Andrew Manriquez
Reviews By Author
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Mustang: The Untold StoryPublished:
In 1940, the British Air Commission (BAC) approached U.S. aircraft manufacturers about purchasing aircraft, particularly fighters. Curtiss presented their model 81 and planned P-46 which the BAC later ordered 480 model 81s and 960 P-46s. Lockheed presented their YP-38 prototype. North American Aviation (NAA), who as of yet had little experience with fighters, drew up a proposal for a fighter that they insisted was to be at least as good as the P-46. The BAC required assurance for NAA’s claims and that each aircraft be less than $40,000 each. Eventually the BAC ordered 400 of NAA’s fighters, even before a design was presented. The company's lead structures engineer recalled that Edgar Schmued had given the subject of a single seat fighter a great deal of thought in the previous years,… more |
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Gotha G.IV, G.V Photoetch (Roden kit)Published:
Brengun is very well known for their wide range of photoetch and resin sets for aircraft. They also produce 1/72nd and 1/144th scale model kits. This photoetch set for the Roden Gotha G. IV and G.V includes replacement parts for the yoke, guns, instrument panel, and radiator. Additional parts include propeller details, bomb racks, skids and gun swivel ring. I was building the G.V and I was surprised to see that the bomb racks and skids for behind the landing gear were not used. The photoetch bends well on the fold lines and is not too thick to look out of scale. Painting is tricky on the mesh fins mounted near the rear gunner as the holes will plug easily. This set definitely improves the finished build. The radiators and guns give the most contribution to the… more |
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Sherman Engine Deck Set #13Published:
I’m sure I’m not the only one who has ever looked at a kit and said, “That looks easy. I’ll just whip that together in the next day or two.” That’s pretty much what came to mind when I looked at the Value Gear Sherman Engine Deck Set. After all, how hard can it be to paint up some stowage and slap it on a tank? You can guess where that idea went. This particular set, Engine Deck Set #13, contains the following eight individual resin pieces specifically designed for the Sherman:
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Barbarossa Campaign in 1941Published:
As an avid reader and collector of WWII related books, I am always on the lookout for material that presents unique perspectives and experiences from this era. Finding this book, Barbarossa Campaign in 1941 Hungarian Perspective fits right in. Author Peter Mujzer is a devoted historian who has served in the Hungarian armed services and is a consummate student of its history. Prior to this book, he has published 10 additional works, specifically on the Hungarian armor, equipment, and battles of WWII. For this book Mujzer states, “…I would like to introduce our readers to the first major campaign of the Royal Hungarian Army fought against the Red Army in Ukraine from July until November of 1941.” It only takes a cursory flip through the pages to realize what an expert like Mujzer… more |
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The North American P-51D/K MustangPublished:
The Airframe and Miniature series by Valiant Publications gives the modeler and the enthusiast the most information and details you will find about a given subject. When you first open the book, you will see the table of contents, then the preface. The preface goes over a brief history of P-51s from the B model up to the K model. There are also lists of USAAF and RAF squadrons that operated P-51s during and after WWII. The preface concludes with a run-down of which countries used the aircraft, how they were acquired and, their operational life. Chapter one is the evolution of the P-51 from the XP-51D to the P-51K-20-NT. Each version of the P-51 has about a paragraph of information on the differences between models and a side profile. Chapter two is about the… more |
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Images of War Panzergrenadiers 1941-1945Published:
With every major conflict or war there are new developments on how fighting gets executed. The German use of the Panzergrenadiers is one such development that came along to support their novel Blitzkreig tactics of the Second World War. If a charge was to be ‘lightning’ fast, it could not be done with the traditional walking pace of infantry following fast moving armor. By motorizing troop movements via armored carrier and piggybacking personnel on tanks, German troops could move quickly to take advantage of the rapid changes in the battlefield. Like other books in the Images of War series, Panzergrenadiers 1941 - 1945 is mostly photographs with excellent captions letting you know exactly what you are seeing. Often times, the equipment and artillery used by soldiers are… more |
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Sherman Tanks of the Red ArmyPublished:
When the words “Sherman tank” are uttered, the first thing that comes to mind for many of us in the US, is Patton’s 3rd Army fighting German Tiger tanks in Northern Africa or his columns of armor racing through Europe after D-Day. The Sherman tank played a role much broader than this and Samsonov has done a very good job explaining the Soviet introduction to, evaluation of, and eventual combat use of the Sherman. Like any good book, this one gets you thinking beyond generalities. I, for one, was surprised that there was feedback and even some pushback from recipients of armor under the Lend Lease Act. Evidently more than a few people who were fighting back against Germany were not thinking that something is better than nothing. To my surprise, I discovered that the Sherman tank… more |
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Yakovlev Yak-9PPublished:
The MMP Single Series books are a collection of books that focus on an individual subject. These books include line drawings, period detail pictures and color panels showing sample camouflage and markings. The 30th book in the series covers the Yakovlev Yak-9P. The Yak-9P was the last and most advanced version of the Yak-9s being produced in 1946. At this time, the manufacturing of high strength aluminum alloys had been established in the Soviet Union, simplifying aircraft manufacturing and increasing service life. Unlike the previous model it incorporated all metal wings with elliptical tips. This 24 page book begins with 6 pages of line drawings. They include the front, back, right, left, top, and bottom in 1/48 and 1/72 scales. The bulk of the book includes 15 pages… more |