Shawn Hull (Shull24.com)

1/32 ALE-50 Towed Decoy Pylon for the LAU-129 RailGE F110 Nozzles (Full Open)

Product # 32-01 for $6.00

Product Article by Steve Filak on Oct 21, 2005

 

 

 

Here's a review of the first 1/32 product in Shawn Hull's line of resin aftermarket accessories.  This item is the ALE-50 Towed Decoy Pylon for the LAU-129 missile launcher rail, and is designed for the Tamiya 1/32 F-16.  The ALE-50 is an electronics countermeasure pylon which launches a decoy that is towed behind the host aircraft.  The towed decoy emits a radar signature that acts as a preferential target for radar guided missiles, and has been in use for some time now.   The host aircraft deploys the towed decoy when necessary, and then cuts it loose prior to landing.  The ALE-50 is in service with the F-16 and B-1, and the Navy has plans to integrate the ALE-50 with the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.

WHAT YOU GET:

A pair of ALE-50 pylons for use with the LAU-129 launch rail.  The set is designed specifically for the Tamiya kit, although I would imagine that it could be adapted to the Academy kit as well.  The parts are well detailed, and cleanly cast, with no imperfections, bubbles, or voids.  I should add that Shawn exercises strict quality control over his products, as I have yet to review a product in his line that contains even a minor casting defect.  They're also cast in a fairly ingenious manner.  However Shawn did it, he set up the parts in such a way that the only way the parts are attached to the pour stubs is by way of thin pieces of flash.  This dramatically reduces the time necessary to remove the parts and clean them up.  I decided to take one off the sprue, and the total prep time for each part is literally less than one minute each.  Simply scribe around the part where it meets the flash, swipe it once or twice with a sanding stick, and you're in business.

Fans of the Tamiya F-16 will be glad to have this new set, and in addition to adding detail to your model, the parts are extremely easy to work with.  I'd like to thank 
Shawn Hull for providing me with this review sample.

Steve
Additional detail shots can be seen below.

Click on images below to see larger images

 

Photos and text © by Steve Filak, Sr.