SCALE 'DOGFIGHT RECORDERS' AND MORE

SCALE 'DOGFIGHT RECORDERS' AND MORE


New accessories company Bandit Resin Factory has released its initial products in 1/32 and 1/48 – and ‘stores-hounds’ will love them!

SCALE DOGFIGHT RECORDERS AND MORE

If you study photos of any aircraft during a mass exercise such as Red Flag at Nellis Air Base, Nevada, you’ll see a skinny-looking pod on a missile rail. What you see, regardless of colour or slightly different formats, is most likely an Air Combat Maneuvering Instrumentation (ACMI) pod, which records in-flight positioning and movements of the host aircraft. It’s essentially a training and debriefing tool, whereby all participating aircraft manoeuvres can be viewed on a large screen on the ground. Older types relied on a triangulation algorithm, but these days GPS has taken over, and newer iterations from maker Cubic have been re-named Tactical Combat Training System or similar.

SCALE DOGFIGHT RECORDERS AND MORE

Newcomer to our hobby, Bandit Resin Factory (BRF), has made these stores its inaugural subjects for manufacture in 1/32 and 1/48 scales. They’ll suit a whole host of NATO (and aligned) jets past and present, such as the A-7, F-4, F-14, F-15, F-16, F/A-18, F-21A and civilian contractor ‘aggressors’ (the A-4 for example) and BRF has employed cast resin and turned brass to replicate various versions of this vital training item.

SCALE DOGFIGHT RECORDERS AND MORE

Key Modelworld received 1/32 ACMI Pod Types A, B, C, D, E and H for inspection (stock codes BRF-32-001/002/003/004/005/008… Types F and G are also available), and the quality is generally good, with the various structural differences such as mounting collars being portrayed well. Where antennas are present, BRF employs turned/pre-shaped brass, and decals are also included for extra authenticity. On the ACMI pods, the main task will be to remove the small rear casting plug, but after that it’s just a case of adding antennas where necessary, painting and applying decals. Colour and decal placement details are given on the instructions.

SCALE DOGFIGHT RECORDERS AND MORE

But the ACMIs are not the only products available; there’s also a pack containing two beautifully detailed LAU-7 missile rails with decals (BRF-32-010), and ADU-299 Rail Adapters (BRF-32-011) – spacers that fit between pylon and missile rail – and small decals also come with these. All the 1/32 items mentioned here cost £7.
The aforementioned stores are also available in 1/48, with corresponding stock numbers, and most of these cost £6. Other items from BRF include individual US practice bombs, and baggage pods...but many more items are planned. For further details see the company's Facebook page, here