ACE 1/72 Gaz-61-73 4x4 staff car @$12 Box top

ACE 1/72 105mm leFH-16(Rh) German WW1 howitzer @$12 Box top

Zebrano/PST Gaz-AA w/ZSU 61-K @$25 Box top

Zebrano has re-issued the PST Gaz-AA truck (Soviet built Ford model A) here and added the ZSU 61-K gun for mounting on the back. There are 37 new injection moulded parts for the gun and four resin parts for the sides of the truck tray. Rubber tyres are included for the Gaz wheels.

Zebrano/PST GAZ-AAA w/quadruple maxim 4 A/A gun @$35 Box top

Another PST Gaz-AA re-issue but this time the gun (quadruple maxim 4 Anti aircraft machine guns) is of all resin construction...hence the higher price tag. The instruction sheet has several photos of the real thing.

Zebrano/PST SPG KV-6 @$35 Box top

A re-issue of the PST KV-1 but with resin and metal parts (turret and gun barrels) to make the KV.6. As with all PST tank kits, the tracks are 'link and length'.

Valom 1/48 AN-2 'Colt' (military) @$50 Box top

Way back in the late sixties/early seventies, you could get a 1/50 AN-2 from VEB Plasticart (East Germany) and it was a shocker...yet today that kit fetches heaps on Ebay!! No longer need you pay big money for 'crap'...this new release from Valom is a beauty... four sprues containing nearly 140 crisp, clean, injection moulded parts with very fine engraved surface detail (panel lines and rivets). There are also injection moulded clear parts, eight resin parts, a photo etched fret and a set of decals with markings for one Soviet (2001) and one Polish (13th. transport squadron) 'Colt'. The kit includes four styles of propellers, a fully detailed cockpit, a detailed cabin section, separate flaps and ailerons and a rigging guide...not that there's all that much in the way of rigging wires....just the wing bracings. N.B. ;- as has been well publicised, the canopy on this kit is inaccurate...but all is not lost...Valom is working on a replacement which should be ready mid to late September. If you have purchased the kit (or will purchase one in the meantime) you will be sent a replacement canopy, free of charge!!

Valom 1/48 AN-2 'Colt' (civil) @$50 Box top

Same kit as above but with different decals (for more colourful paint schemes)...a Czech Aeroclub (2007) and a German civil AN-2 (2009).

Roden 1/48 Pilatus Porter PC-6C/H.2 @$45 Box top

As expected, Roden has followed up on the release of the Fairchild AU-23A with the original Pilatus Turbo Porter (the AU-23A being the American built version of the Turbo Porter). Apart from the decals (markings for three 'Air America' aircraft...including the one in the Mel Gibson movie of the same name) it's basically the same kit but with a lot of parts not used on this version. All up, there are over 150 crisp, clean, injection moulded parts with a fully detailed interior, including six seats and optional position side doors. All control surfaces are separate mouldings allowing them to be 'positioned'. The one 'sore point' with this kit is the need to drill holes...lots of them and of various sizes... the instruction sheet has detailed drawings on where ... and how big or small.

Miniart 1/35 Farm Cart @$15 Box top

A simple hand draw farm cart made up from just 19 crisp, clean, injection moulded parts.

R.S. Models 1/72 E15K-1 'Shiun' floatplane (prototype) @$24 Box top

Floatplanes always make for an interesting model and the E15K is no exception....with it's 'centre line' main float, retractable wing floats and contra-rotating propellers. There are 47 crisp, clean, short run, injection moulded parts...including a one piece clear canopy and a six part beaching trolly. Cockpit detail is rather basic with just a floor, two seats, control stick and instrument panels....and the propellers don't turn at all...let alone operate contra to each other! The wing floats can be assembled up or down, but they would only have been retracted when the aircraft was in flight...not on the beaching trolly. The decal sheet has markings for for 2x Japanese aircraft (Air Technical Arsenal, 1943 and I.J.N. Cruiser Oyodo 1944)..

Valom 1/72 Avro 618 "Ten" Australian marking VH-UNA @$40 Box top

This is the British (Avro) built version of the Fokker F.V11b and as such, the kit is the same as the Valom Fokker apart from the decal sheet (and the fact you don't get the bomber version's bombs) which has markings for Australia's Royal Mail aircraft VH-UNA 'Southern Sun' and a British Imperial Airways Avro 618. The kit has 99 injection moulded parts (including 10 in clear plastic), five resin parts (three radial engines and the main wheels), a photo etched fret...and the decal sheet. Interior detail is quite good for what can be seen...there's a nicely fitted out cockpit, cabin seats and sidewall frame work. The resin engines look good and come with separate collector rings and exhausts. There are separate ailerons, but the rudder and elevators are 'fixed'. You still get the optional two and three bladed propellers but only the former are used.

