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Hello! Here's my recent project, the iconic P-51D Mustang, the Very Long Range version, operating from Iwo Jima. Kit is Eduard's Tales from Iwo Jima, 1/48. Since is the profiback box, it comes with resin wheels, masks and a lot of PE. Plus, the decals are those you can pell off the film after applied, provided you take some care. You can choose among lots of schemes, all of them very nice and colorful, as they were those days. I've decide to weather mine quiet a bit. After all, fighting from those sandy/dusty/sunny/rainy airstrips, and enduring very long sorties to Japan mainland, escorting B-29's, must have beaten them up hard, I suppose. Apart from the requirement for you to bend a tiny clear part for the landing light (of course, it broke), it all went well. And a few decals, although in general good, simply disintegrated when wet. Talking about decals, I've used one with wood pattern in that twin antennae set behind the cockpit. They were for the Uncle Dog navigation radio set and made of wood! This system allowed the VLR Mustangs to find the B-29s they were escorting, and to find their way back to Iwo Jima. Hope you enjoy! Cheers! George

USS Iwo Jima LHD 7 Eduard 1:350 Big Ed Sets Eduard previously released these six sets individually for Revells USS Iwo Jima LHD-7 and now have packaged up into two Big Ed sets. The complete offering will go a long way to superdetailing your museum class model of this great looking ship. Set 1 includes:- Flags (53180) - The four flags are beautifully painted and will look great on either an ensign staff or in the battle ensign position. To use, just cut the chosen flag from the sheet and wrap it around your favourite rigging material. How you get the wavy flapping effect is entirely up to you, but it may take a bit of experimentation to get the desired effect. Part 1 (53181) - The LCAC’s each receive a whole raft of replacement parts for the superstructures on each side. Before the etched parts can be attached though, a lot of the plastic detail needs to be removed. The PE parts include a new control cabin, air intakes, exhausts, navigation radar and support, exhaust openings, watertight doors, railings, vertical ladders, superstructure brace supports, masts, and liferings. The cushion section and transport deck also receive new railings, along with stowage boxes, cleats, filter boxes and air conditioning units and the fans intake grills. The LCU’s are even more extensively modified with the whole superstructure replaced with a PE part which will require some very careful folding. Onto this there are new fixtures and fittings, such as watertight doors, which can be posed open or closed, upper steering position, complete with ships wheel, 50cal heavy machine gun and splinter shield, storage boxes, air intakes, vertical ladders and railings. The port side of the LCU is also replaced with PE and fitted with vents, liferings, intakes, which can also be posed open or shut, drainage ports, cleats, and railings. There is also a new bow ramp tread plate and two chains. Part 2 (53183) – This single sheet set contains a host of parts to super detail the kits aircraft and ground equipment. Each of the kits part receiving a greater or lesser amount of detailing as required. AV-8B – is given new undercarriage, pylons, fuselage lift fences, chaff/flare panels, airbrake, undercarriage doors, and refuelling probe fairing. CH-46 – gets new rotor head details, wheels, windscreen wipers, fuselage panels, additional armour, vents and grilles. SH-60F – gets new rotors, both folded and spread, new tail rotor, wheels, and tail skid. MW-22 – gets new wheels, aerials, wipers, and strakes. AH-1W – gets new gun barrels, fuselage panels, main and tail rotors and IR scatter system. CH-53E – gets new wipers, rear view mirrors, wheels, rotor details, aerials and fuselage panels. Nitrogen rig trolley is completely replaced with brass parts. Small fork lift – gets new forks, riser, seat, steering wheel, and roll cage. Large fork lift – gets new steering wheel, forks, riser, rear end, and roll cage. Deck crash crane, (Jumbo) – gets new ladders, driver cab, pullies, platforms, cable guide wheels, hook and cross beams. Each of the towing and crash trucks receive new steering wheels, front and rear end panels, with some getting coiled hoses and generator sets. Big Ed set 2 includes the following:- Part 3 (53184) – Apart from all the vertical, and inclined ladders, watertight doors and railings, which are all replaced with PE, this single sheet set also contains new observer positions at flight deck level, new platforms, FLYCO, windows, cable reels, netting, funnel vents and grilles. There are also a load of new sensors, replacement radars, such as the AN/SPN-43 air search radar, AN/SPS-48E E/F band 3D air search radar, and AN/SPN-43 air search radar. The Sea Sparrow launcher receives extra details, while there are also additional deck houses, platform supports, and crane details Part 4 (53185) – This two sheet set contains a full ships compliment of main railings and safety netting, as well as parts to detail more of the external parts of the ship. Several areas need to be removed before the etched parts can be added, namely the watertight doors, vertical ladders, cable reels, and several sections of various platforms. The largest replacement part in this set is for the complete stern ramp, consisting of inner and outer panels between which is sandwiched a latticework of horizontal and vertical beams. There are also replacement and new covered platforms and fittings to be added, the most obvious being that just aft of the starboard lift. The Sea Sparrow launchers also get some additional detail parts, as do the bomb dump chutes. Part 5 (53186) – This single sheet set provides the modeller with much needed detail for the ships boats, such as new rudder, skeg, propeller, although the modeller will need to provide a length of 0.3mm wire/rod for the shaft. There are also new cleats, lifting eyes, bow mounted bollard, windscreen, wheel, exhaust covers and an unidentifiable plate for the rear cockpit. The RIB is also given the Eduard treatment with the addition of a new engine cover, wheel, transom and drive unit. The rest of the sheet is filled with the numerous life raft canister racks. Each rack, from single to septuple is made up from a rear mounted upright and separate rack units. Once assembled and glued to the model the kits canisters can be glued direct to the racks. Conclusion If you absolutely need to have all the etched parts for the Revell Iwo Jima then this is the way to go as it does come out slightly cheaper than buying them individually. They will certainly go towards making a great model into a stunning one. You will definitely need a good set of optivisors and very good set of tweezers, not to mention patience and a steady hand. Rieview courtesy of

