Allan Murrell
Reviews By Author
|
C-130 Hercules, Lockheed's Military Transport and its VariantsPublished:
This book provides detail photographs of the C-130 cargo workhorse and its variants. The C-130 was the product of the US Air forces 1951 requirement for a tactical airlift aircraft capable of carrying 25,000 pounds of cargo for 1,100 miles. The winning proposal was that of Lockheed Martin that built the prototype YC-130A to start the long and impressive career of the Hercules! I found the photos and information in this book to be fascinating and many of the photos are ones not available anywhere else. All major variations are covered in the photos and you see a lot of in-action shots. These photos can be indispensable for any modeler building iconic aircraft. Each photo has a great description of what is in the picture, where, and when. I recommend this… more |
|
4-Wheeled Armoured Cars in Germany WW2Published:
This is a thin book but very large format, and the images are of a very high quality of the various 4 Wheeled German armoured cars of WWII. The book covers the Kfz.13, Kfz. 14, Sd.Kfz. 221, 222, 223, 247, 260 and 261. The most widely used 221, 223 and 223 take up most of the book. The photos and descriptions are great and very detailed. I found this book fascinating and will be using some of the Photos as inspiration for a few kits in my stash. This this a fantastic reference for all armour modelers. I highly recommend this book. Thanks to MMP Books and Casemate Publishers for providing this book for review and to IPMS USA for allowing me to review it. |
|
The 3rd SS Panzer Regiment by Pierre TiquetPublished:
This book covers the complete history of the 3rd SS Panzer Regiment – part of the Totenkopt Division. The subject is approached from the men’s stories, profiles, battles and weapons used. The “first person” accounts are the highlight of this book. It is written in such a way that it draws you in and you are there experiencing what they did. I must admit I enjoyed this so much and learnt a lot about the feeling, day to day routines as well as the battles. The soldier’s profiles are another great way to help you understand who these people were. The regiment was formed in late 1942 in France but was transferred to the Eastern front and was involved in many major campaigns and battles in this part of the war. The chapters are broken down well and each covers… more |
|
British FV510 Warrior TES(H) AIFVPublished:
MENG has released a new tool kit of this great British AFV, which I have always wanted to have in my collection. I jumped at the opportunity to review this kit for two reasons, firstly I love the look of this vehicle and it’s a British AFV with no other offerings in this scale on the market. In the box is:
The kit consists of a very well details and molded sprues. A couple of great… more |
|
Tank Attack at Monte Cassino - The Cavendish Road operation 1944Published:
This book covers a little-known major operation within the campaign at Monte Cassino which was a success in its own right. The operation was to build a road and assault German positions north of Monte Cassino with tanks of the New Zealanders, Indians and Americans forces. The plan was audacious and daring by building a road able to carry the tanks on a narrow mountain track. The operation would help in breaking through the infamous Gustav Line. I have long been interested in the Monte Cassino operation as my Father was involved in this campaign, but I had never read anything on this operation and found the book fascination and illuminating. The work and effort put into this action was enormous. The pictures and maps help the read to outstand the events and actions. The picture… more |
|
Israeli Gal Class SubmarinePublished:
OKB Grigorov has provided another very nice kit with the Israeli Gal submarine which represent a diesel-electric submarine developed and constructed in the Vickers Shipyard in the UK for the Israeli Navy. They were based on the German 206 class submarines. The “Gal” (Hebrew for Wave) class entered service in the late 1970’s and were all replaced by the Dolphin Class by the early 2000’s.
The detail quality is great; The resin submarine is very delicate an you need to be carefully removed from the resin base. There was no instruction sheet provided, this was not a problem as it was a simple build. The Assembly is quick and easy. The metal stand is a good addition to the kit.… more |
|
British Police Female OfficerPublished:
ICM has released a new tooled figure representing a British Female Police office in this case with the Special weapons squad as British Police are not normally armed. In the box is;
All the sprues are extremely well molded with no little flash and great detail. The inclusion of a base with optional surfaces is a great addition to this kit! ConstructionThe construction is very easy, and it assembles very well. You do need to do a little filling on some of the legs to torso joint but its minimal. I really enjoyed building these and they look great as a team of individually. Now for only moan about this kit is the… more |
|
Panzer III Ausf. J/L/M/K, Top Drawing 93Published:
The book provides great detail drawings of the Panzer III Ausf J, L, L and K. This was a German WWII Medium tank these versions were manufactured and used from 1939 to late 1942. I found the drawings in this book to be fascinating and very detailed, ideal for any modeler as reference materials. Along with the many outline drawings (in 1/48 & 1/72 scales in the main pages) there is also very nice profile drawings. There are loose scale drawings in 1/35 scale. I recommend this book to everyone with an interest in the armor and a must for modellers. Thanks go to Casemate Publishing for providing this book to review and IPMS USA for allowing me to review it for them |
|
British Nuffield Assault Tank A.T.3Published:
OKB Grigorov has provided a very unusual kit in the form of a British post war Paper Tank. The Nuffield Assault Tank A.T.3. Which was one of 9 various of a design proposed by Nuffield. As a Paper tank it was only a design and never left the drawing board. Included is:
The detail quality is great; The parts are very delicate and need careful removal from the resin bases. The instructions need a lot of experience to work with to get a great model. Some of the parts were a little twisted but can be corrected if you’re careful. The assembly is good but needs a little patience and time to get the running gear built correctly. Also, the resin tracks are very… more |
|
British Nuffield Assault Tank A.T.1Published:
OKB Grigorov has provided a very unusual kit in the form of a British post war Paper Tank. The Nuffield Assault Tank A.T.1. Which was one of 9 various of a design proposed by Nuffield. As a Paper tank it was only a design and never left the drawing board. Included is:
The detail quality is great; The parts are very delicate that need careful removal from the resin bases. The instructions need a lot of experience to work with to get a great model. Some of the parts were a little twisted but can be corrected if you’re careful. The assembly is good but needs a little patience and time to get the running gear built correctly. Also, the resin tracks are very… more |