James H

1:32 Turnbuckles GasPatch Models Catalogue # See article for price and code Available from GasPatch Models Gaspatch Models have most certainly transformed the life of the WW1 modeller, most certainly for the better. Rigging can be the real bug-bear when it comes to finishing a biplane project. Yes, some modellers find it quite therapeutic, but for others, having to seize and bind the various cables which stretch between undercarriage struts, and wing struts, can be tedious. Of course, you can always just lash the EZ-Line, or whatever you use, straight to the rigging hole, but if you want that extra realism, without all the extra work, then these sets could well be for you. A few months ago, we looked at the first turnbuckle releases from GasPatch Models, and today, we can bring you a further FOUR sets. These are: 13-32011, Metal Turnbuckles Albatros Type, €14.50 13-32014, Metal Turnbuckles One End, €14.50 13-32016, Metal Anchor Points, €14.50 13-32018, RAF Metal Turnbuckles Late Type, €14.50 All turnbuckle sets come in an easy-to-open clear blister pack, with a small piece of foam stopping the contents from rattling about inside. The packaging insert doubles as a small instruction sheet when opened out. Each turnbuckle set is produced from a process called sintering. This is the fusion of metal powders in order to create specific shapes. This can leave the surface of the item with a slightly rough appearance, but this is only noticeable when you look at the items under something such as the macro lens of a camera. That is unavoidable. To the naked eye, and most certainly on your model, you have nothing to worry about. These packets contain a small block onto which the turnbuckles are connected. You simply need to use a pair of tweezers to bend the base of the buckle back and forth in order to remove them from this block. Do this as you need them so as not to lose any. Depending on which set you buy, there are either 30 or 60 turnbuckles included. The detail on them is also very good, despite their size and production method. I've used these turnbuckles on my own projects, and I found that you occasionally had to open up the buckle hole with a micro drill bit in order to easily slide EZ-Line through them. The small instruction sheet shows the method in which these are to be fastened to your model. Of course, for the RAF type, it's pretty obvious what nationality of aircraft that this particular style is to be used on. The One End and Anchor Points sets look fairly universal to most nationalities, but the Albatros Type are to be used on either Albatros fighter aircraft, or even on other German aircraft which were licence-built by the Albatros company. These have a small ball joint at the foot of the buckle, and you will need to check your references to ensure that this type was indeed used. The parts themselves have a small amount of flexibility, but ensure they are pretty much pointing in the right direction before you fix them, or add them to the rigging line first, and then plug them into your model at the correct angle. Conclusion These really are a must-have item for rigging, and having seen many models where these have been used, I have to say they look absolutely superb. Cost-wise, they probably work on par with separate buckle and seizing tube products available, but of course, these look more accurate and will be a little easier to install. Very highly recommended James H Our sincere thanks to GasPatch Models for the review samples seen here. To purchase directly, click THIS link.

That title is superb! 'Factory return', almost like 'I don't want this anymore, so here it is back' Parabellum machine too?

Loving this one. Why do I want to build this one? Might try to hold out for the regular, non-birdcage type.

That looks great John. Don't you just love spraying yellow!

Those belts look the part. I suppose I'd better fit them in my next one. I can't understand why belts weren't included in the kit. You did a great job of that IP.

It's been a month and a half since I updated this, so I apologise. It's been manic here. I have now finished this model, so I'll post some general update images and some finished ones for you. I've spent days writing now, so I'll just post the images for you. Most of them speak for themselves. Any questions, then fire away! AND FINISHED!!!! Many thanks to Richard from Aviattic for the loan of the Flyer's Badge too! This one will be posted in a future edition of Military Illustrated Modeller. I think issue #37

That about sums it up. I'm addicted to this topic.

Well done Rick! I have to agree with Nick and say the Zero was my favourite. NOW.....what next?

Cheers Nick. I might just take a look

Liking this one, and the extra work you're putting in for detail.

Jesus, why do I want to build one of these? It's not normal! Great review Nige. That's a an imposing project.

Happy Birthday Mike! Have a hot Sake for me!

If Erik has these in larger resolution, and he's willing, then I can FTP them to Neil.

Yes, can you DropBox to me and I'll upload to server FTP? We need nice images of as high resolution as we can get. Cees, do you have any photo evidence of detail at the museum too?

That's coming on real well. Goes to show what a great fit things are generally.

This a benchmark for my H version. I've heard stories about the engines being difficult to get right and install into the nacelle with the exhausts. How do you find things?

