We see the full catalogue for 2026 today from Italeri. We add it to our earlier sneak peek at some of their new (& re-released) items featured today in our preview...Read on... »

Michael John Claringbould hit another home run (the pun works with both baseball and cricket) with this latest addition to the Pacific Profile series. Night fighters grew out of necessity and are rarely noted, much less written about. This book fills that void in great and interesting detail. From the Introduction,

“Welcome to the diverse world of Pacific War night fighters. This volume focuses on their markings and insignia, mostly under-represented to date with the exception of the P-61 Black Widow series. In addition to the P-61, other types illustrated include the P-70 series Nighthawk, the P-38 Lightning, the B-25 Mitchell, the F4U-2 Corsair and the Lockheed PV-1 Ventura. Three other miscellaneous types associated with the night fighter program are illustrated in the final chapter.”

I guess the most important thing to keep in mind about this review item is that it is designed and fitted for the 20 plus year old 1/48 Mauve/Eduard kit and the similarly aged Academy P-40N/M. This aftermarket set is not intended for the new 2025 Eduard P-40 N and possibly forthcoming M.

The Eduard P-51Ds are excellence in plastic. They are beautiful plastic kits, but the landing gear is a little fragile. Enter Kazan Model Dynamics, with their HybridCAST sets. What does HybridCAST mean? There is an aluminum rod surrounded by resin pieces. This gives you superior strength along with the superior details offered by resin.

Packaged in a top opening stiff card stock box with plenty of foam to protect the parts. The instructions are printed on a single-sided sheet. This particular set has 20 resin pieces, but what sets these apart is the inclusion of aluminum tubing INSIDE the strength critical parts such as the landing gear struts and the actuator rods.

Finding helicopter crew member figures, especially in 1/48th scale has been like finding hen's teeth. Thankfully, ICM has listened, and provided modelers with some great figures in this scale. Finally, we have a modern helicopter crew in 1/48. These are the most recent US Army helicopter pilots and crew.

Packaged in a really sturdy top opening cardboard box with the artwork on a sleeve that fits over it protects the entire contents from anything short of fire or a trash compactor. Inside you’ll find a single sprue of light grey plastic that contains 32 beautiful parts for THREE figures.

What happens when the hobby you love starts feeling like a chore? We go straight at that question with Jim Bates, exploring how burnout creeps in, why favorite subjects can become fear targets, and what it takes to rediscover honest joy at the bench. Jim shares how a demanding year pushed modeling to the margins, why armor felt freer than aircraft, and the simple mindset shift that turned “perfect or quit” into “finish and learn.” Along the way, we unpack airbrush avoidance, photoetch dread, and the tiny victories that rebuild momentum—like stripping a botched primer, repainting, and choosing progress over paralysis.

We also get practical. You’ll hear how keeping short journal notes, and accepting weekend-only bench time can remove friction and make modeling sustainable again. We talk about the limits of step-by-step boilerplate articles, why video excels at teaching technique, and how personal writing can spark creativity in ways a camera can’t. Jim’s revived blog, A Scale Canadian, is his sandbox for that approach: short, thoughtful posts that value honesty over hype.

There’s fresh inspiration too. We walk through Model Mania at the Museum of Flight—a display-only, public-forward event with seminars, demos from Rick Lawler, and zero contest pressure—plus a quick tour of new kit announcements that caught our eye, from Airfix’s Canberra and JU 52 to MiniArt’s Opel Maultier. To close, we share bench updates: Shermans and Cromwells, a Hellcat edging toward weathering, a T-33 off the shelf of doom, and a KV-85 waiting on brass.

If you’ve been stuck, second-guessing, or saving “the good kit” for a better version of yourself that never seems to arrive, this conversation is your nudge. Build for you. Finish something small. Protect your joy. Then tell us what you’re tackling next. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs the push, and leave a quick review to help others find the show.

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Mike and Kentucky Dave thank each and everyone of you for participating on this journey with us.

