Hobby Boss’ 1/700 Type 094 Jin Class SSBN is composed of 18 injection molded styrene parts, 1 photo-etch part and a small decal sheet. One painting example is offered in full color. Assembly is broken down into two steps. Step one brings the hull halves and conning tower parts together. Step adds the conning tower to the upper hull, adds the photo-etch screw and places the supports of the display stand. Overall a very simple model.

ICM has been releasing quality kits, figure sets, and recently paints to support their vast library of releases. This one is a rebox of the original 2021 Leyland Retriever General Service Truck (Kit # 35602), but adds a figure set of Montgomery himself with three of his staff. It also has decal schemes for three versions of the same caravan: one sand-color scheme based in North Africa in 1942, a two-tone camo scheme for Tripoli in 1943, and the one I decided on, an all-dark green based in Germany in the spring of 1945.

What’s Inside the Box

You get thirteen light gray and three clear sprues, as well as seven vinyl tires and a small PE fret for the front grill. An additional sprue is inside for the four figures. Details are pretty crisp and there are a lot of interior details for the latrine and office area.

ICM continues to be prolific with both kits and paint sets. The Acrylic Paint Set for WWII French Armored Vehicles continues this trend and consists of six 12ml wide mouthed paint bottles. The front packaging includes a presentation of a FCM 36 light infantry tank. The back shows three left-profile views of a Panhard 178 AMD-35 (Kit No. 35373), two FCM 36 (Kit No. 3573) in two different camouflage schemes, and with color callouts.

The colors include:

• Olive Green (No. 1068)
• Green 4BO (No. 1073)
• Deep Brown (No. 1008)
• Buff (No. 1041)
• Dark Rust (No. 1051)
• Gun Metal (No. 1027)

Painting instructions are on the side of the packaging, stating

ICM continues to be prolific with both kits and paint sets. The Acrylic Paint Set for US Armored Vehicles 1990-2000s continues this trend and consists of six 12ml wide mouthed paint bottles. The front packaging includes a presentation of a M2 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle. The back shows two M2 Bradley IFVs (Kit No. 72912) with color callouts for MERDC (Mobility Equipment Research & Development Center) Snow, Trees & Shrubs and Summer Verdant.

Two Bobs Aviation Graphics are well known for their attention to detail, color accuracy, instructions and graphics, and quality. This latest decal set is no exception. The F-15A Fightin’ 49ers decal set comes with two decal sheets in a protective Ziploc sleeve (6”x 10”) and one-page glossy color instructions (17”x11”) that folds into a four-page booklet.

Included on the instructions, and their webpage (https://www.twobobs.net/contents/en-us/p57778_48-289-F-15A-Fightin'-49ers.html), is a brief history of the 49th Fighter Wing:

ICM continues to be prolific with both kits and paint sets. The Acrylic Paint Set for WWII French Armored Vehicles continues this trend and consists of six 12ml wide mouthed paint bottles. The front packaging includes a presentation of a FCM 36 light infantry tank. The back shows three left-profile views of a Panhard 178 AMD-35 (Kit No. 35373), two FCM 36 (Kit No. 3573) in two different camouflage schemes, and with color callouts.

The colors include:

• Olive Green (No. 1068)
• Green 4BO (No. 1073)
• Deep Brown (No. 1008)
• Buff (No. 1041)
• Dark Rust (No. 1051)
• Gun Metal (No. 1027)

Painting instructions are on the side of the packaging, stating

ICM continues to be prolific with both kits and paint sets. The Acrylic Paint Set for US Armored Vehicles 1990-2000s continues this trend and consists of six 12ml wide mouthed paint bottles. The front packaging includes a presentation of a M2 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle. The back shows two M2 Bradley IFVs (Kit No. 72912) with color callouts for MERDC (Mobility Equipment Research & Development Center) Snow, Trees & Shrubs and Summer Verdant.

History

The Island of Malta is strategically located in the center of the Mediterranean Sea, halfway between Africa and Italy, as well as Egypt and Gibraltar. During WWII, the British felt it vital to hold onto the island as a base for both the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force to conduct offensive missions. Despite this, the island was poorly garrisoned during the early part of the War, as the British forces were spread thin across Europe as well as defending the homeland from a potential German invasion. All that could be spared for aerial defense was a handful of Gloster Sea Gladiators, left in storage by the Royal Navy and hastily brought out by the RAF in 1940.

Philip Birtles is a name well-known in the British preservation movement, being a leading light with the DeHavilland Aviation Museum, and the author of numerous books about British military aviation. This new book from Fonthill Media draws heavily from Birtles’ photo collection to bring together a photographic survey of RAF combat jets, from 1945 to the present. Starting with the Gloster Meteor and DeHavilland Vampire, the book charts all types right up to the RAF’s new F-35B, all the photos being reproduced in full color. Each type is also subject to a short historical summary of the type’s development and RAF service.