1:32 Ju 88A-4 detail sets Eduard Catalogue # See article for code and price Available from Eduard Join Bunny Fighter Club for further discounts It took some time, but Revell eventually got there. Releasing the Ju 88A-4 variant of one of their best kits, that is. Almost from the time that the A-1 was released, we more or less knew that the A-4 was coming, due to the kit break-down and by leaked word of mouth. Still, it took five years though. The original kit was very well catered for with regards to aftermarket, and Eduard have now stepped up to the plate to release some initial photo etch sets for this superb kit. Today we take a look at two of these sets, and also a new canopy masking set, specifically for this variant. 32352, Ju 88A-4 exterior, 18,75 € 32800, Ju 88A-4 interior S.A, 25,95 € JX160, Ju 88A-4 masks, 11,25 € 32352, Ju 88A-4 exterior A few months ago, Eduard began to produce all of their non-colour PE sets without the nickel plated surface, as they do their armour sets. I know for many, this was a welcome step, as it makes park removal and clean-up easier. They are also easier to solder (should the need arise) and I find that CA also adheres a little better. This set is one such 'bare brass' finish product, and consists of a single, relatively large fret containing around NINETY-TWO parts. 'Exterior' basically means anything that isn't cockpit-related, so here, you will find everything from upgraded main wheel bay detail, such as structural formers and gear door upgrades, right through to the tail, where a rather nice replacement for the fuel dump is supplied. If we look at the undercarriage again though, detail is supplied for the legs themselves, such as brake lines, axle shaft end plates and access plates, and also a tail wheel mud guard, omitted totally from the Revell kit. Some detail is provided to replace and refine the plastic moulded detail, such as the lug on the rear tail wheel. In the real aircraft, this was actually used for the bomb loading system cables. Other detail supplied in this set includes the Funkgerät dipole beam for the upper fuselage spine, engine radiator and outboard instrument detail, and also refinements to trim tab actuators. A little surgery will be required for in order to install all items on this set, but in all fairness, nothing that anyone should find even the little bit taxing. 32800, Ju 88A-4 interior S.A. Firstly, S.A. stands for 'self-adhesive', and refers to one of the color-printed frets containing various instruments and the multi-layer instrument panel. This set has THREE photo etch sheets. Two of these are colour-printed, with the last, and larger one being a bare brass fret. Starting with the aforementioned first colour fret, the detail on here is designed to replace just about all cockpit instrumentation. The instrument panel, as mentioned, is built from two main layers. These are a lower part containing just instrument detail, and an upper fascia forming the main panel, complete with bezels and other detail. Extra detail is supplied to attach to this also. All console detail, compass, radio set, and some data plate detail is also included. A second colour fret continues this theme, with yet more instrumentation and data plate/placard material included, as well as console levers and switches etc. Between the two colour frets, you will find approximately ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-FIVE parts. Colour printing detail is excellent, with solid colour. The RLM66 representation looks very good on the instrument panel and consoles, but you'll have to see how it matches the shade of the specific interior paint you'll be using. The largest bare brass fret is given over to structural detail and those internal areas which were either missed by Revell, or were in need of more than a little Eduard refining in order to make them look acceptable. A replacement etch part with wood grain texture is supplied to entirely sheath the plastic bomb aimers floor location. Other key upgrades include ammunition box detail and support frames, canopy former fascia and associated detail, gondola internal structure framing, ammunition belt feeds, and MG detail, as well as many numerous other parts associated with the gondola and internal canopy framing (grab handles etc). This set will require quite a lot of work to install, and again, some surgery will be needed to implement some parts of it, including both removal of detail and dissection of actual kit parts. As hefty as that might seem, very little of the work is difficult. You will need to roll the occasional part, so some small drill bit should be ideal for that. JX160, Ju 88A-4 masks A release such as the Ju 88 is going to need a comprehensive set of masks, and that's what we have here. There are two Kabuki masking sheets included in this release, both of which are sharply cut. I've had a lot of success with Eduard masks with regards to them fitting perfectly, so I'm sure that this would be the same. This set is specific to the A-4 version and as obvious as it might sound to the majority of us, it isn't suited to the A-1 due to major differences in the glazings concerned with the upper rear cockpit and the twin MG mounts of the A-4 version. Some liquid mask is called for on some panes due to just the inner frame outlines being supplied. If you use Klear or similar on your clear parts, I advise against this as liquid mask is usually ammonia-based, and will turn your canopy cloudy. Instead, use fragments of the mask sheet to infill any open areas. Masks are also included for the wheel hubs. Instructions The instruction sheets for these releases are typically Eduard in style, being line drawings and easy to follow with their graphical keys, shading and annotation. I envisage no problem in anyone following them whatsoever. Conclusion I have the Ju 88A-4 kit right here, and I will most certainly be using these sets in their entirety. There's nothing included here that seems superfluous or unnecessary, so in it all goes! Photo etch quality is up to Eduard's usual high and exacting standards, and the masks are a serious time saver for those of us with less than any ability to mask canopies with any refinement. I'm seriously guilty of that. The glazing areas on the Ju 88 are numerous, so it's a real bonus. Very highly recommended James H My sincere thanks to Eduard for the review samples seen here. To purchase directly, click the links in the review. Consider joining the Bunny Fighter Club for discounts on these and all other Eduard releases, as well as exclusive offers.

