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After the 1/32nd kits (link) Hong Kong (HK) Models is to release 1/48th North American B-25 Mitchell kits. First - ref. 01F008 - North American B-25J Mitchell Another large scale beauty transfered to the quarter scale! Source: https://www.facebook.com/worldhobbyminiatures/posts/pfbid023dMSKWePj68HzJaSg5oDEfFSwERNCFCaokysdsETDo483nTWhex6UzTVpeSow1Ybl V.P.

Hong Kong (HK) Models Co Ltd has just announced they will attend the IPMS Scale Model World in Telford with a Douglas A-20 Havoc/Boston flight formation picture... A clue ? Wait & see. Source: https://www.facebook.com/hkmmodels/posts/pfbid02wxtM6bS7UkbaG4fYee2s8AAkegtpvHxYQEDKVvwC3rjoPpNtvt6Pin7ztfoGf5SEl V.P.

The former WingScale XL 1/32nd North American B-25J Mitchell kit project ( http://www.hyperscale.com/2011/galleries/b25j32jv_1.htm ) will be edited by HK Models. Source: http://www.primeportal.net/models/thomas_voigt6/hk_models/ And a B-25H is also programmed http://www.hk-models.com/eng/p2_03.htm V.P.

Avro Lancaster B Mk. I (Serial No. R5727), built in the UK and flown to Victory Aircraft in Malton, Ontario, in August 1942 to serve as a pattern for the other Lancasters to be built in Canada. The fabrication drawings had been delivered in January, 1942. R5727 became the first of the type to conduct a transatlantic crossing. The first Canadian-built Lancaster was a Mk. X (Serial No. KB700), aka “The Ruhr Express” coming off the line a year after R5727 arrived in Canada.

My 2nd big Mossie. 1st was the beautiful Tamiya, which I compromised with my clumsy 1st attempt with the magic scale modelling light & sound stuff. It recently crashed (from my bookcase) and I decided to rehouse it’s pilots in another mossie, and have another crack at motorising one. The HKM kit is much simpler & lends itself much better to the minor surgery needed to fit the electronics, but more importantly you can fit the motor in axis with the propeller; not possible with the Tamiya imo. The HKM kit does have what I’d call semi-detailed merlins, but only the side cowls are removable, and after building the Tamiya versions I decided these weren’t worth the effort so she’s sealed. The 2 standing resin figures were included with the kit- I nearly forgot them & wasn’t till I was about to throw the box away that I thought why not; I’m definitely no figure painter but I think they complement the scene quite well, even though they’re within inches of doom from the props… Apart from the electronics & most of the Tamiya cockpit & crew it’s out of the box(!) Painted with Tamiya acrylics. Thanks for looking. (not sure if the soundtrack carried over with the link but there is one) Just a bit of fun below; the iPhone filter “dramatic warm” gives them “WW2 in colour” vibe I feel edit: few more of the Mossie underside & cockpit for what it’s worth I forgot to mention I scratchbuilt those big coloured fisher-price activity centre knobs on the transmitter behind the navigator. The kit part had a flat front with etched circles I didn’t like. The receiver was recovered from the wreckage of the crew’s former ride, the Tamiya FB IV

Hi Folks 1st one posted for quite a while, there are lots of opinions all over the web about whether this kit represents value for money or not - IMO for all it's faults re accuracy (especially in & around the engine nancelles) it's good quality moulding, fits together well and builds into an imposing model when finished; not cheap for quite a low parts count but on the £-per-hour enjoyment scale I've no complaints. You do have to be creative though if you don't want to fork out for expensive conversion sets, and I found that those small soft plastic Humbrol paint tubs with the lids cut off fit exactly behind the intake rings to shield the lack of interior wall detail.... Decals are from Kitsworld, I don't know if the ones in the box are accurate or not but the light blue fluselage roundels just look wrong. Thanks for looking J.A.

Figured I'd start a thread for my B-17 that I've been tinkering around with for a month or so now. I've been an on and (mostly) off modeler for the past several years but doing a 1/48 B-17 has been a project I've been researching for a number of years now so over the past 10 years or so I've acquired most of the detail sets for the Monogram kit and and attempted to start that last year but I think I tried to do too much with it and my modeling skills weren't quite where they needed to be to turn that kit into what I had in mind so it got stashed away. Then around Christmas I saw HK came out with a 1/48 kit and after doing a little research I sprung for it and am quite happy I did. Yes, there are a couple inaccuracies like the rear fuselage being slightly too fat and the out engine nacelles sitting a tad high but those don't really bother and quite honestly after having the kit in my hands, I don't think they'll be all that noticeable when the model is finished. The ultimate goal for me is to build a diorama with this. I've done a fair bit of research on the particular plane I'm doing and the history of it is pretty interesting. One such part of that history that I plan to capture is a particular mission in which it had two engines knocked out by flak over France and it had to make an emergency landing at RAF Thorney Island. So that will be challenging but I'm up for it. The plane comes first though. I plan on going slow with this and will be going over the top detailing wise when you take into account what can actually be seen but I've always wanted to go all out on a B-17 and I don't have many other kits I plan on building so I have no problem spending some money on aftermarket bits. I'll start by pointing out the parts of the kit that aren't accurate for an "early" G. 1.) The radio room gun would not have been enclosed on early Gs. The set up was much the same as an F with the hatch open and the gun mounted on a ring that slid back and forth for storage. 2.) The wing tip tokyo tank vents were also not present on early Gs. These were added later and from the pictures I've seen, the two vent version located more in the middle of the wingtip seemed to be more common. 3.) The outer ball turret supports, parts V17 and V18, are incorrect for a G. Fs had the spherical housing over the support but Gs did not. I'm not sure how I'll tackle that yet. 4.) This isn't really an inaccuracy, but the antennas were not a one size fits all deal in that all planes had them....referencing prototype photos is a good idea for these. But all in all I'm really liking the kit and its been pretty fun so far. I'm starting by making the major modifications. The plane I'm building was the last B-17G-25-DL built which was the first production block to incorporate staggered waists windows, so I filled in the kit opening with sheet styrene and carefully cut out the new opening. It's just rough so far and I till need to enlarge it height wise but at least its there. Once the fuselage is closed I'll have to re-rivet the area but that shouldn't be too difficult. MRB_7054 by Matt Bourke, on Flickr MRB_7050 by Matt Bourke, on Flickr I also cut away the elevators from the horizontal stabilizers so I can reposition them in the down position. The other main mod that I think will go a long ways towards having a more accurate looking plane is lowering the landing gear. This photo is post-mod, but both the lowered and raised gears were modeled fully extended which would not be accurate for a plane on the ground. I cut away the entire torsion link assembly since they were undersized anyways and then made a cut at the top of the oleo flush with the collar and then removed about 2.5mm of material if I recall correctly. I was eyeballing prototype photos and I think this looks good for an unloaded aircraft. I then squared up both pieces and then drilled out the center of each piece then CA'ed a piece of brass rod for a strong, solid joint. I replaced part of the torsion links with pieces from the Monogram gears and still have yet to replace the oleo scissors with some styrene. Landing Gear by Matt Bourke, on Flickr Right now, my focus is on the cockpit. Like I said before, I'm probably going over the top but detailing like this is therapy to me and I enjoy it. The center throttle quadrant left a bit to be desired so I've modified it a bit by cutting away the bottom front of it then gluing in some styrene and shaping it into what it should look like. The back part of the top was also cut away and replaced with a portion of a True Details console as I liked the 3D detail better than the kit and also better than what Eduard offers for photoetch. Speaking of Eduard, the sides and top of the console as well as the floor of the cockpit have PE pieces which look pretty good to me. I still have to add all sorts of lever but that will come later. The control columns for the pilot and copilot will also need a little work since I'm not too big on how they look. Center Console by Matt Bourke, on Flickr The seats were next. I tried my hand at using Milliput for the first time to make the seat cushions and I'm pretty happy with how they turned out. I still have some areas to clean up with a file but they're done for now too (they're not glued to the armor yet, just stuck on with blue tack). Seats by Matt Bourke, on Flickr That's all I've got so far. I'm currently tinkering with the sidewalls. I cut away the half relief oxygen canisters and will be replacing them with Resin2Detail tanks. I'm also trying to replicate the fabric covering on the sidewalls with some aluminum foil. As for markings, the plane I'm doing is "Man O War II" from the 91st BG. The 91st memorial website was down for a while but just recently got back up so right now I'm sifting through the daily mission reports trying to learn more about the crew. If you click on the flickr link, I've included a brief history of the plane in the description for those who are interested. The first "Man O War" lasted only one mission but the 2nd was a bit luckier and managed to complete 77 missions before being shot down. I'm modeling it in late April of 1944 (before the red tail surfaces) when it had between 20-25 missions to its name and was still being flown by the original crew. Original Crew of B-17G-25-DL "Man O War II" by Matt Bourke, on Flickr

