MiniArt has combined their G7107 1,5T 4X4 Cargo Truck & "Ben Hur" trailer with new decals to make a great new set. We see the CADs, markings, sprue layout & profiles in our preview...Read on... »

It’s really unique to open these up and see the dark blue and white background to the decal sheet. It sets the individual decals off and honestly, I think it makes the numbers easier to read. When you look at the individual decals, what caught my eye right off the bat was how well the placards look. The lettering and lines have a bright silver metallic look to them that I don’t see in other decals. Printing on the smaller warning decals is crisp and readable at what looks like size 2 font. The registration on all the colors on my sheet looks perfect, no issues. The decals overall are very, very thin. You can hardly feel them on the sheet. When applying them be careful not to let them curl over on themselves. Apply right off the sheet to the aircraft, if possible. Another thing that stands out is how bold the red and the blue are. They really have good solid colors on the decal.

Greenhill Books, an imprint of Pen & Sword Books, is an independent, family-owned company that publishes quality military history for knowledgeable enthusiasts. Its focus is on military history that matters and will have an impact. Publishing fascinating military history for the knowledgeable enthusiast, its books are renowned and available internationally with translations into other languages. The Greenhill catalog has a particular emphasis on World War biographies that bring to life the unique perspectives only first-hand battlefield experience can provide.

I have a soft spot for some reason for British torpedo bombers. I've done the Swordfish, Albacore, Beaufort, Firebrand, Blackburd, Ripon and Vildebeest so far. This is the Esoterica vacuform Blackburn Dart, which superseded the Sopwith Cuckoo. As with all Esoterica kits, it is very well done and strut stock and some white metal parts are supplied. They even included white metal torpedo cart. There are decals for three colorful aircraft. I did mine OOTBag. My only contributions were a propeller, pilot and torpedo from the spares box. They give you a white metal torpedo, but the fins were covered in flash and they broke when I tried to clean them up, so it was easier to just substitute a plastic one. I also had to redo the cylinder heads as the kit white metal ones were just formless lumps. It's s bit rough, I know, but it fills a hole in my collection and it further proves that Blackburn produced some really unattractive, but quite functional, aircraft.

If you have the need, the need for a speed build, take a look at this—Belfine Model's new 72nd scale Darkstar" concept from the "Maverick" movie. We look at the built-up kit & features in our preview...Read on... »

I've noticed on the Reviews site that several members have a bio and picture of themselves at the bottom of their respective review articles, and I'm wondering how to set that up? The "Log In" link does not work for me. Any help would be appreciated.

Fresh off of the workbench this is the 1/32 Trumpeter P-51D Mustang. The kit has a lot of options I decided to omit so as to "git'er done" quicker. Thus, I closed up the gun bays and left out the engine, making the needed adaptations to fit the exhausts and add gun barrels in the wings at the end. The kit comes with separately molded flaps, but they're not really designed to be shown in the down position. I had to grind off a molded in step under the rear of each wing root and then fill in a molded in step in the end of each flap, as well as cut off their original mounting pins so I could drop them. I opted to do the very colorful "American Beauty/Lovely Lila" flown by ace Capt. Voll. The kit decals include all of the striping but I opted to paint all of the striping myself. The rest of the decals I used were excellent and turned out to be one of the highlights of building the kit. If you're a Mustang purist, this kit has a lot of problems, inaccuracies, and irritating small flaws; so I can't recommend it since Tamiya and Zoukei-Mura have newer 1/32 bubbletop Mustangs that are most likely much better. Still, it's a relatively easy build and has indented surface details which most modelers like. On to the rest of the pics! Questions, comments, and critiques welcome as always! Gil

Just in time for your new mobile workshop for your 35th-scale diorama. This set of more tools complements MiniArt's earlier kit. We look at the kit contents in our preview...Read on... »

While Pabz, Kyle and julio remain on vacation, Brian brings back Mason Fitch and long time friend @TrueGunpla/@Yenshinstudios to talk about a topic suggestion from the discord!

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Shout out to Creeping For Scale Models for the topic suggestion!

