Scale Modelling news, reviews, features and more...
FOUR OR EIGHT WHEELS?
Modellers with 1/72 BRDMs wanting to reproduce a Polish machine just found that task becoming easier thanks to ToRo Model’s first batch of decals dedicated to the type.
HARD-HITTING HUNCHBACK
Perfect for Zvezda’s newly tooled offering, Tamiya’s recent kit or any version of the ex-Accurate Miniatures 1/48 Il-2 Sturmovik, Foxbot’s aftermarket decals provide national insignia, numerals, nicknames and artwork for eight airframes.
BUBBLE 'BOLTS
Modellers with Trumpeter 1/32 P-47N Thunderbolts may wish to consider Kits-World’s pair of nose-art adorned schemes.
CROSSING FRONTIERS
Mexican firm Decales Global has produced a set of aftermarket markings providing for five of the McDonnell Douglas MD-82 single-aisle airliners flown by American company Frontier Airlines – the first of two operators to use this name.
FINNISH FIGHTERS
SBS Model’s beautifully printed decals offer four Finnish options for those making a 1/48 scale Fokker D.XXI fighter, with a choice of wheel- or ski-type landing gear and two camouflage versions.
WOODEN WONDERS
The Mosquito is a popular subject in both kit and decal forms and this set from ModelMaker supplies markings for five airframes flown by Polish crews as part of 305 (Polish) Squadron during World War Two and includes one machine flown in West Germany in the immediate post-war period.
GERMANS IN THE BALKANS
Star Decals’ fourth collection of German vehicles involved in operations in the Balkans during World War Two focuses on machinery deployed to Greece.
DEUTSCHE DATA
Modellers wanting to depict Luftwaffe Eurofighter Typhoons will find this neat decal sheet from ModelMaker very useful as it supplies sufficient airframe stencils and warning labels for a single one- or two-seat aircraft.
STRIPEY SPOOK
Syhart hasn’t been a company to shy away from replicating complex display/special liveries and arguably raises the bar with this mask and decal combination, which allows the modeller to finish their Hasegawa 1/48 Phantom FGR.2 in 74 Squadron’s striking 1992 tiger-stripe livery.
SLICKS, SNAKES AND LOACHES
Modellers seeking inspiration for Vietnam War US Army helicopters need look no further, thanks to this stunning photo archive (the second on this subject) documenting the colourful artwork worn by those rotary assets in Southeast Asia.
PEKE AT THE ZEKE
Mitsubishi’s A6M fighter was among the best carrier-deployed fighters of World War Two, and the subject of this Pen & Sword Flight Craft volume.
POLISH SPOTTER
Lukgraph, MasterCraft, Mirage Hobby and Aeroplast are among the firms to produce kits of the Polish Lublin R-XIII army co-operation aircraft, and modellers with these may find Kagero’s Monographs book useful.
EUROPEAN SCHOOLHOUSE
The 18th volume in the Duke Hawkins Aircraft in Detail series features the Franco-German Alpha Jet trainer/light-attack aircraft, with a lavish photo-study suitable for aviation enthusiasts and modellers alike.
CAPITAL CONFLICT
Although considered a secondary concern at the beginning of Operation Barbarossa, the German Wehrmacht’s attempts to take Moscow became a colossal ordeal with huge numbers of casualties suffered by both sides.
BLOODSUCKER'S STORY
One issue with model manufacturers releasing a newly tooled kit is that some modellers could be unfamiliar with the type’s history – if that’s the case with Airfix’s upcoming 1/48 de Havilland Vampire, here’s the ideal remedy.
LIGHTNING PLANS
While the choice of a specific production block of Lockheed-manufactured, gun-nosed P-38L Lightnings might seem a restrictive subject, the Block 5 airframes were the most common sub-variant and are the focus of MMP’s Single No. 13.
ROTARY WORKHORSE
If ever a publication was designed to be just what a modeller needed to super-detail their UH-60 Black Hawk kit, then this is it – a 126-page photo study of the US Army’s tactical transport helicopter.
MOUNTAINOUS STINGERS
Among the non-US operators of the McDonnell Douglas F/A- 18, Switzerland is unusual in that the country voted in a national referendum to adopt the type and, having taken delivery of it, uses the Hornet almost exclusively for air-defence.
TANK GENERALS
Schiffer Military’s ode to the M3 Lee and Grant tanks (named after two American Civil War generals) makes for a fascinating read, covering not just the type’s development and service, but also highlighting the constraints in its design and explains how the M3’s intended form with its turreted main armament evolved into the M4 Sherman.
SHADE STUDY AND MORE...
This second part of MMP’s White Series treatise on Yugoslavian fighter aircraft liveries between 1918-41 (the first featured in AMW123, February 2021) picks up where its predecessor left off, covering later aircraft in the country’s service.
PROWLING PANZERKNACKER
Specialised tank-busters were a rare breed during World War Two, with requirements for heavy armour and weaponry adversely affecting performance.
GLOBAL CLASSROOMS
In decal form, the BAe Systems Hawk hasn’t received much attention, so this splendid largescale offering from Euro Decals will be appreciated by fans of the type, providing five airframes, with one each from the UK, Jordan, Finland, Kenya and Indonesia.
RANGE AND BEARING
Fitted to many Royal Navy ships during World War Two, the Mk.III director was used to support the anti-aircraft guns, later being equipped with radar antennas.
ANTI-SUB 'SWIMMER'
Developed for American use but also employed by Canadian, French, Italian, Japanese, Australian and British forces (among others), the Mk.44 torpedo is subject to Eduard’s Brassin treatment in 1/48 scale.
DIALS AND STRAPS
Designed specifically to fit the firm’s own Bf 109G-2 kits, Eduard’s SPACE set supplies 3D-printed decals for the instrument panel and dials, along with pre-painted photo-etched (PE) metal seat harnesses, rudder pedals and cockpit sidewall panels and controls.
STORMBREAKER
This neat weapons set from Eduard comprises eight GBU-53/B Small- Diameter Bomb II munitions (now called StormBreaker) and two copies of the standard four-position BRU-61 carriage rack.
OFF-ROAD TRACTION
Suggested for use with 1/24 Ford Escort Mk.1 kits – particularly Belkits’ recent rally car offerings – these Motobitz Minilites would also be suitable for a range of same-scale 1960s-70s saloon and GT car kits.
GEAR FOR EMIL
While most of Airfix’s 1/24 Bf 109E still looks good despite its age, its one main shortfall (common to all the early ‘Super Kits’) is the use of vinyl tyres for the mainwheels.
FLYING CITY DISPLAYS
Released when Tamiya’s venerable quarter-scale Avro Lancaster was the only mainstream depiction of the type in 1/48, Yahu’s JustStick instrument and flight engineer’s panel set is suggested for that kit but may also be suitable for Hong Kong Models’ 1/48 ‘Lanc’.
SLEEP AND STORAGE
Small-scale diorama modellers will appreciate this Hauler set, which is a re-boxing of a Minimali product and provides 1/72 scale furnishings for a bedroom.