Model Art Co., Ltd

Model Art Modeling Magazine No. 786, December 2009

Reviewed By  Ken McDevitt, IPMS# 46356

MSRP: 1150 JPY (approximately $12 USD) Website: www.modelart.jp Imported by Dragon Models USA www.dragonmodelsusa.com I was eager to receive this magazine since its reputation for high quality had preceded it. Tearing open the envelope and fast flipping through the issue did not disappoint me. With the exception of a few English words identifying models this magazine is in Japanese. The paper quality is high grade glossy with 60% black and white pages and 40% color pages. There are 156 pages including the covers. Most of the advertisements are in black and white. Contents Since my Japanese is limited to words for different types of Sushi, I will have to make an educated guess as to the purpose of some of the magazine sections/articles. The major article for this issue is Ferrari and Dino models as illustrated on the front cover. There are articles and reviews covering Autos, Boats/Ships, Armor and Airplanes. There are no figure articles. The inside front cover and back cover contain the requisite major model manufacturer ads. Cover Article Excellent pictures of the entire model. Close ups of features and what appears to be fixes for problem areas. The models covered are: · Fujimi 1:24 scale – Ferrari 512BB · Studio 27 1:24 scale resin – Ferrari 512BB LM "N.A.R.T." #87 · Fujimi 1:24 scale – Ferrari Testarossa · Fujimi 1:24 scale – Ferrari F40LM · Fujimi 1:24 scale – Dino 206 Competizione · Fujimi 1:24 scale – Dino 246 GTS Kit Reviews: · Bristol F.2b Fighter: W.W. I Royal Flying Corps Fighter · RQ-4B Global hawk · German Bergepanzer IV –Tank Recovery Vehicle · 2 cm Flakpanzer IV "Wirbelwind" Flak 38 · Admiral Graf Spee – German Pocket Battleship Conclusions Even though the magazine is in Japanese and limited the depth of this review, I was able to follow the pictures in the various articles and get a good deal of information about the model and the kit reviews. Again, the quality of the pictures is exceptionally good and the quantity of pictures illustrating build sequences and fixes or workarounds was much appreciated. I would recommend this magazine just for the pictures and it is my hope that an English language version would be available at some time. I would like to thank IPMS and ModelArt for the opportunity to review this issue.