As a follow up to their neat A-37B Dragonfly, Academy have now released another Vietnam War stalwart, the OV-10A Bronco. I have to admit to some fascination with the aircraft. it always caught my eye in the Airfix catalogues of old, but my local model shop never had any in stock. It was also on the cover of one of the first issue of SAM I ever bought.

Open the box and it's packed with four grey sprues and one clear. Like the A-37B, this Bronco does have a certain similarity with the old Hasegawa kit, though the moulding is sharper and the panel lines are recessed. The cockpit features some decent ejector seats though white metal ones might be better bet in order to keep the model on its toes. The cockpit floor also features the nose gear well on the underside.

The fuselage is broken at the nose and the wings are moulded full span top and bottom. The booms have some wheel well rib detail as do the main gear doors. One the down side the nose wheel is moulded integrally with the legs.

The canopy is moulded in four parts and is reasonably clear, thought it's thrown in the same bag as the fuselage booms and prone to scuffing. Construction is swift and overall the fit of parts is good. External stores comprise of a pair each of LAU-10 and LAU-3 rocket pods, two rather lumpy sidewinders, four Mk.82 bombs and a centreline 150 gallon drop tank.

Decals are provided for two aircraft, a fetching shark mouth from the 20th TASS/504th TASG in a light grey finish, the other a USMC machine of HML-267 in green and grey, both with white upper wing surfaces. Academy's decals are getting better, the printing is good though their adhesion seems to vary.

The kit checks out well, it's certainly a big improvement over previous Bronco kits and it leaves itself open to a myriad of schemes and minor conversions - I fancy a desert-camouflaged Desert Storm one myself.