When ICM started to release its family of B-26 models and variants, it was well received by modelers the world over as the old Monogram’s kit was released in 1978, 47 years ago. And at some point, they were going to release Flak Bait and they did and I jumped on the opportunity to review it. A little background on Flak Bait- it was given the name by its first pilot, James Farrell who adapted the nick name from his dog, flea bait. It then ran 202 bombing missions over France, the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium and survived the war intact and holds the record for number of bombing missions survived. And not one crew member was killed during that time and only one was injured even though it landed on one engine twice, lost its electrical and hydraulic systems twice and ended up with over 1000 holes that needed patched.

From the Manufacturer’s Website:

Being half English, I have an affinity for English aircraft. I have loved the Bristol Beaufort ever since reading Torpedo Bomber by Ralph Barker many decades ago.

The Beaufort was developed from the Blenheim bomber to meet a tendered specification for a land-based, twin-engine torpedo bomber. Later on the wings and tail of the Beaufort were used to develop the Beaufighter. Decent mileage, in my opinion.

The Beaufort saw stellar service operating from the Home Islands, the Mediterranean, the Pacific and the Far East.

Airframe Detail No.10 follows the standard format Valiant Wings uses for this series, starting with a brief history which covers the areas of operations, the different countries who flew it, survivors and serial numbers.

This is the first Detail & Scale book I have ever read, and after this wonderful experience, it will not be my last. In fact, I may have to start a reference collection. Even more impressive is that I don’t identify as primarily an aircraft modeler, but the photographs, captions and background information are so well done and presented, that I may have to start looking for models of aircraft highlighted in these fabulous books.

From the Detail & Scale website,

Chipping is storytelling at its core, which is why we start our modeling journey developing these skills to foster a broad range of looks … Michael Rinaldi

TG/01 Chipping is the first book in a new series of technical guides by Michael Rinaldi in partnership with AMMO by MiG. The book is packed with excellent photos illustrating the weathering process of reductive chipping on scale models. Step by step photos illustrate the chipping process, and diagrams clearly describe the layering of paints.

Rinaldi Studio Press has announced a subsequent book in the series, TG/02 on Oil Paint Rendering (OPR).

ICM continues to be prolific with both kits and paint sets. The Acrylic Paint Set for WWII RAF Coastal Command aircraft continues this trend and consists of six 12ml wide mouthed paint bottles. The front packaging includes a presentation of a Bristol Beaufort Mk.1A WWII British torpedo bomber. The back shows three left-profile views of Bristol Beauforts, including Mk.1.A DX 135 in Temperate Scheme (1940-44) of German Field Grey (Green) and Dark Grey over Sky (Kit No. 48315), Mk.1A LR906 Late Coastal Command (1944-45) Coastal White with Off White with Dark Grey on top of fuselage and wings (Kit No. 48315) in, and Mk.1 L4516 OA-W Temperate Land Scheme of Leather Brown and Extra Dark Green over Black (Kit No. 48310) with color callouts.

The colors include:

Kagero has started a new series known as “References for Modelers”. This fifth issue is devoted to the Dewoitine D.520 C1. In particular, it covers both the early and late versions of this aircraft.

The references include a few period pictures (black and white) and covers mostly the French service, but there is one picture of the aircraft in Italian markings. There are a handful of color profiles (and 4-view images in some cases) for French service (1940) and two color profiles in Bulgarian markings, one during WW2 and another that is post-war.

Air-to-air missiles (AAMs) are a part of almost every tactical aircraft and some helicopters these days. If you’re anything like me, they tend to be part of the finishing bits we grind through at the end of a build. Perhaps a deeper understanding of these weapons and their integral connection to the aircraft we build will make finishing those missiles a bit easier. This is the first of six volumes dedicated to the history of air-to-air missiles (AAM). In this first volume, the author, Bill Norton, a former Air Force officer and flight test engineer with 40 years of experience, introduces us to a comprehensive history—in six volumes of these weapons.

References for Modelers 19: Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat by Kagero Publishing is a specialized reference book aimed at scale modelers and aviation enthusiasts. It provides detailed visual references, photographs, and technical information about the Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat, a prominent World War II U.S. Navy fighter aircraft.

References for Modelers 19: Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat includes:

The Tamiya F-35 kits are some of the best in any scale so it is not unusual to see aftermarket companies produce parts to try and improve them. In this case, Aires has created a replacement set for the F-35A exhaust nozzle.

The Tamiya kit parts are really nice, so what does Aires offer to make you spend a bit more modeling money? Let’s take a look.

The set includes 3 resin parts, which are almost a direct drop-in replacement for the 4 parts Tamiya molded. The instructions indicate where you need to cut to remove the parts from the supports. You do have to trim a small bit off of kit part A5, but that is easily accomplished.

The YB-52, one of two prototypes of the B-52, first flew on October 2, 1952. Little did anyone at Boeing or in the U.S. Air Force conceive that later models of the B-52 would still be flying over 70 years later! A total of 744 B-52s, of 8 different models, were produced by Boeing, with the last one, a B-52H, being rolled off the assembly line on October 26, 1962.

Written by Ben Skipper, this book does an excellent job of covering the B-52 (also known as the “BUFF”), including a modeler’s section. There are 100 pictures, and 24 full-color side views of various B-52s from the A models up to the current operational B-52Hs.