JayDee

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.

This looks a real useful set, and I imagine not just for B-17 builders. There appears to be quite a lot of parts which could be used for a number of Allied/US aircraft. Nice review Nige

Great pics. Was a really enjoyable show, and of course, sponsored by Large Scale Modeller!

Gorgeous. Have you fathomed where you'll put it yet?

I wish WNW had supplied the markings/scheme for the camo machines too. Never mind. Lovely work on the Taurus engine and the extreme surgery to make it fit

I've applied: enamel over acrylic acrylic over enamel cellulose based paint over acrylic cellulose based paint over enamel enamel over cellulose based paint acrylic over cellulose based paint enamel over lacquer lacquer over acrylic lacquer over cellulose based paint ......and on, and on, and on and on...all with no issues. If you apply your paint over a fully cured paint below, and in thin coats, I can't see you having any issues. I know this depends on paint brand/formulation, but here is what I use. Alclad Gunze (Cellulose and Aqueous) Tamiya Model Master enamel Humbrol enamel Vallejo White Ensign enamels I also thin all Gunze paints with Mr Levelling Thinner. The only issue I have EVER had has been applying Humbrol Clear over ANY Gunze paints, even after leaving to cure. It causes the paint to crackle and break up.

How's this one going Erik?

Lovely work, and some great weathering too. I like the oil along the wing trailing edges.

The base was a Squadron item. I don't even know what I've done with that base!