Greetings Friends! Here is my latest model completion... The HK Models 1/48 B-17F Memphis Belle... What a kit! It took me full time 3 weeks to build this! I had 2 weeks off between jobs which helped! This is basically OOB with the only changes being the excellent Eduard 'Look' Instrument panel and pilot seat belts. The other change related to decals. The Kit comes with excellent Memphis Belle decals by cartograph. However, the insignias are not properly drawn. The Star was not symmetrical! I substituted kits world Insignia and used the rest of the excellent stencil kit they sell for B-17F's. Otherwise kit decals were great! I attempted to paint it like it appeared in the US Bond drive where there are many photos of all angles of the Belle. The appearance changed a little, and at some point the ship got a repainted or new vertical fin. There are some airframe patches around the plane that I tried to replicate. The paint is Gunsie Mr. Color, Olive Drab C12 and Dark Green C302. The Underside Grey is Testor's Model Master AMC Grey. I hope you like it and leave comments... Hope you guys try and tackle a B-17 in 1/48! Last one I did was the Monogram in the 1970's! It's like a rite of passage for a modeller! I found out after it was done, that it doesn't fit in my display case! I will have to get a new bigger case for this one!

Available 2Q 2013 - ref. 01E04 - Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress Source: http://www.pacmodels.com/news.php And in German langage (HK Models .de page???) and not yet available in the homepage English version, the first testshot - not prototype - pics! Wingspan: 78,79 cm, Fuselage lenght: 98,80 cm... Don't forget HK Models has a 1/32nd Avro Lancaster and a Gloster Meteor IV in project... V.P.

Boeing B-17 Wheels Block-Tread (648643 for HKM) 1:48 Eduard Brassin 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. As is now usual with Eduard's smaller resin sets, they arrive in the new shallow Brassin cardboard box, with the resin parts safely cocooned in bags, and the instructions folded around acting as padding. One bag contains three wheels on their own pour blocks, plus two more blocks with four hub parts that are added once removed from their blocks. The tail wheel is a separate part, and all three have a slight weighing at the bottom to represent the weight of the airframe on them. All wheels are incredibly detailed from tread to hubs and sidewall contours, with manufacturer and stencil data in raised writing, all perfectly crisp and legible. In addition, a set of kabuki tape pre-cut masks are included for all three wheels, allowing you to cut the demarcation cleanly with little effort. Review sample courtesy of

This is my second build of this magnificent kit of my one of my favourite Boeings. Extras included Master metal MG barrels, Yahu instrument panel, HGW fabric seatbelts, Master Details nose turret zip inserts, nose defrost pipe, control columns. Kits world decals. I did a build video series on YT if anyone's interested https://youtu.be/m-ncuQwvgcI Displayed with her sister ship "a bit o'lace" which I did earlier this year and motorised, but this one is just static. I just had to have a metal one and an OD one, but that's me done for big bombers now as have no more room (this is the only kit I know of supplied with these ingenious wall mounts). I know there's a nasty gap from the top section, but I am living with it as I value being able to pop the top off and look at the inside. Normally that kind of work is lost forever. Thanks for looking.

I've never built 1/32 before, so why not jump in at the deep end with a Lancaster. I received this kit for my 18th in May, to build as a summer project before going to uni. Considering the largest kit I've built is a 1/72 Victor, this is a pretty big step up in size from anything I've previously done. It should be fun, I love large models and heavy bomber aircraft, and even more so when it's British. Just a shame there's not a nice 1/32 Vulcan in injection moulded plastic to go with it.... Anyway, I'm sure you've probably seen the box art for this kit before. Good box art of PO•S, but that's not the one I'm going to build. There are a few airframes I'm considering, I'm still yet to decide finally on what I want to do. I want one with the following features: H2S radar Flat canopy sides (absolute must) Early small nose blister No Sqn codes (just a roundel and serial on the side) Definitely no nose art I've not found one with the exact features I want, but I've found some that are pretty close. These are currently the two favourites: ED696: DV170 (no H2S) EDIT: no longer a candidate, engine nacelles are a later type which aren't in the kit If anyone can give any further ideas for airframes that closely fit the criteria, it would be hugely appreciated. I started construction yesterday and built the pilot's seat, the padding will be left unglued until it's painted, that will also make fitting the etched seatbelts a bit easier. Next job, prepare these parts for Eduard etch pieces. Say goodbye to most of that raised detail because it's going. I'm holding off on painting anything as long as possible because of the heat and humidity right now

The most expensive kit with the most extras I’ve ever tackled. Painted in mostly Alclad airframe aluminium but weathered with the kitchen sink. Master Details pilots navigator & radio operator, brass gun barrels, magic scale modelling light & sound kit, brassin resin wheels. If you decide to watch the video at the end be sure to turn the sound up! Thanks for looking. She’s a bit of a modelling cliche but I love the scheme so here’s my main reference pic: couple of views from before I sealed her up Here she is in action

