Review: AJM Models 1/700 USS Currituck 1944

History

USS Currituck (AV-7) was the first of four Currituck class seaplane tenders and was nicknamed the Wild Goose. She was built during World War II and served during the Cold War.

Currituck was commissioned on 26 June 1944 and she arrived in San Pedro Bay, Leyte, on 6 November to begin tending seaplanes flying missions in the Leyte operations.

Currituck sailed from Leyte on 6 January 1945 for the initial landings at Lingayen Gulf, Luzon, three days later, and remained there tending seaplanes and directing seaplane search operations. She returned to Leyte in February, then sailed for Manila in March. Upon her arrival, she sent boarding parties to inspect abandoned Japanese vessels in the harbor. Her tender duties at this port included maintenance of the 76th Wing of the Royal Australian Air Force from 27 April to 6 May.

Departing Manila 10 June 1945 Currituck maintained a base for seaplanes conducting night searches from Lingayen Gulf between 11 June and 20 August, then returned to Manila 24 August. She sailed for Okinawa on 30 August.

Currituck remained in the Far East in support of the reoccupation of the Chinese mainland, tending seaplanes at Inchon, Korea, and Shanghai, Tsingtao, and Taku, China, returning to Okinawa 28 October. She got underway for the United States on 9 December and arrived at San Francisco on 30 December.

Kit History

The only previous kits of USS Currituck class are from the 50s and in 1/426 scale by Revell. This is the only modern kit and the only 1/700 kit available.

Inside the box:

• approx 180 resin parts plus a solid resin hull
• 1 PE sheet with about 440 parts
• 7 small PE sheets with about 105  parts
• 1 decal sheet
• 5 sheets of double-sided paper giving
  • 1 page of the parts layout
  • 1.5 colour page of parts layout and painting guide
  • 7.5 pages of build instructions over 30 steps
• decals for USS Currituck plus 5 aircraft

The box is a top opening cardboard box and all the parts inside are bagged and wrapped in bubble wrap. The smaller resin parts are tightly packed in a small resealable bag so they can’t be damaged. The packaging is good.

The resin parts are very nicely detailed and some of the smaller parts are just that, very small. Care will be needed when removing the smaller parts from the pour stubs.

The PE frets are made from very thin PE and again, some of the parts are very fine and will need care. The level of detail made possible by the PE is very high and will make for an excellent model.

The 5 aircraft are:

• 1 x P-5 Mariner
• 2 x OS2U Kingfisher
• 2 x Curtiss SOC Seagull

Instructions

The instructions are good and lay things out well. The first page of the 4 pages on paper is a parts layout so you can find the parts you need. It’s handily laid out starting with 1 at the top left to the highest numbered parts at the bottom right.

There’s a painting guide on the second page.

The other pages cover the 30 build steps of the build. PE parts are numbered inside a square box and resin parts are numbered inside a rounded box. Each step is nicely drawn and labeled and it seems clear what is needed. Rigging is shown on the colour painting guide.

Paint & Decals

The colours are called out in Life Colour paints and also named. There are  3 colour images of the ship and these are good enough to show you all you need to know to paint the ship. The rigging layout is also shown in these diagrams.

There is a decal sheet for USS Currituck and also for the seaplanes.

Conclusion
This kit is not for beginners because to start with it’s a resin kit and needs care to avoid inhaling the dust. Also, it has many small parts and high PE part count for a ship of this size. However, this is a nicely detailed kit and you will end up with a spectacular model of the USS Currituck.

The kit is available from our online store here.

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Trumpeter June 2019 Releases

P-40N War Hawk
Item No.: 02212 Scale: 1:32

M4 Command and Control Vehicle (C2V)
Item No.: 01063 Scale: 1:35

M270/A1 Multiple Launch Rocket System – Norway
Item No.: 01048 Scale: 1:35

Russian Destroyer Taszkient 1940
Item No.: 05356 Scale: 1:350

Soviet JS-5 Heavy Tank
Item No.: 09566 Scale: 1:35

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Italeri May 2019 Releases

1/72 PEGASUS BRIDGE – D.Day 75°Ann.1944-2019 – BATTLE SET
On the night between 5th and 6th June 1944, during the early stages of the Operation Overlord the 6th British Airborne Division received the goal to capture and control the movable bridge that crossed the Orne River near the city of Ouistreham in Normandy. The control of the bridge, renamed in code “Pegasus” was a key point to make secure the eastern flank of the operational scenario and to prevent German armour troops counterattack that could reach the Allied landing area at Sword beach. The British paratroopers, in Horsa gliders, landed near the bridge and, thanks to a rapid and effective action, defeated the German troops that defended the bridge. Even today the Pegasus Bridge is a point of reference for all those who visit the most significant places of “Overlord”.

1/24 SCANIA R400 STREAMLINE Flat Roof
SUPER DECALS FOR 2 VERSIONS – CHROMED ADHESIVE – COLOR INSTRUCTION SHEET

The Scania R-series Streamline is designed to meet the highest demands in terms of fuel economy, driver comfort and reliability. The unique style of the exterior is combined with new exceptional interiors offer exceptional driver comfort and a wide range of choices of colors and materials. Available with both V8 engines and online. Robust, responsive and efficient, the Scania V8 engines are built to carry out the toughest jobs. Our model is also completed by a decals sheet and an accurate sheet of metallic adhesive, already ready for the application, for a correct finishing of the tractor vehicle, exactly as in the real.

