parts from two incomplete aircraft, with another partial airframe at Pima that they are hoping to restore at some point. The Kit This is a brand-new tooling from our friends at Dora Wings, who continue to create unusual, interesting subjects in the major scales. This one is 1:48 of course, and arrives in a small top-opening box that contains seven greenish-grey sprues of styrene, a clear sprue in a Ziploc bag, two Photo-Etch (PE) sheets, printed clear acetate sheet, vinyl masks (not pictured), all in another bag with a card stiffener. The instruction booklet is A5 portrait format, printed in colour, with colour profiles on the rear pages to assist with painting and decaling. I built their P-63 Kingcobra when they were a fledgling (unintentional pun!) company, and this tooling is a very crisp-looking model, with plenty of detail and extras that improve the detail still further. It’s great to see their progress over just a few years. Construction begins with the cockpit, starting with highly detailed pedestal and lower centre consoles, plus PE and styrene detail parts, all of which is installed on the cockpit floor along with the twin control columns and seats, adding PE lap belts to each one. The instrument panel can either be made from a styrene backing with PE lamination and acetate instruments, or a styrene panel with moulded-in dials that you’ll need to make your own dials for – I know which on I’ll be using! The panel is fitted out with rudder pedals and a coaming, which is suspended from the front bulkhead that fixes to front of the cockpit floor, and has a rear bulkhead with fire extinguisher added to the rear. There’s no other detail on the rear bulkhead, so if you’re going for open doors you might want to add something there. I’ve done some searching briefly, but haven’t come up with anything useful yet. The fuselage halves make an appearance, as they are skinned inside with detail inserts, and the fuselage is thinned out where the inserts go so it doesn’t increase the thickness too much. The canopy is also fitted with the overhead console, which locates on two depressions in the clear part, after which you can close up the fuselage halves, add the nose cone, the canopy and the two side doors open or closed, P-39 Cobra style. The flying surfaces are made in quick succession, the main planes having a full-width lower and two upper halves plus ailerons, while the elevators have separate fins with each one fitted to the fuselage on two pegs, along with a two-part rudder, offering lots of potential for offset to give your model some extra visual interest. The main wheels are each made of two halves, and their struts have the main leg, separate oleo-scissors, and three-part top sections where they join the bays. The bays are each made from two curved sides and a narrow roof, with triangular PE webs added to the sides, and the struts inserted into holes in the roof. They are put to the side while the twin Lycoming engines are made up, with the nine pistons depicted with push-rods, exhaust collector and a PE baffle layer for each one. The main gear bays are inserted into the engine nacelles from underneath, then closed around by the tapered cowling parts, and each nacelle is fitted with a circular firewall that has four holes pre-drilled for the engine mounts. The engines have their M-shaped mounts and exhausts added, then they are glued to the firewalls to be closed in by the top and bottom cylindrical cowling sections and the front cowling ring, plus a small insert under the engine that forms the intake. The two-bladed props have four additional parts added to detail them, then the small parts such as aileron guides, clear landing lights in the lower wings, tail wheel and pitot probe are all glued to the airframe. Markings There are four options included on the decal sheet, with some interesting variations in colours that should appeal to many without resorting to any aftermarket decals. From the box you can build one of the following: 41-12043, 556th School Squadron, crashed May 27, 1942 41-12059, Lubbock AAF, 1942-3 42-56947, Randolph AAF, 1942-3 41-11978, 338th Fighter Squadron, 55th Fighter Group, 1944 Decals are by DecoGraph, which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin matt carrier film cut close to the printed areas. Conclusion I’d not heard of this cute little trainer before, and now I have, I like it. It has just the right combination of strange and sleek to hit the spot for me, and the detail is nicely rendered. It’s the Olive Drab over grey option that I fancy. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Another Dora Wings project is a family of Seversky P-35, in 1/48th, 1/144th and maybe 1/72nd. To be followed. For my part I would have preferred a Blackburn Firebrand. 😜 Source (see comments): https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=2254229254807639&id=1929101897320378&__xts__[0]=68.ARDHKzz_4aRzAKGMWKR3iyv6XxAHRGmxkgIGRdpZJqy27iFF2t-OShgbWaHrQK9dtWr1NaHpjOSK9g-S4uqhQtCXhdPnf5VmmckkS9l21rJ9RIvA60wKqoPrMz1v1p-wBtrTczo&__tn__=-R V.P.