USS Iwo Jima LHD 7 1:350 Etch Parts 4 and 5 The latest etched brass set from Eduard, their updates for the re-issue of Revells USS Iwo Jima LHD-7. Whilst the model is superb it is still lacking in certain areas. Eduard have chosen to address some of these shortcomings with these, the fourth and fifth parts in a series of five sets for the kit. Part 4 is for the railings and safety nets, while Part 5 is for the life rafts and ships boats. Part 4 (53185) – This two sheet set contains a full ships compliment of main railings and safety netting, as well as parts to detail more of the external parts of the ship. Several areas need to be removed before the etched parts can be added, namely the watertight doors, vertical ladders, cable reels, and several sections of various platforms. The largest replacement part in this set is for the complete stern ramp, consisting of inner and outer panels between which is sandwiched a latticework of horizontal and vertical beams. There are also replacement and new covered platforms and fittings to be added, the most obvious being that just aft of the starboard lift. The Sea Sparrow launchers also get some additional detail parts, as do the bomb dump chutes. Part 3 (53186) – Life Rafts. This single sheet set provides the modeller with much needed detail for the ships boats, such as new rudder, skeg, propeller, although the modeller will need to provide a length of 0.3mm wire/rod for the shaft. There are also new cleats, lifting eyes, bow mounted bollard, windscreen, wheel, exhaust covers and an unidentifiable plate for the rear cockpit. The RIB is also given the Eduard treatment with the addition of a new engine cover, wheel, transom and drive unit. The rest of the sheet is filled with the numerous life raft canister racks. Each rack, from single to septuple is made up from a rear mounted upright and separate rack units. Once assembled and glued to the model the kits canisters can be glued direct to the racks. Conclusion Two more and I believe the last in the series of detail sets for the Revell Iwo Jima that will all go towards making a great model into a stunning one. You will definitely need a good set of optivisors and very good set of tweezers, not to mention patience and a steady hand. Review sample courtesy of

USS Iwo Jima LHD 7 1:350 Etch Parts 2 and 3 The latest etched brass set from Eduard, their updates for the re-issue of Revells USS Iwo Jima LHD-7. Whilst the model is superb it is still lacking in certain areas. Eduard have chosen to address some of these shortcomings with these, the second and third parts in a series of five sets for the kit. Part 2 is for the aircraft and deck vehicles, while Part 3 is for the ships superstructure. Part 2 (53183) – This single sheet set contains a host of parts to super detail the kits aircraft and ground equipment. Each of the kits part receiving a greater or lesser amount of detailing as required. AV-8B – is given new undercarriage, pylons, fuselage lift fences, chaff/flare panels, airbrake, undercarriage doors, and refuelling probe fairing. CH-46 – gets new rotor head details, wheels, windscreen wipers, fuselage panels, additional armour, vents and grilles. SH-60F – gets new rotors, both folded and spread, new tail rotor, wheels, and tail skid. MW-22 – gets new wheels, aerials, wipers, and strakes. AH-1W – gets new gun barrels, fuselage panels, main and tail rotors and IR scatter system. CH-53E – gets new wipers, rear view mirrors, wheels, rotor details, aerials and fuselage panels. Nitrogen rig trolley is completely replaced with brass parts. Small fork lift – gets new forks, riser, seat, steering wheel, and roll cage. Large fork lift – gets new steering wheel, forks, riser, rear end, and roll cage. Deck crash crane, (Jumbo) – gets new ladders, driver cab, pullies, platforms, cable guide wheels, hook and cross beams. Each of the towing and crash trucks receive new steering wheels, front and rear end panels, with some getting coiled hoses and generator sets. Part 3 (53184) – Superstructure. Apart from all the vertical, and inclined ladders, watertight doors and railings, which are all replaced with PE, this single sheet set also contains new observer positions at flight deck level, new platforms, FLYCO, windows, cable reels, netting, funnel vents and grilles. There are also a load of new sensors, replacement radars, such as the AN/SPN-43 air search radar, AN/SPS-48E E/F band 3D air search radar, and AN/SPN-43 air search radar. The Sea Sparrow launcher receives extra details, while there are also additional deck houses, platform supports, and crane details Conclusion These another great pair of sets for this superb kit. As with the previous set reviewed HERE, you will definitely need a good set of optivisors and very good set of tweezers, not to mention patience and a steady hand. What you will get at the end of it are some amazingly detailed aircraft and ground equipment, not to mention a super detailed superstructure. Review sample courtesy of