Skunkmodels Workshop IDF Weapons Set

The kit

Until this release, obtaining detail sets for IDF aircraft weapons forced the modeller to search for aftermarket resin items, which usually meant getting them piecemeal from different sources. With the Skunkmodels Workshop set you get the more common IDF types all in one convenient package and in injected plastic, which in my opinion is always the better and more flexible medium when compared to resin.

Inside there are 4 sprues, consisting of 168 parts molded in a medium grey plastic. Three different missiles are provided. They are:

Missile	No. of Copies	No. of Parts per MIssile	Kit Part No.s
Delilah	4	9	A1, A2, A3(x4), A4, A5(x2)
Python-4	4	3	D1, D2, D3
AGM-142 Popeye	4	11	F1, F2, F3(x4), F4 (x4), F5

Also included are parts for AN/AXQ-14 and AN/AAQ-28 pods, and Rafael Spice guided bomb.

Initial inspection of the parts shows that this set is quite well done. Detail on the parts is excellent. Panel lines are of the engraved variety. Fins are provided as separate pieces save for a couple of fins on the body of the Python-4.

Construction of the missiles is straight forward with only a few parts for each. The Delilah assembles easily. The only problem encountered was with the base of the pitot tube (part A4) which is too small for the recess in the body. This had to be filled with some plastic and sanded flush to the body. The pitot was then attached after trimming some plastic from its base so it would not sit too proud. The rear fins (part A3 ), which at first I thought were going to be a major fit problem, actually turned out to fit perfectly.

As for the Python-4 and AGM-142 Popeye there are problems with the fins. As nice as it is to have these as separate pieces they suffer from an affliction common to most manufacturers who go this route - the fins are much too thin for the slots molded into the missile bodies.

The remedy is to fill the slots with some plastic rod, sand them smooth, then trim the tabs from the fins and finally glue them to the body. This was easily done for the Popeye but was much more difficult with the Python, mainly due to its small size.

A comprehensive painting and decal placement guide is printed on the rear of the box.

The decal sheet is well printed and the images are thin and in register. Images sat down very well on the models following a soaking or two with Microsol and they didn't silver. Opaqueness was a bit of an issue though. The yellow and orange/red stripes are acceptable on the grey areas of the missiles where the light colour underneath does not bleed through and darken the images, but this is not the case when they are applied to a green background. Finding denser replacements may be a better option in lieu of the kit decals.

Conclusion

So, outside of the fit problems with the fins, this is a very nice set and worth their reasonably inexpensive price. Skunkmodels Workshop has created a very useful set of ordinance for the IDF modeller. Now all they need to do is put out some sets for other modern subjects. A set of US aircraft missiles and rockets including injected plastic weapons like the ADM-160 MALD, AIM-9X or the AGM-129 would be most welcome.

	IDF Weapons Set kit no. SW-72001
			Review by Al Magnus - one72guy(at)gmail(dot)com