After the 1/32nd kits (link) and the 1/48th AMG kit (link) Dora Wings has announced a new tool 1/48th Dewoitine D.500 as in progress. Source: https://www.facebook.com/dorawingsofficial/posts/3214124158818139 3D renders in progress V.P.

Next Dora Wings project is a 1/48th Republic P-43 Lancer kit - ref. DW48029 Source: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=2526130374284191&id=1929101897320378 3D renders V.P.

In project by Dora Wings is a family of 1/48th & 1/72nd Lockheed Vega & Orion kits Source: https://www.facebook.com/1929101897320378/photos/ms.c.eJxFzNsNADEIA8GOIh4GQ~;~_NnRQU7ne0tjkkWtEdAoLHBlKtvCT7QUgqFeoLdgvWAgf~_ou9EsKeY0~;wAi8AX2w~-~-.bps.a.2340591472838083/2340591612838069/?type=3&theater - ref. DW48022 - Lockheed Vega 5b "Record flights" V.P.

Curtiss-Wright SNC-1 Falcon II (DW48041) 1:48 Dora Wings via Albion Alloys The SNC-1 began its gestation at Curtiss-Wright as the CW-22, and was developed as a light trainer and reconnaissance aircraft, flying as early as 1940, then entering service in 1942. It was a small aircraft with two seats and large canopy that afforded the pilots an excellent view of proceedings. A number were exported to various operators including the Dutch, although because of the state of the war, they were delivered to them elsewhere. The US forces ordered a number to fill gaps in their inventory, with successive increases in the orders resulting in just over 300 airframes entering service in total. A small number also found their way into Japanese service after being captured during their advances across Asia. The Falcon name was conferred to the type by the US Navy, which was otherwise known as the CW-22N. The RAF even had a few that they inherited from the Burma Volunteer Air Force. The Kit This is a brand-new tool from Dora Wings of this unusual little aircraft, and the first mainstream kit in this scale, although there have been a few others over the years from niche producers in resin and other materials. It arrives in their standard top-opening box, and inside are seven sprues in mid grey styrene, a clear sprue, a sheet of Photo-Etch (PE) brass, vinyl masks (not pictured), decal sheet and instruction booklet that is roughly A5 in a portrait format. Perusing the sprues reveals a nicely detailed kit that shows continued improvement from their initial releases, and it is a comprehensive package with a crystal clear single-part canopy. Construction begins with the cockpit, with the two instrument panels attached to their bulkhead hoops and detailed with a decal for each one. The cockpit floor is outfitted with controls, fire extinguisher and a number of other frames, including a pair of PE rudder pedals on an inverted U-shaped former. The two seats are on a separate sprue, and each has a PE four-point harness fitted before they are installed in the cockpit, with a forward and aft bulkhead bracketing the assembly. The fuselage halves are prepared internally with an insert that covers up the wing root, throttle quadrants, levers and instrument boxes, with a little painting to finish off. The engine has to be made up before the fuselage can be closed up, and this is depicted by a two-part cylinder bank, a PE wiring loom and a front bell-housing that is then surrounded by the exhaust collector, after removing a 2mm length from the aggregation outlet, which exposes the hollow interior that runs all the way around the ring. A flattened intake and some small parts are fitted to the front and sides of the engine, then at the rear the input tubing spider is fixed over a donut-shaped spacer and has a simplified depiction of the ancillaries and an exterior ring added before it is glued to the front of the cockpit on a pair of Z-shaped mounts. The fuselage can then be closed up around the assembly, and the landing gear is made up. The wheels are inventive, having two outer halves and a central boss between the halves that gives a completely see-thru look if aligned correctly. The struts are single parts with a perpendicular axle, with separate oleo-scissor link and retraction jacks at the base of each leg. The lower wings are full-width with some nice detail moulded into the central section, and as expected the upper wings are separated with a gap for the fuselage to fill. The ailerons are separate, and a two-part U-shaped fairing is added to the main gear bays for later completion, then the tail feathers are installed, all with separate flying surfaces and fine trailing edges. The airframe is flipped on its back to add small PE cross-members within the main bays, and the lower engine cowling around the exhaust, then the gear legs are fitted on triangular hinge-points, with a bay door on each side, plus a fairing around the exhaust. Actuators within the bays join the doors together; the landing lights are inserted into depressions under the wings; actuators for the ailerons are added to the wingtips; a D/F loop is glued under the fuselage, and the tail-wheel fits into a small hole in the rear of the fuselage. The twin-blade prop is a single part with a boss and axle added front and rear, which is fitted at the end of the build. From the box the cockpit aperture is oversized, and this is corrected by an insert in each side, each of which has a pair of levers installed before they are joined together, then glued into the cockpit with a roll-over cage between the two pilots. The canopy is a single part, which is a shame for this model, as the cockpit is open and well-detailed out of the box. It is very clear however, so your hard work will still be seen, so don’t fret. An antenna mast is glued into a hole in the surround to the port side front, a pitot probe is mounted in the leading edge of the port wing, and the prop is inserted into the hole in the front of the bell-housing. Done. Now for paint and decals. Markings There are three decal options in the box, one for each of three operators, with a disparate set of schemes into the bargain. From the box you can build one of the following: SNC-1 NAS Corpus Christi, April 1942 SNC-1 Ecuador, 1943 SNC-1 15 Escuadrilla de Observación Terrestre, Peru, 1942-45 Decals are by DecoGraph, which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin matt carrier film cut close to the printed areas, and as mentioned there are decals for the instrument panels in the cockpit. Conclusion The Falcon II is a niche subject, and it’s kind of cute and an interesting shape. The detail is good, and the model should build up into a good replica of a left-of-field subject, which is Dora Wings’ stock-in-trade. Highly recommended. Available in the UK from all good model shops. Review sample courtesy of