Valom 1/72 Bristol Brigand T.Mk.4 @$42 Box top

Yet another version of the Brigand/Buckingham from Valom...this time it's the T.Mk.4 which is the same kit as the TF.Mk.1 but you don't use the weapons and the new decal sheet has markings for just the one RAF aircraft. You still get over 100 crisp, clean, injection moulded parts (with fine engraved panel lines and rivets), two styles of injection moulded canopies, a photo etched fret, seven resin parts (including twin row radial engines)...and the decal sheet.

Amodel 1/72 D.H.100 Vampire Mk1 RAF jet fighter @$26 Box top

Both Frog and Heller did 1/72 Vampire kits, but both have 'raised' panel lines...they (the panel lines) are finely engraved on the Amodel kits! There are 59 crisp, clean injection moulded parts (including six in clear plastic...two types of canopy!), plus a set of decals with markings for six RAF Mk.1 Vampires. The cockpit is nicely detailed, there's detail inside the wheel wells and even interior flap detail, but if you want to expose this (detail) you have to cut open the flaps yourself. The only stores are two drop tanks and while there is no engine, you do get separate intakes and tail pipe.

Amodel 1/72 D.H.100 Vampire Mk6 RAF jet fighter @$26 Box top

Same kit as above but with a new nose section, no drop tanks and a decal sheet with markings for just the one Swiss Vampire Mk.6.

Amodel 1/72 White Knight & SS1 @$56 Box top

This 'futuristic' looking aircraft was devaloped by Scale Composites, eight years ago! The 'White Knight' is the jet powered carrier of the SS-1 experimental space ship (both are built almost entirely from composite materials). The Amodel kit has 99 injection moulded parts, a photo etched fret and a set of decals. There's no interior detail in the SS-1, but it does have optional position main landing gear and nose skid. The White Knight has a reasonably detailed cockpit, good engine detail and detailed landing gear. The decal sheet has the markings for the rather colourful experimental aircraft/space ship combination.

Miniart 1/35 British jeep crew @$15 Box top

This is a set of five figures (three of which also come in the Miniart 'British staff car w/crew kit). As per the box top, three are seated and two are standing. There are 49 parts.

Masterbox 1/32 Famous Pilots of WW2 (set #1) @$19 Box top

One sprue of 48 parts to build six 'famous' WW2 pilots...Sakai Saburo, James Johnson, Lidia Litviak, Richard Bong, Werner Molders and Albert Marcel (and despite the box top art...no dog figure is included!).

R.S. 1/72 Fokker D.XX111 @$20 Box top

This is the latest in R.S. Model's ever increasing range of 1/72 injection moulded aircraft kits. The Fokker D.XX111 consists of 50 short run injection moulded parts (including a clear canopy) plus a set of decals with markings for four aircraft...the first prototype 1939, the first prototye in Dutch markings 1940, the Netherland's East Indies 1942 and a captured Japanese aircraft, also 1942. Cockpit detail is basic, but sufficient for what can be seen...there are full wheel wells with detailed landing gear and detailed well door interior. Neither propeller (front or rear) is designed to turn but that is easy to fix ... as would be cutting out the 'fixed' control surfaces.

ICM 1/35 Studebaker US6 U4 truck @$50 Box top

This has been a long time coming from ICM...and the price is rather high...but that's a result of ICM's price hike a year or so ago! That said, this is an extremely detailed kit with well over 200 crisp, clean injection moulded parts ... plus a set of decals with markings for two WW2 vehicles...one Czech and one Polish. The kit comes with a fully detailed engine (optional position bonnet), fully detailed cabin and chassis, an optional rear winch, an optional rear 'soft' cover and injection moulded clear parts for the windows and windscreen.

Avis 1/72 Kawasaki Ki-10-1 @$21 Box top

As with all Avis kits, production is (supposedly) limited to just one thousand units! The Ki-10-1 has 42 injection moulded parts (but you can see where three other parts have been removed from the sprues...so another version is more than likely) plus a set of decals with markings for three Japanese army aircraft. Cockpit detail is good but while there is a separate engine cowling top panel, there's no engine. Propeller blades are moulded separately and the prop. does turn.

