Aircraft reviews
FLAK SUPPRESSOR
The third iteration of Airfix’s lovely 1/72 Beaufighter TF.X provides parts for a snub- or thimble-nosed airframe, matching this with markings for Royal Canadian Air Force and Portuguese Naval Aviation machines.
ROSATELLI’S FALCON
The second in ICM’s CR.42 series has been released and it’s likely to be a firm favourite with modellers, being the original Italian airframe.
MINI SPY-COPTER
Crew-less aircraft, such as Schiebel’s S-100 camcopter, are gaining in popularity – the type has recently been accepted into UK Coastguard service – so it’s no surprise to see kit representations follow.
LATE-WAR LAVOCHKIN
This late version of Clear Prop’s newly tooled 1/72 Lavochkin La-5 includes a slightly reworked runner compared with the early iteration (CP72014), though the remaining six frames and photo-etched (PE) brass fret are unchanged.
FRENCH TUTOR
Esci’s 1980-vintage Alpha Jet returns in Italeri packaging, with unchanged parts and new decals.
CONVOY HUNTER
Special Hobby’s He 115 is the only 1/48 kit of the type, so its return will be welcomed by fans of Luftwaffe floatplanes.
RJ MITCHELL’S LEGEND
Modellers who missed out on Eduard’s limited-edition 1/48 ‘Spitfire Story: The Few’ package, fear not, for the Czech firm’s ProfiPACK edition has now arrived.
ARMY/MARINE SPOTTER
Unmanned aerial vehicles come in all shapes and sizes; the RQ-7B Shadow is one of the smaller types and is the subject of this lovely resin and photo-etched (PE) brass combination from Brengun.
VIOLET LIGHTNING
Here’s another double delight from Platz, in the form of its two-kit 1/144 Kawanishi N1K-J Shinden-Kai (violet lightning – modified) package, also known by the Allied callsign ‘George’.
SOVIET SCENE
ICM’s approach to figures with aircraft kits is arguably among the best, with this 1/48 Polikarpov U-2 set including the base kit, plus pilots and ground crew for no extra cost.