1/72 WAR THUNDER – UH-1C & MI-24D
The box contains:

Two model kit – Colored Sprues – Reference Guide – Color Instuctions sheet – two Stand bases – Glue –

Bonus Code (PC/Mac Version): Thach’s F2-A1 Buffalo (Rank 1.0 USA Premium Fighter); He-112B (Rank 1, Germany Premium Fighter) – 7 days of premium account – Italeri Decal

UH-1C

The UH-1C was a further development of the legendary American “Huey” helicopter. The “C” variant transformed the Huey from a regular utility helicopter into a fully fledged gunship, whose primary task was to escort its transport counterparts and provide cover for ground units. The UH-1C entered production at the height of the Vietnam War in 1966, with the over 700 produced units seeing extensive use during the conflict.

MI-24D

The Mi-24 “Hind” was initially designed in the 1960s as an assault helicopter for the Soviet Army, but it quickly became the most widely used combat helicopter in the world. The Mi-24D
was developed in the early 1970s in an effort to further increase the Hind’s combat capabilities. Soviet engineers achieved this by giving the Mi-24D a completely redesigned front fuselage, increasing armor protection and outfitting the helicopter with improved guided anti-tank missiles.

1/72 Fokker F27 Friendship
SUPER DECAL SHEET FOR 3 VERSIONS – COLOR INSTRUCTION SHEET

The twin-engine Fokker F-27 Friendship was developed during the fifties by the Dutch airplanes manufacturer to provide a valid successor to the old traditional piston engine Douglas DC-3 in service since the World War II. The Fokker F-27 immediately achieved a good commercial success in civil and military uses and it was even produced under licence in the United States. Thanks to its two 2,250 Hp Rolls-Royce turboprop engines the Fokker was able to reach the max speed of 460 Km/h. Since its start of production it was adopted by a lot of airlines that found in it the best solution for short-haul routes. The adoption of two turboprop engines, compared to traditional piston engines, reduced vibrations and provided an improved comfort on board. The plane was very versatile and was widely used for freight transport activities, troop transport duties and maritime patrol.

1/35 KANGAROO
NEW GLUABLE RUBBER TRUCKS – SUPER DECALS FOR 3 VERSIONS – COLOR INSTRUCTIONS SHEET

During the Africa campaign, the British Army used some Stuart light tanks, without the turrets, as armored personnel carriers or as artillery tractors. Later on, to overcome the shortage of armored vehicles, the Canadian General Guy Simonds ordered to the field workshops to remove the howitzers from the old M7 Priest and to convert them into infantry transport vehicles. Thanks to the positive results came out from the initiative among the Commonwealth troops, a lot of old tanks have been converted in “Kangaroo”. Kangaroo was the nickname given to the modified vehicles able to perform the transportation of fully equipped soldiers directly close to the enemy line. The defensive armament could be vary and it depended on the availability of weapons as the .50 or .030 Browning machine guns and the Boys anti-tank rifle.

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Hasegawa July 2019 Releases

Arado Ar234C
Scale … 1: 48
part number … … 09845
release date … July 07, 2019

Mitsubishi T-2 “Blue Impulse”
09636Scale … 1: 48
part number … … 09636
release date … July 07, 2019

F-14A Tom Cat “VF-84 Jolly Rogers”
Scale … 1: 72
part number … … 02269
release date … around July 14, 2019 .
part number … 195

A10 Thunderbolt II “UAV”
Scale … 1:48
part number ……… 02307
Release Date …… around 07 May 20, 2019
overall length … 225mm
width … 242mm

Nakajima Ki-44-II Kai “85th Fighter Regt”
Scale … 1: 48
part number … … JT37
release date … July 20, 2019

F-35 Lightning II (B type) “Beast mode”
Scale … 1: 72
part number … … 02306
release date … about August 2, 2019
model full length … 217mm
model full width … 148mm

Add new mold parts and reproduce the “Beast mode” of F-35B!
Weapons are also installed outside the aircraft, stealth performance is lost, but attack power is a form that has been greatly enhanced.

Attachment include

• Laser induction bomb
• Air to air missile AIM-9X sidewinder

Additional plastic parts

• Gun pod
• Pylon
• Missile launcher

Decal (marking)
F-35B SDD flight test unit No. 2 “BF-02”. USMC 121st Marine Battle Attack Squadron “Green Knights”

Yanmar Combine YH6115
Scale … 1: 35
part number … … WM07
release date … around August 02, 2019
model full length … 137.5 mm
model full width … 69.5 mm

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FOR VIDEO GAME FANS, the Hasegawa 1:72 scale Ace Combat ASF-X Shinden II assembles to make an excellent fantasy model. For aviation freaks, the kit provides a chance to build a ‘what-if’ design, based loosely on the Sukhoi Su-47 Berkut (Golden Eagle).
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Luftfahrtverlag-Start Decals for Revell 1/72 U-Boat Type IXC

This decal sheet from Luftfahrtverlag-Start is for the 1/72 Revell 05166 kit of a Type IXC U-boat. The kit gives you 2 decal schemes but this decal set gives you another 16 options!

The bag contains a decal sheet, 3 resin parts and a full colour, half A4 sized booklet of 8 pages. The resin parts are part of the options for U-153 and U-504. U-153 went to sea with a battle axe attached to the conning tower and U-503 had a large circular plaque attached to each side of the conning tower.