MiniArt adds to their Mercedes 170V series with this Kfz.2 German Radio Car Type 170VK in 1/35th scale. We look at the art, CADs, features & real thing in our preview today...Read on... »

For a while Das Werk have been teasing the number "6" in their social pages; today we find out what this is about with six new releases announced in Nuremberg. See them in our preview...Read on... »

Special Hobby has several releases slated for February. Some new, some (re)newed. See them in our preview...Read on... »

With over 650 titles in print, Fonthill Media publishes high-quality subjects including Archaeology and Ancient History, Aviation, Biography, Local History and Heritage, Military and General History, Sport, Transport and Industrial History.

Arma Hobby is offering a great little accessory for anyone looking to create a WWII/Korea US airfield diorama, or even just a nice base for your 1/72 aircraft model.

This small base is nicely packaged in and a stiff cardboard envelope, somewhat reminiscent of “Apple style” clean design. The resin base appears to be 3-D printed and has extremely crisp detail. No flash or any attachment points to trim away, it is ready to paint and prime right out of the box (envelope). No instructions or paint diagram of any kind are included. But a neat little feature is a QR code that links to free 3D printer files for a group of airfield accessories such as fuel drums, wheel chocks, a fire extinguisher, and a few other goodies. Not having a 3D printer, I was not able to test these out, but it certainly is a nice little bonus!

A snowbound Kentucky chat meets sunny Jacksonville plans as we sit down with Bob Tate from IPMS First Coast to explore how JaxCon reshaped the classic model show into a warm, community-first experience. Think Friday evening setup and a pizza social to slow the pace, then a crisp Saturday run with registration at 9, judging at noon, and a focused awards wrap by 5. It’s efficient, friendly, and designed so builders, vendors, and visitors all get time to breathe and actually talk models.

We dive into the heart of their approach: an open gold, silver, bronze system that evaluates each model on its own merits. No podium pressure, just recognition for quality work. Bob explains how initial resistance gave way to buy-in once people saw honest standards and consistent results, and why they still zone tables by genre for judging flow and easier browsing. The result? Strong turnout with 150+ entrants, 600+ models, and a calmer show floor where learning beats rivalry.

JaxCon’s extras add real value. A sold-out vendor hall arrives early on Friday, three food trucks keep lines short, and the raffle is both exciting and strategic. One-dollar random draws every half hour keep the buzz going, while five and ten-dollar targeted tickets let you aim for high-value kits. That structure raises enough to offer free public admission, which brings new eyes to the hobby without raising participant fees. This year’s theme, 80 years of the Blue Angels—rooted in Jacksonville’s history—anchors special awards alongside memorial trophies that honor club members and their passions.

If you’re planning to attend regional shows or thinking about how to evolve your own, JaxCon offers a practical blueprint: reward excellence, encourage connection, and make the logistics work for people first. Enjoy the insights, steal a few ideas, and share your favorite show innovations with us. If this spotlight helped, follow, rate, and leave a quick review so more builders can find the show.

In addition to JaxCon,  a couple of other shows we would like to promote are:

4M Mayhem hosted my the Mid-Michigan Model Makers on February 7th

and

AMPS-Atlanta 2026 on February 20-21

Model Paint Solutions
Your source for Harder & Steenbeck Airbrushes and David Union Power Tools

SQUADRON
Adding to the stash since 1968

Model Podcasts
Please check out the other pods in the modelsphere!

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Give us your Feedback!
Rate the Show!

Support the Show!
Patreon
Buy Me a Beer
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Bump Riffs Graciously Provided by Ed Baroth
Ad Reads Generously Provided by Bob "The Voice of Bob" Bair

Mike and Kentucky Dave thank each and everyone of you for participating on this journey with us.

Trumpeter has two more kits for February – the M1133 Stryker MEV in 72nd & the sweet Buccaneer S.2D in 48th scale. We have colours, decals & built-up kits in our preview...Read on... »