This was my Christmas present from the missus (thank god I'm through the socks & undies stage of life ) . I've been umming and arring about whether to start this or the 1/48 B-24 in the stash, but this has won. I spent an hour or so removing all the little sprue bits that festooned the fuselage parts and have taped the big bits together because I never grew up and just needed to see it so! Glad I did, it looks gorgeous in the flesh. EDIT:I couldn’t sleep tonight so been looking for schemes and decided on The Swoose based in Italy, a nice weathered bird so should have fun on the paint work The real aircraft I have only managed to find two photo's so far, but it has some unusual art work positioning which stood out and an opportunity to practice faded olive drab along with a plash of colour on the rudder. There's a great profile on Mark Stylings website, I hope he is OK with me taking a snippet as I've put a link to the original to respect his copywrite. All I've found out so far is that it was salvaged 16th May 1945, so if anyone can shed any light on it's operational career, I'd be most welcoming of your research. The kit And just look at these instructions, lovely! Cheers Neil

After its 1/32nd B-17E/F Flying Fortress, Meteor F.4 & Lancaster Mk.III, Hong Kong Models is now working on a 1/32nd Dornier Do.335B-2 Pfeil kit - ref.01E07. Source: http://modelforum.cz/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=68170&start=3060 V.P.

'The Swoose II' B-17G-30-BO 772 BS / 463rd Bomb Group The name Swoose originated from a B-17D that was one of 19 out of 35 Fortresses in the Philippine Islands that survived ground attacks from Japanese forces on the 8th Dec '41 shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbour. It was given it's name by Captain Weldon Smith following repairs undertook in Australia in January 1942 where the tail of another aircraft was grafted on, the name being derived from 'Half swan, half goose' inspired by a song at the time called 'Alexander the Swoose' about such a bird! The aircraft was later flown by Captain Frank Kurtz choosing the aircraft as a personal transport for General George Brett. Later in 1944, Kurtz commanded the 463rd BG in Italy as part of the 15th AF and had a B-17G named after after his earlier aircraft, Christened by his wife 'Swoose II' shown in the photo above. It survived the war and was eventually salvaged in May '45 despite a few scrapes along the way. When I heard that HKM were releasing this in 48th scale, I had to get my hands on one. I had been planning to build the Monogram one, but kept stalling because of the work that would need to be involved to get it to a decent finish although the shape is very good. The HK kit goes together very well and the nose shape was corrected following the evident inaccuracies of the 1/32 kit. The only major issue in my opinion is engines being about 3mm too high, but I decided to leave as they are to prevent ruining surface detailing. It's been a pleasure to build and has plenty of detail straight from the box. As with most builds, I try something new. This was the first model I've painted with the MRP paints which are a delight to use although due to not being happy with the shades used, I ended up going over it with a mix of Tamiya paints - mainly khaki lightened with some white. Another step forwards was a rather heavy weathering approach, particularly on the under surfaces where photo's show a lot of mud splatter. I used a toothbrush at the suggestion from @Josip and following reference pics from @Rakovica. The build can be seen here Anyway, here's the finished result. I appreciate some don't like excessive weathering, but I've tried to replicate what I've seen on photo's of weathered B-17's. Cheers Neil

