C&H Aero Miniatures has been around for a while. They have a selection of 1/48 two-seat conversions sets that many modelers will find of interest. They also make some other conversion items.

One that caught my interest recently was an enlarged dorsal spine for the Thunderstick II modification that was eventually used by only one unit, the 507th TFS of the Air Force Reserves.

The set really doesn't have much in it as this conversion isn't that difficult. There is the larger fuselage spine and a set of decals. The decals cover two aircraft, one in standard SEA camouflage with white markings and another from a few years later with an SEA wraparound camo and black markings. The decals are about the same quality as Superscale. The image has been darkened to allow the white to show up.

One simply cuts off the old spine and inserts the new one. A very simple conversion. As to whether it is worth the price asked is up to the buyer. My copy was in good shape with just one air bubble on the lower section of the spine, which you can see in the image above. C&H do warn in the instructions that there could be some minor defects and states that repairing them should not be a problem. I would have felt a bit better if they had offered a replacement, but considering the effort it takes to product resin parts, and the general difficulty of producing small run items like this, I'm not that surprised.

Anyway, it is a nice item for those of you who love your thuds and want to do a different version. If 1/72 is your forte, Airwaves offers a similar resin spine in your scale.

Review copy courtesy of  me and my wallet.

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