James H

I'm in absolute awe of this work. That Merlin is just superb. I'd never contemplated the Hornet before.....but now...

Jeez, this is inspirational. SO many techniques. This is one of my favourite builds at the moment.

A gorgeous bird. More walkaround excellence from the 'skull'

I love the idea. We'll need to collate the kits which are being proposed, then do a poll.

So slick, again. Makes a change from all the usual silver and brass anomalies you see.

It is decided. I'll build the metal wing PCM Hurricane, and complete in the colours of Ray Holmes' machine. This is the one which rammed the Do 17, slicing off it's tail when he ran out of ammunition.

That's the modelling definition of 'hardcore'. Very nice though....

That's a real interesting conversion. I might be tempted by this one. Thanks for a great review too!

Peter, you are like a machine. I admit, I'm loving the HPH stuff at the moment.

1:32 Heinkel He 111P 'Cutaway Kit' Additional Interior Construction kit for Revell model kit HPH Catalogue # 32021 Available from HPH for €118,00 We had a lot of interest in the cutaway concept model with our recent 1:32 Desktop Mustang review, so we thought we'd continue this here today with our review of the HPH 'Cutaway Kit' detail set for the large 1:32 Revell He 111P kit. If the internal, structural aspects of aircraft appeal to you, and you are savvy with resin and photo etch, then this detail set could possibly provide you with the ultimate in internal-appeal when it comes to using a plastic, base kit. I had a sneaking suspicion that this detail set would come in a relatively large box, and when our hard-working postman visited last week, it pretty much confirmed it. HPH like to ensure that their kits reach you in one piece, and as usual, this was wrapped in layers of corrugated cardboard, and numerous layers of black plastic sheeting. The actual box itself is very sturdy too, with a top lifting lid, adorned with a side profile drawing of a cutaway He 111 fuselage. The depiction also indicates that this model can be built in TWO styles. The intended and preferred method is a half model (port side), with a half port wing. You can, if you wish build it in a complete format, as parts are included to detail the interior starboard side too. If you wish to build a full aircraft, then you could produce a cutaway model or a diorama model with combat damage etc. The possibilities are huge, and of course, you are building this for you, so you have to answer to no one if you choose to close it up after construction. Inside the box, the various bags of resin parts are protected by a copious amount of bubble-wrap sheet, and the box has been compartmented so that nothing rattles about. An Eduard-made set of etch, specifically for this release, has been included too, and the instructions are included again, on a CD in digital format. You do have to know at this stage, that you will need to purchase a few other items in order to maximise this release. Even though this set has a fully detailed fuselage bomb bay area, the actual bomb racks suggested for use are Eduard's, so consider purchasing a set to complement the amazing internal structural detail. You will also need some seatbelts. HPH have suggested either the HGW or Eduard releases. Lastly, consider the He 111 exterior set from Eduard too. If you get hungry at the outset of this project, the customary Belgian chocolate inside the box, should help a little. The first thing you will need to do is to absorb the instructions a little. This set certainly isn't designed for a newcomer to resin or super-detailing. You will need to be rather handy with saws, putty and something to remove internally moulded plastic detail before you can start to think about adding anything from this HPH set. This would usually be quite a challenging set to tackle in terms of how to write a review, as this is no ordinary upgrade path, but let's see what we can do in order to assess what's in the box, how it fits, and what quality everything is. Having already reviewed the Catalina, I'm certainly in for high expectations. HPH have thankfully split the large number of resin components in this set into various ziplock wallets. The larger parts tend to be clustered together in order to prevent them knocking chunks out of the smaller, and occasionally, more fragile components. One of the two larger wallets contains major size resin parts. These include the cockpit floor, fuselage bulkheads, flying surface structural components, wheel bay ceilings, as well as a number of the smaller, but more robust parts such as the inner bomb bay wall linings, bomb bay walking gantry, and inner cupola liner. An option exists for the 'mattress', on which the bomb aimer lies. A full length version is included, and also a split part one. The split one doesn't look too much like the full length, so perhaps these were simply different versions instead of rolled out/rolled back parts. Some casting blocks will need to be removed, as will a little resin flash and overcast, and also resin webs which cover over