Quickboost

1/72 B-24 Engines For the Academy B-24

Stock Number: 72050

Reviewed By  Fred A. Amos, IPMS# 6672

MSRP: $10.95 Quickboost is a relatively new company producing very fine resin components for models on the market. No matter how good a model manufacturer is there seems to always be room for improvement. Quickboost appears to be dedicated to providing modelers with corrected components such as engines, gun barrels, exhaust systems, gun sights and much more. Admittedly, this is my first occasion to use a Quickboost product. I was not disappointed in the least. On opening the clear package I found four superbly detailed P&W 1830-xx engines of light gray resin. Close inspection revealed only one evidence of flash that required cleanup. That was between what I am told is an oil sump and a cylinder on the back row. A quick move with a number 11 X-acto blade took care of it. The other areas of flash won't be visible once inside the cowlings so don't bother with it. Just to see how well the engines would fit I took my last Academy B-24 kit down and removed only one of each, cowling, and engine part. I only did one set so I can get on to other projects. After drilling a hole for the propeller hub the next step was dry fit the resin part to the Academy cowling. The fit into the Academy cowling was satisfactory. Not being an aircraft mechanic, at this point I became confused. There is a notch on the base of the resin part that will correspond to the tab in the Academy cowling. The problem is that what I was told is the oil sump would then be at the bottom of the engine in the cowling. Several friends told me it was supposed to be at the bottom but all of the reference material I have on the B-24 show that the object should be at the top. I am referring mostly to photos in Bert Kinzey's book B-24 Liberator in detail, (pages 27 and 28). I choose to believe the photos so I cut a notch in the top of the back wall. If I am indeed wrong about these conclusions, I apologize. I painted the resin engine and inside of the cowling flat black and the cowling neutral gray and faded olive drab. When the resin engine was dry enough to handle I dry brushed it with Flo-quil Platinum Mist just enough to bring out the fine detail. I placed the resin engine in the cowling and took the photos to show what it looks like when finished. All in all I am very pleased with the product and the final result. And I can honestly recommend Quickboost products. Visit their web site at www.quickboost.net for a look at their catalog and see if you can find something you need for you modeling pleasure. And they are asking for product suggestions from modelers for future products. The B-24 resin engines were provided to the IPMS/USA Reviewer Corps by Quickboost.

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