Shelf Oddity R-27T (AA-10 Alamo-B) & AIM-7C/D/E/F/M Skyflash (AIM-7E2) Missiles 1:144

[Mike]

R-27T (AA-10 Alamo-B) & AIM-7C/D/E/F/M Skyflash (AIM-7E2) Missiles

1:144 Shelf Oddity

 

 

Shelf Oddity specialise in the smaller scales, majoring in 1:144, but venturing into maritime too, with much to come in due course.  They produce decals, resin and Photo-Etch (PE) brass too, and have teamed up with Master to produce these superbly detailed missile sets.  A thoroughly modern company, they provide you with the products with minimal packaging of a minimalist design, using the ubiquity of the internet to provide you with detailed instructions for each set from their website, harming no trees, but maybe bruising a few electrons in the process.  Each set so far arrives in a small clear foil resealable bag, with a piece of card holding the PE in place, and a taped ziplok bag doing the same for the turned brass parts.  To the rear are a set of stencil decals that are silkscreen printed and have individual glossy carrier film cut close to each one.

 

R-27T (AA-10 Alamo-B) SO11449

A Soviet/Russian Air-to-Air missile of medium to long range, this is the infrared targeted version and can launch from up to 33km head-on, or chase a target down over 63km if necessary.  The set includes four turned brass missile bodies that are surprisingly large for the scale, with the stabilising fins and guide-vanes on the PE fret, which even has a couple of jigs to ensure you set the fins at the correct angle.  The instruction manual on their site caters for the T and R variants, and shows construction and stencilling details for both types, with plenty of written guidance added for good measure.

 

 

 

AIM-7C/D/E/F/M Sparrow/Skyflash (AIM-7E2)

A medium range US missile that has been used since Vietnam in various variants, and known as the Skyflash in British service with an improved motor (we do that a lot) it has seen some action.  Like the Alamo-Bs above, the set includes four turned brass missile bodies, with the stabilising fins and guide-vanes on the PE fret.  The stencil decals are on a large sheet, as there are 13 variations in colour/stencilling between variants/operators.  More text guidance is included, and it's all very colloquial and amusing in tone.

 

 

 

Conclusion

Detailed missiles this good don't often come in boxes for 1:48 kits, so these will really make your model shine if you put them together and paint them well.  The details of a model make it shine, so get yourself some.  What are you waiting for?

 

Very highly recommended.

 

Review sample courtesy of