Avro Lancaster B Mk.I Nose Art Kit (01E033) 1:32 HK Models The Lancaster was a development from the two-engined Manchester, which was always an unsatisfactory aircraft. The Manchester was a response to the air force's obsession with twin-engined bombers in the 30s, which would have required engines of greater power than were available at the time, and led to a change in mindset due to the comparative success of our allies with four-engined bombers. Rather than start from scratch, AVRO simply re-designed the Manchester by adding an extra wing section between the inner engine and the outer, thereby extending the wing and improving both lift and power output substantially – of course it wasn't that simple. AVRO's chief designer, the incredible Roy Chadwick submitted this design to the specification that also brought forth the designs for the Halifax and the Stirling, in a sort-of prequel to the post-war V-bombers, where the Government gave the go-ahead for all three due to the untried technology being used. The use of the then-new Merlin engine with its previously unheard-of power output put the Lancaster's various capabilities into alignment and created a rather impressive "heavy". After renaming the initial prototype Manchester III to Lancaster perhaps to distance it from its less-than-stellar twin-engined sibling, the prototype first flew in 1941, partially due to the fact that AVRO had already been working on improving the performance of the Manchester, and partly because of the urgent need for a heavy bomber capable of taking the fight (and a lot of bombs) to Berlin. A large contract for over 1,000 Lancasters was soon forthcoming, and further production was begun at AVRO Canada after an airframe was flown to them as a pattern for production. The quality of the eventual design was such that very few noticeable differences were made between the initial and later variants, with cosmetic changes such as side windows and the enlarged bomb-aimer's window being some of the few that were readily seen if we ignore the specials. The main wartime alternative to the B.I was the B.III, which differed mainly by having license-built engines that were manufactured in the US by Packard, with over 3,000 built. The installation was so close to the original, that a B.I could easily be retrofitted with a Packard built Merlin with very little problem. There were of course the "Specials" such as the Dambusters and Grandslam versions, but other than 300 or so of the Hercules radial engine Lancs, most of the in-service machines looked very similar. At the end of WWII the Lancaster carried on in service in some shape or form for long after hostilities ceased, with a name change to Lincoln when the design became mostly unrecognisable, and later the spirit of the original design lingering on in the Shackleton, which retired in the mid 1980s, 40 years after the end of WWII. The Kit The origins of this kit are the full 1:32 HK Models Lancaster B Mk.I that we reviewed here, where I pinched the preamble and some of the pictures from in case you were wondering (why reinvent the wheel?). This reduction to just the nose of that kit worked out beautifully due to the convenient break in the fuselage just past the leading edge of the wing. It’s a big portion of the detail however, as evidenced by the hefty 171 kit parts, which includes a sprue of new parts that have been tooled specifically to act as a convenient support trolley to hold the finished model. A lot of modellers have expressed an interest in the kit but baulked at the size of this well-known heavy in 1:32, and so the nose with the all-important cockpit was requested from HK Models and the other company that was planning a big Lanc, who sadly went into administration at the start of the current Covid-19 crisis. HKM have obliged with this new boxing, reusing the nose area of the artwork as well as the majority of sprues, plus the aforementioned trolley sprue, some new decals that only cover the necessary area (who has roundels on their nose?), plus a wee-small clear sprue that holds a couple of new parts. So what’s in the box? It’s not a head, so don’t fret. There are seven sprues in grey styrene and two nose halves in the same colour, two sprues of clear parts and a bonus clear starboard fuselage half to show off all your hard work, the original sheet of Photo-Etch (PE) brass containing seatbelts etc., a decal sheet and finally the new shorter instruction manual. Everything is bagged either in pairs or separately for protection, and the clear parts have additional sticky clear sheets attached to the more vulnerable areas to ensure that the parts arrive in pristine condition with no chaffing. Detail is just as good as before as you’d expect, as you can see from the pic of some of the cockpit parts below. Construction begins with the cockpit. I know, shocker, right? The prominent pilot's seat, which is made up of a substantial number of parts including PE seatbelts is large and has a highly visible location within the cockpit aperture. The cockpit floor is on two levels, and is fitted out with various equipment, including the radio-operator's station, the pilot's seat and control column on the upper level, and the instrument panel, which has controls, rudder pedals and other parts added along the way, being added to the assembly along with the side walls that have instruments moulded in, and a small extension to the front bulkhead beneath the instrument panel. More instrumentation is added to both sides of the nose interior, and if you are using the grey styrene parts, you'll need to add all the clear side windows. Attention turns toward the nose turret, with the detailed interior made up before it is cocooned inside the front and rear halves of the glazing, and as is standard with HK models, the gun barrels are separate parts that can be added later after painting, which is always good to see. The Canadian airframe has some slight colour variations inside, and needs a few holes drilling, which is covered in a scrap diagram showing which areas are painted black and interior green, with separate call-outs for the various areas of the assembly as construction proceeds, then the halves are joined and some small parts are fitted in the upper cockpit, the fairing at the base of the nose turret is inserted, and the glazing under the nose is also glued in, with a choice of two styles, the circular insert being for the Canadian version. The big glazed canopy appears almost complete as it comes off the sprues, but there are two openable panels that are separate, and the additional vision blisters need adding to the large side frames for all but the Canadian option, which is probably best done with a non-solvent adhesive to avoid fogging. I'll be using either GS-Hypo, or even Klear when the time comes, although be wary when you pull off the masking so you don't also pull off the blister if you use the latter. A small forest of antennae are fitted to the exterior depending on your decal choice, then it’s time to build up the trolley. In terms of display options, it’s your only one unless you plan on building some kind of placard or base, so let’s get on with, as the DIY solution sounds too complicated. The floor is made from two layers of framework that are laminated to create a deeper frame, and hide the ejector pin marks on the mating surface. To be certain of a good fit however, it would be wise to at least flatten them off and test-fit them in place to achieve a good join. Four castor wheels and their yokes are made up next, and they are joined by struts slotted through the frame with little round feet to take the weight off the castors and to make sure the trolley doesn’t go anywhere unexpectedly. The corners of the frame have verticals with supports added, then the finished model can be slotted in between them, relying on styrene’s flexibility to safely insert the lateral pegs into the holes in the nose. Markings The new decal sheet has some elements of the original boxing, but with a lady in white added so that you can depict one of four airframes: B MK.I R5868/OL-Q, No.83 Sqn. RAF, Wyton UK, June 1943 B MK.I R5868/PO-S, No.467 Sqn. RAAF, Waddington UK, May 1944 B MK.I W4783/AR-G, No.460 Sqn. RaAF, Binbrook UK, May 1944 B MK.I RF128/QB-V, No.424 Sqn. RCAF, Skipton-on-Swale UK, Spring 1945 Each aircraft is painted in the same green/brown over black with a high demarcation, although the location of the dark green sections are different on two of the machines. The decals and painting guides are shown on a series of three drawings showing left, right and overhead with the decals shown using numbers, while the colours are marked in letters, both in triangles. The fact that the drawings are in greyscale doesn’t really matter given the relatively small variations and low decal count, but you've also got the colour one above now too. The colours are called out by name plus AK Interactive, Tamiya and Gunze brands, which shouldn’t be difficult to find in any brand, although the Tamiya mix for Dark Earth involves mixing four colours to achieve one. I was sure that Tamiya now have a Dark Earth and Dark Green in their range now. Did I imagine that? Decals are by Cartograf, which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. Conclusion Every home should have a big Lancaster, but if you’re short on space this is the perfect compromise, with lots of detail and still with a lot of the presence of the full kit. There is already plenty of aftermarket devoted to the cockpit of the original kit that will fit this one, so you can start straight away, even if you’re addicted to aftermarket like a lot of us. Very highly recommended. Available soon from all good model shops. Review samples courtesy of

Hey all, Whilst scrolling across Facebook this morning I happened upon this little message from the HK Models Facebook Page (Link for original post) Hopefully, judging from their current profile pic of a Phantom FGR.2 we may be seeing some large scale RAF/FAA Phantoms? Sam

