Paul R. Brown
Reviews By Author
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T-50 ROKAF Advanced TrainerPublished:
The Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) T-50 Golden Eagle Advanced Trainer is a new family of supersonic trainers and light attack aircraft developed by KAI and Lockheed Martin. It is the first supersonic aircraft developed by South Korea. The aircraft entered service with the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) in 2005 and has been ordered by several other nations such as Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines. The kit is a snap-fit kit of the T-50 as it appears in ROKAF services as an advanced trainer. It is part of Academy’s new MCP (multi-color plastic) series like the recently released F-4J “Showtime 100” kit. The consists of 21 parts molded either in white, black or clear styrene with a clear styrene stand to display the aircraft on. The parts are extremely well molded and… more |
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US Navy Tow Bar (Modern)Published:
Recently Brengun has released a series of interesting accessories in 1/72 scale, most aimed at those looking to add a little something different and to spruce up the display of our recent builds. This set fits squarely in that category and provides a tow bar currently used by the US Navy on its carriers and other aviation ships. The tow bar is used to move or re-spot an aircraft or helicopter when its engines are not running. The tow bar is attached to the nose gear of the aircraft of the tail wheel of a helicopter and then hitched to a flight deck tractor so that the aircraft/helo can be moved around. The set consists of four resin pieces, the two tow bar arms and the two small wheels at the back and a small photo-etch fret with 18 photo-etch pieces. The photo etch… more |
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US Navy Wheel Chocks (Modern)Published:
Recently Brengun has released a series of interesting accessories in 1/72 scale, most aimed at those looking to add a little something different and to spruce up the display of our recent builds. This set fits squarely in that category and provides a set of wheel chocks currently used by the US Navy on its carriers and other aviation ships. The chocks are used to supplement the tie down chains used to firmly attach aircraft and helicopters to the flight deck when they stationary. The chocks are usually the last things removed before an aircraft starts taxing across the deck. The set consists of twelve resin pieces which allows you to construct a set of chocks. Each chock consists of two large blocks that fit in front of or behind an aircraft’s main wheels and a metal… more |
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Polish Wings #19: Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-17 and Polish VersionsPublished:
The MiG-17 is a subsonic fighter aircraft developed by the Soviet Union as a follow-on to the very successful MiG-15. The MiG-17 was flown by numerous air forces around the world and several countries, such as Poland were licensed to build MiG-17s. The book focuses on the various MiG-17 variants operated by the Polish Air Force from 1955 onward. While the initial batch of MiG-17F and MiG-17PF aircraft operated by the Polish Air Force were purchased from the Soviet Union, the majority of the aircraft it used were actually built by Polish industry under a license obtained from the Soviet Union. The license-built aircraft were designated Lim-5 (fighter/interceptor) or Lim-6 (fighter-bomber) and there were a number of variants of each which were differentiated by letter suffixes to… more |
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A-4B Skyhawk Control StickPublished:
Like many Aires/Quickboost sets, this set is a drop in replacement for the kit supplied control stick for the Airfix A-4B/P Skyhawk. The set actually includes 3 sticks, so you will have enough for three single-seat Skyhawks or a single-seater and a TA-4 two-seater. The stick is nicely detailed and paints up very well. While the resin is not flimsy, be careful in handling the stick once it is removed from the pour stub as I managed to snap one of mine in two and had to repair it with superglue. As I received my review sample after I had closed up the canopy on my Airfix Skyhawk, I borrowed a friend’s kit for the photographs. I then pulled out a Fujimi A-4M kit from my stash and happily discovered that the stick fit just fine in the Fujimi kit as well. The only adjustment… more |
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Spotlight on the MiG-29 in PAF (Polish Air Force)Published:
This is a new publication from Mushroom Models Publications. The book includes a brief description of where and how the Polish Air Force acquired its MiG-29 fleet. I was surprised to learn that only the first twelve aircraft were purchased directly from Russia. The bulk of the PAF’s MiG-29’s were actually acquired from Czech Air Force and from the German Air Force (post reunification) when those services decided to cease operating the MiG-29. Interestingly, upon acquiring these used jets, initially the PAF continued to operate the aircraft in the paint schemes of the original operator, so a number of the PAF single-seat MiG-29s operated for a period of time in several shades of green and brown. In 1997, the PAF commenced the overhaul of its MiG-29s. Overhauled aircraft were repainted… more |
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MiG-15UT OvertreesPublished:
The MiG-15 UTI is the two seat trainer version of the MiG-15 fighter. Originally developed to provide conversion training for the transition from propeller aircraft to jet aircraft, it served as the primary jet trainer for the USSR and much of the Warsaw Pact air forces into the 1970’s. As with Eduard’s MiG-15 and MiG-15bis, this is a new mold, very different from the old KP MiG-15UTI that some of us still have in our stashes. While the kit is clearly based on Eduard’s current MiG-15/MiG-15bis kits, there is only one common sprue, the one for the wings, as the others are all tailored for the two-seater. As these are overtrees, not a kit, they do not come with instructions or decals, however, since Eduard posts its instruction sheets on its website, all you need to do is go… more |
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F-16CJ Block 50 BigSinPublished:
Eduard’s BigSin set for Tamiya’s 1/72 Block 50 F-16CJ includes seven sets previously issued individually, creating a wonderful update set for the kit. The set includes resin replacements for the wheels, the ejection seat, the exhaust nozzle and open speed brakes. The set also includes two frets of photo-etch (one for the interior and one for the exterior details), a complete canopy mask set and a fret of prepainted remove-before-flight tags. As the sets were previously released individually, combining them into a single set results in some duplication, which is not a bad thing if you have another Tamiya F-16 kit in the stash. The photoetch set for the interior provides a surprising amount of pre-painted parts to completely overhaul the kit cockpit including replacement side… more |
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AS.34 KormoranPublished:
The AS.34 Kormoran missile is a German developed anti-ship missile. The Kormoran 1 was originally designed in the 1960’s for use by the German Navy and was flown on the F-104 and the Tornado. It was also used by Italy. The Kormoran 2 was an updated version of the Kormoran 1, using the same missile body, but with updated avionics, an improved and larger warhead and better rocket motor to give it longer range. This is another nice set in Brassin’s weapons range and for a change it is not a US or Russian weapon. The set includes one missile body for each of the Kormoran 1 and for the Kormoran 2. Be sure to check which one you are using as they are slightly different, primarily in the exhaust/nozzle area and in the fairings along the side of the missile bodies. The larger rocket… more |
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NATO Fighter – Limited EditionPublished:
Eduard’s NATO Fighter is a limited edition boxing of the Hasegawa F-104G with the addition of resin parts for two different ejection seats and several sensors/antennas, a photoetch fret of details for the two seats, as well as a full cockpit, and 2 decal sheets – one of stencils and one with markings for five different NATO air forces that flew the F-104. Hasegawa’s F-104 kit has been reviewed several times in the past, so other than a few gotcha’s that I learned the hard way, I will focus on the added parts and details. I build 1/72 scale models most often and I have gotten in the habit of installing my instrument panels at the end of the build as this allows me to keep from getting paint or sanding dust on them. I assumed, incorrectly it turns out, that I could do… more |