1:32 Junkers Ju 88A-4 with bombs Revell Catalogue # 03988 Has it really been SIX years since Revell released their much-lauded 1:32 Ju 88A-1? I really don't know where time goes. What perhaps isn't too forgivable, giving that time span, is the length of time it's taken Revell to finally launch the A-4 boxing of this kit. The A-1 parts break down did pretty much indicate that we would indeed see other variants of this iconic aircraft, but why so long to deliver? Never mind, for me, I'm just pleased to say that we finally have this kit here on our desk for inspection. Revell, you are forgiven. If you've seen the previous A-1 boxing of this kit, you won't be surprised to know that the A-4 occupies the same size packaging, this time adorned with superb artwork. Inside that slightly flimsy top-opening box, THIRTEEN sprues of light grayish-blue styrene, and TWO sprues of clear plastic are supplied. With the exception of the clear sprues which are packaged individually, the remaining sprues are packed in a combination of separate packets, with a number of them doubled up – notably those for which sprue multiples are supplied. This kit isn't simply a reworked A-1 with a handful of different parts. Yes, there are a good number of parts which are indeed common to the previous release, but not all. Some sprues have been replaced with newly-tooled ones which are specific to the A-4, whilst we also have new parts which weren't included in the first release, namely a set of external bombs and ETC racks. This is the summary of changes/inclusions in this the Ju 88A-4 kit. SEVEN sprues common to Ju 88A-1 kit, including new radio set part on sprue C, omitted in A-1 kit FIVE newly tooled sprues, specific to this release TWO sprues deleted from A-1 variant. So, in total, more plastic included in this release. Let's take a fresh, new look at this release in more detail. You'll notice a break in the sprue lettering sequence due to deleted sprues and newly included ones. SPRUE A Being the first, common sprue to the previous A-1, you'll not be surprised to see this one carries key airframe components for this build, namely the fuselage halves and wing upper and lower panels. The beautifully detailed exterior surfaces to both wings and fuselage contain some very refined panel lining and port access detail. As is common with Revell design, there are no rivets to be found anywhere. A few fasteners here and there, yes, but apart from that, the surfaces are a blank canvas for those who perhaps want to add these themselves. I'd much rather add rivets than want to remove excessive divots seen on some kits. All moulding is exceptional, with no defects, next to no flash anywhere, and no trouble with ejector pin marks in the cockpit area due to the interior walls being separate parts. The spine and lower forward fuselage are provided, as before, as separate parts. Slots in the wing roots exist for the interior formers with their integral wing spars to pass through. SPRUE C Here we find more parts which are common to the previous release, namely the two internal formers with their integral wing spars, rear engine nacelle sections, where there bisect the wing leading edge, and also the large rear nacelle underside section, with the gear doors moulded in situ in a closed position. For the tail area, we have two more spars which insert within the rear fuselage, and give a positive locating point for the large horizontal tail surfaces. There are also the two tail root fairings included here. The interior walls for the cockpit are included on this sprue, but will be fitted out slightly different for the A-4 version. These are superbly moulded, with plenty of sharp detail, and look great when painted and assembled. Lastly, a new part for the upper radio bank panel is included. This was snipped off from the previous A-1 release so as not to confuse it with a similar part which was included on the deleted sprue B. SPRUE D Another common sprue. The Ju 88A-4's horizontal tail surfaces were common to its earlier incarnation, and you'll find them moulded here, complete with their separate elevators. The remainder of this sprue is given over to the rather chunky undercarriage legs with moulded gaiter, undercarriage support structures and also dive brakes. Going back to the undercarriage legs, these are moulded as halves, which for me, was always a weakness in their design when it comes to supporting a large and heavy model. Still, this does at least allow you to add a steel pin within them in order to make them a little more rigid.You'll notice just how warped this sprue is. Nothing in the packaging seemed to have caused this, so I can only assume the sprue was perhaps too soft when being handled from the mould. SPRUE F (x2) This sprue contains a mish-mash of parts, from the two part, un-weighted wheels, and numerous other parts associated with the u/c, such as scissor forks and hydraulic rams, to the aileron horns and sealing strips which allowed unbroken airflow when aileron angle was changed. My experience of the earlier version showed that these need to be trimmed to their correct length before installation. SPRUE G Revell have spilt the ailerons over two sprues, with the upper halves being included here. The common cockpit parts, such as internal canopy 'roll frame', radio wall, etc are superbly moulded, with fine, sharp detail. Here, you will also find the lower, forward fuselage section, the exterior panel to the front of the windscreen, as well as numerous parts concerning assembly of the tail wheel fork. SPRUE H This is the last of the regular, common sprues, and again contains a variety of parts from a number of airframe areas. Apart from the lower aileron halves that I mentioned were separate to those parts on sprue G, included here are the gondola shell itself, cockpit floor, consoles and seat/seat frames etc, fuel dump parts, and a series of formers which install into the tail wheel bay. Just as an aside, if you are a super-detailer, then there is an upgrade pack from Profimodeller which replaces the