ON THE SHELF
AIRCRAFT KITS108 View more reviews online:www.airfi xmodelworld.com http://www.airfi xmodelworld.com 109
ELECTRONIC SNOOPER
MiG-25RBF Soviet Reconnaissance
Plane
By: ICM Item no: 72174 Price: £22.40
Web: http://www.hannants.co.ukIt may seem strange now, but for
years modellers had just a handful
of fairly poor 1/72 Foxbat kits,
yet ICM has changed everything
with releases of most of the
reconnaissance/strike versions. Its
RBF Foxbat-D shares many parts
with previous iterations, providing
a new radome for this dedicated
electronic intelligence gatherer.Exterior features are rendered with
finely engraved panel lines, and
there’s a well-appointed cockpit
and wheel bays, full-length air
intakes and exhaust nozzles, while
the undercarriage captures the
complexity of the real units. The
three markings options are the same
as those offered in the 1/48 kit:- Red 20, 47th GRAP, Shatalovo,
Russia, August 2001 - Red 38, 931st OGRAP, Werneuchen,
Germany, 1991 - Red 48, 47th GRAP, Shatalovo,
Russia, August 2001
Spitfire HF Mk.VIII
By: Eduard Item no: 70129
Price: £12.34 Web: http://www.eduard.comEduard’s 1/72 Spitfires are
acknowledged as being the best in
the scale. Its ‘long-tip’ Mk.VIII is a
case in point, employing the same
styrene as its standard Mk.VIII
kits, but with specific markings for
high-altitude-configured aircraft.
As a ProfiPACK boxing, the six
styrene runners are accompanied
by a pre-painted photo-etched
metal fret (supplying a new
instrument panel, seat harnessand armour plate) and a pre-cut
self-adhesive canopy and wheel
mask set.
A pleasing mix of five machines
is provided, with options for RAF,
South African and US airframes:- JF476/QJ-D, 92 Squadron, Triolo,
Sicily, November 1943 - JF519/AX-D, 1 Sqn SAAF, Trigno,
Italy, February 1944 - JF630/FL-C, 81 Sqn, Fg Off L
Cronin, Palal, India, March 1944 - JF404/GZ-M, 32 Sqn, Foggia,
Italy, early 1944 - HL-U, 30th FS, 31st FG, USAAF,
Castel Volturno, Italy, 1944
Fw 190A-8/R2 ‘Sturmbock’
By: Revell Item no: 0 3 8 74
Price: £39.99 Web: http://www.revell.de/en
Revell’s latest 1/32 Fw 190 is
devoted to the anti-bomber A-8/R2
‘Sturmbock’ (battering ram) variant,
which had increased armour and
firepower. All parts are moulded
crisply, with no sign of flash or
sink marks, and exterior detail is
represented with delicate engraved
panel lines and rivets. Compared
with previous offerings, there are
modified Runners B and C to cater
for the armoured panels on the
fuselage and alternative barrels for
the outer 30mm cannon, while all
air-to-ground ordnance has been
left out. Options include two styles
of canopy, which can be posed
open/closed, plus raised /lowered
undercarriage (a neat five-piece
stand is included for the former).
Two schemes are provided on the
beautifully printed decal sheet, which
also includes full airframe stencilling
and seat harnesses:- Wk Nr 682204, Red 1 + –, 5./JG 300,
Löbnitz, October 1944 - Wk Nr 680718, Yellow 3 + ~, 12./JG
3, Barth, Germany, May 1944
LUFTWAFFE BATTERING RAM
Boston MK.III ‘Intruder’
By: Special Hobby
Item no: SH72398 Price: €25
Web: http://www.specialhobby.euHaving delighted modellers with
its Havoc Mk. II ‘Turbinlite’, Special
Hobby has released the Boston/
Havoc intruder/night-fighter
variants, with parts supplied on
eight styrene runners and a photo-
etched brass fret, plus ‘hedgehog’
exhausts and alternative resin
cowlings. Much is unchanged
from earlier offerings, so there’s
a highly detailed interior andundercarriage, and finely engraved
exterior panel lines. Either a glazed
or gun-nosed airframe can be built;
the former also has a fuselage gun
pack. Four schemes are offered:- Boston Mk.III, AL468/TH-O, 418
(City of Edmonton) Sqn RCAF,
RAF Bradwell Bay, England, Dec
1942-Jun 1943 - Boston Mk.III, W8295/TH-G, 418
(City of Edmonton) Sqn RCAF,
RAF Bradwell Bay, England, 1943 - Havoc Mk.II, AH523/VY-Z, 85
Sqn, RAF Hunsdon, England, 1941 - Havoc Mk.II, AH520/VY-A, 85
Sqn, RAF Hunsdon, England, 1941
HUNTERS AND DISRUPTERS
HIGH-FLYING ‘EIGHT’
1/721/32 1/721/72