The 16 options are:

• U-66 1941-42
• U-66 1942-44
• U-67 1941-43
• U-68 1941-44
• U-126 1943
• U-128 1941-43
• U-129 1942-44
• U-130 1943
• U-153 1941-42
• U-155 1944-45
• U-156 1941-43
• U-502 1943-44
• U-503 1941-42
• U-504 1941-43
• U-507 1941-43
• U-509 1941-43

Luftfahrtverlag-Start occasionally does limited run decal sheets of aircraft, and submarines. Usually, the print run is 500 copies, and once they’re out of stock, that’s it. The decal sheet is printed by Cartograph.

The quality of the decals themselves is very good, as you would expect from Cartograph. The whites look good and the other colours are vibrant.

Conclusion
Impeccably researched, as you’d expect from the publishers of U-Boot im Focus. The decal sheet is highly recommended and will allow you to build a unique Type IX-C U-boat that you won’t see anywhere else.

The decals cost 19,50 Euro + shipping.
The decals are available on their website on this page.

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Eduard May 2019 Releases

Fokker D. VII (OAW) 1/72

ProfiPACK edition kit of German WWI fighter aircraft Fokker D.VII in 1/72 scale.

The kit is focused on aircraft built by OAW factory.

• plastic parts: Eduard
• No. of decal options: 5
• decals: Eduard
• PE parts: yes, pre-painted,
• painting mask: yes,
• resin parts: no

Barbarossa 1/48

Limited Edition kit of Bf 109 E and Bf 109 F-2 aircraft in 1/48 scale.

The kit is focused on a/c flown in Soviet Union during Operation Barbarossa and fall of 1941.

• plastic parts: Eduard
• No. of decal options: 11
• decals: Eduard
• PE parts: yes, pre-painted
• painting mask: yes
• resin parts: yes, seat, undercarriage wheels

Shachak 1/48

Limited Edition kit of Mirage IIICJ jet aircraft in Israeli air force service in 1/48 scale.

• plastic parts: Eduard
• No. of decal options: 5
• decals: Cartograf
• PE parts: yes, pre-painted
• painting mask: yes
• resin parts: yes, tail cone & exhaust nozzle

Fw 190A-3 1/48

Weekend edition kit of German WWII fighter aircraft Fw 190A-3 in 1/48 scale.

• plastic parts: Eduard
• No. of decal options: 2
• decals: Eduard
• PE parts: no
• painting mask: no
• resin parts: no

Paul Tosney – Editor

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Review: AJM Models 1/700 HMS Express 1941-2

History

HMS Express was an E-class minelaying destroyer built for the Royal Navy in the early 1930s.

Express spent most of the first year of World War 2 laying minefields in British, Dutch and German waters. She participated in the evacuation of Allied soldiers from Dunkirk in May–June 1940, but resumed minelaying afterward. The ship was one of three British minelaying destroyers that inadvertently entered a German minefield off the Dutch coast a few months later, leading to the sinking of two destroyers. Express had her bow blown off during the incident and was under repair for over a year.

She escorted the battleship Prince of Wales and the battlecruiser Repulse (Force Z) to Singapore in late 1941 in an unsuccessful attempt to deter Japanese aggression against British possessions in the Far East. The destroyer then escorted the capital ships in an attempt to intercept landings in British Malaya in December and rescued their survivors after they were sunk by Japanese bombers.

Express was then assigned convoy escort duties in and around Singapore and the Dutch East Indies under the control of American-British-Dutch-Australian Command (ABDACOM) as the Japanese advanced. She escaped from the East Indies and rejoined the main body of the Eastern Fleet in the Indian Ocean.

Express returned home in early 1943 to begin conversion into an escort destroyer. Upon its completion in June, the ship was transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and renamed Gatineau. Gatineau was paid off in early 1946 and was sold the following year. The ship became part of a breakwater on the coast of British Columbia in 1948.

Kit History

The only people who have made a kit of this class of ship are Tamiya with an E Class kit from 2007. It has about 59 parts so doesn’t compare to the level of detail on this. Even if you manage to find one of the White Ensign upgrade sets for the Tamiya model you will still get more detail in this kit.

Inside the box:

• 120 resin parts plus a solid resin hull
• 1 PE sheet with about 140 parts
• 4 small PE sheets with 12 parts
• 1 decal sheet
• 2 sheets of double-sided paper giving
  • 1 colour page of parts layout and painting guide
  • 3 pages of build instructions over 9 steps
• decals for HMS Express H61

The box is a top opening cardboard box and all the parts inside are bagged and wrapped in bubble wrap. The smaller resin parts are tightly packed in a small resealable bag so they can’t be damaged. The packaging is very good.

The resin parts are very nicely detailed and some of the smaller parts are just that, very small. Care will be needed when removing the smaller parts from the pour stubs.

The PE frets are made from very thin PE and again, some of the parts are very fine and will need care. The level of detail made possible by the PE is very high and will make for an excellent model.

Instructions

The instructions are good and lay things out well. The first page of the 4 pages on paper is a parts layout so you can find the parts you need. It’s handily laid out starting with 1 at the top left to the highest numbered parts at the bottom right. There’s a painting guide on this page too.

The other 3 pages cover the 9 build steps of the build. PE parts are numbered inside a square box and resin parts are numbered inside a rounded box. Each step is nicely drawn and labeled and it seems clear what is needed. There is also a full page rigging diagram too. You will need to read the instructions carefully to work out a good build sequence for yourself.