tail wheel bay parts with a completely detailed interior. See our review here. SPRUE I Although this clear sprue is common to the A-1 variant, the instructions rightly shadow out the use of the rear facing canopy part, with it's single MG installation point. Also not for use are the round window panes through which the MG would fit, despite there being two moulded. They are not the correct pattern for the A-4. The gondola rear MG glazing is also redundant. Parts which can be used of course, are the forward canopy, side window panels, and lower forward glazing, and the glass nose. Other parts here are for the bomb aimer position, and forward gondola etc. All glazings are beautifully clear and frame lines have sharp edges, unlike those of the later He 111 kit. SPRUE J We nip over to a newly tooled sprue now, in its light grey/blue plastic, matching the rest of the kit. Now perhaps you can get an idea as to why Revell engineered this model with a separate spine and wingtips. The A-4 variant had a span which was around 5 feet longer than the A-1, and those extended wingtips, and the resultant lengthened ailerons are moulded here. Not only where the wings slightly different, but so was the vertical fin. As well as being a slightly different shape, the rudder also had a tab which notched into the fin at the top of the section. All parts are included on this newly tooled sprue. Now what about that spine? The A-4 spine is slightly different too, housing the Funkgerät‎ dipole aerial and the clear cover which sits atop it. Some panel lining is different too, indicating a slight change in the position of the dinghy stowage position. The remainder of the parts on this sprue concern the cockpit of the A-4, and its different 'fitting out', including new ammunition boxes and MGs, and an entirely new instrument panel which also differed to the previous release. The panel is excellent, and individual decals are supplied for the instruments. SPRUE K This newly tooled sprue contains the external ETC bomb racks and swing braces. Prior to this release, you had to pay for such parts from AM companies, but now, you can save yourself a few £/$/€. The racks also don't disappoint, being detailed enough for most modellers. SPRUE L (x2) The A-4 variant called for a new cowling, and these are supplied over two new Sprue L additions. These have been designed so the channel section which sits below the cowl, is a separate part, so no seam to remove here. There are also newly shaped prop blades, new exhausts, spinners and hubs too. Revell have chosen to add the undercarriage doors to this sprue too, as they did on the equivalent, deleted sprue E SPRUE M (x2) Bomb racks need bombs, of course. Revell have provided two 50lb bombs and two 100lb bombes for this purpose. Moulded as halves, with separate tail fins and fin strengthening rings. There will of course be seams to remove on those bomb cases, but that's pretty unavoidable. SPRUE N Now we have the very last of our sprues, and again, another new one. Containing seven clear parts, this covers the new 'bug-eye' rear facing canopy, with its twin MG installation, and also the dipole cover, rear gondola glazing, and also an internal forward canopy-mounted gun sight. This sprue was cracked in my review sample, but Revell quickly rushed another one out to me for this article. Great service! Again, all parts are superbly clear, and frame definition is excellent. Plastic summary There are a few traces of flash on some parts, but nothing really out of what you would expect from most mainstream injection moulded kits. The kit is free from any troublesome sink marks, and ejector pin marks are thoughtfully placed. A few seams will need to be removed, but certainly nothing out of the ordinary. INSTRUCTIONS You either like Revell instructions, or hate them. Oddly enough, I quite like them. They're fairly retro and remind me of my misspent youth. They almost look like drawn images, and not the usual CAD-rendered sort we commonly see today. The paper they are printed on is not the best grade either. For me, I find them easy enough to follow, and they also show colour call-outs for the various parts and assemblies. This booklet has 18 A4 pages, and there are 113 constructional stages, with two more stages given for the two schemes supplied with this release. DECALS A single, large sheet, printed by Cartograf, is included. Printing is exactly what we have come to expect from this manufacturer, with nice thin decals, minimal carrier film, and perfect registration. Colours aren't too vivid either, so no need to tone things down. As Revell is a German company, no swastikas are included, so you'll need to source your own. A tail band is included for one version, but I would mask and spray this as you're sure to get a more pleasing result. A full set of stencils is included, as well as those cockpit instrument decals etc. Two schemes are included, and these are: Ju 88A-4, 4./KG54, Catania, Sicily, April 1943 Ju 88A-4, 3./Kü.Fl.Gr 506, Leeuwarden, Netherlands, April 1942 Conclusion A lot of modellers have been waiting for this version for a long time. Of course, there have been conversions for the earlier A-1 release, but that does indeed cost extra, and in this day and age, perhaps an extra expense that some modellers can ill afford. Revell have produced a superb kit, with those new parts being every bit as good as those from the original release from 2008. You now have a world of new schemes at your fingertips too, with decal releases from the likes of Eagle Editions. Thankfully, Revell have chosen not to mould seatbelts on the parts in this release, as they did with the He 111 and Bf 109G kits. Their belt renditions are bloody awful, to be honest. If you want belts for this set, consider the textile sets now available from both HGW and Eduard. In all, this is a superb release! Very highly recommended James H Our sincere thanks to Revell for the review sample. Revell model kits are available from all good toy and model retailers. For further information visit www.revell.eu

