Paul R. Brown
Reviews By Author
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Mk. 82 BombsPublished:
The Mk. 82 is a 500 lb. general purpose bomb used extensively by the United States and its allies since the 1960s. The Mk. 82 is the smallest bomb in the Mk. 80 family of weapons, but it also the size most commonly used. The bomb can be fitted with either low-drag or high-drag tail assemblies and can be configured as a laser guided bomb with the appropriate guidance and tail fins. This set provides six Mk. 82s in the low-drag configuration most commonly used with medium to high altitude deliveries. The set includes 3 options for the nose, a standard impact fuse, a 6 foot fuse extension to ensure above ground detonation and a conical nose cap to ensure some ground penetration before detonation. The bombs are molded as a single piece, there is no assembly so once the bombs are… more |
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M 117 Bomb with AirbrakePublished:
The M117 is a general purpose 750 lb. (unguided) bomb used by the United States military starting in the 1950s and continuing up through Operation Desert Storm, Iraqi Freedom and Afghanistan. It was used extensively in the Vietnam War being carried by everything from F-100s, to F-111s, to B-52s. The bomb consists of a bomb body containing the explosives, one of several different tail assemblies and fuses. Eduard has issued three different M117 sets. This set represents the M117 with the high-drag tail assembly primarily for use in low altitude deliveries. The tail assembly has four large plates that open up when the bomb is dropped, greatly increasing the drag on the bomb, slowing its descent so as to allow the delivery aircraft an opportunity to get clear before the bomb… more |
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A-4 Skyhawk GearPublished:
This set is provides replacement gear for either the Hasegawa or the Fujimi A-4 kits. As I had a number of the Fujimi A-4 kits, I selected the TA-4J kit for installation. In comparing the metal parts to the kit parts, the set includes two different nose gear struts; one matches the Fujimi strut, so presumably the other is intended for the Hasegawa kit. One distinct bonus included in the set is a metal reproduction of the Fujimi nose wheel well. As models of the A-4 are notorious tail sitters without nose weight, this part will be greatly appreciated by those of us with 1/72 A-4’s in our stash. The wheel well fits just the same as the kit part does, however, be careful with the alignment of the aft part of the part as to ensure that there is sufficient room for the secondary… more |
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A-1H/AD-6/7 Skyraider GearPublished:
As with many of SAC’s sets, this set provides a one for one replacement for the kit parts. It consists of just five parts, two main landing gear struts, two retraction struts and a tail wheel. The parts are nicely cast and have just as slight cast line where the mold halves met, but this is easily cleaned up with either a fine sanding stick or a metal wheel in your Dremel tool at low speed. The retraction struts are very thin, so be careful in handling them as white metal is much more pliable than the plastic kits parts, but unlike the kit parts, the metal parts do not spring back to their original shape if bent or moved around, they stay in the shape you last put them in. This is another nice set from Scale Aircraft Conversions and while the Skyraider is not a heavy model, the… more |
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Su-24MR Photo EtchPublished:
This is a color photo etch set for the cockpit and ejection sets of Trumpeter’s new Su-24MR Fencer E kit. While the kit’s molded in details are not bad, this set really spruces up the cockpit. As expected from Eduard, the set really enhances the kit parts. For example, there are 13 photo etch parts for each ejection set including a new back cushion, shoulder and lap belts, the oxygen and G-suit connectors, two fold down armrests and the between the knees butterfly ejection handles. The parts fit very well, however, it appears that the instructions were actually prepared for a different kit or a pre-production version of the kit, as they instruct you to cut off or remove parts that are not on the kit seats. One other issue is that the photo etch sheet is painted on just one side… more |
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F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Exhaust Nozzles (open)Published:
This set is made specifically for Hasegawa’s F/A-18 E/F kits and as Hasegawa’s EF/A-18 G Growler is the F/A-18F kit with extra sprues for the Growler add-ons, it can also be used on the Growler too. The set consists of 6 resin parts, three for each exhaust. The parts are the actual nozzle, the exhaust can and the rear face of the engine. The parts are extremely well cast, as expected from Aires and in comparing the parts to photographs of the real nozzles, Aires is spot on, capturing the details perfectly. While many of Aires’ exhaust replacement sets are drop in sets and can be added at any time during a build, the decision to use this set must be made very early, well before joining the fuselage top and bottom together. The reason is that the exhaust cans are much… more |
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British 50 Gallon Fuel Tank with Rack for SpitfirePublished:
Brengun continues to bring out interesting accessories that fill in gaps overlooked by mainstream manufacturers. This set is a 50 gallon external tank and the rack for mounting it on a Spitfire. The set consists of a two piece resin tank and small photo etch fret of the mounting rack. Construction starts with removal of the two resin parts of the tank from their casting blocks. Take some time in lining up your cuts so that they are perpendicular to the tank as the two parts butt join just behind the aft tank strap. If you are off in your cut, you will need to spend some time with a file to square up the ends so that they meet correctly and the tank does not end looking like it has a kink in it. Next I attached the tiny etched filler cap to the front of the tank – this is a very… more |
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SBD Dauntless FlapsPublished:
For many people the Douglas SBD symbolizes American carrier aviation in World War II as it played an instrumental role in most of the early major battles in the Pacific, especially the victory at Midway where the SBD’s of the Yorktown, Enterprise and Hornet sank four of Japan’s best carriers on June 4, 1942. One of the key features of the SBD was its perforated dive flaps which were used to slow and stabilize the Dauntless in its near vertical diving attack. Unfortunately, the perforated dive flaps are extremely difficult to make with injection molds due to the number of holes in each flap. On its 1/72 scale Dauntless kits, Hasegawa has molded the dive flaps as solid pieces with small raised circular outlines depicting the perforations. In addition, on the wings, the upper and… more |
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Hand TruckPublished:
I think everyone has seen and many of us have used or attempted to use a handcart, or dolly as they are called in many parts of the US. This set from Brengun includes enough parts to build 6 hand carts. The set consists of a photoetch fret of six frames, six base plates and six axles/braces and 12 resin wheels. The photoetch is nicely done and the parts are easily cut out with a set of photoetch scissors. The scissors also make cleaning up the attachment points very easy as well. Assembly is very quick as the bending points are clearly marked on the frames and the base plates. Be careful to ensure all of your bends are 90 degrees, especially on the frames as any misalignment will show when you mount the wheels. As with other photoetch, superglue is mandatory in order to attach… more |
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Bachem 349 Natter 22/23Published:
During the latter years of World War II, the Luftwaffe was scrambling to finds ways to combat the ever increasing aerial onslaught of the Allied bombing campaign. Many solutions were proposed, some very successful, such as the Me 262, while others never left the drawing board. Some very odd proposals actually made it off the drawing board. The Bachem 349 Natter was one of these odd ideas that were actually in the test phase when the war ended. The Natter was designed to be a semi-reusable weapon system, constructed using non-strategic materials in order to minimize its impact on more developed programs. The Natter was to be constructed of wood, using primarily unskilled labor, and ground-controlled so that only minimal flying skills would be required. It was to be powered by a… more |