1:32 Pfalz D.IIIa fighters of Jasta 30 Pheon Decals Catalogue # 32026 Available from Pheon Decals for £12.75 plus P&P Use website contact detail for further info Wingnut Wings released their own aftermarket decal set for their 1:32 Pfalz D.IIIa, back in 2011, and SP&R reviewed it here. The focus of these separate decal sheets, as indeed with most AM sets, is to provide a variety of schemes which usually differ vastly from each other. However, this release looks at the Pfalz D.IIIa aircraft which flew specifically with Jasta 30, and their most unusual and attractive diamond emblems. This isn't of course the first time that Pheon have focused on a single Jasta. Take a look at our Fokker D.VII's of Jasta 18 review, here. Pheon's new Jasta 30 decal set is packaged into a large, A4 ziplock wallet, and contains a bubble-ink printed cover sheet showing the schemes in small profile format, THREE laser printed profile sheets, and a single, large and very colourful decal sheet, printed by Fantasy Printshop. Pheon's detailed instruction booklet is the norm for all releases, and is of course included here. The cover profile sheet really doesn't do the schemes as much justice as the vibrant laser-printed sheets actually show. One of the schemes is for a machine which is painted burgundy, looks like a chocolate brown on the cover sheet. Appearances can be deceptive, and you must only use the cover sheet as a guide to contents. This set contains decals for SIX Jasta 30 machines, of D.IIIa type, meaning the WNW kit is the only game in town when it comes to wanting to use these decals. Those three laser printed sheets show the schemes in a larger scale format than those on the cover sheet. Four scheme port-side profiles, including the burgundy machine, are shown on the first sheet. The second sheet shows those machines in upper plan format, whilst the last shows the last two profiles in port and upper profile. Where there are any question marks hanging over scheme specifics, alternative cutaway views are supplied. As with most WW1 subjects, the scant lack of surviving evidence of 'absolutes' with regard to some aircraft, means that there is an element of modeller freedom allowed! All six schemes are a variation around Jasta 30's orange diamond with its black trim line. Pheon do not give specifics for the history of each machine they supply decals for, presumably due to scant information being available, but they do supply a brief history of Pfalz Flugzeug-Werke, and how it come to produce its own designs, after initially building aircraft designs under licence from other companies, such as Otto (Lilienthal?), Roland and Morane-Saulnier. Of course, the real money to be made was in the design and building of home-grown designs, and this is what Pfalz began to do, branching into fighter design in 1917, with the D.III, taking the technologies of companies such as Roland, and incorporating them into their own designs. The D.III became the D.IIIa when modifications to the MG arrangement were made so that clearing a jammed gun in flight was easier than it was with the enclosed guns of the D.III variant. Jasta 30 was one of those which exclusively used the Pfalz D.IIIa, hence the subject of this decal release. A history of Jasta 30 is given, and that of the key protagonists within it, plus notes on the general finishes given to the machines they operated. The use of Wingnut decals for national markings, where Pheon don't include specific alternatives in this set. All schemes, with the exception of the burgundy machine, are based around the standard Pfalz silver/grey aluminium paint finish. Each machine carried the orange/black diamond on both port and starboard fuselage side, as well as on their upper wing centre panels. There are a number of very attractive variations in the schemes which include black fuselage stripes and also an orange tail section, trimmed in black. Where the fuselage diamond overlays the black stripes, Pheon have produced this as a single decal for you. Those tail sections in orange, and the black trims, are also supplied as decals, so you don't need to try and match the colour of the main diamonds, with any paint. There is no indication that I can see for the shade of burgundy used for that machine, so you'll have to use a shade which you consider to be more period-looking. Notes are given that the rounded struts, and not the pointed-end ones should be used for all machines in this set. The six schemes offered are: 4203/17, Ltn. Hans-Georg von der Marwitz, March 1918 Serial unknown, Ltn. Hans-Georg von der Marwitz, May 1918 Serial and pilot unknown, Phalempin, May 1918 4202/17(?), pilot unknown, Phalempin, May 1918 5888/17, Oblt. Hans Bethge, March 1918 5947/17, Ltn. Freiherr von der Horst, early 1918 The single decal sheet is split up into sections for each aircraft, easily identifiable from the scheme drawings and their accompanying scheme numbers. The individual decals themselves aren't numbered, but they don't need to be. Everything is self-explanatory, with decals marked left and right, where applicable. Printing is excellent with good, solid colour. Essentially, only black and orange inks are used in this set, but printing is in perfect register, and carrier film is minimal. The decals are also printed thinly too, which should help you with your setting solutions. Conclusion This particular decal set has actually been a few years in hiatus. They were originally planned to coincide with a book on Jasta 30 that never materialised. Realising that the book would probably shed no more light on the schemes that was actually known, Rowan decided to release them now, instead of depriving modellers of what is a beautiful set of decals. There isn't too much in the way of variety, but the basic scheme itself is very attractive, and these are most certainly worthy of your consideration if you are hankering for a Pfalz build. Very highly recommended James H Our sincere thanks to Pheon Decals for the review sample. To purchase directly, click THIS link.

Thanks for sharing this one Doug. I've always found this an interesting subject, and a tempting kit, so really liking what you're doing with here. The cockpit's a beaut!

That's looking great so far. What paint did you use for the silver and green colours, and did you coat the silver to protect it before chipping the green coat?

If I wanted to build one of these, I'd be as chuffed as hell to have it look like that....seriously nice. That mottle is quite something..

Hi all, Tomorrow, I'll post an update to the Kurt Student Fokker E.IV build, but until then, I decided that I enjoyed this one so much that I'd build one from the other end of the spectrum....the Fokker E.I This one is the only scheme from the WNW kit that allows options for an entirely yellow finish, with no green. It is tempting to build this with the green upper fuse and wings, but I'll try to resist, and go with a typical Eindecker scheme.....or will I? Give me time to finish up the E.IV...should only be a week or so. Here she is folks!

simply put....... YES!

Jesus! I saw one of these in a store in Japan, and know how big they are. You really must build this. I'll watch all the way.

How does the cockpit paint up John? The instrument panel looks quite basic.

That is outstanding. Did you find the Eduard sets a good fit generally?

I'm loving this. How is that wing to fuse joint? Does it run gapless all the way around? With that construction sequence they suggest, I can't see how it would?