You're flying with this one! Makes me want to start my HK B-25! Loving this so far, and got my front row ticket now purchased.

1:32 B-25H 'Gun Ship' HK Models Catalogue # 01E03 Available from Hannants. Price TBA. This release is the third and final (that I know of) incarnation of HK Models existing B-25 range of kits, with the B-25J 'Glass Nose' and B-25J 'Strafer' being the previous releases from this stable. Our 'Strafer' review can be found here. This kit is essentially a revision of the earlier kit, with an entirely new nose and a few other subtle changes. In comparison with the glass nose B-25J, there is a single NEW tree of parts, SPRUE V, which contains the new Gun Ship nose parts, and replaces the previous nose sprue H of the earlier release. There are also a number of clear parts not present on the B-25H sprue G, which again were for the glass nose kit. Time to delve into this kit and see what's on offer. I am eternally grateful to Neil Yan of HK Models for getting this kit out to us so quickly. Whilst not yet released, the B-25H specific Sprue V does indeed look like final production standard, despite it not being cellophane wrapped as per the remainder of the kit parts, and having a small number of small flecks which don't change the overall quality of things. This is the only unwrapped sprue which was supplied in this box. The kit itself is essentially complete, with the exception of the photo etch fret. This kit was supplied within its protective, compartmented inner box, but minus the actual sleeve, as this hasn't yet gone to print at time of writing this article. Even though I'm pretty sure the new sprue is production standard, we'll treat it as a pre-production sample here. Of course, all other parts are tries and tested sprues from the B-25 kit family. HK's approach to assembling these large birds is a modular one. The instructions start with assembly of these various internal areas, namely upper gun turret, tail gun, cockpit, bomb bay etc, and with the addition of a good smattering of detail which is secured to the internal walls, these modules are then installed into clearly defined areas within the cavernous fuselage halves. Before looking at the kit sprues, here are the specifications for this particular, slightly shorter nose version of this bruiser of an airplane. Wingspan: 643mm Length: 498mm Sprues: 26 light grey sprues and 2 clear sprues Total plastic parts: 563 Photo Etch: 1 single fret, not included in this sample Single decal sheet, providing ONE scheme. Deluxe version of this kit will provide metal landing gear and nose weight. Not included in this sample. For your other kit statistics, HK's box art, which does look pretty awesome, indicates over 500,000 rivets are employed on the surface of this kit. I'm not going to count them, or measure the pitch of them, so don't even ask! Inside the box, sprues are mostly individually wrapped in quite a stiff, clear cellophane sleeve which has an adhesive, re-sealable strip. Where sprues aren't individually packaged, it is because they are the smaller sprues of which there are multiples, such as the wheels and cowl flaps sprues. As an extra protective measure, the tops of the upper turret and rear turret clear parts, have an easy-peel adhesive strip applied to them before they are packed into their sleeve. This should absolutely protect these delicate surfaces from any attrition within the box during transit. It certainly survived Hong Kong Post and our not-so-wonderful ParcelFarce delivery 'service' here in the UK. SPRUE A This was the first sprue which really grabbed my attention when I opened that huge box! Only two parts are moulded here, but in fairness, they are the mammoth fuselage halves. You get a true sense of the size of this model kit at this exact juncture in sprue fondling. In fact, you still need to add a little to the length of the model due to the entire nose section, forward of the cockpit, being a separate module, due to the nature of using common main fuselage parts for all these B-25 kits. The fuselage is a seriously impressive piece of design and moulding, employing slide moulding for the recessed lip around the section where the tail gun fabric gaiter fits. Over the entire fuselage, the most refined of riveting is used, along with superbly sharp and fine panel lines and access ports. Internally, a very good attempt has been made to reproduce the main structural elements throughout the fuselage. This will look superb if you wish to add a little extra detail, as this modeller has done on Large Scale Modeller forums. All module locations are positive, with the bomb bay area having a thinner wall so the module, complete with its own walls, can neatly sit into it. A kit of this size isn't going to escape ejector pin marks. There is a lot of plastic here which needs to be pushed clear of that tooling! Thankfully, a good number of pin marks are hidden behind various other installations and other detail parts. Not all are though, and a few will need either filling, scraping or sanding to eliminate them. Bearing in mind the size of this kit, we really do get off very lightly in this department. An open area exists at the upper tail area where a full span single upper tail plane sits across instead of separate port and starboard components. The wing roots also have an unusual