Hi all. Last finished model. Single flight across the Atlantic, pilot Felix Waitkus.

A bit of a late start with my first build in this GB, I just finished a Beaufighter on Sunday for the 'Bristol Company' GB and lately have been painting Wargame figures so have neglected the plastic flying stuff! I got this online for a good price for the Soviet Aircraft markings and was going to sell the the other kit on but I thought I would do this French Airforce one for this GB. It is actually a kit moulded by AMG, the parts look well detailed and there is some flash but nothing that can't be 'wiped' quickly with a blade. There are different intakes included in the kit but no instructions showing which intake is for which version but it's easy to see from the drawings and the internet what type (short or long) is used for the C version or the E. There is a photo-etch fret (most of which I won't use!) and a canopy mask set so quite complete. I made a small start but already there is a bit a conudrum. They start you off by removing and putting a bend on the two etch rudder pedals and then instruct you to stick them directly to the back of the plastic instrument panel. But the next picture clearly shows hangers for the rudder pedals, there's even indents for the parts on the plastic instrument panel but looking at the sprues there doesn't seem to be anything like them on there. Anyone built the AMG kit or the reboxed Dora ones and found this part(s)? No photos as I left it there to investigate further. More soon. Davey.

Place holder for my Pilatus Porter entry. This will be my first Dora Wings kit and I’m quite impressed with what I’ve seen of it so far. Sprues: Four sprues of crisp grey plastic, nicely detailed with engraved panel lines, resin wheels and exhausts (choice of two exhaust styles). Two frets of PE and masks for windows and wheels: I won’t be using the right hand PE as it is a ski attachment for the Japanese Antarctic plane which I am not building. Instruction book: One oddity I have noticed is that the instructions show six passenger seats whereas the sprues contain four seats and six seat backs! The decals I will be using will be from a local producer here in Adelaide: I intend to do the second scheme with the hand painted legend on the fuselage, operated by the Australian Army in Vietnam. Work on the build will commence when I finish organising my new study. AW

Hi all, this Dora wings kit recreate the Savoia-Marchetti S.55, called "Santa Maria" which was flown by the italian aviator Francesco de Pinedo (February 16, 1890 – September 2, 1933), in 1927, with Carlo Del Prete and the engineer Vitale Zacchetti , from Elmas (Sardinia, Italy) to Arizona. I hope you enjoy it 😉 Click below for the WIP by Rodolfo Masti, on Flickr by Rodolfo Masti, on Flickr by Rodolfo Masti, on Flickr by Rodolfo Masti, on Flickr by Rodolfo Masti, on Flickr by Rodolfo Masti, on Flickr

Dora Wings is to release a 1/48th Curtiss-Wright AT-9 Jeep kits - ref. DW48043 - Curtiss-Wright AT-9 Jeep - ref. DW48045 - Curtiss-Wright AT-9A Jeep Source: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=2807763892787503&id=1929101897320378 3D renders V.P.

