Bart Cusumano
Reviews By Author
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Republic F-105 ThunderchiefPublished:
Originally designed as a nuclear response aircraft, the F-105 Thunderchief was always one of my favorite jet propelled fighter/bomber aircraft from the Vietnam war. Its sleek and aggressive lines and large presence were quite intimidating and left no doubt as to its mission in life. The Thud compiled a distinguished service record, flying over 20,000 combat missions by the end of the war and proving to be a rugged and capable aircraft in the Republic tradition. However, despite its durability, losses were heavy, with over 330 F-105s lost in the skies of Southeast Asia. Osprey’s latest title in their Air Vanguard series is Republic F-105 Thunderchief. Although I refer to the Vietnam war above, it is just one of six sections of this interesting and insightful read: … more |
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M4A3 76mm Sherman (Fast Assembly)Published:
The Sherman tank -- what can you say about it that hasn’t already been said? Perhaps one of the most recognized types of AFV’s of World War II, it symbolized U.S. armor forces of the war. The KitThis latest 1/72 offering from Italeri is billed as a “fast assembly kit” which they also say is “especially developed for war game use.” You actually get two identical kits in the box, both molded in light grey plastic. But I feel like Italeri missrd the boat a bit when they tout this kit; as far as I can tell, this would make an excellent model for young or beginner modelers in that it is simple to build, yet accurate in overall shape and many details. Also, mine went together just like one of those snap-fit kits, without using glue (although I did glue mine), and it went… more |
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US Amphibious Tanks of World War IIPublished:
When it comes to writing books, Steve Zaloga is one prolific dude. Not only are his books many, but they are informative and make for interesting reading. This latest title, US Amphibious Tanks of World War II, is no exception. The book’s 48 pages are arranged in 9 main chapters: Early American Amphibious Tanks
In addition, there is an index. I have to say that I have always been fascinated by these types of vehicles. I mean, tanks that swim? Very cool stuff. As much as I… more |
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M551 Sheridan Tank Walk AroundPublished:
When I’m not building in the era of World War 2, I’m doing Vietnam subjects, which made the choice to do this review quite obvious for me. Just about all my modeling buddies are familiar with or have a number of these Squadron/Signal Walk Around books. If you’re one of the few modelers who are not familiar with these titles, you should be - and this latest volume on the M551 Sheridan is no exception. Presented in their customary landscape format, this 80-page softcover volume on the M551 is just chock-full of approximately 244 clear, close-up color photos of the exterior and interior of this small AFV. An assortment of line drawings accompanies the photos and text, clearly helping to illustrate the engineering and function of various aspects (like the running gear) of the… more |
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Large Scale Armor Modeling: Building a 1/6 Scale Stuart TankPublished:
I have always been a fan of Bob Steinbrunn’s model work over the years, seeing his many works in the pages of FineScale Modeler. Accordingly, I jumped at the chance to review this, his latest book, which involves the construction of a 1/6 scale (that’s right, one-SIXTH) M5A1 Stuart Light Tank, using a 21st Century Toys running model as a starting point. As usual, Bob’s model work does not disappoint. Although you may not be able to find a similar “start kit” of an M5A1, the book is filled with valuable information on not only building large-scale models in general, but also for the M5A1 Stuart itself. Bob’s research is meticulous and his attention to detail is absolutely astounding – the thing that I found most amazing in this work. I personally plan to use this book as a guide… more |
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Small-Scale Armour ModellingPublished:
I have a number of Osprey’s “How-To” Masterclass books in my library and have benefited from and enjoyed every one of them. This latest volume by Alex Clark is no exception. “Small-Scale Armour Modelling” (yes, I know, it’s not spelled correctly in US English) is a wonderful look at the world of small-scale armor - my favorite modeling subject. This book (like the Osprey Steve Zaloga armor Masterclass book I reviewed earlier this year) is presented in a hardcover format with a spiral-type wire binding. I really like this feature because it allows you to use the book as a handy desk reference while working, since it stays open to the page you need without having to crack the binding to keep it open. The page stock is nice and heavy and the printing quality is top-notch, with full… more |
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B-57 Canberra Units of the Vietnam WarPublished:
Although not as ‘famous’ as other U.S. aircraft of the Vietnam war, the B-57 Canberra was the first jet-powered American attack aircraft committed to the conflict. It carried out daily interdiction missions against enemy activity on the Ho Chi Minh Trail and also participated in classified ‘Black’ missions into Laos and Cambodia. The aircraft and her crews performed gallantly during the famous ‘Rolling Thunder’ missions. As well as being there at the beginning, the B-57 soldiered on for the duration of the Vietnam War from the basic B and C models (which did not even have control boosts or hydraulic aids to make maneuvering the aircraft easier or radar and advanced navigation systems for night bombing missions) all the way to the state-of-the-art G models. As Osprey Combat… more |
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F.A.Q.: Frequently Asked Questions about techniques used for constructing & painting aircraftPublished:
(Editor’s note: The reviewed publication, published in 2008, has been superseded by “Frequently Asked Questions about Techniques used for Painting Aircraft”. Published in 2010 under the same ISBN Number 978-84-96658-18-9. Despite the slight change in title there is little or no difference according to Casemate.) Continuing with the now familiar and highly respected F.A.Q series of how-to modeling books from Andrea Press, comes JM. Villalba’s “Frequently Asked Questions about Techniques Used for Constructing & Painting Aircraft”. The 159 page book comes to us in a perfect-bound soft cover, printed in full color (except for the chapter cover pages) in an 11 3/4” x 8 1/4” format. I have had a copy of Villalba’s “Aircraft Modeling Step by Step” on my bookshelf… more |
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Professional Photo Etch ScissorsPublished:
Let me start out by saying that I am a photo etch (PE) addict. Yes, that’s right - if there’s a model I’m preparing to build and there’s any type of PE available for it, I will buy it and I will use it. I just can’t seem to help it. OK, I feel better getting that off of my chest. I just love PE detail parts and what they do for the scale appearance of my models. However, I have always struggled with removal of the parts from the frets, not only in making a clean cut, but in not damaging or bending the PE part being removed. I’ve tried about every PE part removal technique known to model-building man (or woman) and have never been totally happy with any of them. So when given the opportunity to review this new PE scissor from Xuron, I jumped at the chance. Xuron manufactures a… more |