Allan Murrell
Reviews By Author
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Vietnam War US & Allied Combat EquipmentPublished:
The book, Vietnam War US & Allied Combat Equipment by Osprey Publishing, goes into details of the combat equipment used by both the US and Allied forces. The very-well written and the illustrations really make this a great reference and history book for any library. The book will come in handy when modelling any US or Allied soldiers in the Vietnam War and can assist in painting and adding additional details. The pictures and drawings of the equipment are very good and some I had never seen before. I whole heartily recommend this book to everyone with an interest in US and Allied soldiers in the Vietnam conflict. It is very well written and very informative. Thanks go to Osprey Publishing for providing this book to review and IPMS USA for allowing me to… more |
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Ventura MkII Exterior SetPublished:
This is a photoetch exterior upgrade set to for the Revell Ventura MkII. The set adds some great additional details to the kit. In the packet is
SummaryThis is a fantastic set and adds some really nice additional details and parts to the kit. The set includes machine gun details, light surrounds, engine wiring, lots of access panels, Main door, and many may more parts. The set does require some hard work when it comes to adding all the engine wiring but it’s well worth the effort. The only issues I found were A- the items 48 and 49 were a little too big and may have been better installed at stage 10 of the build. B- The parts 24 and 25 were a little short. If you have the… more |
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Ventura Mk II Undercarriage SetPublished:
This is a photoetch undercarriage upgrade set to for the Revell Ventura Mk II. The set adds a great deal of detail to the kit. In the packet is:
SummaryThis is a fantastic set and the kit really needs this as it’s a major improvement to the land gear and the landing gear bays. The set does require some work removing the simple molded details on the kit parts. The set was simple and easy to install, the only issue I had was one part had some damage due to the photo etch process but this is the first time I have ever seen this. If you have the Revell kit you have to get this set! |
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Ventura Mk. II Interior SetPublished:
This is a photoetch interior set for the Revell Ventura Mk. II. This set includes two photoetch sheets. One is colored and adds a lot of needed detail to the cockpit. The photoetch really make the cockpit stand out. In the packet is:
SummaryThis is a fantastic set for a kit that needs it. The cockpit parts really add some detail. I did find some of the small parts were very tricky to add. Also, I would recommend installing the assembled parts 34 and 14 into part 7 before you fully form it. The set also adds details such as magazine boxes, navigators table, turret gun control panels, grab handles, and additional seat details. Thanks go to Eduard… more |
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Ventura Mk. II Interior SetPublished:
This is a photoetch Interior set to for the Revell Ventura MkII. This set is colored and adds a lot of needed detail to the cockpit and other areas. They really make the cockpit stand out. In the packet is:
SummaryThis is a fantastic set for the set for a kit that needs them. I do find some of the small parts were very tricky to add. Also I would recommend install the assembled parts 34 and 14 into part 7 before you fully form it. Thanks go to Eduard for providing this set to review and IPMS USA for allowing me to review it for them. |
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Ventura Mk. II Bomb Bay SetPublished:
This is a photoetch bomb bay upgrade set to for the Revell Ventura MkII which has very simple molded details in the kit part and really needs them. One reason I put off buying the Revell kit was my disappointment in the bomb bay detail, this set make it very simple to really improve the kit. In the packet is:
SummaryThis is a fantastic set and the kit really needs this as it’s a major improvement. The set does require a lot of work removing the simple molded details on the kit parts especially part B6. But it’s well worth all the effort. The set also includes the bomb fins and spinners. I really loved the finish look of the bomb bay once this was done. If you have the Revell kit… more |
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X-1 Mach Buster (ProfiPack edition)Published:
This is a re-box kit and update with new parts of the Eduard release from 1998. It represents the famous Bell Aircraft Corporation’s X-1 X-plane that first took man past the sound barrier on October 14th 1947 piloted by Capt. Charles E “Chuck” Yeager. In the box is:
All the sprues are extremely well molded with very little flash and great detail; the decals allow you to finish the aircraft in 4 different versions. ConstructionFirst is the construction of the cockpit which is well detailed, and the photoetch helps a lot to make this a very… more |
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Kubelwagen and Schwimmwagen – A Visual History of German Army’s Multi-Purpose Vehicles.Published:
The book explores the history of both the Kubelwagen and the Schwimmwagen in photos. The visual history series of book mixes rare and visual stunning archival imagery with pictures of restored vehicles. The book has some extremely interesting and diverse photos of both vehicles. A number of photos that I had never seen before made this a very fascinating book. I could spend hours looking at the pictures that are worth a million words! There are some wonderful pictures showing captured versions – idea for model inspiration. The pictures depict many versions of the vehicles and there is some very detailed walk around photos included. The close up pictures are great at showing the details of the vehicles. I whole heartily recommend this book to everyone… more |
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B-58 Hustler in ActionPublished:
The book is one of Squadron Signal series Aircraft in Action. It explores the history and development of the Convair B-58 Hustler. I have always loved this aircraft design and was very happy to have this book added to my reference library. The pictures of the B-58 in production and maintenance were something I really liked to see. The book has some extremely interesting and diverse photos of the iconic B-58, there are over 200 photographs included. The photos show the classic lines and design of this wonderful symbol of the early cold war. The book drew me in to the point that I had to pull the B-58 model out of my stash ready to start building, using the book for valuable reference. This book should be in every aircraft lover’s library and I recommend this book to… more |
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Star Wars Republic Star DestroyerPublished:
This is a re-issue of a first released a few years ago by Revell Germany. This is a kit of a Republic Star Destroyer from the Clone wars era of the Star Wars saga. In the box is:
All the sprues are extremely well molded and great detail; the instruction booklet is easy to follow and well-illustrated. ConstructionStage 1, 2 and 3 is the construction of the ships upper super structure and is very detailed. I decided to paint each sub assembly as I built the kit. I used a light grey spray can primer and this was a perfect match for the paint finish I wanted for the ship. Stage 4… more |