doorways etc. The detail on these large parts befits the importance of them as very major, visual elements of the build. Excellent constructional detail can be seen on the bulkheads, whilst the cockpit floor is very refined, again just needing minimal clean-up. No major defects are present. The occasional excess bit of resin or pin-hole will need to be corrected, but when you consider the number of components and the complexity of this set, then that isn't too bad. This large bag does have a smaller one within, and this contains all the tailplane structural ribs. Heinkel didn't produce these as solid ribs, but as a built-up framework instead, in order to achieve a light structure. These various sections are cast flat onto a backing block. You are going to have to take extreme care in removing these backing blocks, as they are about the same thickness as the part itself, and you'll have a lot of grinding to do. I wish HPH had cast these a little more thinly, but I'm presuming this is done to protect the delicate structures. A slightly smaller ziplock wallet contains a number of smaller parts which are concerned with the cockpit and bomb bay. The pilot seat is a separate part to the side mounting frames and a rather realistic-looking cushion. The control column assembly and transmission assembly are also cast separately, and all parts seem easy to remove from their respective blocks. Four blocks contain what appear to be incendiary bombs, but on my sample, some of these have become detached from the casting blocks, although all are intact and have no damage. One of the other numerous parts in this packet contains a replacement resin gondola. This part is beautifully cast, but does contain a few air bubbles, but thankfully, they remain just under the surface, with no breakthrough. You will need to remove the resin webs from the windows, and even out the upper mating surface. The cushions for this area are cast as separate parts. A small packet within this bag contains the bomb-sight and fire extinguisher for the cockpit. If you've ever seen a HPH kit, you'll know that many parts are actually cast flat, on thin resin sheets. The same applies here, and you'll see this en-masse in the large, last ziplock wallet. There are a number of smaller wallets within this pack, but I'll come to those soon. The He 111P set adds detail from the very front of the cockpit, all the way through the fuselage to the very tail extremities. Because of this, there is a lot of internal constructional detail which needs to be added before you can fit out the interior with the various interior area details. As the instructions show, the very first thing that you need to do is to remove the plastic moulded detail, joint the half-wing centre section (first carefully sawing it in half), and then blank the gaping hole in the wing root with an insert which isn't supplied in this set, and will need to be made by you, using measurements on the plans. Using careful measurement, given in the manual, you need to map out the interior with a soft pencil, so you know where to install the various bulkheads, longerons/stringers, and formers. The longerons and formers are cast onto flat resin sheets, as mentioned. Be careful when installing these, as these come in different sizes which are clearly shown on the instructions. These parts also come in set lengths, so ensure you maximise the usage of these when cutting to length. If you opt to build this model as a half-model study, then you have a little more flexibility, as you have enough resin for both interior sides....and that of course includes the formers. Other flat cast parts include the remaining undercarriage walls (again, enough for port and starboard), fuselage ribs, cockpit walls, rear-facing tail gun and brackets, cockpit parts, radio room and walkway boards. The boards themselves aren't quite flat, so a quick dip in hot water should fix that. Those smaller packets contain a combination of the more fragile flat cast parts, and a small number of individual parts for the bomb bay, radio operator/gunner stations, rudder etc. Again, all parts are superbly cast, and no real flaws are apparent. A little flash exists in some places, but at no detriment to the quality of the parts, all of which are superbly mastered, and sharply cast. With regards to the visible detail on instrumentation within the kit, the various radio sets, instrument panels and consoles etc are cast with blank faces in order that you may add the colour photo etch components, ably made by Eduard. The rear of the main instrument panel is cast with the various protrusions which are the back of each instrument. HPH doesn't show any associated wiring for this area, but you know that it would be correct to add at least a little something to this, as would be the case with the radio sets and other internal wiring looms. Take a look at the Aero Detail book which gives some great info on the interior; compartment by compartment. Of course, the various rear flying surfaces aren't operated by telepathy, and HPH do show where to fit the various