Reviews

Review Author
Doug Cole
Published on
Company
Revell
Scale
1/25
MSRP
$24.95

After dabbling in automotive design at GM, Pete Brock started his own design firm in 1965 known as Brock Racing Enterprises, (BRE). His designs were successfully used in GT, CP and Trans Am class racers in the sixties and early seventies. This kit replicates the C Production class winning 1969 Datsun 240Z driven by John Morton.

The Kit

This review covers the BRE Datsun 240Z 1:25 Scale Revell Model Kit #85-1422. This is a Limited Production SSP Series model and a re-released kit from 1972. Produced as a one-time offering kit and rated a skill level 3 build. I think that‘s about right due to some difficult decals, tutone paint, and some altered build sequences. There are at 105 parts molded in white, clear and chrome parts, along with vinyl tires and engine tubing. This kit features a detailed 6-cylinder racing engine, vinyl oil lines, front and rear spoilers and soft black tires. Finished dimensions are: Length: 6-5/8 ", Width: 2-5/8", Height: 1-15/16".

Review Author
Dan Brown
Published on
Company
MiniArt
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$69.95

MiniArt has released a new series of U. S. Army tractors and bulldozers that were used in WWII by the U. S. Army. This particular boxing is simply titled U. S. Army Bulldozer but it appears to be the open top version of the Caterpillar D7 bulldozer, which was used extensively in all theaters in many construction and engineering roles. This is my first MiniArt kit in a very long time, but from my first impression it seems very similar to the others I have worked on. Beautifully detailed moldings, a high part count, and a lot of very small pieces. The total part count in the box is well over 700 for a vehicle with a very small foot print.

Book Author(s)
Richard Marmo
Review Author
Phil Peterson
Published on
Company
Scale Publications
MSRP
$4.99

First off I am not a big fan of ebooks. Sorry but I am old school and prefer the feel of the paper itself. However, I am a big fan of info on the internet and do have a few ebooks on my Kindle so there is always a chance for me.

That said, Mr. Marmo’s book on making your own decals really interested me as I have a bunch of decals I need to make for certain projects and even though I shelled out for a nice laser color printer and picked up some decal paper I really didn’t know where to start so let’s take a look at what Richard says.

Review Author
Rod Lees
Published on
Company
Barracuda Studios
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$15.95

Roy Sutherland has been around for a bit, providing resin details we never knew could exist, but now do because of his commitment to improving basic products. This set is one of four that I used on the new (but old) Revell B-1B… they are in Roy’s “Barracudacast” resin accessories branch of his company. On to the review!

This set is comprised of nine antennas for the most recent upgrades to the B-1;

Preparation is simple; soak for a while in a cleaner like automotive spray tire cleaner (I used “bleach-white”), 409, or whatever, to get rid of the silicone mold lubricant that is inherent in resin casting. Run an old tooth brush over all, rinse fully with water, then allow to dry.

Review Author
Bill O'Malley
Published on
Company
Hasegawa
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$52.99

Background from Hasegawa’s Website

Hitler's fascination with massive armaments is epitomized by Germany's heavy investment in railway guns. "Leopold", one of 25 K5 railway guns made by Krupp for World War II, was a behemoth of a gun. It weighed 240 short tons, fired 560 lb/eleven inch shells, and had to be moved and aimed on specially designed railroad tracks. Once emplaced, the Leopold could fire shells up to forty miles. This limited edition kit features three sets of decals and figures.

Review Author
Rod Lees
Published on
Company
Scale Aircraft Conversions
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$24.95

SAC has been around for a few years, and to my mind fills a serious need for models. As kits get more expensive, they have more detail, weigh more, and you have more invested in it. Plastic landing gear is not such a great idea in this case

This set adds structural strength to the huge Revell B-1B. It also prevents the model from taking damage as simply as plastic or resin gear would. And face it, with all the resin I just put on this kit, it needs metal gear

Now, I know many have not or will not build this kit. It’s huge. It has presence. And it’s an accurate rendition of the “Bone” .For the most part. But with work, it looks great when complete. This model is now on display on the overhead desk of my pod in our B-1/B-52 System Program office, and has garnered a lot of attention…

Review Author
Rob Benson
Published on
Company
Scale Aircraft Conversions
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$22.95

Many thanks to Mr. Ross MacMillan of Scale Aircraft Conversions and the IPMS Reviewer Corps for allowing me to try this neat substitute and replacement set for the Tamiya Mosquito FB. I am delighted to report on another sweet add-on and upgrade.

The white-metal parts arrived in a blister pack, backed by the distinctive SAC company logo. The weight of the parts is very noticeable. All parts are free of sprues with the exception of some main mount bracing. The parts require very little buffing, cleanup and polishing. I did use a Dremel tool to buff some of the parts and brought a very nice natural metal tone to them.

Book Author(s)
Geoff Stunkard
Review Author
Frank Landrus
Published on
Company
CarTech
MSRP
$39.95

Geoff Stunkard provides an insight into his decades of experience as a photographer, writer and editor. If you have ever lifted a copy of Mopar Muscle magazine, you know who he is. Currently he is the owner of Quarter Milestones Publishing based in Johnson County, Tennessee. Geoff Stunkard has delivered what is perhaps the definitive history of the development and racing of the Chrysler 426 Hemi engine.

Geoff Stunkard traces the history of the Hemi engine’s development at Chrysler, from the first Hemi installed in the Republic XP-47H in 1945 to the last in 1969, the A279 project. Of course, Chrysler’s merger with Germany’s Daimler-Benz AG in 1998 has since resurrected the Hemi for street and competition, but Geoff Stunkard focus for this book is the first and second generation Hemi engines.

Review Author
Rob Benson
Published on
Company
Tamiya
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$281.00

Thank you to Tamiya, Inc. for providing this excellent kit for review and to the IPMS Reviewer Corps for allowing me to document my build experiences. Sharing this review with the scale modeling community would not be possible without the exceptional support of the IPMS Reviewer Corps. Thank you everyone!

The Mosquito is one of my favorite aircraft with its underdog success story and stunning operational history. Tamiya’s representation of the fighter-bomber version of the Mosquito is superb. Please refer to an earlier IPMS pre-build review of this kit that describes the richness of the kit parts, decals, photo etch materials, instructions and research documents.