Allan Murrell
Reviews By Author
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SMB2 Super Mystere / IAI Sa’arPublished:
Special Hobby has provided this beautiful 2024 release of the First French Supersonic fighe the SMB2 Super Mystere, in 1/72 scale model.
The detailed quality is excellent in every way with this kit; crisp and detailed molding. The kit can be built in two versions: one the French version and there other the IAI Sa’ar Honduran version. You need to decide which version before you start the building. I when with the version A – French Air Force May 1961. The assembly is quick and easy. The assembly starts with the engine and jet pipes in stage 1 and 2. There are several ejection pin marks that need cleaning up. The cockpit is… more |
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The Aircraft Carrier HMS InvinciblePublished:
This is part of a series of books by Kagero on warships and I have a few of these and are truly indispensable when building a model of the subject matter. This book goings into great detail via illustrations of the Royal navy light Aircraft Carrier HMS Invincible –entering service in 1977. It served in the Falkland war in 1972. After the Falklands war it was to be sold to the Australian Navy but that was cancelled and remained in Royal Navy service until 2005. Before this HMS Invincible also served in the Gulf War in 1991 and 1993 The book is lavishly illustrated and shows every aspect of the ship in great detail. The book also comes with two large scale fold out poster size ship outline drawings in 1/400 scale The illustrations give so much details as one could wish… more |
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Wooden Epoxy StandsPublished:
UMM-USA has provided four versions of their Wooden Epoxy Stands:
The stands are packaged unassembled; they are made up of 7 wooden pre-cut parts that slot together. They can be glued with either CA or White Glue. The instructions are printed on the packaging and are very straightforward. These are very useful when using Epoxy’s and help to keep them organized. The front and top parts have engravings showing the information for each epoxy. In conclusion these are handy for your work benches. Thanks go to UMM-USA for… more |
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USAF Combat Camera 1941-1991Published:
This is part of a series of books by Helion on Technology and War. The book is unique in that on many of the pages they have printed bar codes that can be used to view online videos. This is a great idea, and I loved the ability to watch the videos as I read the book. This book covers the growth and use of Combat cameras from World War two up to 1991, it is lavishly illustrated with many great pictures, many of which are stunning. The book has a lot of content which provides a lot of history and background to the camera unit and the way they worked and development the use of cameras in the US Air Force. It was interesting to see the involvement of Hollywood In the early days of the program. Also, how technology and its uses grow in war time and in peace time. … more |
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UH-60A Black Hawk and CrewPublished:
ICM has provided this beautiful new release from the Black Hawk Range for review, in this 1/48 scale model of the UH-60A which was released earlier but this one comes with a three-man crew set. The crew set is also available as a separate kit (kt number 48130).
The detail quality is excellent in every way with this kit; crisp and detailed molding has become the norm for the ICM kits. I repainted all the interior parts before commencing the build. The assembly starts at the Interior stages 01 to 26. The only item in the interior assembly I need to point out is steps 19 to 26. This is the seats assembly… more |
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Geschützter Geländewagen SSAPublished:
Neverland Hobby has provided this beautiful new tool release of the German armored version of the classic G Wagen, in this 1/35 scale.
The detail quality is excellent in every way with this kit; crisp and detailed molding, as I have seen on other Neverland Hobby kits. The Assembly is quick and easy. You must select which version you are going to build before you start, I chose version -B based on a vehicle on Kabul service in 2009. The assembly starts with the Chassis which is… more |
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F-35 Lightning II – FlightCraft No 33Published:
This is part of a series of books by FlightCraft on aircraft and I have a few of these and are truly indispensable when building a model of the subject matter. This book goes into great detail on the F-35 fifth Generation fighter. There are a few versions of this aircraft all covered in this book. The contents of the book are as follows:
I found the Key Technical Systems section most interesting section to me and learned a lot about the aircraft systems. The modeling sections were also very informative. There are a few builds highlighted… more |
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S-64E Skycrane with Universal PodPublished:
ICM has provided this beautiful new release form the Skycrane Range for review, in this 1/35 scale model of the Civil S-64E Skycrane and Universal Pod. This is based on the original release Military versions..
The box is very big and contains a lot of sprues and it is very daunting when you first one it up. It is only the you realize the size of this helicopter at this scale. The detail quality is excellent in every way with this kit; crisp and detailed molding has become improved with every ICM kit. The assembly is easy but as this is such a big model there are a lot of steps. The assembly starts at the Cockpit as always and this one has a lot of… more |
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Images of War : German Self-Propelled Anti-Tank & Anti-Aircraft Guns 1939-1945Published:
This volume is part of the Images of War series, which I have found to be indispensable as reference material. The book provides in-depth coverage of the numerous German military self-propelled anti-tank and anti-aircraft guns used during World War II. These weapons played a crucial role in Germany's arsenal throughout the conflict. The publication features over 200 wartime photographs, offering both modelers and historians a wealth of visually engaging material. The book traces the evolution of these weapons during World War II, including an extensive look at tank destroyers and the Marder series in the anti-tank role. For anti-aircraft operations, the book explores a variety of unique platforms and weapon systems such as the Wirbelwind. The illustrations included serve as… more |
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USS Constitution – ShipCraft No 34Published:
This is part of a series of books by ShipCraft on warships and I have a few of these and are truly indispensable when building a model of the subject matter. This book goes into great detail on the iconic USS Constitution 44-gun Frigate from 1797. It was known as Old Ironsides and become famous for its actions during the War of 1812. It is now preserved in Boston Harbor for all to see and visit. The contents of the book are as follows: Historical Background
I found the career highlights to be the most interesting section to me and learnt a lot about a ship I thought I knew well! The modeling sections were also very informative,… more |