wire linkages through the fuselage length. Wire isn't supplied, and I suggest you use thin styrene rod lengths to simulate this. The path of the various control rods is clearly mapped out for you. I have already mentioned that HPH suggests that you can purchase Eduard detail sets to help supplement their own work. With the bomb bay, you can of course use the Revell kit parts, but why would you use something poor in detail when it would let down the rest of the interior? I say you should definitely use the Eduard set, which we reviewed HERE. You'll need to choose a seatbelt option too. However, this set does come with its own specific PE set, again, produced by Eduard, and packed into one of Eduard's own wallets. This set consists of TWO PE frets. The large one is nickel-plated, and the smaller one also colour-printed. What does the included set add to the model? Well, the smaller colour fret is actually a standard Eduard part, and includes all the radio, instrument and console detail you will need, as well as switch banks, and levers. This fret is also self-adhesive. Having used Eduard's S.A. parts before, I know their glue to be pretty strong, so take care when aligning any layered parts. The second fret is rather general, and includes parts for the wheel bays, and all crew compartments within the fuselage. This is a large fret with probably a couple of hundred parts on there, detailing everything from ammunition drums, hydraulics lines, to the smallest cockpit detail. Etch quality really is amazing. How well-appointed are the various crew stations within the He 111? A picture can speak a thousand words, so let HPH's photos of the prototype model show you: Cockpit Bomb Bay Radio Room Rear Fuselage Tail Gun/Tail Undercarriage The only anomaly that I can see at present, but might be corrected as I build, is the dinghy stowage area in the upper fuselage spine. Some of the images of the finished model do actually show this in situ, but the instructions seem to omit its construction and fitting. Indeed, I can actually see the parts for this as I progress through them. It's no biggie, as making this small box-compartment, and stuffing it with thick, folded tin foil to simulate the folded life-preserver, should be very easy. Instructions HPH have included a PDF of their manual on the CD, as well as individual JPG images, should you wish to print out the occasional sheet. I'm a big fan of how these instructions are compiled. Starting with a proper parts plan, you can check off the kit as soon as you get it, and ensure you have no missing parts, and that everything looks as it should. The constructional sequences are in photo-format, and very clear to understand, as are the various sequences where you need to hack and slash the original kit, to prepare it for detailing. The layout of the various formers and stringers is shown throughout the manual, section per section, but I would be inclined to mark all of this out, from the start, when an empty fuselage shell is far easier to get to grips with. Avail yourself of some Swann Morton 15a blades to remove the pre-moulded Revell detail. Throughout the plans, reference is made to where the Eduard-made photo etch needs to be used, and the resin parts placement is very clear if you cross-reference the parts plan given at the beginning of the manual. It may well be advisable to print these sheets and have them with you at the bench. There is no colour referencing throughout construction, but that's no problem. If you are hard-core enough to build this, then it can rightfully be presumed that you at least have your own reference material, or have access to some. Conclusion This is no project for the faint-hearted. You'll need a £40 Revell kit (the cheap bit). You'll need some Eduard stuff to ease the way for best effect, and that won't be cheap. HPH's seatbelts are also a worthy investment. You'll also need to be proficient with a razor saw and resin parts, and finally, you'll need to be able to think about 10 stages ahead in order to ensure that everything works in harmony. If that is no issue to you, then I really do recommend that you take a look at this set. I wish HPH had ventured into the interior of the wing construction, and of course, if you can manage to fit an engine into the mix, then that really would be the ultimate in engineering projects. Some resin parts will need a little intermediate cleaning up, but again, if you undertake such a project, this really will be no problem for you. I've read a few comments from modellers who don't understand this technical approach to this set, but the internet is strewn with folks who feel they need to post about something that doesn't really appeal to them. It's the modern way, apparently. If the engineering aspect of aircraft appeals, or you are a natural voyeur, then this should be right up your straße! It won't be a fight that's easily won, but one that will be very rewarding when complete. Very highly recommended James H Our sincere thanks to HPH for the review sample seen here. To purchase directly, click THIS link.