Paint & Decals

The colours are called out in Life Colour paints and also named. There are  2 colour images of the ship and these are good enough to show you all you need to know to paint the ship.

There is a small decal sheet for HMS Express only.

Conclusion
This kit is not for beginners because to start with it’s a resin kit and needs care to avoid inhaling the dust. Also, it has many small parts and high PE part count for a ship of this size. However, this is a nicely detailed kit and you will end up with the best E class destroyer currently available on the market.

Many thanks to AJM Models for supplying a review sample.

The kit is available from our online store here.

Paul Tosney – Editor
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 A PREQUEL TO Grease, one of the most successful musicals of all time, has been recently announced. So this 1:25 scale kit of one of the cars featured in the movie looks to be to be a well-timed release.
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Iliad Design 1/48 Mig-21F-13 Decal Sheet

This decal sheet is numbered 48034 and arrived from Iliad decals in a stout cardboard envelope. The subjects of this sheet are:

• Shenyang J-7 (MiG 21F-13). Legend reads “Long live Chairman Mao.”
• MiG 21F-13, Iraqi AF, 1966.
• Avia S-106 (MiG 21F-13), Syrian AF, 1973.
• MiG 21F-13, Albanian AF.
• MiG 21F-13, United Arab Republic AF, Six Day War, 1967.
• Avia S-106, Czech AF, 1964.
• MiG 21F-13, North Korean AF.

The set contains just the aircraft specific decals and you would use any stencils from the kit you’re using. You will be able to make all 7 aircraft though – if you have 7 kits available!

The contents of this set are:

• 1 double-sided colour sheet of instructions
• 1 21 cm x 14 cm decal sheet

The instructions are clear and simple and give all the extra details you’re going to need to get your build right. The port side views of each aircraft have details against each of them letting you know details about the camouflage scheme used and any idiosyncrasies of the individual aircraft. On the reverse side of the sheet are top views of the 7 aircraft showing camouflage schemes on the top and the colours used on the undersides. All the colours used on the aircraft are named.

The decal sheet, as you can see in the photographs and the video, are perfectly in register, well detailed and the colours look good too. The backing film is minimal to non-existent except in places where it is needed to line text up. Iliad has chosen a good set of colourful aircraft to build.

This set is available for $12.00 from Iliad Design’s site.

Conclusion:
This is a very nice decal set with some attractive options for any 1/48 Mig-21F-13.

Many thanks to Iliad Design for the review sample.

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Review: AJM Models 1/700 HMS Ark Royal 1915-18

History

HMS Ark Royal was the first ship designed and built as a seaplane carrier. She was purchased by the Royal Navy in 1914 shortly after her keel had been laid and was modified to carry seaplanes. In the First World War, Ark Royal participated in the Gallipoli Campaign in early 1915, with her aircraft conducting aerial reconnaissance and observation missions. In January 1918, several of her aircraft unsuccessfully attacked the German battlecruiser SMS Goeben when she sortied from the Dardanelles.

After the end of the war, Ark Royal mostly served as an aircraft transport and depot ship. She was recommissioned in 1930 to serve as a training ship, for seaplane pilots and to evaluate aircraft catapult operations and techniques. She was renamed HMS Pegasus in 1934, freeing the name for the aircraft carrier ordered that year.

Assigned to the Home Fleet at the beginning of WW2, she took on tasks as an aircraft transport, in addition to her training duties, until she was temporarily modified to serve as the prototype fighter catapult ship in late 1940. In early 1944 she became a barracks ship and she was sold in late 1946 and sold again in 1949 for scrap.

Kit History

I can’t find any record of anyone doing this HMS Ark Royal in any scale before.

Inside the box:

• 153 resin parts plus a solid resin hull
• 1 PE sheet with about 300 parts
• 6 small PE sheets with 84 parts
• 1 decal sheet
• 4 sheets of double-sided paper giving
  • 1 colour page of parts layout and painting guide
  • 7 pages of build instructions over 73 steps
• decals for ship and seaplanes

The box is a top opening cardboard box and all the parts inside are bagged and wrapped in bubble wrap. The smaller resin parts are tightly packed in 2 small resealable bags so they can’t be damaged. The packaging is very good.

The resin parts are very nicely detailed and some of the smaller parts are just that, very small. Care will be needed when removing the smaller parts from the pour stubs.

The PE frets are made from very thin PE and again, some of the parts are very fine and will need care. The level of detail made possible by the PE is very high and will make for an excellent model. For example, the AD1 Seaplane has 20 PE parts.

Instructions

The instructions are good and lay things out well. With there being 73 steps to the build you can see that each step is pretty small with just a few parts to be added. The first page of the 8 pages on paper is a parts layout so you can find the parts you need. It’s handily laid out starting with 1 at the top left to the highest numbered parts at bottom right. There’s a painting guide on this page too.

The other 7 pages cover the 73 build steps with a painting guide for the seaplanes on the last page too. PE parts are numbered inside a square box and resin parts are numbered inside a rounded box. Each step is nicely drawn and labeled and it seems clear what is needed. There is also a full page rigging diagram too. You will need to read the instructions carefully to work out a good build sequence for yourself.

Paint & Decals

The colours are called out in Life Colour paints and also named. The 2 colour images of the completed kit answer any questions you might have. There are 3 or 4 colour views of each aircraft to get those painted correctly too.

The decals are on 8 small sheets of which 6 are for the aircraft and 2 for the ship.