AVRO Lancaster B Mk.1 (01E010) 1:32 HK Models The Lancaster was a development from the two-engined Manchester, which was always an unsatisfactory aircraft. The Manchester was a response to the air force's obsession with twin-engined bombers in the 30s, which would have required engines of greater power than were available at the time, and led to a change in mindset due to the comparative success of our allies with four-engined bombers. Rather than start from scratch, AVRO simply re-designed the Manchester by adding an extra wing section between the inner engine and the outer, thereby extending the wing and improving both lift and power output substantially – of course it wasn't that simple. AVRO's chief designer, the incredible Roy Chadwick submitted this design to the specification that also drew the designs for the Halifax and the Stirling, in a sort-of prequel to the post-war V-bombers, where the Government gave the go-ahead for all three due to the untried technology. The use of the then-new Merlin engine with its previously unheard of power output put the Lancaster's various capabilities into alignment and created a rather impressive "heavy". After renaming the initial prototype Manchester III to Lancaster perhaps to distance it from its less-than-stellar twin-engined sibling, the design first flew in 1941, partially due to the fact that AVRO had already been working on improving the performance of the Manchester, and partly because of the urgent need for a heavy bomber capable of taking the fight (and a lot of bombs) to Berlin. A large contract for over 1,000 Lancasters was soon forthcoming, and further production was begun at AVRO Canada after an airframe was flown to them as a pattern for production. The quality of the eventual design was such that very few noticeable differences were made between the initial and later variants, with cosmetic changes such as side windows and the enlarged bomb-aimer's window being some of the few that were readily seen if we ignore the specials. The main wartime alternative to the B.I was the B.III, which differed mainly by having license built engines that were manufactured in the US by Packard, with over 3,000 built. The installation was so close to the original, that a B.I could easily be retrofitted with a Packard built Merlin with very little problem. There were of course the "Specials" such as the Dambusters and Grandslam versions, but other than 300 or so of the Hercules radial engine Lancs, most of the in-service machines looked very similar. At the end of WWII the Lancaster carried on in service in some shape or form for long after hostilities ceased, with a name change to Lincoln when the design became mostly unrecognisable, and later the spirit of the original design lingering on in the Shackleton, which retired in the mid 1980s, 40 years after the end of WWII. The Kit We have been waiting a long time for this model from HK Models, and there has been much written about it over the years since its original announcement. After a long hiatus where little was heard of the kit, they came back with a much improved design that they were working toward releasing, when another manufacturer sprang a surprise announcement that took some of the wind out of their sails. They have progressed quickly however and have now brought their product to market well in advance of the competition, which should result in good sales as many modellers will be keen as mustard to acquire a 1:32 Lancaster. A 1:32 Lancaster, by golly!!!!! As mentioned in my review of the recent Hobby Boss B-24J review, the 1:32 modeller is pretty well spoiled by comparison to his or her former selves only a few years previously. Never mind golden, we're in a platinum age of modelling! As you can imagine, the model arrives in a large box, and it's well-stocked with plastic. You may have heard that the initial issue will be doubly-blessed by including an additional clear fuselage and nose section for a transparent model should you wish – this is the edition that we will be reviewing, although at some point these will run out and the unbadged boxes will be all that are left with no clear fuselages inside. My review copy came directly from HK in its own box, so rather than benefiting from the "herd" protection offered to models stacked together in a container, it had to suffer the slings and arrows of careless handlers on its journey from the Far East, which resulted in a few parts being damaged. Always check your models when they arrive anyway, as you never can tell what's happened to it in transit. The box contains forty-two sprues of grey styrene, plus two fuselage halves, two nose halves and two wings, two clear sprues and if you're getting the special edition clear fuselage edition, the same fuselage and nose parts in clear. When I say "same" I mean the same shape. The external detail that would reduce transparency have been omitted from the clear parts, so have clearly been moulded in separate moulds. There is also a small sheet of Photo-Etch (PE) brass parts, two decal sheets plus a tiny addendum sheet, and finally a veritable tome of an instruction booklet. First impressions? We'll ignore the sheer size of it, and note that the external detail is neat, crisp and of varying thicknesses and depth to improve the detail, with many rivets to entertain the eye. In addition, clever moulding techniques have been used to improve detail and reduce work for the modeller. The wings of the model are both moulded as single parts, with the trailing edges open to receive the flying surface detail, a set of hollow wingtips, hollow barrels and other slide-moulding tricks to improve your experience. The clear parts are incredibly bright and smooth, extending from the smallest parts to the special edition fuselage parts that you can see in the accompanying pictures. A full interior, detailed cockpit and turrets, bomb bay with contents and a full set of engines also bring yet more detail to the party, plus dropped flaps and poseable flying surfaces. The instructions seem to be a little prone to flitting from area to area at times, but for the most part this makes sense later when they are brought together. Construction begins of course with the interior, and starts at the front with the pilot's seat, which is made up of a substantial number of parts including PE seatbelts as it is large and has a prominent location within the cockpit aperture. The cockpit floor is on two levels, and is fitted out with various equipment, including the radio-operator's station, the pilot's seat and control column on the upper level, and the instrument panel, which has controls, rudder pedals and other parts added along the way, being added to the assembly along with the side walls that have instruments moulded in, and a small extension to the front bulkhead beneath the instrument panel. More instrumentation is added to both sides of the nose interior of choice, and if you are using the grey styrene parts, you'll need to add the clear side windows. A scrap diagram shows which areas are painted black and interior green, with separate call-outs for the various areas of the assembly as construction proceeds, but the halves are not yet joined. Attention turns toward the nose turret, with the detailed interior made up before it is cocooned inside the front and rear halves of the glazing, and as is standard with HK models, the gun barrels are separate parts that can be added later after painting, which is always good to see. The big glazed canopy appears almost complete as it comes off the sprues, but there are two openable panels that are separate, and the additional vision blisters need adding to the large side frames, which is probably best done with a non-solvent adhesive to avoid fogging. I'll be using either GS-Hypo, or even Klear when the time comes, although be wary when you pull off the masking so you don't also pull off the blister! Now for the rudders at the opposite end of the airframe. These are made traditionally from two halves each, but with a bull-nosed section glued to the front to mimic the aerodynamics of the real thing, plus horn balances and trim-actuators. The elevators get the same treatment minus the leading edge section, and their fins are fitted out with hinge-points before being closed up and added to the elevators. The rudder and elevator panels are joined together with a large tab, and they too are set aside while the mid-upper and tail turrets are built up along the same lines as the nose turret, complete with separate barrels, and in the case of the rear turret, the prominent c-shaped chutes under the gun barrel slots, which are PE. Bombs! They're also done at this stage, with eighteen plus a single Cookie for the centre of the bomb bay. The smaller bombs have two halves and a separate fin ring, while the Cookie is just a two-part cylinder with pegs poking out from the inside that affix it to the bay. About that bomb bay. The cockpit floor doubles as the forward part of the bay, while the next assembly is built upon the aft section, which is joined later on. Equipment, storage and ammo boxes are added along with a funny-looking chaise-longue affair, then a short bulkhead is glued to the rear so that a curved floor section can be installed and joined up. When the full interior is together, the long ammo feeds are added to the aft, and the bomb bay sides are fitted to the now complete bomb bay. The interior is pretty much done, save for the details that are mounted to the fuselage, of which there are plenty. The long rows of clear windows are first, with the aft hatch, the "Window" dispenser chute, fake tail spar and the plinth for the tail turret all fitted and painted along with the interior, which has lots of nice ribbing detail moulded into it, as you can see from the pictures. The nose section is mated to each