protruding structure onto which the completed wings can be plugged and unplugged, making storage and transport of your finished model a lot easier. That's some seriously cool design work that I wish I'd see more of in general. SPRUES B & C These are wing sprues which are identical, save for one being for port, and the other, starboard. HK's excellent attention to detail with fine riveting and panel lines carries over onto these single part upper and lower panels. There is a stiffening plate on both upper and lower surfaces of the wing, where the outboard panel and its resultant gull wing 'kink' exist. This is beautifully reproduced. The gull wing format of the B-25 is clearly seen here, and as you would expect from a super model this size, landing flaps and ailerons are moulded separately. There are a number of plastic horns/hinges upon which the control surfaces will sit, but apart from the inboard landing flap which looks as though it pivots in between the sandwiched wing to fuselage joint, no other control surfaces are designed to move, thankfully. The roof of the main wheel bay is incorporated into the lower wing surface, but there isn't too much in the way of detail here due to the B-25's gear doors mostly being closed when the aircraft was on the ground. I mentioned earlier that the wings are designed to plug onto the fuselage, and you can see the substantial moulded ribbing and associated structures which allow this feature to work. Despite all of the internal ribbing, both on the wings and the large fuselage parts, no external sinking can be seen anywhere, which can be a trait of such internal features. Moulding is exemplary. SPRUE D \ Both engine nacelles are presented here as halves, along with in the inner landing flaps, rear engine mounting rings, control surface horns/hinges, main undercarriage doors, wing leading edge air intake and other parts associated with the inboard landing flaps. Again, all moulding is perfectly clean, exhibiting no defects, but plenty of fine surface detail which should really pop under a coat of paint. Slide moulding has again been used for several aspects of this sprue such as the engine mounting plates and undercarriage doors. Due to the aforementioned nacelles having all gear bay doors closed, except for the obvious one, whilst on the ground, the nacelle halves have been moulded with all of these doors integrally in a closed position. SPRUE E This sprue is entirely dedicated to the rather large tail section which its twin vertical fins. A single span piece, incorporating the upper fuselage and tail gunner bulge is the largest part here, with single piece port and starboard undersides. Elevators are separately moulded and are designed not to be glued into place, so you can pose these however you wish. Two part fins and rudders are included. All tail structure parts have internal stiffening moulded within them, and again, this hasn't caused any issue with these being visible from the outside by the way of any sinking. My only gripe with the tail surfaces is the rather heavy representation of the fabric which seems to have sunk down quite a way between the ribs, making it look exaggerated. This is a fairly easy fix though if you reduce the ribs down a little with a sanding stick, and finish off with a sponge/micromesh. SPRUE F We now have the first of our clear sprues, containing upper turret, tail gunner and waist gunned glazing, and also wing tip lights, leading edge lights and leading edge light covers. The clarity of these parts is amongst the best I've seen on any injection kit, including the likes of big boys like Tamiya, and those crystal clear parts you see in Great Wall Hobby kits. The actual feel of the whole kit has an air of the standard that GWH have recently shown us, and that is no bad thing. Of course, no flaws to be seen anywhere, and frame representation is excellent, and should be a breeze to mask up. The upper turret and tail gunner glass has that extra protective low tack film applied to the upper surfaces to protect them further. SPRUE G Another clear sprue, and the last one in this particular release. This carries only a single part, which is the main cockpit canopy with superb frame definition. Clarity is again first class. There are two empty spaces where the glass nose variant had its parts moulded. SPRUE I There are a number of smaller sprues in this kit, of which this is one. If you could remove the tail surface to expose the tail gunner position, you'd find that there are two full length ammunition feeds which do indeed run back to their storage box. Those belt feeds are supplied on this sprue, as are fabric MG gaiter for the tail gun position, a full suite of MGs, moulded without their barrels (more on this soon), cockpit main flight console, and parts associated with the upper turret assembly. The belts themselves look superb, and will look effective under a subtle wash so that the individual shells are highlighted. I have heard from a couple of sources that the tail itself is removable. If this is the case, at least you'll be able to show off this work, otherwise, it mostly won't be seen. SPRUE J This is the undercarriage sprue. Here you'll find the rather sturdy looking main gear struts with the oleo scissors semi-moulded in situ. This quite unusual format means that you only have to assemble