Conclusion
This kit is not for beginners with the large decal sheets to apply over the wings and a few little things that will need some experience. That being said you will end up with a very nice little kit. There are nice details on the parts and colourful decal options to choose from.

Many thanks to AJM Models for supplying a review sample.

The kit is available from our online store here.

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Hasegawa June 2019 Releases

Boeing 747-400 “The Demonstrator”
Scale … 1: 200
part number … 60
model full length … 350 mm
model full width … 324 mm
2019 is 50 years from the 747 first flight! Reproduction of the 747-400 Demons trainer, which was called “High-tech Jumbo” and was active in the 90’s .

F-4EJ Kai Super Phantom “302 SQ F-4 Final Year 2019”
Scale … 1: 48
part number … 132
model total length … 402mm
model full width … 244 mm
302SQ F-4 Retirement commemorative color is reproduced in 1/48 scale!
Decal (marking)
JASDF Seventh Air Corps 302th Flight Squadrant F-4 retirement paint painting machine “428” (Beiri Base 2018-2019)

F-4N Phantom II “Jolly Rogers VF-84”
Scale … 1: 72

Japanese Navy Carrier Carrier Akagi Full Hull Version
Scale … 1: 700
part number … 222
model total length … 372.5 mm
model full width … 60mm

Add the newly developed ship bottom parts and reproduce the full hull condition!
The basic ship bottom parts are integrally molded! The girder parts are inserted inside, and the parts around the bilge keel and screw are separate parts.
Wooden display base and aluminum name plate are included!
By incorporating the “Akagi Detail Up Parts Set (Model No .: 30036)” released simultaneously,
it is possible to make it into a full-detailed Akagi.

Kawasaki T-4 “Air Self-Defense Force
Scale … 1: 48

Japanese Navy Destroyer Yukuun & Fuun (Yukumo type) & Asakumo (Aoshio type) “Kisuka Island withdrawal operation”
Scale … 1: 700
Successfully completed withdrawal of all the Kisuka Island garrison
“Yukmo“, “Fuun“, “Ashio” 3 ships set that participated in the “Kisuka Island withdrawal operation” (Operation No. 2) called a miracle operation !

Additional plastic parts
Special-type freighter
Mount with slope

J-35F Draken
Scale … 1: 72

Kyushu J7W2-S Local Fighter Shinken Kai “Night Fighter”
Scale … 1: 48

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Decals from the book “Mit der Kamera an der Front’

This sheet contains decals for 8 Bf 109E and Bf 109F aircraft from Vol 1 of the ‘Mit der Kamera an der Front’ recently published by Luftfahrtverlag-Start. We reviewed the book here.

Luftfahrtverlag-Start occasionally does limited run decal sheets of aircraft, and submarines, from their publications. Usually, the print run is 500 copies, and once they’re out of stock, that’s it. The decal sheet is printed by Cartograph.

The decal sheet uses crosses and balkenkreuz from the kit you’re using and adds to it the items you will need to model the aircraft. The instructions show you where the emblems are to be placed and also gives you the colours used in the paint scheme of the aircraft. The camouflage schemes are all the standard ones. There is also a small black and white image of the aircraft in question taken from the book. Theatre bands, such as yellow for Russia, are shown in the image given of the aircraft. The decals will work on any manufacturer’s kit.

The decals cover:

• Bf 109 E-7, Grey 15, Calais-Marck, Aug 1940
• Bf 109 E-7, Grey 2, Calais-Marck, Mar 1941
• Bf 109 E-7, Grey 5, Greece, May 1941
• Bf 109 E-7, Brown 3, Russia, Jul 1941
• Bf 109 E-7, Black 3, Rumania, Aug 1941
• Bf 109 E-7, Chevron 3, Rumania, Aug 1941
• Bf 109 E-7,  Black 1, Rumania, Sept 1941
• Bf 109 E-7, White 9, Russia, Dec 1941
• Bf 109 E-7, Grey 5, Russia, Dec 1941
• Bf 109 E-7, Double chevron, Russia, Dec 1941
• Bf 109 F-4, Double Chevron Jun 1941, Major Gollob
• Bf 109 F-4, Double Chevron Jun 1941, Major Gollob

The quality of the decals themselves is very good, as you would expect from Cartograph. The whites look good and the other colours are vibrant.

Conclusion
The decal sheet is highly recommended and will allow you to build some unique aircraft that you won’t see anywhere else.

The decals cost 19,50 Euro + shipping. If you buy the book and the decal together, it´s only 17,50 Euro – and you get free shipping.
The decals are available on their website on this page.

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Review: Mirage-Hobby 1/48 Halberstadt CL.IV

History

The Halberstadt CL.IV was a German ground attack aircraft of World War I.

The CL.IV was designed as a replacement for the CL.II. As the CL.II had proven to be particularly effective in the ground support role, the focus of an improved version was to create a specific ground attack aircraft.

The new CL.IV featured a shorter, strengthened fuselage and a horizontal stabilizer of greater span. These changes gave the CL.IV much greater maneuverability than its predecessor. After tests were completed of the prototype in April 1918, at least 450 were ordered from Halberstadt, and an additional 250 aircraft from a subcontractor, LFG (Roland), as Halberstadt CL.IV(Rol).