fuselage half and then glued together around the interior, and if you're planning on using the clear fuselage, your choice of glue will be most important here so that you don't end up with a horrible hazy fuselage. You'll have noted by now that all the external detail moulded into the grey styrene isn't present on the clear parts to better preserve its clarity so that you can see all your hard work more clearly. With the fuselage closed and two inserts added to the underside at the front, you are directed to fill up the bomb bay with those bombs you made up earlier. Adding the bombs will also save you from having to clean up the ejector pin marks that are hidden between the ribs, which is never a pleasant task from experience. The bay doors are split into two parts, and can be posed open or closed, simply by removing the tabs along the hinge-line. For the open option, leave the tabs on, and add the two end bulkheads that have the actuators moulded in and set the doors to the correct angle. The fixed tail wheel, three identification lights and a towel-rail aerial are installed at the rear, then the fuselage is flipped over and the top is detailed with circular window inserts (including the dingy hatch), DF loop inside the rear of the cockpit, plus a gaggle of other aerials. A couple of last detail parts are added to the starboard interior of the cockpit, a bulkhead inserted behind the nose turret, that distinctive bomb-aimer's window at the nose, some small parts on the bomb bay doors, and moving aft the fairing around the mid-upper turret, then the rear turret is dropped into place. Keeping the turret theme, the mid-upper and nose turrets are dropped in, and the main canopy is fitted. Moving swiftly on, the nose turret is then pinned in place by adding in the fairing with the pivot fairing, which is a delicate part and will need protecting from handling. My part didn't survive shipping, but it's easy enough to put it back together again, as I found with my broken nose section (did you spot the damage to that?). Those tail fins (remember them?) are inserted into the depression, securing tightly with two pegs at the bottom of the well. Another few small parts are added around the bay including some PE parts, and then the fuselage is set to one side while the engines and wings are constructed. The Lanc has four Merlins, and each of those is identical, but their mounting into the nacelles is another matter. There are two types of mount, and these are then mirrored, giving four individual designs in total. The engines are each made up from a healthy number of parts, with individual exhaust stacks with hollow tips thanks to slide-moulding. Take care assembling the four engine mounts, as they are all quite similar, but a slip here will cause you trouble later on. The engines and their accessories behind are encased in the mounts and set aside while the main landing gear is built up. The wheels are both made up from two halves, having no tread as was common during the war and a flat, weighted patch to add a little realism. The wheels are fitted into the right-hand side of the leg, joined by the cross-braces, and trapped in place by the left side and a couple of small braces. Times two, of course. After this interlude, the aft sections of the outer nacelles are assembled, beginning with a large tank sat on a trestle between the tubular frame. A firewall fits to the front of this, and the engine mounts slide into the front, with the aft section of the cowling enclosing this. The front cowling is optional, and can be omitted if you want to show off your work on the engines, or glue them in after putting the two-part flame dampers on each of the side panels. The lower cowling with the intake for the radiator is separate from the rest of the chin, and should show the radiator panel slung under the engine earlier once complete. These nacelles are finished off with a spinner backplate, an outlet and intake underneath, and then they get set to one side while the inner nacelles are built up. The inner nacelles house the gear bays, which fit against the underside of the top skin of the wing, and it is this section that is made first. The inner skin has stringers moulded-in, and two large ribs are added along with a rear bulkhead and smaller front bulkhead. Again, the engine is attached to its firewall, but this time it is enclosed in its cowling and spinner backplate and given its intake/outlets before it is attached to the aft section. The two rear fairings are prepared by adding some tankage in the front, next to the moulded-in detail of the zig-zag structure at the sides of each bay. The bay roof is fitted to the port side, and hemmed in by the starboard. If you are modelling your Lanc in-flight, cut off the tabs of the bay doors and fit them in place and you're done. If you are going for the wheels-down option, the gear assembly is installed into the bay before the starboard fairing is glued in-place, then a small set of notches are made in the edges of the bay sides to accept the bay doors. The engine assembly joins the aft section to complete the inner engine nacelles, which must then wait until the wings have been prepared with flying surfaces and other such details. The wings are each moulded as a single part, with the top and bottom surfaces as a single part, which is a little disturbing initially, as it looks like you're missing some parts! They are effectively an almost closed clamshell that is open at the rear where the flaps and ailerons will go later. Each wing also has a separate tip, which is slide-moulded as one hollow part, and has a cut-out for a clear formation light, and a stepped contact patch to make for a stronger bond. With these joined, the aileron "bay" is closed at the rear by adding a long narrow part that spaces the wings correctly. Two single-piece flap bays are then slid into the remaining trailing edge space, and a wing root insert is added at the open wing root. There are three aerodynamic fairings spaced between the nacelles that aren't yet present, and before these are dropped into place, a rectangular part is fitted to the circular hole in the outer nacelle slot. Then it should be a matter of inserting the two nacelles into their recesses and applying plenty of glue to hold them in place. The flaps are in two sections like their bays, and the outer section is a single part, while the inner section has the tapered rear of the nacelle added before it is fixed in place, which is where you have options. To add them stowed, you just glue them in place across the flap bays, and to show them deployed there are slender actuators that glue into gaps in the ribs, then fix into the inside of the flaps to hold them at the correct angle. The Ailerons are each a single hollow part with a separate front section plus an actuator, which attach to the wing via two hinge-points that are glued into slots in the trailing edge of the wing. To finish off each wing, the two top cowlings are fixed to the nacelles, and a couple of small parts are attached to the leading edge. That's the wing done, and as you may remember there are two of them, so you'll need to do that twice, with one being a mirror image of the other. Four engines means four props unless your Lanc is broken, and here you have a choice of paddle or needle-bladed props, three of which fit onto each of four central bosses, and are covered with the spinner. They fit onto the nacelles via the four pins protruding from the nacelles. The final act is to fit the wings to your creation, which should be a doddle, and won't even require any glue, unless you never want to remove them again. The root inserts you innocently inserted earlier have a set of slots moulded-in, and these match the lugs that are moulded into the fuselage at the wing roots. You simply align them with each other, and pull the wing backwards to lock them. It's that simple, and if you're one of us mere mortals that doesn't have infinite storage space, you can take off the wings any time and stow them in a smaller space. I wish that Hobby Boss had the same thought when they were doing their B-24J that I reviewed recently. Markings The Lancaster B.Mk.Is usually wore a fairly standard finish of Night (a matt blackish shade) with the topsides in a green/dark earth camouflage that had a high demarcation along the fuselage sides. The aircraft were more often than not differentiated by their codes, and by the personalisation and nose art that their crews applied to them, some of which have become quite famous, and for good reason. There are three decal options supplied in the box, and you can build one of the following: B.Mk.I R5868/OL-Q, No.83 Sq. RAF, Wyton, UK, June 1943 B.Mk.I R5868/PO-S, No.467 Sq. (RAAF), Waddington, UK, May 1944 B.Mk.I W4783/AR-G, No.460 Sq. (RAAF), Binbrook, UK, May 1944 There are two decal sheets, which are necessarily large, and a separate page at the rear shows you where to place all the stencils, which are also included. There are a surprisingly large number of them, which should keep you busy for a little while. Decals are by Cartograf, which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. There is a tiny third sheet with the heading "erratum" with a single decal for the dinghy release stencil on the spine of the aircraft. Conclusion It's the first 1:32 Lancaster in injection moulded styrene. It's been a long time coming, and there are bound to be more variants to come, such as the aforementioned Dambusters and Grand Slam versions, plus I'd imagine a B.Mk.III, but if you're after a vanilla Lanc, you can now buy one! There's tons of detail, and by now you've seen a few builds and will know what to watch out for. Careful test fitting and a methodical approach should serve you well though, so don't rush it. Very highly recommended. Review samples courtesy of