one part of the scissor, top and bottom, from opposing sides, but does mean that you really can't get this part wrong. You can indeed buy metal undercarriage for this kit, and it might yet be worthwhile, as long as they're not white metal. These parts do look quite rigid, but I would have to see how they fair under test load of a partially assembled model. All wheels on this kit are supplied as traditional half pieces, which does cause a few irritations when it comes to getting rid of seams, especially with the tread on these. I would perhaps advise some Brassin alternatives from Eduard. However, all tyres are supplied 'weighted'. On this sprue, the nose wheel and hub is supplied, as well as various hydraulic lines etc. SPRUE K Another small sprue, but this time you'll find the rear fuselage tail bumper, cheek blister guns with integral feed chute etc. SPRUE L A very tiny sprue which holds the armour plate for the fuselage, just forward of the blister guns. Check your reference to ensure that these were fitted to the machine you wish to model, in case you decide your own scheme. SPRUE M This major sprue holds of the majority of the internal details, by way of a key number of large parts which form the cockpit interior, such as floor, bulkheads, ammunition boxes etc. You will also find the modular bomb bay here, complete with some superb plumbing detail. I've seen this made up in builds of the B-25J and it looks seriously impressive. This can pretty much be built out of box and look quite spectacular, but should you want to detail further, then Eduard do produce a set which will really make this area sing. Other parts here include those for the upper turret and tail gunner positions, such as the armour plating which protects the rear gunner, and the platform onto which the upper turret assemblies are mounted. An instrument panel is to be found on this sprue, but this is for the B-25J, and should NOT be used on this release. There are fundamental changes in the panel layout, with sections of instruments being blanked out on the IP provided on the new sprue, plus as this H variant only has one pilot seat, and no co-pilot, the panel you need to use is fitted out with only one set of pedals suspended into the foot well. One pilot position means that only one control column will be used, unlike the two that would have been fitted to the previous B-25J releases. HK Models have designed the bomb bay doors so that you have an outer skin, and an inner skin which is perforated, as per the real machine. This is a great touch which I do know adds a lot to the finished appearance of this model. SPRUE N (x2) Here you will find the weighted main gear tyres with integral outer hubs and separate inner hubs. You will also a number of cockpit parts including the seat floor mount , control column and separate yoke, and the many levers for the control consoles, all impeccably moulded as separate parts. Take your time and try not to lose any to the carpet monster. Other parts include ammunition boxes, waist gun mounting brackets and internal bomb racks. SPRUE O (x4), Q (x2), R (x2) and S (x2) I have decided to group these sprues together (10 in total) as they all concern the production of those two powerful Wright R-2600 radial engines. The main bones of the engines are provided on the two 'R' sprues, with the double cylinder banks being moulded as single pieces each. This means.....no pesky seams lines to remove amongst those super sharp cooling fins! WHY can't other companies take that approach instead of splitting them into halves? Sprue R also contains the crank case hub and magneto, prop hub, prop blades, forward cowl ring, as well as individual exhaust parts which look quite daunting in their various shapes. These are hollowed out at each end too. Sprue O holds the various pushrod assemblies and ignition wires, again, with a number of different shapes. You need to be observant when it comes to following the instructions here. Internal exhaust plumbing is provided here, as are the numerous pushrod covers. Sprues Q hold the engine nacelle covers, with each engine taking seven parts. These are slide-moulded so as to allow the vents to be produced 'open'. Sprues S are the engine cowl frameworks, complete with the radiator gills moulded in an open position. There is no way to model these closed, unless you undertake some surgery. SPRUE P (x3) Every bomb bay needs a few bombs, and here we have 3 small sprues which will be enough to build a total of SIX bombs which will all neatly install within the detailed bay. These are moulded as halves, with separate stabilizing fins and arming impellors which are both fine and sharp in detail. The only other parts on this sprue are the barrels for the gun blisters. SPRUE V This is the star of the show, with regards to this specific release, and contains the new tooling for that stubby, but heavily armed nose. Whilst the nose looks quite blunt from the side, the real test in how accurate HK have produced this is in looking from above or below. From those angles, the nose should have a more pointed, blunt profile. I'm pleased to report that these does appear to capture that beautifully in reference to my Squadron Walkaround book. The lower half of the nose, complete with that deep and menacing-looking recess for the M4 cannon, is beautifully