The Halberstadt CL.IV was one of the most effective ground attack aircraft of World War I, relying on its good maneuverability to avoid ground fire. It appeared on the Western Front towards the end of the German offensives in 1918. Flights of four to six aircraft flew close support missions, at an altitude of less than one hundred feet, suppressing enemy infantry and artillery fire just ahead of the advancing German troops. After these late German offensives stalled, Halberstadt CL.IVs were used to disrupt advancing Allied offensives by striking at enemy troop assembly points and night sorties were also made against Allied airfields.

Kit History

Realistically, Mirage-Hobby has the market cornered in 1/48 Halberstadt CLs. They released a CL.II and CL.IV in 2012 and the only other kits of a CL.IV are from Tom’s Modelworks and Karaya. Mirage-Hobby reboxed the kit in 2013 with different decals and this boxing is from 2016 and contains new sprues for the early production shorter fuselage version.

Inside the box:

• 8 sprues with 202 parts of which 71 are not used.
• 1 PE sheet with about 78 parts
• 1 decal sheet
• 3 pages of colour painting instructions
• 1 page of background info
• 8 pages of black & white building instructions over 50 steps

The box is a top opening cardboard box and all the sprues inside are in a single plastic bag. The PE fret and decals are in resealable bags on the top of the box.

The plastic parts look good although the sprue attachment points look a little large on some of the smaller parts. You might need to take extra care in removing those parts. The level of surface detail is very good, especially on the wings. There is some detail inside the fuselage and also a few ejector pin marks although I think they will be impossible to see in the built kit. The engine is its own little 15 part kit and the detail on the parts looks good. You may well need to pin the lower wings though, there doesn’t seem to be much to hold them in place. The detail on the machine guns is exquisite and you can probably get away with not using the supplied PE parts. The PE parts look good and will add a fair bit of detail. One of the PE parts is a template for cutting holes in the engine cover, depending what decal option you decide to do.

Instructions

The instructions are pretty straight forward and lay things out well. With there being 50 steps to the build you can see that each step is pretty small with just a few parts to be added. You will also end up with about 70 parts for the spares box as this kit is a development of the earlier CL.IV kit with new sprues.

I’m not going to go through all 50 steps in a bulleted list, but the general scheme is to first build the engine and cockpit before trapping both between the fuselage halves. Then you add small parts to the fuselage before adding the tail. You get to add some decals to the mid-upper wing section, then build the undercarriage before working on the lower wing. The join for the lower wing looks like it might need pining. Due to the decals, the wings will need special attention. You also get a guide as to where the wing tension cables go.

Paint & Decals

I can see the Vallejo paint numbering system is used throughout the build to identify colours, but there isn’t a list of exactly what those colours are anywhere. It’s not a big deal to look them up online, but it’s just a little unusual to not see them named or the fact that it’s using the Vallejo numbering system other than a little note that they recommend using Vallejo paints..

You get 3 colourful decal options:

• Halberstadt CL.IV (H.F.W.), (kurzrumpf, first production batch); Pilot Lt d.Res. Ferdinand Schulz; Herrsgruppe Rupprecht – 17th Army / Schlachtgruppe „A” (Schlasta 1, 8,10,14), Schlschtstaffel 10. The battle of Saint-Mihiel, September 1918.
• Halberstadt CL.IV (H.F.W.), C.4637/18, „2” „BRÜNHILDE”. Pilot Gef. Karl Prim; Herrsgruppe Rupprecht – 17 Army / Schlachtgruppe „S” (Schlasta 9, 11, 27b), Schlschtstaffel 27b. The battle of Cambrai, October 1918.
• Halberstadt CL.IV (H.F.W.) „2” „TONI / SABINE”; Herrsgruppe Gallwitz – 5 Army / Schlachtgruppe „2” (Schlasta 3, 13, 19, 26b, 29b), Schlschtstaffel 26b. The defence struggles, Mosel area, October 1918.

The decals are mentioned in a few places as you have to decal the tops and bottoms of the wings and the tail elevators in the lozenge pattern decals supplied. Some experience with large decals would be useful!

Conclusion
This kit is not for beginners with the large decal sheets to apply over the wings and a few little things that will need some experience. That being said you will end up with a very nice little kit. There are nice details on the parts and colourful decal options to choose from.

Many thanks to Mirage-Hobby for supplying a review sample.

The kit is available from their online store for about $48.00

Paul Tosney – Editor
ModelBuilder International
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Italeri Apr 2019 Releases

1/24 MERCEDES-BENZ 300 SL GULLWING
Fully detailed interiors – Fully detailed engine – Steerable wheels – Rubber tyres – Openable doors – Openable hood and trunk – Chromed parts Color Instuctions sheet

The Mercedes-Benz 300 SL was produced in 1954 by the German car manufacturer and it’s a masterpiece on four-wheels for design, elegance and luxury. The 300 SL, where the acronym stands for Sport Leicht, (Sport Light), adopted innovative solutions for the time. The Mercedes 2 door coupe had a tubular frame, a front 2.996 cc longitudinal engine connected to a 4-speed transmission and the rear drive. The maximum speed of 300 SL was 260 Km/h (162 mph). The real strength of the car, however, was in its innovative design and the adoption of the characteristic and eye-catching Gull-wing doors. Even today the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL is an icon of design and style of the period ant it is a real icon for collectors and fans

1/35 LEOPARD 2A6
UPGRADED MOULDS – NEW GLUABLE RUBBER TRUCKS – SUPER DECALS FOR 4 VERSIONS – COLOR INSTRUCTIONS SHEET

The Leopard 2 was developed in the ’70s to satisfy the specific need of the West German Army to have a new modern and efficient Main Battle Tank able to replace the Leopard 1. It is armed with a 120 mm gun and, thanks to its V-12 twin-turbo diesel engine, it is able to reach the maximum speed of 68 Km/h. It entered service in 1979 but, continuously improved in technology, armament and armour, it is still today considered one of the best Main Battle Tank in the World. The Leopard 2 A6, in detail, is a definite improvement compared to the first versions. Armed with a 120mm Rheinmetall L / 55 smoothbore gun, it is equipped with a modern third generation composite protections. The turret shape and the mantlet profile are developed to minimize the impact of enemy hits and anti-tank weapons.