#16/2021 For a kit with shortrun character the new Dora Wings Marcel Bloch isn´t so bad. But the decals are thin and the white areas are translucent, as you may see. Camo done with Gunze RLM65 for the underside, Tamiya XF-10 Brown and selfmixed green and blue-grey for the upper camo. The Vichy stripes are painted. First single-engined aircraft I know of that has a sideways angled engine. Build thread here https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235092709-vichy148-marcel-bloch-mb152-french-armistice-airforce/ Aircraft of GC II/9, Aulnat/France 1942 DSC_0009 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0010 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0011 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0012 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0013 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0014 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0015 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0016 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0017 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0018 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0019 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0020 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0021 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0022 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0023 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0024 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0025 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0026 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0027 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0028 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0029 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0030 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0031 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0032 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr

My dad´s newest project.. DSC_0004 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr

Feeling like I was having the 'Kiwi's' left out doing my builds I had a look through the stash to see if I had anything I could add to this GB and found this, DORA Wings nice little Proctor/Vega Gull combo (which I bought last year online for only a couple of pound more than the individual kits!). Looks like your typical 'short run' type kit and is tiny! Hopefully my ham-fistedness will be overcome while doing this! I also have the Eduard dual boxing of the Spitfire Mk.XVI which has markings for a Fassberg based RNZAF machine, we'll see how I get on. Davey.

Here's one of my entries over on the current ANZAC GB on which you can have a look at the WIP. This is from the double boxing, with a Proctor, I got for almost the same price as a single kit on the 'net. A nicely detailed kit let down by poor instructions, it isn't what you would call a simple build. Lots of clean-up of mould lines and test fitting. The cockpit floor and bulkheads need careful placement, I put those together into one half of the fuselage before adding the seats etc. The other main problem was the five-part glazing which needed filing and constant test fitting. There is a lot of PE which I mostly discarded, I only used the cockpit dashboard shelf and the pitot tube assembly! Despite usually using an airbrush these days, with the ease of use and clean-up of water-based Acrylics, I decided to give using a Hairy Stick for a change, with Xtracrylics for the uppers and Vallejo ModelAir RLM 65 for the Sky Blue. The kit decals settled easily using Humbrol Decalfix on the Gloss finish of the upper colours, I used 'Klear' for the matt lower colour. Final Matt finish was done airbrushing Vallejo Acrylic Matt Varnish. Comments and criticism welcome. Davey.

After the 1/48th kits (link), Dora Wings is to release 1/72nd AT-9Jeep kits - ref.DW72035 - Curtiss-Wright AT-9Jeep Source: https://dorawings.com/DWcatalogue_2021_22.pdf V.P.

Dora Wings catalogue 2021-2022 downloadable here: https://dorawings.com/DWcatalogue_2021_22.pdf Source: https://www.facebook.com/dorawingsofficial/photos/a.2014888442075056/2992690794294811/?type=3&source=48 V.P.

Not only in 1/48th (dedicated thread: link) Dora Wings is also preparing 1/72nd Vultee P-66 Vanguard kits. - ref. DW72034 - Vultee P-66 Vanguard Source: https://www.facebook.com/dorawingsofficial/posts/2980469298850294 Final 3D renders V.P.

Happy New Year all... currently on sale is the February edition of Airfix Model World magazine with my Lockheed Vega on the front cover. Here's a couple of teasers... 😉 Cheers, Dean

Dora Wings is to release 1/72nd & 1/48th Percival Proctor Mk.I/II/III & Vega Gull kits. Source: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=2005654616331772&id=1929101897320378 V.P.

A new version of the model from Dora, in the sky of China.