moulded, with excellent exterior rivet detail. Into the rear of the recess is installed the large cannon barrel. A gun platform is then installed above this onto which the FOUR .50 cal Browning MG's and their ammunition boxes/feeds are installed. Of course, the upper section of the nose can be positioned either in an open of closed position. This section is built up from the outer nose skin, and an insert which locates within which contains all the structural elements. I do have a small gripe with regard to the cannon, and that is because there's no breech to it. The rear of the barrel protrudes into the hollow below the cockpit floor space, which extends through to the rear of the cockpit. If you're a stickler for detail, it would have been nice to have seen this included, as well as the ammunition feeds. I'd sure an aftermarket company will fix that little anomaly soon after release. As I have previously stated, this sprue contains an entirely new instrument panel for this version, as some instruments were deleted from the J variant, and only one set of pedals is installed. That must've made low-level ground attack runs fun! A few other parts exist here for external detail, and a gun sight which sits in front of the pilot. Plastic summary There's nothing to fault here. Virtually zero-flash, no sink marks, minimal issues with ejector pin marks, and all transparencies are flawless. Surface detail is first class, and the model drips in detail within...well, mostly. There are a few areas which could do with some extra work if you like to make things very detailed. This build on Large Scale Modeller will show you those areas I mean. Of course, most of this will be closed up, but this Ave Maria build is a great example of what can be achieved with a great starting kit. The kit .50 cal barrels are pretty run of the mill, missing open barrel ends. I would look to change them for MASTER barrels instead. PHOTO ETCH As stated, my set is missing this, but I can tell you what's on offer. There is some sort of ledge which installs within the bomb bay, plus a set of seatbelts. Looking at these though, I would be tempted to go with an HGW or Eduard set and ditch the kit parts. There are two other curved pieces of PE which I have so far failed to identify. They look like leasing edge wing gates. INSTRUCTIONS This is a sixteen page A4 manual, with construction broken down into 37 assembly sequences. Some of these have sub-sequences, and all black/white line drawings are easy to follow and clearly annotated. In my prototype manual, there were a few basic errors which I have reported back to HK Models for changing. In all, a relatively easy model to build. Colour call-outs are given thoughout assembly with paint reference codes supplied for Tamiya and GSI Creos (Mr Hobby) paints. FS standard codes are also supplied. My copy was supplied as JPG files and what you see are print-outs I used to help with the review. DECALS A small, single sheet is supplied for the single scheme available. These are superbly printed and look fine in all other ways except for them being perhaps a little thick. I don't know how well these respond to setting solutions either. No stencils are given either, which is a little sad for such an expansive airframe. An instrument decal is supplied for the main IP. You can either elect to simply cut this out and tack it into place in the recess in the rear of the instrument panel, or apply it to a piece of suitably shaped plasticard. This aspect of the kit is more than passable. Despite the IP, there are still no cockpit stencils and placards. Consider the Airscale range of decals to satisfy this shortage. The single scheme available is: B-25H, Vikin's Vicious Virgin, 82BS/12BG 43-4208 Conclusion This is the first time I've ever cast my eyes over an HK Models B-25 kit, so it's all been virgin territory for me. I have to say that I am massively impressed by what Neil Yan and his team have achieved with this kit in regards to both design and its relative affordability. This is a large kit, make no mistake, and you'll need to carefully plan where you'll put it as much as you'll need to set aside ready cash. Those factors aside, this has to be one of the very best large scale models I've ever been fortunate to see, let alone have the pleasure of reviewing. Out of box, this will be a show stopper. Add AM to it, and it'll be a killer. I've promised to set aside time this year to build this one and when I do, I'll showcase it on the Large Scale Modeller forums. Very highly recommended James H My sincere thanks to Neil Yan at HK Models for the review sample seen here. Check your countries local distributors to grab one of these beauties.

Looking real good Cees. Any pit shots?

Nice review Jeroen. Richard sent me the E.IV cowl too, so I can testify to your sentiments about the quality of them. I just know we'll see some great things in coming months from Aviattic.

hi Carl, So very pleased that you found the review useful enough to actually buy this kit. I'll email this link to Imcth as they will of course be interested.

This is just amazing. This is sure one to follow. How did you add those recesses at the rear of the cowl?

Jesus! This is just superb, and providing me with some great reference for the B-25H that just arrived. I'm going to link this build into my review.