Alpha Precision Abrasives - Introductory package

Review Name: Alpha Abrasives - Introductory package
Reviewed by: Pablo Bauleo (IPMS #46363)
Review Product Type: Finishing Tools
MSRP: $10.00
Manufactures Web Site: http://www.alphaabrasives.com/
Provided by: Master Detail
Vendor Web Site: www.masterdetails.com

Kit Review:

Alpha Precision Abrasives is a manufacturer of industrial abrasives. It also has selection of abrasive tools for the hobbyist. Master Detail is packaging a selection of Alpha Precision Abrasives products into an introductory package. The package include

"    1/8-inch Sanding Files (100/180; 120/240 and 240/320 grit)
"    3 Plastic Sanding Needles (150, 240 and 320 grit)
"    Micro Finish Cloth Abrasive Sheet (3200, 3600, 4000, 6000, 8000 and 12,000)
"    Abrasive Cleaning Disk

The sanding files are really nice. They bend enough as to follow curved parts without damaging or deforming them, while still have enough 'stiffness' as to get the sanding job done. You can clean them and re-use them several times (see below). They are color coded in each side for a different grid, however the 100/180 are both white, making difficult to know which grit is the one being used.

The plastic sanding needles are very practical, particularly when sanding either a hole or an oval shape (like the interior of the air intake in an A-7D Corsair II). The needles seem to be made of a piece of plastic (a sprue?) with the abrasive attached to it. I was surprised to see some of the abrasive gone after sanding. I don't know if I was being too harsh with them or if the needles are intended to be somewhat disposable.

The Micro Finish cloth kit is ideal to prepare the surface for a natural metal finish in an airplane or ultra shiny finish in a car. Beware that you get just a small patch of about 1x3 inches of each one of cloth grit in this package (it is just a sample size).

The abrasive cleaning disk is probably the nicest and most useful tool of the whole introductory package. It is a disk of about 2 inches in diameter made of a slightly 'sticky' and soft material. You just have to rub your sanding sticks against the disk and all the plastic dust transferred to the disk, leaving the stick clean and ready for another sanding session. I have yet not figured out how to remove the sanding dust from the disk cleaner, tough.

Recommended to hobbyist of all skill levels.

I would like to thank Master Details and IPMS/USA for the samples.

Platz 1/72 Predator MQ-1A

Review Name: 1/72 Predator MQ-1A
Reviewed by: Pablo Bauleo (IPMS #46363)
Review Product Type: Aircraft
Review Type:  Kit
Scale: 1/72
Manufacturer: Platz
Manufacturer website: www.platz-hobby.com
Mfr Stock: 59002
MSRP:  $39.98
Provided by: Model Rectifier Corp
Vendor Web Site: http://www.modelrec.com/

Kit Review:

Chinese manufacturer Platz has expanded its UAV line to cover several versions of the Predator. This review covers the MQ-1A one, which is the armed one.

The kit is molded in light plastic and two sprues. You get 6 marking options, but there are plenty of extra decals in the sheet, so you can probably find enough markings for almost any predator in service.

Wings are one piece, helping to set the proper dihedral which is critical on an airplane with such a long wingspan relative to the fuselage.

Given that there is no cockpit, assembly is quick and easy. It took me about two hours to prepare the parts and assemble them. I left the landing gear out the kit for ease of painting.

Both tail surfaces have molded-in pitot tubes (or at least I think that is what they are) which are fragile and I've bump them a few times during construction. I was lucky that I've never broken them, but be careful when handling your model. Speaking of which, I've actually managed to knock off the nose antenna.

I've painted the kit with Model Master Enamel Light Gull Gray and I've applied the decals on top of a coat of Future. The decals behaved nicely and reacted well to the MicroSol/MicroSet system.

The kit really has no vices I've used not filler at all on the kit and if there is any problem with the model, it is my fault, not the kit.

Recommended to modelers of all skill levels, assuming you can handle small parts.

I would like to thank Platz, Model Rectifier Corp and IPMS/USA for the review sample.

Stratus Publishing - Polish Wings 13 Spitfires Mk IX

Review Name: Polish Wings 13 - Spitfire Mk IX 1942-1943 (Part 1)
Reviewed by: Pablo Bauleo (IPMS #46363)
Review Product Type: Airplane
Review Type: Publication
ISBN No.: ISBN 978-83-61421-35-1
Publisher: Stratus Publishing
Author: Wojtek Matusiak
Illustrations: Robert Grudzien
Line Drawings: Melinda Turnage
Format: A4
MSRP: $21.25
Provided by: Mushroom Model Publication
Vendor Web Site: www.mmpbooks.biz



Stratus Publishing continues its line of "Polish Wings", this time with a book devoted to the Spitfire Mk IX and its pilots during the period 1942-1943.

Among the first polish pilots to fly the Spitfire Mk IX were members of the ATA (Air Transport Auxiliary) which will deliver airplanes from the assembly line to operational squadrons. Among them were at least two female polish pilots, which got to fly the Spitfire Mk IX before the operational polish pilots in the RAF. Apparently that didn't go over well at the time, but I'm glad that the record is kept straight and recognition is given to whom it deserved (in this case, two female pilots).

The book is structured following the squadron and HQ flights of the 1st Polish Wing at Northolt, including 306 Sqn, 315 Sqn,  316 Sqn,  303 Sqn, 302 Sqn and 317 Sqn. Each flight has a short introduction including when they got their Spitfires, but most of the information is provided in the form of descriptive captions to large sized photographs.

Most of the book is dedicated to those squadrons, but the last 10 pages are devoted to the "Polish Fighting Team" (or "Skalski Circus") in North Africa. This flight was the first full flight to operate the newest Spitfire at the time (there were other units that got a few Mk IXs, but not enough for the full unit). There is an interesting study regarding the camouflage colors of North African Spitfires, as one of them was known as 'bluebird' and ferried from Malta, where several spitfires were painted on a blue-ish tones and others retained the green/grays from the Day Fighter Scheme.

In total this book has over 170 B&W pictures and over 30 color profiles (some of them are 4-view). Many of the pictures show the pilots on front of their airplanes. As such the airplane is not completely shown, but those pictures are very good reference for airplane details such a landing gears, air scoops and similar details.
I recommend this book to any Spitfire Mk IX aficionado.

I would like to thank IPMS/USA and Mushroom Model Publication for the review sample.