1/48 P-40 E/K KITTYHAWK
SUPER DECALS SHEET FOR 2 VERSIONS – COLOR INSTRUCTION SHEET

Based on the design of the previous single-seat radial engine fighter Curtiss P-36, the Curtiss P-40 has become one of the most famous and used aircraft of the Second World War. Between 1941 and 1944 he also played a key role in many operational theaters from North Africa to Italy, from China to the South Pacific. Characterized by a very robust and reliable aerodynamic structure, the Curtiss P-40 was equipped with an Allison V-12 engine, capable of delivering more than 1,150 HP. Thanks to it, the Curtiss P-40 was able to reach the speed of 580 Km / h. It served as air superiority fighter and fighter bomber. One of the most successful version was the P-40E. Used by U.S. fighter squadrons and, as Kittyhawk , by Commonwealth Air Forces, the P-40E was heavily armed with six 12.7 mm. M2 Browning machine guns installed in the wings. Furthermore, thanks to its under wings hardpoints, able to carry nearly 900 Kg. of bombs, it was also able to satisfy close air support duties.

1/72 AV-8A HARRIER
SUPER DECALS SHEET FOR 2 VERSIONS – COLOR INSTRUCTION SHEET

The Harrier is probably the most famous aircraft with vertical/short takeoff and landing capabilities of military History. Designed and developed by the British manufacturer Hawker Siddeley in the sixties, it was largely used, in its various versions, by British Royal Air Force and Royal Navy. The United State Marine Corps showed a significant interest in the aircraft that could be the ideal answer the operating needs. The single-seat AV-8A was specifically developed for the USMC and entered service in 1971, in the Marines’ attack squadrons. The AV-8A was able to operate from the ground bases and from the converted amphibious assault ships. The AV-8A could successfully perform close support, ground attack and air defence duties. It was very appreciate by USMC in fact the AV-8A was fully integrated with the other landing vehicles and helicopters during the Amphibious assault operations.

1/72 F/A-18 HORNET Swiss Air Force – Royal Australian Air Force
SUPER DECALS SHEET FOR 2 VERSIONS – COLOR INSTRUCTION SHEET

The twin-engine supersonic multirole fighter F/A-18 Hornet has been developed to offer an extraordinary flexibility and versatility. It can perform air superiority, ground attack, close support and reconnaissance duties. Thanks to its flexibility, the F/A-18 has been adopted by several Air Forces becoming a relevant commercial success. It is used, in its various configurations, by US Navy, US Marine Corps, Australian, Canadian, Spanish and Swiss Air Forces. More in detail, 26 single seater F/A-18 and 7 twin seater, equipping 3 squadrons, are currently used by Swiss Air Force. The Hornets of Fliegerstaffel 17‚ the backbone of the Swiss air defense system operating from the Payerne airfield, are recognizable by the eye-catching hawk decoration on the tail, the emblem of the squadron.

1/72 SHERMAN – WoT – Easy to Build
A new line in scale 1:72 easy to assemble complete with stand base, in-game Bonus code (PC version), Invitation code (PC version) and stickers for customizations

The bonus code is only valid for the European and American game server

The M4 Sherman medium tank was the primary tank used by the United States during World War II. It was the first and most basic production version of the Sherman line and also the most commonly-produced U.S. tank of WWII. It essentially formed the backbone of U.S armoured forces at that time.

As many as 49,234 vehicles were produced.

The Sherman evolved from the M3 Medium Tank, retaining a lot from this previous design. However, the M4’s design introduced a fully-traversable turret in combination with a 75mm gun.

To facilitate production, the Sherman tank family was modified into a perplexing array of variants – from the basic M4 through to the famous “Easy Eight”.

Shermans first saw combat with British forces in North Africa in late 1942, against the Panzer III and Panzer IV. They would then go on to be used on all fronts until the war’s end.

The tank was easy to produce en masse and quite reliable. A lack of firepower and narrow tracks, which often caused it to get stuck on muddy terrain, were its main weaknesses.

1/72 T-34/85 – WoT – Easy to Build
A new line in scale 1:72 easy to assemble complete with stand base, in-game Bonus code (PC version), Invitation code (PC version) and stickers for customizations

The bonus code is only valid for the European and American game server

Arguably the best medium tank of World War II, the T-34-85 was a crucial factor in the outcome of the conflict. Over 35,000 were produced, meaning that it also came to represent, from a Soviet standpoint, the supremacy of socialist industry over capitalism.

It was the antithesis of German over-engineering. Designers favoured simple solutions that used fewer resources. It was therefore available in greater numbers – a telling factor as Axis forces were pushed out of the Soviet Union and back to Berlin.

