Tamiya Model Magazine International Issue 217 11/2013

I'm sure we've all built a Messer Schmitt Bf 109 or two or maybe three in our day, so it will be interesting to see how this Eduard kit stacks up to the competition. The model comes nicely boxed with loads of extras. Two sheets of photo-etch metal, with one being pre-painted for seatbelts and instrument panel, a pre-cut self adhesive canopy mask set and a very nice decal sheet for five different aircraft. The sixteen-page instruction sheet is well done with clear assembly sequences,
good colour call outs and beautiful renderings for painting and decaling. Examining the kit contents reveals some fine surface detail. The engraved panel lines and rivet detail being very well done. No major flash or ejector pin marks to deal with, good job Eduard. The construction of the kit starts with the cockpit. The side wall detail is enhanced by some photo-etched pieces such as a trim wheel and fuse panel and the rudder pedals are photo-etched as well. The overall cockpit detail is excellent and when painted, given a colour-wash and drybrushed looks very convincing. The seat-belts are the coloured photo-etch and are quite nice. You get a choice of using the standard injection moulded plastic instrument panel or the pre-painted coloured photo-etch with the latter being the one I chose. Small photo-etch levers and switches on the panel are a bit of a challenge, so get your finest tweezers and magnifier, take your time, and you'll be rewarded with a great looking cockpit right out of the box.

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Electric Flight 01/2014

Flyzone's micro airplanes are very well known for their stable, pilot-friendly flight performance and out-of-the-box great scale looks. I have flown and reviewed several of Flyzone's WW I micro biplanes and all have been excellent performers in the gymnasium and outside in calm conditions. There's virtually nothing to do except charge the battery (with the RTF versions) and link the plane to your transmitter (for transmitter-ready planes) to be flight-ready. Each comes in a nicely packaged box so they are safe and easy to store and transport. Whenever I attend a club indoor flight night, there's never a lack of club members asking to fly my Flyzone planes. The de Havilland DH-82 Tiger Moth is just the ticket for relaxing afternoon flights. It's ideal for committing micro aviation in a backyard, at a local park or indoors at any school gymnasium. Like other Flyzone planes, the Tiger Moth is available in two versions-a complete, all-in-one RTF package, and as a Transmitter-Ready (Tx-R) model that can be linked with any SLT transmitter, or a radio with an AnyLink module.

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Aviation News 11/2013

The Dutch Government announced on September 17 that it will order 35 Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning IIs. They are in addition to two F-35As acquired in 2009 and 2011 for test purposes. The total number is much lower than the original requirement for 85 cited in 2002 or the 56 suggested last year because the available budget has been strictly limited to the €4.5bn reserved for the project. The budget includes a reservation of 10% for unforeseen costs. Acquisition of a limited number of additional F-35s in the future has not been ruled out, as long as it fits within the available budget. The 37 F-35s will replace the current fleet of Lockheed Martin F-16AM/BM Fighting Falcons operated by the Koninklijke Luchtmacht (Royal Netherlands Air Force, RNLAF), starting in 2019. Initial operational capability (IOC) is expected in 2021. Deliveries should continue until 2023 and retirement of the final F-16s is scheduled for 2025. The final decision on the F-35 acquisition comes after more than a decade of political debate, despite the government's decision in June 2002 to participate in F-35 development as a 'level 2' partner, investing S800m in the F-35 System Development and Demonstration (SDD) phase.

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Airforces Monthly 11/2013

ATHIRD attempt to secure offers to supply 60 new fighters for South Korea's FX-III requirement was abandoned in late September after the only remaining bid was rejected. Boeing's F-15SE Silent Eagle had been the sole remaining eligible candidate for the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) requirement after the latest bids had been submitted on August 16. However, the Korean Defence Ministry announced on September 24 that, following a meeting of the Defence Acquisition Programme Administration (DAPA), which oversees the project, it had been decided to re-tender the contract for a fourth time. "DAPA's Executive Committee voted down the selection of the F-15SE after comprehensive, in-depth reviews of performances, costs and other elements of the aircraft, " DAPA spokesman Baek Yoon-hyung told reporters. "We'll reopen a bid as early as possible after reconsidering both operational and budget requirements." As both other contenders in the programme, the Eurofighter Typhoon and Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II, had come in over the strict 8.3 trillion won ($7.3 billion) ceiling set for the acquisition, it had been thought that the F-15SE would have been officially announced as the winner.

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