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Review Author
Greg Wise
Published on
February 3, 2020
Company
Revell, Inc.
Scale
1/25
MSRP
$26.99

History Brief

The 1948 Ford was the final year for a new design that began in 1941 with a completely updated, wider and more modern looking car. Shortly after the new car was introduced in 1941 however, Ford had to convert its factories to war production. It wasn't until 1946 that car production resumed. The Coupe came in 3 trim levels, this '48 model being the Super De Luxe version powered by a 239ci Flathead V-8 engine.

Terms for police cars include (police) cruiser, squad car, area car and patrol car. In some places, a police car may also be informally known as a cop car, a black and white, a cherry top, a gumball machine. Depending on the configuration of the emergency lights and livery, a police car may be considered a marked or unmarked unit. Whatever you call them, since the first incarnation the police car has been one of the most valuable pieces of equipment our law enforcement agencies have at their disposal.

Review Author
Dave Morrissette
Published on
August 30, 2016
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$19.95

Eduard has produced many different sets of seat belts over the years for many sizes and types of aircraft. They also have several different styles, with the fabric belts and straight photoetch belts. This set is 1/32nd scale photoetch steel with preprinted color on one side. The printing is top notch and even includes the required stitching on the belts. No specific aircraft are mentioned on the set. One set is tan and one is green and there are two complete sets of each including the lap belts.

The shoulder belts are straightforward in that you cut them free, bend the bottom clips perpendicular and glue them in place. One note here- to make the belts drape more naturally, I bend them up a little and twist them slightly. Not too much or the printing can come off but by doing this and bending them into place and then gluing, you get a more natural look.

Book Author(s)
John Abrams-Graf with David Doyle
Review Author
Mike Lamm
Published on
August 29, 2016
Company
Ampersand Publishing
MSRP
$22.95

The International MaxxPro Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle was developed in direct response to the unacceptable losses U.S. troops were experiencing in Iraq and Afghanistan from improvised explosive devices, and rocket propelled grenades. The MaxxPro (shorthand for Maximum Protection) was built with a V-shaped hull, and the option to add supplemental side armor for increased crew protection and vehicle survivability.

This book provides an excellent visual history of the MRAP from development to deployment in the field. In the first few pages, the authors provide a nice, concise history and informational introduction to the vehicle, including why the vehicles were needed, how the final design was selected, and a nice chart showing the various model designs for the MRAP.

Review Author
Jim Pearsall
Published on
August 29, 2016
Company
Master Model
Scale
1/144
MSRP
$4.99

Master Model has a line of finely done brass parts which upgrade the kit they’re designed for. These parts are great if you have an accident and one of the cannons breaks off. The other possibility is AMS, as the machine guns are far superior in detail to the little nubs provided on the kit wing. See the parts comparison below.

The Spitfire IXe had a pair of 20mm cannons in the wing. These had been moved outboard to allow more ammunition for the Browning .50 caliber machine guns. The cannons stuck pretty far out from the wing, but the Brownings barely showed. The “fix” for the Brownings was to put the muzzle inside a tube which extended from the wing.

The kit contains six parts, two cannon barrels, two .50 muzzles and the wing tubes for the Brownings. The cannons for the early e wing were conical in shape. The later e wing had a more elliptical shape for the cannon fairings. This kit has the “late” cannons.

Review Author
Jim Pearsall
Published on
August 29, 2016
Company
Master Model
Scale
1/144
MSRP
$4.13

This is another of those little parts from Master Model of Poland which can save your model. In this case, it’s the refueling probe on the 1/144 Vulcan. The kit part is plastic. It sticks out there most of an inch in front of the rest of the aircraft, just inviting someone to bump it and break it off. With this metal replacement, you won’t have to worry about that. In fact it could cause injury, as it’s finer than a straight pin, and if you hit it, it could hurt.

The Part

What you get in the package is a small piece of finely turned metal. I’m not sure if this is brass, as it’s silver colored.

The instructions say to remove the kit probe from the base part and drill the hole in the base part. Since I had already finished this Vulcan, I didn’t think I could do that. But when I cut the kit probe off, the base was loose. So much for my gluing skills.