The T-34-85 was an up-gunned version of the T-34 tank which carried a 76mm gun that was insufficient at dealing with tanks like the Tiger and Panther. A new turret allowed the installation of an 85mm gun that was capable of penetrating German armour with greater ease. This tank also represented the first proper mass production of a sloped-hull design which meant that the armour could afford to be thinner while still providing the same effective protection. Coupled with sloping on the turret, the survivability of the tank compared to the original T-34 design was much better.

Paul Tosney – Editor
ModelBuilder International
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Trumpeter May 2019 Releases

German Panther G – Late version
Item No.: 00929 Scale: 1:16

72V6E4 Combat Vehicle of 96K6 Pantsir -S1 ADMGS
Item No.: 01060 Scale: 1:35

Russian S-300V 9A82 SAM
Item No.: 09518 Scale: 1:35

HMS TYPE 23 Frigate – Montrose(F236)
Item No.: 06720 Scale: 1:700

Soviet Tu-22K Blinder-B Bomber
Item No.: 01695 Scale: 1:72

Avro Vulcan B.MK 2
Item No.: 03931 Scale: 1:144

 

Paul Tosney – Editor
ModelBuilder International
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U-Boot im Focus 16

As always, the issue was packed very well; wrapped in paper and then inside a cardboard envelope. The magazine is printed on 50 high-quality glossy pages and all the text is in both German and English and the quality of the English translation is excellent. The photographs are all good quality and never before published.

The magazine starts as usual with an editorial from the editor. Here Axel tells us that the next 2 issues of U-boot im Focus will concentrate Type IXC submarines to coincide with Revell’s release of a 1/72 IXC (Kit number 05133). The next item, as usual, is the reader’s forum, where additional information is published for previous issues.

Next we get into the content of the magazine itself. The subjects of the various topics are

• 50 pages with 66 photos – thereof 10 in colour, 1 coloured document, 1 coloured conning tower front views, 3 coloured emblems, 2 coloured maps, Readers Forum
• Boat in Focus: Photo Supplement – Operations by U-481 in the Gulf of Finland
• Unusual: Signs for smokers and “fresh air-catchers”
• Photos with a Story: U-995 Then and Now – How original is the museum boat in Laboe?
• Scenery: Coastal Convoy
• Boat in Focus: U-393 – The Experimental Boat of Testing Group Sultan
• Unusual: A Submariner Takes a Bath at Sea
• Documents: A Submariner’s Role Card
• Color Photos: Italian Submarine Flying the Reich War Flag
• as well as several photos of U-387, U-19, U-576, U-37, U-168 and further pieces of information

Another great bunch of previously unseen photos, with excellent commentaries.

If you’re interested in the Kriegsmarine at all, then this magazine is of special interest to you and highly recommended.

The best way to get these is via the subscriptions that are available here. The publisher now offers free shipping within Germany and shipping has decreased for some other countries too.

Paul Tosney – Editor
ModelBuilder International
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HobbyBoss May 2019 Releases

1:72 JASDF T-4 Trainer ITEM No.: 87266

1:32 B-24D Liberator ITEM No.: 83212

1:35 German SPG Crew ITEM No.: 84402 (Image not available)

1:35 German Tropical Panzer Crew ITEM No.: 84409 (Image not available)

1:35 German Infantry Set Vol.1 (Early) ITEM No.: 84413 (Image not available)

Paul Tosney – Editor

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Iliad Design 1/48 Mig-19 J-6 Decal Sheet

This decal sheet is numbered 48005a, similar to the 48005 of the initial release of this 1/48 decal sheet, which makes sense since it is a reprint of that sheet, with an upgrade. This second edition of the sheet has 2 extra aircraft on it and so now has 1 Mig-19S  and 6 Shenyang J-6 instead of the 5 Shenyang J-6 of the first edition. The first edition has been out of print for a while and no one has stock anymore. It was popular and sold out everywhere.

The decal set arrived from Iliad decals in a stout cardboard envelope. The subjects of this sheet are:

• Shenyang J-6, 26 Sqn., Pakistan Air Force
• Shenyang J-6, Egyptian Air Force, 1983
• Shenyang J-6, Pakistan Air Force, retirement ceremony
• MiG-19S, Soviet aerobatic display team in the late 1950s and early ‘60s
• Shenyang J-6, Albanian Air Force
• Shenyang J-6, 925th Fighter Regiment, Vietnamese People’s Air Force, 1972
• Shenyang J-6, Chinese PLAAF

The set contains just the aircraft specific decals and you would use any stencils from the kit you’re using. You will be able to make all 7 aircraft though – if you have 7 kits available!

The contents of this set are:

• 1 double-sided colour sheet of instructions
• 1 21 cm x 14 cm decal sheet

The instructions are clear and simple and give all the extra details you’re going to need to get your build right. The port side views of each aircraft have details against each of them letting you know details about the camouflage scheme used and any idiosyncrasies of the individual aircraft. On the reverse side of the sheet are top views of the 7 aircraft showing camouflage schemes on the top and the colours used on the undersides. All the colours used on the aircraft are named.

The decal sheet, as you can see in the photographs and the video, are perfectly in register, well detailed and the colours look good too. The backing film is minimal to non-existent except in places where it is needed to line text up. Iliad has chosen a good set of colourful aircraft to build.

This set is available for $12.00 from Iliad Design’s site.

Conclusion:
This is a very nice decal set with some attractive options for any 1/48 Mig-19 or Shenyang J-6.

Many thanks to Iliad Design for the review sample.

Paul Tosney – Editor
ModelBuilder International
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