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Review Author
Don Barry
Published on
September 24, 2011
Company
Trumpeter
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$61.95

Initially designed as a medium artillery towing vehicle, the Bussing-NAG Sd. Kfz 6 was eventually converted to carry the 37mm FlaK37, providing the base vehicle for mounting captured Russian 76.2mm anti-tank guns, as well as rotary snow plows. The 37mm-armed version, known as Sd. Kfz 6/2, proved more successful, providing army anti-aircraft units with mobile, though unprotected, protection from air attack. They usually carried a crew of seven, and generally towed a trailer containing ammunition and crew equipment. Although useful, they were expensive to produce, and their jobs could be performed by other, heavier halftracks, and they were phased out of production in 1941. The surviving examples soldiered on until attrition claimed them.

Book Author(s)
Alex Crawford, Illustrated by Chris Sandham-Bailey
Review Author
David Wrinkle
Published on
September 22, 2011
Company
Mushroom Model Publications - MMP Books
MSRP
$40.00

I've always been a fan of the Gladiator and certainly in my eyes she is still one of the best looking biplane fighters ever produced. When I saw the chance to give this book a read and review I jumped on it. I'm very glad that I did. My initial flip through of the book left me speechless. The publication is printed on thick paper stock and is wrapped in a beautiful glossy cover complete with a sweet photo of a Gladiator touching down in a perfect 3-point landing.

The first 10 page chapter of the book includes a brief rundown of each of the known Gladiator survivors and a photo of each. I found this information to be very interesting although a couple of airframes only warranted a paragraph or two due to the fact little is known of its history. The second 13 page chapter of the book runs though the Gladiators operations manual step by step. This section is an interesting read if for nothing else to see what is required to keep this wonderful aircraft flying.

Review Author
Jack Kennedy
Published on
September 20, 2011
Company
Cyber-Hobby
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$24.95

The Gloster Meteor was one of the first jets to fly operational and is one of my favorites. I was very pleased to receive this kit by Cyber Models to review and was not disappointed in it at all.

Upon opening the box I was very impressed with the fine molding and details. The panel lines seemed to be truly in scale. Having built the Meteor F.3 in the white scheme, I chose to do the standard RAF scheme of light grey underneath and dark grey and green on the top surfaces.

Assembly was pretty straightforward. The cockpit is a real work of art and I painted it semi-gloss black as per my reference. To add some color, I did add seatbelts from tape.

Review Author
John Lyons
Published on
September 20, 2011
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$44.95

The Westland Lysander army co-operation, special operations, and liaison aircraft entered service in June 1938 to replace the Hawker Hector. With a high wing layout and large greenhouse view, the Lysander also featured great control at low speeds, as well as the ability to take off and land from small air strips and roads. The Lysander was cutting edge for its time; it played a vital role in getting supplies and personnel into remote locations quickly and efficiently.

The Kit – What’s in the box

Contents:

Book Author(s)
Angus Konstam
Review Author
Charles Landrum
Published on
September 20, 2011
Company
Osprey Publishing
MSRP
$17.95

The current rise of Chinese naval power stands in stark contrast to the period from 1900 – 1940 when China had no real Navy and lay prostrate before powerful nations which had unfettered access to its ports and inland waterways. A weak and fading dynasty and competing warlords (including the Communists) did nothing to reassure foreign interests, which led to additional intervention. Like other places in the world, the waterways of China were the highways on which goods moved in and out of the interior of the country. One river stood out in its size and importance – the Yangtze (a western interpretation of the river’s many names). Western business interests and missionaries took advantage of the Yangtze to penetrate far into the interior and the river was the principal line of communication back out to rest of the world.