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Check out The Cutting Mat Podcast for...higher content

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An early Scooter & a very hot Challenger are the two latest releases (in 48th scale) from HobbyBoss for August. We look at the colours, decals, & built-up kit in our preview...Read on... »

Meng has developed a new Leopard 2A4 for their popular new 72nd scale range that fits in with their recent Leopard 2A7 & German PzH2000. We have art, CADs & the real thing in our preview...Read on... »

Trumpeter expands on both their Britanic & Huey series with the 1/200th scale hospital ship & 35th scale armed Huey gunship for their August releases. Colours, decals, & built-up kits in our preview...Read on... »

These brass pad eyes have a good appearance to them with a slight bit of texture just on the inside diameter. I think this will help it take paint and give some depth to the inside of the pad. On the real ones, this section rolls down into the bowl, so having a slightly different tone on the ID should give an appearance of depth. These pad eyes measure out at 5/16 inches in diameter, at 1:32 scale, that is 10 inches. Check your references to make sure this matches the assembly or carrier deck you are working with. The brass is a pretty standard thickness. They should lie down nicely for a diorama. I like that there are only two attachment points, making it simpler to clean up the edges of the brass for installation. My approach has been to drill shallow holes, using a drill press so that I get the same depth and then lay the pad eye in so it is flush with the deck on the diorama.

Iliad Design has provided the IPMS/USA reviewer corps with a wonderful decal set for the Korean War MiG-15s. This is an improved version of the decals versus their original set of MiG-15s with an additional new scheme and an expanded set of instructions.

This 1/48th scale decal sheet covers eight schemes:

The non-profit UK-based group known as the Great War Aviation Society publishes its journal, Cross & Cockade International, four times a year. Issues are available in English as printed [Softbound, A4 (8.27” x 11.69”), 80 pages plus centerfold] as well as digital copies (or both). A new magazine, Contact!, is now available in both print and digital download. The Society also provides a free newsletter (sign up on their website) and occasionally publishes WWI-themed books, such as the Sopwith Dolphin monograph I reviewed earlier for IPMS USA. This Journal is the sister of the US Journal, Over The Front. The Great War Aviation Society also hosts a lecture series available through Zoom. If you are interested, please register early, as the call has a limited attendance capacity.

MiniArt's newest of the 1/48th scale Junkers F13 kit features the early-production variant with skis! We have art, CADs, sprue layout, & features of the model & the aircraft from this boxing in our preview...Read on... »

This is another value-added set having both decals and masks. The modeler will have an option for how to replicate the demo scheme. For striping this set supplies only the white decals. One heads-up related to the white color; the graphics decals and the striping decals are not an exact color match. The graphics like the hearts on the fuselage strakes appear to be slightly off-white, almost white-grey.

There is a set of masks that can be used for the white striping and a small stripe of the red from the leading edge of the wing up to the nose of the cockpit canopy. Without the red and blue striping as decals the masks may be the better option from this set.

Neverland Hobby's new Wolf SSA in 35th scale is on the way. Based on the G-wagen chassis & able to be customised in several options with three marking choices. See the CAD, features & the sprues in our preview...Read on... »

Iliad Design has provided the IPMS/USA reviewer corps with a wonderful decal set for the fighters of WWII Operation Rutter. Planes represented are three Supermarine Spitfire Mk. Vb’s and one Hawker Hurricane Mk. II.

This 1/48th scale decal sheet covers four schemes:

1. Spitfire Mk. Vb, BM324 (GW*S), “Tomana” of 340 Sqn., July 1942
2. Spitfire Mk. Vb, AR373 (MN*M), “LULANGURU” of 350 (Belgian) Sqn., July 1942
3. Spitfire Mk. Vb, AA853 (C*WX), of Wing Cdr Stefan Witorzenc, 302 Sqn., July 1942
4. Hurricane Mk. II, BE682 (XP*R), “Hurribomber” of 174 (Mauritius) Sqn., July 1942

In the Package

There is one decal sheet provided with all the individual markings for each airplane and this includes the roundels. General aircraft stencils will have to be sourced from somewhere else.

Mark Proulx has amassed an impressive collection of photographs over the years. His previous work with Eagle Editions has produced the highly successful Wings of the Black Cross series. Now Mark and Eagle Editions have expanded the range with this inaugural volume of Wings of the Allies - The European Air War.

If you're familiar with the Wings of the Black Cross series of books, this is exactly the same format: sturdy laminated cover with high-quality paper on the inside. The book features plenty of original photos and eight color profiles on 36 pages.