Andy Taylor
Reviews By Author
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Partisans & Guerrillas of World War Two - Poland, the Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia, Italy, FrancePublished:
The Images of War series is a great series for modelers and those interested in history because the story told in amazing photographs that are usually not available anywhere else. Philip Jowett has authored several books within this series, and one of the amazing aspects of these books is that no matter the author, the books all feel a part of the series rather than disparate writing styles under the same banner. Following the familiar Pen & Sword Images of War series is the story of Partisans & Guerrillas of World War Two - Poland, the Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia, Italy, France, covering 248 pages with 300 black and white photographs. Each chapter starts with a brief history of the topic covered, followed by a lot of photographs to complement the text. This book is… more |
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The Battle of the Coral Sea ExplainedPublished:
I believe the Battle of the Coral Sea is vastly underrated and overlooked in its importance, often overshadowed by the imminently more covered Battle of Midway less than a month later. The Battle of the Coral Sea could arguably be more important than Midway, and author Dr Tom Lewis does a fantastic job of not only describing the Battle of the Coral Sea very well, but he also places it where it belongs in history. Having never read one of Dr Tom Lewis’ over two dozen books before, I wasn’t sure of his writing style. Having been familiar with the Pacific Profiles series, I am happy to report that this book fits in beautifully. Dr Tom Lewis’ background includes serving over twenty years in the Royal Australian Navy, post-graduate degrees in Cold War Politics and Strategic Studies… more |
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JLTV (1) - M1279 US MarinesPublished:
AOA Decals has a good reputation for quality decals, and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to review another one of their newest releases, JLTV (1) - M1279 US Marines (35-013). The decals come in two sheets, one of stencils and the other of markings for nine options. In October 2008, Oshkosh won the contract for the American military Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) program to replace the US military’s High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWV). The contract specified combining the mobility of a HMMWVS combined with the protection and survivability of a Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle (MRAP). The JLTV has three base models: the 2-door Combat Support Vehicle (CSV)/Utility Vehicle (UTL), the 4-door General Purpose Vehicle (GP) and the 4-door Close… more |
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M-ATV (1) M1240/M1277 US Air Force, Marines, Army, and National GuardPublished:
AOA Decals has a good reputation for quality decals, and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to review another one of their newest releases, the M-ATV (1) M1240/M1277 US Air Force, Marines, Army, and National Guard (35-010). The decals come in two sheets, one consisting of stencils, and the other with markings for nine vehicles. The second decal sheet in the M-ATV series, M-ATV (2) M1240/M1277 US Army (MFO), Poland, Croatia, and Ukraine (35-011), was previously reviewed. The M-ATV is a Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle developed by the Oshkosh Corporation for the MRAP All-Terrain Vehicle (M-ATV) program, to replace M1114 HMMWVs (Humvee). It is designed to provide the same levels of protection as the larger and heavier previous MRAPs, but with improved mobility.… more |
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M-ATV (2) M1240/M1277 US Army (MFO), Poland, Croatia, & UkrainePublished:
AOA Decals has a good reputation for quality decals, and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to review one of their newest releases, the M-ATV (2) M1240/M1277 US Army (MFO), Poland, Croatia, & Ukraine (35-011). The decals come in two sheets, one of stencils and the other of markings for nine options.
The Oshkosh M-ATV is a Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle developed by the Oshkosh Corporation for the MRAP All-Terrain Vehicle (M-ATV) program, to replace M1114 HMMWVs (Humvee). It is designed to provide the same levels of protection as the larger and heavier previous MRAPs, but with improved mobility. With nearly 10,000 M-ATVs in service since their introduction in 2009, there are a lot of options for modelers to build. Fortunately for modelers, AOA… more |
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YPR-765 PRI.50 APC w/ .50-caliber M2 HB Machine GunPublished:
The MICV-65 (Mechanized Infantry Combat Vehicle) was a project conducted by the United States Army seeking an armored personnel carrier vehicle to replace the M113, built by the FMC Corporation (Ford Machinery & Chemical Corporation). FMC was awarded to design and build the MICV and designated XM734. The XM734 utilized the M113 as basic platform, armed with a turret manned by a single crew firing a 20mm cannon. The newly designed vehicle was re-designated the AIFV (Armored Infantry Fighting Vehicle), but the United States showed no interest in the vehicle; however, the Dutch government showed interest and placed orders in 1975. Further modifications were made and the vehicle was redesignated YPR-765 (Pantser Rups Infanterie 765). The YPR-765 PRI.50 is a lightened version, debuting… more |
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A6M5/5a Zero Landing Gear (Fine Molds)Published:
The iconic Mitsubishi A6M Zero was the Imperial Japanese Navy’s primary carrier-based fighter plane from 1940-1945. Over 10,000 of these ubiquitous fighters were produced, with the A6M5 Type 0 Model 52 being the last and most effective model. Scale Aircraft Conversion has produced its famous white metal landing gear for the A6M5/5a Zero in 1/48 scale. As aircraft modelers well know, aircraft models displayed on their landing gear are susceptible to damage from the weight of the model, especially on styrene landing gear. Scale Aircraft Conversion has had the solution since 1990. Their white metal landing gear is designed to bear the weight of the model and complement the detailed non-load bearing plastic parts. Their extensive range covers white metal landing gear from 1/144 to 1/… more |
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R.O.K Army K808 Wheeled Armored VehiclePublished:
As this is a relatively new and unknown combat vehicle, Wikipedia provided some background:
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StuG IV Assault Gun German Army and Waffen-SS Units, Eastern Front, 1944-1945Published:
Details the StuG from its inception in December 1943 to the end of WWII on the Eastern Front. Officially, the Sturmgeschütz IV (StuG IV, Sd.Kfz. 167) was a German assault gun variant of the Panzer IV based on the identical in role and concept to the highly successful StuG III assault gun variant of the Panzer III. In the last two years of the war, both StuG models were given a tank destroyer role in German formations and tactical planning, greatly augmenting the capability of the dwindling tank force available to the German military. After all, what could be better than a StuG III? A plus one to StuG IV! From the talented author, Dennis Oliver,
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US Modern Letters and Numbers DecalsPublished:
AOA Decals has a good reputation for quality decals, and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to review one of their newest releases, the US Modern Letters & Numbers Decals (35-014). The decals come in two sheets of the same page, so there are plenty of numbers, codes and colors available for 1/35 modern subjects. As it is a generic set, there are no instructions provided. From the AOA website
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