Miles M.9 Master Mk.I (48033) 1:48 Dora Wings via Albion Alloys The M.9 Master was a conventional low wing monoplane two seat trainer produced by Miles Aircraft Ltd for the RAF and FAA. The Air Ministry had produced specification T.6/36 in the mid 1930s for a new trainer. This was won by the DH.30 Don, however this aircraft in the end proved unsuitable. The RAF was forced to look elsewhere and Miles developed the Master from its earlier proposed trainer the Kestrel. The Air Ministry ordered 500 for the training role. The master used initially a Rolls Royce Kestrel engine which have it a speed of nearly 300 mph, comparable with the fighters of the day. With a student in front and the instructor behind the read cockpit was a full 12 inches higher. Other aids to training were a reinforced nose area to cope with nose overs and a tail design used to aid stall recovery. While the aircraft was fitted with a gunsight and a single for training, provision was made for an M24 Master Fighter with 8 guns to function as an emergency fighter. In the end over 3000 aircraft were built however none have survived. Aircraft were diverted to support various allies. These included, 426 aircraft to the South African Air Force, nine to the USAAF (Mainly for use as hacks), 23 to the Royal Egyptian Air Force, 23 to Turkish Air Force, two to Portuguese Air Force, and fourteen to the Irish Air Corps. The Kit The kit arrives on 5 plastic sprues, a clear sprue, a sheet of PE, canopy masks (not shown) and a sheet of decals. The clear sprue has both types of canopy used, and the ability to open the rear canopy. Construction starts with the cockpit. The dual flying controls are built up along with the seats and there PE belts for both cockpits. These are installed to the main floor then at the front and back main bulkheads are fitted. At the front the main instrument panel goes in. Sidewall detail is fitted into the fuselage halves and in the middle between the two seats the rear instrument panel and its structure go in. Now the main cockpit can go in and the fuselage is closed up. Work now moves to the main wings. There is a single part lower wing with left & right uppers. The wheel wells need to be boxed in and then the wings can go together. The ailerons are then fitted. Various subassemblies now need to be made up and set aside; these include the rudder, tail surfaces, radiators, propeller, landing gear; and practice bomb racks. The main wing is then joined to the fuselage and the canopy added. There is both the earlier more framed canopy and the later more blown style included. The tail planes, rudder and landing gear are then added. The large radiator goes underneath and the prop is added at the front. The practice bomb racks can be added if needed. Markings The decals are from Decograf and look good with no registration issues, there are four decal options provided; N7578 - 8th FTS, RAF Cranwell 1940 N7547 - Fleet Air Arm Training Unit 1940 N7412 - 1st Prototype Aircraft 1938 T8629 - No.5 Service Flying Training School. RAF Sealand, 1942 Conclusion This is certainly a kit modellers of British WWII aircraft and trainers in 1/48 have been waiting for. Very highly recommended. Available in the UK in most good model shops. Review sample courtesy of

After the 1/72nd kits (link), Dora wing is to release Bellanca CH-300 kits - ref. DW48007 In project. Release expected in 2019-2020 Source: http://Source: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=2014889655408268&id=1929101897320378 https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=2106721216225111&id=1929101897320378 V.P.

In project by Dora Wings are 1/72nd Westland Lysander kits Source: https://www.facebook.com/1929101897320378/photos/ms.c.eJxFzNsNADEIA8GOIh4GQ~;~_NnRQU7ne0tjkkWtEdAoLHBlKtvCT7QUgqFeoLdgvWAgf~_ou9EsKeY0~;wAi8AX2w~-~-.bps.a.2340591472838083/2340591612838069/?type=3&theater V.P.