....guess what review we publish in less than an hour

We will be posting our new Aviattic article early next week, and there's something there for the 1:72 modeller.

Just superb! Amazing reference material.

Hey Peter, you have my attention! I once chatted with Eric Brown, and he said this was one of his favourite types, out of all he flew.

1:32 Fokker D.VIIF Pheon Decals Catalogue # 32047 Available from Pheon Decals Use website contact detail for further info I don't think there's much doubt that the Fokker D.VII was one of the most colourful canvases to ever take to the air. Their pilots and ground-crew must've had some of the most fertile minds when it came to decorating their machines. Whether it be a genuine show of originality, or simply to disguise the day to day horror of the war, the resulting 'ultimate fighter' cut a very bright and beautiful sight whilst in the air, belaying the sheer brutal killing power of the robust, rig-less design. This certainly isn't the first Fokker D.VII decal set from Pheon. We reviewed their Jasta 18 set recently. However, it is their first dedicated Fokker D.VIIF release, addressing at least one machine which we were very surprised hadn't made the Wingnut Wings release itself. More on that later. Now, there are so many machines from which Pheon could have taken their pick, but again, the choices here are inspired for their unusual character, quirkiness and uniqueness. Let's take a look. Pheon's latest release, packaged into the usual large ziplock wallet, has an inkjet colour insert sheet at the front, highlighting the SEVEN schemes included within this release. Yes, the profile sheet does indeed show NINE machines, but two machines have alternative paint colours, either in whole or part, thus simply represent alternatives for those aircraft. Still, having seven schemes to choose from, is a real bonus! Fokker D.VIIF, 508/18, Offz-Stv. Wilhelm Hippert, Jasta 74, St. Loup-en-Champagne, September 1918 So why don't we start with something a little contentious. As Rowan says in his manual, there are some historians who say that this machine was NOT a D.VIIF, but instead a Mercedes-powered aircraft. Why would one of the flying 'proles' be assigned a machine which was in high demand, and one which some of the more prominent and acclaimed pilots were struggling to secure? Good question, but as this machine was fitted with a side-slung oxygen bottle for high altitude flying, it would indeed make sense. Another reason for including this is that simply AMAZING colour scheme, and certainly one of my real favourites for the D.VII of any type. The fuselage and tail surfaces are painted in a black and white chessboard style pattern, whilst the lozenge wings have a very large 'Mimmi' motif on the top surface of the upper wing. This machine is indeed quite a startling looking aircraft, and begging to be built. What about that oxygen bottle though? Well, Pheon will shortly be releasing this in a photo-etch and resin format, and when they do, we'll let you know, as I will be securing one of these to build this aircraft. The cowl panels for this aircraft are supplied in the WNW release, just needing a little louvre removal in order to correctly represent Hippert's aircraft. The wheel hubs, engine cowl and upper deck were painted blue. No national markings were displayed on the fuselage. Fokker D.VIIF, serial unknown, Oblt. Theodor Hermann Dahlmann Adjutant JGIII, Lieu St. Amand, September 1918 If you are a fan of black and white aircraft, then this machine, like the first, should certainly enthuse you. Before Dahlmann went onto become a General in Goering's WW2 Luftwaffe, he was a very competent fighter pilot in the Great War. His machine was adorned in black and white bands, as was the tail plane. The nose was painted black also. Worn in an area to the front of the fuselage cross was Dahlmann's black and white Wälkure (Valkyrie) emblem. Rowan does state that only one image of this aircraft exists, and the creation of the scheme from that image is conjectural, but very likely to be correct when looking at the practice of Jasta 26 practice. Dahlmann continued to fly with Jasta 26, despite him being Adjutant of JGIII. Fokker D.VIIF , 5125/18, Oblt. Hermann Goering, Kommandeur, Jagdgeschwader Freiherr von Richthofen Nr.1, September 1918 Of course, Goering went onto to find infamy as Germany's Reichsmarshall under Adolf Hitler, and ultimately, the end of the hangman's rope. During WW1 though, he became a highly decorated fighter pilot, and was one of Germany's most prominent aviation figures. This is the scheme that I am surprised wasn't included within the WNW kit release, as it is so simple, it could have been included merely as a bonus scheme. Goering's all-white Fokker D.VIIF was presented to him by Anthony Fokker, who was a friend of Goering's. Goering himself had a hip injury which made access into a cockpit a little awkward for him, so this machine was slightly modified, with a cut down upper coaming on the port side, and an external grab handle to facilitate a more comfortable entry/exit for him. This machine was also fitted with what can only be described as wind deflector plates to the fore of each Spandau spent ammo chute. If you don't like to weather your models too much, this scheme is for you. Goering's crew kept this aircraft in a rather pristine condition, so as the instructions say, 'go easy on the weathering'. Fokker D.VIIF, serial unknown, Ltn. Heinrich 'Heinz' Drekmann, Jasta 4, Monthussart Farm, July 1918 This particular scheme may have had an overall red or overall black finish, as depicted in the colour profiles, printed on the glossy profile