Andy Taylor
Reviews By Author
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P-51B MustangPublished:
The recent Eduard P-51B in 1/32 was quite the hit at the recent IPMS Nats in Fort Wayne. A 1/32 P-51B is rare, and this is only the second kit in this scale (the other is Trumpeter’s 2009 release). Eduard’s new release is billed as their first Royal Hybrid kit (which represents a premium extension of the standard Eduard Hybrid line), consisting of injected molded plastic, 3D printing, and cast resin parts, decals, canopy masks and wheel well masking plugs. From the Eduard website:
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Messerschmitt Bf 109E-1/E-3/E-4/E-7 Landing GearPublished:
The iconic Messerschmitt Bf 109 almost doesn’t need an introduction as it is ubiquitous with the WWII German Luftwaffe. The E "Emil" variant was the standard Luftwaffe fighter at the start of the Second World War, and it was also the only single-engined Luftwaffe fighter in use during the Battle of Britain. The “Emil” variant was short-lived as improvements were constant, being replaced by the 109F in 1941. Scale Aircraft Conversion has produced its famous white metal landing gear for the Messerschmitt Bf 109E-1/E-3/E-4/E-7 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… more |
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McDonnell-Douglas F-4 Phantom in the Air - Aerial Photographs of the Famous Cold War Interceptor and Fighter-BomberPublished:
Few aircraft have served for as long and amongst many Western nations than the McDonnell-Douglas F-4 Phantom II. It’s first flight was 27 May 1958, and three air forces are still flying this “most charismatic” aircraft. Initially developed as a long-range all-weather fighter for the US Navy (USN). The US Air Force (USAF) “Quickly realized that the Navy had an aircraft that could fly faster, further, and carry a larger weapons load than any tactical aircraft in the U.S.A.F. inventory. Over the next decades, several Phantom variants served with distinction and worldwide not just for the Air Force and Navy, but also the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC). The Phantom found itself in service with Australia, Egypt, Greece, Iran (initially with the Imperial Iranian Air Force (IIAF) from 1971 to… more |
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USMC F/A-18C/D VMFA-312 and 115 Decals SetPublished:
DXM (Double Excellent Model) Decals is a hobby company based in Taiwan and has been producing models since 2018. DXM produces modern jet aircraft (primarily United States, Japan, and Israel, but there are some other unique air forces – Hellenic, Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force, etc.) decals in 1/144, 1/72, 1/48, and 1/32 scales. In addition, there are weathering/rusted airbrush templates, 3D parts, and conversion sets. The decals are printed by Cartograph. You can see their amazing products on their homepage and even have a YouTube video reference for applying their decals. DXM’s 1/48 scale USMC F/A-18C/D VMFA-312 & 115 Decals Set has five options from MCAS Iwakuni, Japan, all from VMFA-312 DR 214:
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Military Vehicles of the Armed Forces of UkrainePublished:
ICM has done it again with a great combination kit containing three vehicles currently serving Ukraine against the Russian invasion. This boxing Military Vehicles of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (DS7205 – Diorama Set) has three complete kits: Ural-43203, BM-21 ‘Grad’ and SPz Marder 1 A3. From the ICM webpage for the Military Vehicles of the Armed Forces of Ukraine:
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Brewster Body Shield - US InfantryPublished:
Modern soldiers today most likely wear body armor in combat to protect against bullets. That was not always the case as body armor designed to stop rounds really came about in the early 2000s. Prior to that flak jackets, designed to protect US airmen against shrapnel and explosives from German “flak” rounds, and evolved to protect US ground troops in Korea through the 1990s. Body armor hails back to antiquity and knights were the penultimate examples. In 1917, Dr. Guy Otis Brewster from Dover, New Jersey developed the Brewster Body Shield (or Brewster Body Armor) developed for the United States Army to survive on the meatgrinder of WWI trench warfare. Looking more like the Australian bushranger Ned Kelly and his gang in their bullet-proof suits of armor, the Brewster Body Shield… more |
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The Seven Fronts War, 2023–2025 - Israel, Gaza and Regional ConflagrationPublished:
This is a good book if you want to understand the Israel-Palestine conflict. Author Bill Norton does an incredible job of stripping away the hyperbole and myths surrounding the current events of this conflict. I thought I knew more than the average person about modern Israel history: this book has changed my thinking. This book will challenge a lot of conventional thinking, and you will quickly realize that there is no one good side, the situation is murky, muddy, and messy. Both sides have valid points and excess abuses. The title alone is worth picking up the book and is even more impressive when it is laid out that Israel is in a conflict on seven fronts over a two (and now three) year span. The seven fronts include:
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Modern NATO Fighter PilotPublished:
For some reason, model manufacturers have been omitting pilot figures from their kits. Many aftermarket producers have stepped in to fill the pilot seat void. Czech model manufacturer Aerobonus has a new tool release (2023) in its 1/32 Modern NATO Fighter Pilots, which the instructions state can be used for all 30 NATO member states). Like most pilot figures being released recently, this figure is standing but can easily be made to sit with some razor saw surgery. This pilot is one of five in the AeroBonus 1:32 Modern NATO Pilots:
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The 101st Airborne in Normandy, June 1944Published:
Both quotes were by Major General Willam C. Lee, the “Father of the US Airborne”. As a lieutenant colonel in 1940, he organized the first US paratrooper platoon and developed its… more |
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The Battle for Brittany - The Taking of Brest, 1944 - Then and NowPublished:
The Third US Army conquered the Brittany peninsula by August 1944, and isolated German forces into Lorient, Brest and St Nazaire. The strategic objective, stated above, was the capture of the ports and their harbors. The Third US Army’s role in the first phases of this battle were covered in a previous book in this series, The Battle for Brittany Then and Now, The Third US Army First Battle. On 5 September 1944, the Ninth US Army took command of the VIII Corps with the mission of taking Brest and, with it, Brittany. Brest featured largely in the Allied plans for the capture of Normandy. Once the beachhead was secured, ports were necessary for the continuation of offensive operations to dislodge the Germans from France. From the introduction,
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