Revell 1/72 Sikorsky CH-54A 'Skycrane' @$36 Box top

First released by Revell back in the late 50's/early 60's...and it shows in the surface detail...raised rivets and panel lines! Aside from that, it's quite a nice kit with no flash and good detail in the cockpit (which includes three crew figures) and the rotor head. Unfortunately, no fire fighting tank is included (nor markings for 'Elvis'...Victoria's summer water bombing skycrane), but you do get an optional cargo pod and 105mm howitzer (carried underneath instead of the pod). The decal sheet has markings for four U.S. aircraft.

Revell 1/40 Corporal missile w/transporter @$38 Box top

Back in the late 1950s, Revell did several missile kits in 1/40th. scale (I guess the company felt 1/48 was a bit small and 1/32 a bit big...so they went halfway). Others in the series were the Talso, X-17, Little John/Dart, Terrier, Aerobee Hi, LaCrosse, Hawk and the Nike Hercules (which is also currently available). The Corporal is a rather large kit packed with parts...mainly for the transporter (as per the box top). Also included is a launching platform, a radar set and four ground crew. The missile can be mounted in the firing position on the launcher with the ground crew and radar set or on the (very detailed) transporter which has a number of moving parts...allowing the missile to be raised and lowered or removed. The decal sheet has markings for just the one U.S. Army Corporal missile.

AMG 1/35 NKL-26 @$64 Box top

Very expensive but very nicely done and as the box top states, 'production is limited to just 1000 units'! There are just 25 crisp, clean, short run injection moulded parts along with a large photo etched fret, a bag of white metal parts (the radial engine with separate cylinders), several lengths of wire, a clear film (for the windows) and a small decal sheet...markings for two Soviet vehicles (Gzhatsk, Western front 1943 and near Novgorod, 1944). While there is no interior detail, exterior detail is superb on this rather small model of the Soviet army's Aerosan...several thousand of which were produced during WW2. BTW...AMG stands for 'Arsenal Model Group'.

AMG 1/48 DH-5 @$64 Box top

Again, very expensive...and again...limited to just 1000 units! The DH-5 (an unusual 'staggerwing' style biplane) was designed in 1916 as a replacement for the DH-2...approximately 500 were built. This AMG kit has 38 crisp, clean, short run injection moulded parts with fine raised surface detail. There is also a photo etched fret, a white metal rotary engine, a clear film (for the windscreen) and a reasonable sized decal sheet with markings for three RFC aircraft. The cockpit and engine are both very well detailed but it appears the engine doesn't turn with the propeller (which also, doesn't turn!). The instruction sheet has comprehensive rigging diagrams.

AMG 1/48 Pfalz E.IV @$54 Box top

Not quite as expensive but still limited to just 1000 units. The Pfalz E.1V was similar to the Pfalz E-111 (a licenced built Morane Saulnier type 'H') but with a strengthened airframe to accomodate a twin row 160HP engine. There are 30 crisp, clean, short run injection moulded parts, a photo etched fret, white metal engine, a clear film with the windscreen and a decal sheet with markings for two aircraft from 1916. The cockpit detail is mainly made up from photo etched parts (a bit of a pain!) but it looks good as does the engine...which will turn with the propeller, as it should. A rigging diagram is included in the instruction sheet.

AMG 1/48 Pfalz E.V @$54 Box top

Same kit as above but with a new fuselage moulding and white metal inline engine (Mercedes D.1 100HP car engine). Although 50 E.Vs were ordered only 20 were built. The decal sheet has markings for two of those 20 planes.

Lindberg 1/72 Japanese C-3 class submarine I-53 @$270 Box top

This is a massive model...nearly one and a half metres long with more than 300 parts and superb detail. It's also the first new kit to carry the Lindberg trade mark in three decades...although, like most things nowadays, it's made in China! As well as a kit of the Imperial Japanese Navy's I-53 submarine (made by Mitsubishi in 1944....) you get kits of five Japanese Kaitens (midget submarines) which are mounted on the deck. The kit is so big, the hull is in four parts (two each, left and right) while the deck is in two sections). There's a fully detailed conning tower, separate torpedo tube covers, detailed deck fittings, etc., etc. ... and (fortunately) you get a stand on which to mount your completed model. The price is high (but it does include postage to anywhere within Australia!!), but you certainly get what you pay for (especially considering the price of those MPM fibreglass/resin kits from several years ago)!
For photos of completed model (built by Craig Murray of the Bayonet model club);- click here, click here, click here