Quickboost accessories are produced by Aires - well known for their high quality mixed-media detail sets. The Quickboost range features 1/32, 1/48 and 1/72 scale items. The parts are cast in excellent quality dark grey resin and what really struck is the relative simplicity of each set, combined with some of the finest resin casting I've ever seen and surprisingly low prices for items of this quality. I bought a selection of 1/48 scale engines and gunsights:

• 1. QB48009 - P38J Lightning Engine - £4.35
  
• 2. QB48012 - Dornier Do 335 Engine - £7-50
  
• 3. QB48013 - F4F-4 Engine - £5.35
  
• 4. QB48024 - F8F Bearcat Engine - £5.35
  
• 5. QB48007 - Revi C/12D Gunsights - £2.99
  
• 6. QB48014 - K-14 American Gunsights - £2.99
  
• 7. QB48016 - Mk VIII American Gunsights - £2.99
  

Engines

The P-38J Lightning is the simplest of the sets included here. It's designed for the Academy kit (it remains to be seen if it'll fit Hasegawa's Lightning) and consists of one main part, plus two separate details. The main part represents a section of the Allison engine to be positioned behind the lower access panels, which must be thinned and opened up. The main part features some beautifully done pipework and other details. The instructions give some colour notes and a clear guide for how to modify the kit's nacelle. New access panels aren't included so, depending on how you open things up, you'll probably have to make your own.

The Dornier Do 335's set includes the mid-fuselage DB 603 and is designed for the Tamiya kit. It's the most expensive of the sets here, but is also the most elaborate, featuring an incredible one-piece casting of the engine in its bay, along with separate exhausts, pipework, transmission shaft and engine-bearers. The engine itself comes complete with ignition wiring and detail on the firewall. The exhausts are hollowed out and a huge improvement over the Tamiya items (it's a shame a second set isn't included for the front engine). Again, the instructions come complete with simple colour notes and a diagram showing the area to be removed from the Tamiya fuselage. As with the Lightning, the engine access panels aren't included, so you'll need to either cut out the kit parts very carefully or scratch build your own if you want to show them in a diorama setting.

The Wildcat's P&W R-1830 is a real beauty. The engine is designed for Tamiya's kit and features a separate accessories pack which will be visible in the wheel-well. The engine is a direct replacement for the kit item and should be simplicity itself to install. The instructions contain colour notes and assembly diagram, but you'll need further references if you want to add ignition wiring.

The Bearcat's R-2800 is amazing! The full quality of the casting is immediately apparent here; the radial engine is complete with the cylinders attached and actually includes hollowed-out exhaust outlets on their reverse faces... There are some delicate slivers of resin to remove behind the the front cylinders (neccessary to achieve this level of detail in a single casting) - although they are hardly visible from the front and, again, you'll need further references for the ignition harness. The set is designed for the old Testors kit, but I'm sure it'll find a good home in many Hobbycraft/Academy Bearcats... Strangely, this is the only one of the engines not to include any colour notes.

Gunsights

Each set includes 6 x sights, beautifully cast with exquisite detail. Each includes a separate sheet of film for the glass reflectors, and the Mk VIII set goes one step further, including an etched fret with auxiliary ring sights and metal frames for the reflectors. The quality of the sights is superb and they are a vast improvement on the plastic items included in kits.

Conclusion

As you can tell, I'm very impressed by these Quickboost sets! The quality is excellent and they represent great value for money. Their relative simplicity makes them suitable for modellers of most abilities and they really do live up to their name - offering the chance of superb extra detail with the minimum of fuss. Highly recommended.