sheets. Drekmann was Ernst Udet's wingman, and both Udet's and Drekmann's highly sought after BMW-powered 'F' machines were procured by Udet, for the pair of them. The limitations of defining the colours on period images means that while it is likely the machine was painted black due to a scheme feature instigated by Udet, it is possible the aircraft could have been red. No one will ever really be able to argue one way or the other with any proof, so this is one of those opportunities that you can use to finish it Drekmann was a citizen of Hamburg, and the city emblem of a ship is displayed on the fuselage sides. Fokker D.VIIF, serial unknown, Vzfw. Wilhelm Stör, Jasta 68, Preutin, September 1918 Stör was credited with 5 victories during the war, before becoming a Messerschmitt test pilot in the 1930s, and becoming a part of the ill-fated attempt to sell the Bf 109 licence to Japan during WW2. Stör's machine had a lozenge fuselage with a black and white band, and a sword/wings emblem also. I'm not sure about the engine cowl colour (also the wheel hubs), but they look like dark grey. There is a YouTube link to a slightly flawed replica, and that might give you some useful pointers. Rowan has said the partially displayed serial is indeed conjectural, as the full numerical status is unknown. Fokker D.VIIF, serial unknown, Oblt. Rudolf Berthold, Kommandeur, Jagdgeschwader II, September 1918 This is a strange one, because no actual photos of this machine exist whilst Berthold was its pilot. Instead, images of the machine, with a different pilot's over-painted scheme, have had to be analysed in order to peel back the layers and recreate Berthold's machine. This D.VIIF was painted blue, with a red nose and engine cowls, undercarriage struts and wheel hubs. The rudder and partial fin were painted white. A wings and dagger motif in white is emblazoned on each side of the fuselage. Whilst the lower wing retained its lozenge finish, the upper side of the top wing was painted blue, with a white centre section. Fokker D.VIIF, serial unknown, Lt. OliverFreiherr von Beaulieu-Marconnay, Jasta 15, Chery-les-Pouilly, August 1918 As Pheon admit, this is another aircraft whose scheme is one of conjecture. Being very similar in appearance to Berthold's machine, this one carried either a red or yellow nose/cowls and wheel hubs. The white fuselage motif is painted over the original dagger/wings emblem, and the upper wing has a lighter blue centre panel to contrast the remainder of the upper wing, painted in the same blue as the fuselage. Instructions For reference, these are simply the very best you can find with aftermarket decal sets. Starting with a brief resumé on the D.VIIF, and some hints and tips on the best method of applying your decals, each machine is then described in turn, using historical reference to help colour an image of the aircraft, it's deployment and the pilot who flew it. Some historical notes extend for a couple of pages, and make this set quite a treat to the aviation modeller/armchair historian. Rowan explains which kit parts are needed to recreate the different machines, with some cowl images included for the first machine, where louvers need to be removed. FIVE glossy A4 sheets are included which show the aircraft in larger profile section than the profile insert at the front of the packet. Where necessary, cutaway and plan drawings are included too. Notation is also supplied for the various aircraft modifications which are needed for certain aircraft. The Decals There are TWO sheets included in this set. One of them is an A4 sheet, and the other A5. A good number of the decals supplied here are 'cookie-cut', as per the chessboard pattern on the Hippert machine. For this, the fuselage is broken down into two panels for port and starboard, and separate panels for upper and lower. These should be easy to place due to accurate cut-outs which tie in with stabilizer and wing root cut outs. These are printed as black/clear, and are designed to sit upon a gloss white base coat. The tail plane patterns for highly decorated machines, are supplied in one piece too. Where other machines carry bands and bars, these are also supplied, so no need for any awkward or inaccurate masking. The first, larger sheet carries the large decal panels for the first two schemes. Yes, only TWO aircraft! This goes to show you the quantity of pre-shaped panels included here. The second sheet also carries markings for these aircraft, as well as the remaining schemes. The large 'Mimmi' for Hippert's aircraft, looks particularly good. A number of national markings are supplied here, but not enough to make all 7 schemes. If you need more, you can buy a supplement sheet from Pheon for a very reasonable price. Decals are printed by Fantasy Printshop, and I know from experience just how good these are at conforming to surface detail and working with setting solutions. Carrier film is thin and minimal, and printing is perfectly in register. Conclusion This is by far my favourite sheet from Pheon, and when you look at what they have produced so far, that's quite a statement. The scheme choice, inclusion of those cookie-cut decals for the first two machines, and the fact we have Goering's D.VIIF here, is a clincher for me. This is a great set, packed with historical notes and includes schemes which are linked directly or indirectly to notorious figures from the following Third Reich. There are at least THREE I want to build here, so I'm thinking it's time to fire yet another order through to Wingnut Wings! Very highly recommended James H Our sincere thanks to Pheon for this review sample. To purchase directly, click THIS link.