I completed this huge model a few months ago - it's the stunning HK Models 1/32nd Lancaster combined with Iconic Air's Dambuster Conversion. The conversion set provides the modified bomb bay set up, the bomb itself, as well as a decal sheet for the 617 Squadron aircraft. I have chosen Maltby's aircraft, coded AJ-J. Paints were from Hannants' Xtracolour range of enamels. Regards, Rob

Source: http://www.merit-int...01E04_01E05.jpg HK Models: http://www.hk-models.com/eng/p2_05.htm V.P.

Im saving up money for model kits rn and I am constantly thinking about the HK Models 1:32 Lancaster, which is not on my list yet, what are your thoughts on the kit and if you have made it by any chance what did you think of the build? Thanks in advance. Levi

Hi chaps. This is going to be my entry into the group build. Hk models 1/32 meteor f.4. I picked this kit up last month, whilst on holiday in briddlington, from croppers models. I've been itching to start it since, and this group build has given me the perfect excuse. Everything comes nicely packaged in a sturdy top opening box. Comes with a massive 1 piece lower wing! 2 individual upper wings. Notice the open engine hatches on the nacelles. I think they might have been intending to supply engine details, but none are included in the kit. There are a couple of really good aftermarket engines, but they are too expensive for my liking. The transparencies are nice and clear, a nice touch is the tape over the main canopy, to protect it from scratches. Nose weight is included too. Decals look nice, although there aren't many of them. As an added bonus, there is a 1/144 meteor kit included, with a little stand, but no decals. Looks to be a nice kit overall, but for a kit this size the parts count is lower than I expected. Matt