Republic P-43 Lancer (DW48029) 1:48 Dora Wings via Albion Alloys Ltd The P-43 Lancer was a work-in-progress in the mid-30s, and bears more than a passing resemblance to the pinnacle of its design, the P-47 Thunderbolt. Republic’s name was changed from Seversky, and it was their P-35 that was the jumping-off point for a number of designs in the period when it wasn’t yet certain that the US was going to join the war in Europe. The P-43 was one of the more successful designs, but it was an aircraft with some limitations, only performing at its best at higher altitudes where it was fast enough to catch and kill high flying reconnaissance aircraft. Lower down it wasn’t so great, so while it went into limited service with the US Air Force and other operators in small numbers it was soon obsolete thanks to the speed of technological progress during war. Some aircraft found their way to the AVG, flying against the Japanese before the US entered the war officially, where they were well-liked enough that when they were withdrawn, petitions were made by the Flying Tigers to keep them. They also served as high altitude reconnaissance with the RAAF who received a few airframes, and to intercept the aforementioned reconnaissance aircraft, but with only just under 300 built they were never destined for fame, and the P-44 Rocket that was to replace it didn’t even reach service, as the P-47 was just so good. The Kit This is a brand-new tool from our friends at Dora Wings, who have a short but interesting history of producing unusual subjects in various scales. I built their P-63E KingCobra kit when it was released, and thoroughly enjoyed it, despite a few trials, some of which were of my own making. Perusing the sprues of this kit gives me the impression that the moulding has moved on somewhat since then, and detail is good too, with decent transparencies, instrument panels with decals for each one, and a well-moulded engine, some PE parts with an alternate instrument panel and even some masks. That’s a pretty good package. The kit arrives in a small top-opening box, with six sprues in grey styrene, a clear sprue, a sheet of Photo-Etch (PE) brass, a small pre-cut vinyl mask sheet and a medium sized decal sheet, with the colour A5 instruction booklet that has painting and decaling instructions in the rear completing the package. Moulding is neat, and while there are loads of sink marks on the sprues, there aren't any visible on the parts, although there is a small amount of flash on the parts that make up the supercharger, but that won't take more than a few scrapes to remove - the logo on the photo covers it nicely though Construction begins with the cockpit, starting with the instrument panel (IP), which can be either built with moulded-in dials and decal over the top, or with a flat panel to which you apply the decal then the PE panel to allow the decals to show through more realistically. Rudder pedals are fitted to the back of the IP, sidewalls are detailed with additional parts, then the sections are joined together on a floor panel and rear bulkhead, strengthened with the side panels and with the seat and PE belts glued in place and a short control column in front. The cockpit is put to the side while the firewall and engine mounts are made up, then the tail wheel bay, supercharger assembly, landing gear with 2-part tyres and separate scissor-links, and finally the engine. This is well-detailed, with both cylinder banks fully replicated with push-rods, reduction housing bell at the front, ignition harness and finally the close-fitting cowling added. The initial cowling comprises three parts plus a PE grille in the bottom, with the cowling lip added to the front and the PE cooling flaps inserted into the gap at the rear, giving a scale look and a view into the engine, so you’ve not wasted your time painting it. The prop is also made up, with all blades moulded together, a spinner at the front and a tiny ring at the rear. All of this makes for a very fast final assembly, and is akin to the process many modellers take when building a model – you can tell Eugen and friends are modellers first and foremost. The cockpit and firewall are joined together first, then trapped between the fuselage halves along with the tail wheel bay, while the full-width lower wing has the two bay parts inserted then closed over with the upper wing halves, filling the gap in the middle with the fuselage. The ailerons are also separate parts, which is also the case with the tail feathers, giving you some options for a more candid pose. A clear gunsight, headrest and the rear canopy section are fitted first, then the rest of the canopy and windscreen are added to close it over, while the engine cowling assembly is glued to the front of the fuselage onto its mounts. Flipping the model over, the supercharger, cooling flap, pitot and wing guns are installed along with the prop, which you’ll probably leave off until later, then the main gear assemblies, bay doors and tail wheel with bay doors added while it is still inverted. Job done! Markings You get a generous four decal options in the box on a medium-sized decal sheet that is bright and colourful. From the box you can build one of the following: YP-43 Lancer, US Air Force, 1941 P-43A Lancer s/n 40-2920, 55th Pursuit Group, Portland Air Base, Jan 1942 P-43A Lancer s/n 41-6721, US Air Force 1942 P-43A Lancer s/n 41-31496, Aug 1943 Decals are by DecoGraph, which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin matt carrier film cut close to the printed areas. On the rear of the booklet is a colour table decoding the letter codes given throughout the instructions in Mr Hobby, Tamiya, AMMO, Hataka and Life Color codes, plus a key for the instruction icons that are also seen within. The vinyl masks are ready for application to the canopy, taking some of the work out of that aspect of the build, which is always welcome. Conclusion Dora Wings are to be lauded for their efforts to widen the subjects covered in all scales, and with the improvements they have made so far in their successive products, we’re going to be treated to many more interesting and esoteric kits in the future in differing scales, and I really like this one, which will look great next to my old Academy P-47D I built a number of years back. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of UK Distributors of