1:32 Meteor F.4 HK Models First Look Price: TBA The existence of the HK Models Meteor F.4 has been known for quite some time now, with a few CAD images being released, and more recently a few images on some forums of test shot sprues. With Scale Model World about to spring a week or two ago, Large Scale Modeller arranged a meeting with HK Models at this show, and we enquired as to the possibility of taking a look at a pre-release of this kit. We certainly like to 'take one for the team' in order to bring you key releases, and for this very first foray into injection plastic for the Meteor, well, how could we refuse? This is by no means a review. We have no box. We have some in-development decals, and we also have no instruction manual. What we do have though are FOUR sprues, one in clear plastic, and three in grey styrene. Our packaging? A nice long length of protective bubble-wrap that protected this whilst in a simple flight case from Hong Kong. My sincerest thanks to HK Models for this opportunity. Now, only FOUR sprues, I hear you say? After all, this is a 1:32 jet fighter. Yes, that's right, but don't let that put you off. You still have a respectable parts count, and HK Models have boxed clever with this release, and designed it so that you can purchase an attractive model kit, and build it out of box for a very reasonable price. The kit also has some well thought out secondary engineering which allows the aftermarket guys to bounce in here and produce their sets too, and for you to display it. An example of this is are the upper cowls of the Derwent engines. There are no engines supplied in this kit, but the nacelles have an engine access panel which is moulded as a separate part. Now, all we need is a company to make an engine or an engine insert, and voila! Even though we are told that these sprues are now at final production standard, some are still devoid of any part numbers, or sprue number designation. The first sprue I'm looking at contains the fuselage halves. These are full length pieces which are moulded without a static rudder. Exterior detail is excellent with fine panel lines and restrained riveting which looks in scale to my eye. Depiction of the various panels and overlapped lower tail 'bumper' look correct to me, and certainly very period/reminiscent of this late 1940's aircraft. The nose 'cap' is also a separate part. One area where things could have fallen down is the design of the 20mm Hispano cannon apertures. The Kinetic F-86 Sabre was badly let down in this area. Thankfully, the reproduction of this looks extremely good here with nicely shaped channels and fairings. A little plastic seems to be missing around the sharp end of the fairings due to short-shot-syndrome, but that's no biggie. Despite this being 'production standard', yet the part numbers needing adding, I will presume that these little things will be tidier. Internally, the fuselage has no detail to speak of, with the cockpit being a separate module with its own side walls. Elsewhere on this sprue are the ailerons. These are moulded as upper and lower halves, with a separate trim tab, which can posed due to it being sandwiched during aileron assembly. You'll also find the engine nacelle forward ring and adjustable jet exhaust outlet pipe here too. Lastly, undercarriage doors and landing flaps are to be found on this first sprue. Our second sprue contains the full span lower wing panel, with integral main gear bays. The bays themselves are sharp, with excellent constructional detail and riveting strips. A positive, rectangular socket exists for connecting the undercarriage leg. As mentioned, the ailerons and landing flaps are moulded separately. Wing detail includes some very fine panel line and port access detail, as well as outboard nacelle stiffening strips. Horizontal stabiliser parts are supplied here as upper and lower halves, with the elevator parts being the same. The rudder is a two part affair also. The starboard rudder half has a short shot in one corner, but I'm going to assume that this won't be an issue with the main review, which we'll bring to you when we have the final boxing. To fix for this quick build will require no more than a dab of filler. A large ventral fuel tank is included here too. To fit, you'll need to drill out two locating points on the wing underside panel. The last main sprue contains the upper wing panel halves. As mentioned, these are moulded with the main engine access panels as separate parts, which are included on this sprue too. There is no internal detail on the panel undersides, so perhaps this is another area for the AM guys? Again, wing surface detail itself is very good, with subtle panel lines and riveting. A little of the rear inboard wing edge is a little feathered due to a minimal short shot. Frontal engine inserts, so be seen through the front nacelle opening, are included here. A beefy aircraft needs a sturdy undercarriage, and this is just what the Meteor has. Undercarriage struts, complete with the upper wheel guard, as split into halves, complete with oleo and calipers etc. A clever touch here is that one of the protruding pins which hold the wheel, is scalloped. This is to ensure that the wheels, which are weighted, are held in the correct position with regard to the floor on which they'll sit. Those wheels, which are also are moulded as halves, have some very nice hub detail. Tread pattern isn't an issue here as the Meteor tyres were smooth. One key area for the large scale modeller is the cockpit, and the one supplied here has some excellent detail, built right out of the box. As is quite common these days, this is built as a module which sits in between the fuselage halves. This module includes the very detailed side walls with their avionics consoles. Detail here is certainly no worse than many of today's offerings, and indeed is reminiscent of the high standard we saw in the B25 and B17 kits from the same manufacturer. The instrument panel is superbly defined, with blank instrument faces, presumably for instrument decals. As for the seat, this was a simple affair, and not en ejection unit. No seatbelts are moulded in situ, with me yet again presuming this will be due to their inclusion on the photo etch fret which should be included with the final release. A small short shot on the beautifully detailed control column means that I will need to replace one strut with a short length of plastic rod. The nose wheel created an internal bulge within the cockpit floor area, in between the rudder actuation bars. A gun sight is included, but seems to have its lens moulded in grey. I suggest you clip this off and replace with a piece of clear plastic. There are six parts on the clear sprue. Three of these are the canopy parts, and two are for the wingtip lights. I'm unsure at the moment what the small 6th part is for. But how does this thing fit together? The main components have been remove and assembled here for you to get an idea. All components I tested fit together with no issue. Large parts such as the fuselage and wing sections look to be gapless from our tests, and bringing these large assemblies to each other shows a well-engineered model which should present no problems overall. I predict we'll see a few of these on the stands at SMW 2014, Telford, next year. I'm not going to do a talk through the decal sheet at this stage as it isn't yet completed in terms of ink colour authenticity etc. I can tell you that at least two RAF machines are included, as is a single Argentine aircraft. Whilst I can see no instrument decals here, a number of stencils are included, as are various walkway demarcation lines. Please watch out for our final review in the near future. A BIG thanks to Neil Yan at HK Models for his co-operation with Large Scale Modeller and its staff, and for allowing us to bring this and future releases to you. James H