Dornier Do.335B-6 Nightfighter (01E021) 1:32 HK Models The Dornier Pfeil (Arrow) lived up to its name, as it was one of the fastest prop-driven aircraft of WWII, however it came too late to the fray to see service in significant numbers, or make a difference to the outcome. Dornier had used the idea of the pusher-pull props on his earlier flying boats, and when asked to design a fast bomber, he experimented with a scale Do.17 fuselage without engine nacelles, but with a prop at the front and rear, which reduced parasitic drag of the nacelles, increased roll rate and removed the dreaded asymmetric thrust experienced when a traditional two-engined aircraft suffered engine failure. After the successful trial he began working on a bomber, but following cancellation of that project by Goering, it morphed into a heavy multi-role fighter. Capable of bearing the newest engines that promised increased power above the 2,000hp level, the lead engine was cowled in a similar fashion to the Ta.152, while the rear engine was buried in a deep fuselage bay, driving the prop by a hollow tubular shaft to reduce weight. The aircraft is a big one due to the additional engine, but it also sits high off the ground on long tricycle gear legs to allow sufficient clearance for the large prop at the rear, which is protected by an additional downward facing fin and rudder, giving the tail a cruciform appearance. Sadly for those testing the Pfeil, this long undercarriage was a source of problems, as it was too weak and prone to failure. Powered by two DB603 engines (the variants differed between airframes), it was capable of around 470mph with boost enabled, and had a good rate of climb. There are stories of it outrunning Allied fighters on the few occasions when they were encountered, including the Hawker Tempest, which was no slouch. Recognising the capability of the 335, the Heinkel He.219 was ordered to be cancelled to concentrate effort on building this promising fighter, but as Mr Heinkel politely ignored these instructions, only a few Pfiels had been built by the time their factory was overrun. The A series were designated for reconnaissance or fighters, both day and night, while the B series were the Zerstörer (destroyer) variant, with two MK103 cannons in the wing leading edges, and two additional fuel tanks to extend its range. Other B variants included the 2-seat night fighter with the radar operator buried in the fuselage behind the pilot, with just an astrodome to look out of, and antennae bristling from the leading edges of the wing. There were plans to uprate the engine, extend the wings, and even place jet engines at the rear, or in pods at the side of the fuselage. There was even a mock-up done of a Zwilling (twin) that would be used for ultra-long range reconnaissance, but due to capitulation by the Nazis, none of these esoteric variants ever saw the light of day. Despite numerous examples being taken as war prizes by the Allies, only one Arrow still exists, which was one of the early A series that were spirited away by the Americans at the end of the war as part of Operation Paperclip. The other airframe they had disappeared somewhere along the line, but 240102 survived and was later restored in Germany, then returned to America where it still resides, next to the only surviving Arado Ar.234. The Kit I can't believe it has been four years now since the release of the initial Zerstorer boxing of this kit, which you can see here if you wanted to have a squint. A lot has gone on in the meantime that has delayed all of HK's projects, most notably their 1:32 Lancaster, but a lot of people will be very glad to see them back producing new kits, and wish them well with these projects, myself included. I'm normally a 1:48 kind of guy, but I make an exception for interesting subjects and this is just one of those that appeals and will look awesome on the shelves when completed. It is a fairly minor re-tool of the original that includes new leading edge inserts that don't have the cannon cowlings moulded in, a new spine to the fuselage to accommodate the 2nd crew member along with a bunch of extras on the same sprue, plus another small sprue of clear parts for the rear seater, and PE belts to keep him in touch with his seat during manoeuvres. The final parts are a set of short wingtips, decals and of course a new sheet of decals for the occasion. The box is long and narrow, and has an atmospheric painting of the subject flying toward us at an angle. Inside are fourteen sprues in mid grey styrene, two clear sprues, two sheets of Photo-Etch (PE) brass, two chunks of white metal nose weight, a large sheet of decals and a rather large instruction booklet that is about the size of a tabloid newspaper (probably a little smaller). Detail is lovely, and has been crammed in everywhere possible, offering various thickness of panel lines, overlapping panels and using sliding moulds to achieve more detail where sensible. The instruction booklet is nicely laid out too, with clean isometric-style drawings showing how to put your Arrow together, with interior detail included on both engines, which have the opportunity of being displayed open due to some separate panels. Construction begins with the spindly-looking early ejector seat that was fitted to the Pfeil (a first in aviation), which has a high part count and some nice PE belts. This is fitted to the rear bulkhead of the cockpit, which then plugs into the front section after you have added rudder pedals, control column and such. The nose gear bay is fabricated from various panels and bulkheads, as is the bomb bay, which in this case houses an extra fuel tank that has been relocated from the spine due to the second crewman. His cockpit is slightly less well-appointed with what appears to be a standard seat with the same belts as the pilot. No doubt he'd be left to make his own way out in the event of an emergency, and would have to hope that the explosive bolts in the tail had done the trick and separated the pilot-dicing prop and cruciform tail fins before he gets out. This and the shortened original fuel tank then fit to the roof of the bomb bay, while the pilot's cockpit glues to the roof of the nose gear bay. Because the model has substantial internal structure, you're going to need to build up the two DB603A engines that push/pull the Pfeil before you even begin to think about closing up the fuselage. It also has a Mustang-like intake under the fuselage that cools the rear engine, so that will need fabricating too. The engines are identical in terms of function, but they aren't interchangeable due to their mounting within the airframe. The forward engine has a fairly standard mount much like you'd see in a fighter, while the aft engine has cranked arm and trestle holding it steady. The blocks are the same, but to fit the mounts, you need to drill out different holes for each engine before you join the two halves together. The aft engine sits on the roof of the bomb bay behind the radar operator, and it is connected to the bulkhead by a couple of hoses, but if you're going to detail them, there are bound to be some additional wires you can add. The forward engine is mounted on the bulkhead of the gun bay, which hides one of the nose weights, the other being hidden inside the forward engine – you did remember to put that in, didn't you? Now is the time to put the assembled interior into the port fuselage half, at which point you may realise that you probably didn't paint enough of the fuselage interior – one of my favourite tricks! The aforementioned ducting slots in behind the main assembly, and this is pierced by drive shaft for the rear prop, with the intake lip added later in the build. A small PE part is lodged deep inside to portray the grille and it's all painted aluminium according to the call-out codes that are scattered throughout the instructions. Now you can close up the fuselage, and soon after the new spine part can be fitted after you have drilled a few version specific holes and fitted the black boxes into the front of the rear cabin. At this stage the top cowling on the nose and front inner cowling can be added too, which then allows you to put the windscreen and instrument panel in place, as well as the gun barrels for the two cowling mounted 20mm cannons and coaxially mounted Mk103 30mm cannon, all of which have slide-moulded hollow tips, although I'd probably be tempted by some lovely Master barrels that will doubtless be available for this variant soon (you can already get AM-32-108 for the Zerstörer, but will have some bits left over). The fuselage has the vertical fins moulded in with separate rudders, and these are fitted along with the elevators, all of which use the same interesting construction method. The main part of these surfaces are slide-moulded as a single hollow part to which you add either a convex leading edge for the flying surfaces, or a concave insert along the trailing edges, so that they can be posed realistically. The elevators also have separate tips to ease moulding of the parts. The radiator flaps that nestle around the empennage can be posed open or closed by adding a small actuator strut, or cutting off the mounting lugs respectively. The tail is finished off with the prop, which is a single part trapped between the fore and aft section of the spinner. Pfeil wings are large, but also thick at the root, as evidenced by the depth of the wheel bays moulded into the upper surface. A short spar was added to the underside of the fuselage interior earlier, and this will enable a good strong mount for the wings later on. First each bay is fitted out with additional detail parts, plus the sockets for the spar that will come in handy later. The lower wing is glued into large pegs in the upper, and both sections have additional strengthening bracing framework moulded into the outer section to prevent the wings from flexing once built. The newly tooled leading-edge insert is installed, and the same technique is used for the flying surfaces, with the addition of a hinge-tab within the flap sections, and separate new short wingtips. Repeat in the mirror for the other wing, and then you'll need to resist the urge to put the wings on whilst you decide whether to follow the instructions and fit the landing gear at this stage. Whether or not you do, the build process is the same, as they can be fitted now or later, although if you're posing your Arrow in flight, you can glue the bay doors in place by just cutting off the hinges on the inner doors. Curiously, the instructions for building the gear is portrayed right-to-left in the instructions, beginning with a small actuator, which is then added to the main leg along with scissor-links and a large ladder-shaped retractor. The two outer doors are captive to the gear leg, and the inner is connected to another H-frame and attached to the bay. The wheels are in four parts, and have a weighted look but no surface details, leaving the door open for Eduard. The hubs are separate, and there is one for each side, repeated again for the other leg. The nose gear is built later in the instructions, but uses essentially the same steps and can be left off until later if you require. Moving back to the fuselage, you can choose to have your Pfeil closed up, or have it all hanging out with canopies and cowlings propped open as if it is being inspected by the guys with the oily rags. The same parts are used for both scenarios, and props are provided all round so that you get them all at the correct angle. The canopy has two separate blister panels on its sides, and opens sideways for exit, leaving the windscreen in place. The observation dome isn't shown open for some reason, so if you wanted that open too, you'll need to research how it hinges. There is also a flush-fitting canopy that can be used instead, and this too isn't shown open. The front cowlings open up like an Fw.190 in gull-wing fashion, as do the smaller doors on the gun pack. The exhausts are each separate parts with hollow tips, and you need to put them in the correct order for accuracy front and rear. The rear engine is exposed by a large angular D-shaped door on each side, with the slot for the exhaust stubs a separate part that fits into the aperture, and on the starboard side has an intake for the supercharger, while the engine in the nose has its intake on the port side. The bomb bay doors can be left open to expose the fuel cell, and has similar slab-like doors to the nose bay, with one each side. The inner doors on the main gear wells also fit to the slot in the fuselage, and on the port side is a fold-away crew access ladder in a small bay of its own, all of which is provided in the kit. These can all be posed closed by removing the hinge tabs. The nose cowling has been made as a three-part assembly, which allows the modeller to change out the cooling flaps part to pose them open or closed, and both have the impression of the annular radiator baths that can be seen through the rear. This subassembly then slides over the cowling fitted to the engine earlier, and the prop is pushed into place after it has been outfitted with a two-part spinner, which is noticeably more rounded than the aft spinner. Two of the decal options are theoretical in-service schemes, so HK have included a pair of drop-tanks, flame-dampers for each of the exhausts, and the four radar antennae that fit to the leading edges of the wings. The antennae are each made from an L-shaped base, with two dipoles each. Those with the longest bases are fitted above and below the starboard wing, while the shorter ones are both fitted to the top of the port wing, spaced apart. The drop tanks are split horizontally, and have sway-braces and a short pylon between them and the wings, attaching by two pins outboard of the landing gear. The flame dampers are each made up from four parts, and one is fitted to each exhaust port on the cowling, with the three-pointed star facing forward. At this stage HK have you bringing the wings together with the fuselage for the first time, but we all know you'll have done this ages ago! A couple of extra pages are devoted to the optional open/closed pose of each section of the airframe which initially confused me a little, but then that's easy to do. Markings There are three markings options from the box, two of which are marked as "what-if", the last one being a real-world captured example that was in France's possession at the time. If you don't like squiggle or mottle, you'd best either make up your own equally valid camo, or do the French one, which was all-over khaki. From the box you can build one of the following: Do.335B-6 W.Nr. 240312, 1./NjGr.10, Germany, Summer 1945 – RLM76 Light Blue with RLM75 Grey Violet mottle. Do.335B-6 W.Nr. 240371, 2.NJG 11, Eastern Front, Autumn 1945 – RLM81 Brown Violet and RLM82 Light Green splinter over RLM65 Light Blue with RLM76 Light Blue squigle on the top surfaces. Do.335 M17, W.Nr. 230017, CEV, Brétigny-Sur-Orge, France, 1947 – all-over Khaki. Decals are by Cartograf, which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. There are a number of stencils provided, plus an instrument decal for the pilot's cockpit, which can either be used intact, or you can punch out the dials and use them individually. You could also use them as a base for applying the more detailed decals that are produced by our friends at Airscale, who do a Luftwaffe instrument panel sheet in 1:32. Conclusion It has taken a while, but the wait has been worth it, and we're one step closer to the Anteater 2-seat trainer, which is my personal favourite variant. It's a big aircraft, and in this scale it makes an impressive model when completed, with superb detail throughout and a simple build process that shouldn't faze anyone that has built a few models already. Extremely highly recommended. Review samples courtesy of

Hi folks, I'm new here but I've been working on the new Mossie kits since they came out. I was fortunate enough to get the Tamiya kit in early July thanks to them arriving here in Canada so early. I have both kits well under way so the first couple of posts are bringing things up to date. Otherwise I don't build that quickly. Here's the obligatory box shot: This is the HK box on top of the Tamiya one. There is quite a size difference between the two.