That looks excellent. Perhaps we can get one to look at here?

Paul has said he'll do an F.3 conversion for this so you can model a wartime machine. That will be my option for the full release kit when it arrives. Extended wings and a different canopy will be among the things needed. Mossiegate? This is the Meteor thread.....try here

Francisco, you can never have too many thumbs ups! Great news with this and the Salmson news you brought to the modelling world today.

Hi guys and gals, I've had to keep this under wraps for a few days in case it didn't happen, but I can tell you that at Scale Model World today, the LSM team took possession of the final release sprues of the forthcoming HK Models Gloster Meteor F.4! This is an un-boxed kit, with no manual, and will give us a first look at this pretty damn smart looking kit. We'll give you plenty of photos and a dry fit of the main components for you. In future, we'll also receive the boxed version for you to see. We have a few images of a completed test shot on our Facebook page. The LSM team had a very fruitful meeting with HK Models also, and we'll be bringing you more news and reviews in the future. Exciting times here!

Thanks for sharing Francisco, that is seriously good news. Keep us updated. Perhaps see if there are any test shot images to see?

Shrine? I've already secured a pew, and I'm about to fondle my beads.

Mal, how far along is this build?

LMFAO!

SPAD S.VII Roland C.II Walfish Halberstadt CL.II Fokker Dr.1 Fokker E.V/D.VIII