Bill Kluge
Reviews By Author
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New Jersey Photo Etch SetPublished:
Loren Perry’s recent retirement and subsequent closing down of the Gold Medal Models photo etch line produced many long faces in the modeling world, particularly in the model shipbuilding community. For many of us, Gold Medal photo etch was, and is, the “gold standard” for ship detailing sets. When Squadron Hobbies purchased Gold Medal Models remaining stock, and announced resumed production of Gold Medal sets, there was, as they say, much rejoicing. This particular set is for Tamiya’s modernized USS New Jersey kit, primarily the 1982 version. Parts are also included for the 1968 version of the ship, but major kit modifications would be needed for that incarnation. The 6 3/4” x 9 3/4” brass sheet includes standard ship features such as vertical and inclined ladders, watertight… more |
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IJMNS Yamato, Part 2Published:
Initial ConstructionNow that I had the kit in hand, I had to once and for all decide into what time frame to build it. Most of the parts you need to build the ship at any point in her career are in the box, but much of the build will be determined by what point in time you choose to place the ship. I finally decided to depict Yamato during the Battle of Leyte Gulf in October, 1944. I had good references that showed her differences at various points in her service history, with illustrations highlighting in particular her deck and superstructure arrangement of small and medium caliber weapons. The kit instructions would have you build Yamato at the time of her final voyage. I was able to make the necessary changes to depict her six months earlier. This mainly involved… more |
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IJMNS Yamato, Part 1Published:
The ShipSo much has been written about the battleship Yamato that anyone familiar with the Pacific War will know of the Japanese super battleship. Realizing that they could not compete one-on-one with the U.S.Navy, from the mid-1930s the Japanese shipbuilding philosophy was to build each of their new warships to be individually superior to any competing USN warship design. Commissioned into the IJN in late 1941 and early 1942 respectively, the Yamato and her sister-ship, Musashi represented the epitome of this philosophy. Weighing in at nearly 70,000 tons fully loaded, they were the largest battleships ever built and were not superseded in warship size until the advent of the U.S. Navy’s super carriers in the 1950s. As powerful as they were, Yamato and her sister spent much… more |
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Tamiya Lacquer PaintsPublished:
While Tamiya has long been a producer of acrylic model paints, they have recently entered the market of bottled solvent-based paints with a line of lacquer paints with the new “LP” prefix heading. As of this writing, there are 80 listed “colors” of lacquer paints in the Tamiya catalog, but that total includes such items as Thinner, a Flat Base, 5 Clears plus a Clear Yellow, Clear Orange, Clear Red and Clear Blue, 6 Blacks and 4 Whites. The colors are not labeled with any other specific description, such as US FS (federal stock) number or Luftwaffe RLM number, although the “pearl”, “mica” and metallic colors are primarily directed towards automotive modelers. The complete chart of available colors is available at the Tamiya website, and is being added to regularly. The paints come in 1/… more |
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US Combat Aircraft Colors Over Vietnam 1964-1975: vol.1 US Air ForcePublished:
This first of a two volume set of US combat aircraft over Vietnam exemplifies the excellence that we’ve come to expect from Mushroom Models Publications White Series aircraft reference books. This heavily illustrated edition covers 14 of the most important fighter, bomber, attack and tactical reconnaissance aircraft flown by the US Air Force in southeast Asia. The second volume will cover Navy and Marine Corps aircraft. What you get in these pages is a top notch design description and thorough Vietnam combat history for each of the following aircraft, including many specialized sub-variants and special missions:
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British Fighter Aircraft in World War I: Design, Construction, and InnovationPublished:
In this follow up to his volume on German aircraft, author Mark Wilkins takes an in-depth look at the concepts, design, and construction of the fighters from five of Britain’s most prominent Great War aircraft manufacturers. This profusely illustrated book uses images taken from manufacturers’ drawings and plans, period photographs and advertisements as well as numerous images of museum and privately built and owned replicas. The state of the British aircraft industry, such as it was, is described in its initial stages from indifference and reluctant acceptance on the part of mainstream government and army officials, to the enthusiastic, even passionate advocacy on the part of a few parliamentarians and private enthusiasts who eventually created an industry in the span of a few… more |
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Pacific Profiles Volume 3: Allied Medium Bombers, Douglas A-20 Series - Southwest Pacific 1942-1944Published:
This third volume of Claringbould’s aircraft profiles, the first of Allied aircraft, highlights the Douglas A-20 Havoc (Boston to the Commonwealth forces). The A-20, and its stablemate the B-25, were the two-workhorse low level attack aircraft of the US Fifth Air Force in the Southwest Pacific. At one time or another, the A-20 equipped three medium bomber groups in New Guinea - the 3rd, 312th and 417th (the 3rd often known by its pre-war moniker, the “3rd Attack Group”). Each of the three groups’ four squadrons are identified here by their individual squadron emblem as well as the aircraft tactical markings applied in theatre. Each squadron chapter is illustrated with photographs documenting aircraft nose art, at least 4 and as many as 16 color aircraft profiles plus spot nose… more |
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Pacific Profiles Volume 3: Allied Medium Bombers, Douglas A-20 Series - Southwest Pacific 1942-1944Published:
This third volume of Claringbould’s aircraft profiles, the first of Allied aircraft, highlights the Douglas A-20 Havoc (Boston to the Commonwealth forces). The A-20, and its stablemate the B-25, were the two-workhorse low level attack aircraft of the US Fifth Air Force in the Southwest Pacific. At one time or another, the A-20 equipped three medium bomber groups in New Guinea - the 3rd, 312th and 417th (the 3rd often known by its pre-war moniker, the “3rd Attack Group”). Each of the three groups’ four squadrons are identified here by their individual squadron emblem as well as the aircraft tactical markings applied in theatre. Each squadron chapter is illustrated with photographs documenting aircraft nose art, at least 4 and as many as 16 color aircraft profiles plus spot… more |
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Images of War - United States Marine Corps in the Korean War: Rare Photographs from Wartime ArchivesPublished:
This edition in the “Images of War” series offers an overview of the 1st Marine Division operations during the Korean War. The book provides a good description of how the Marines were integrated into missions under the overall command of the US Eighth Army and X Corps under theatre commander Army Gen. Douglas MacArthur (and later, Gen. Matthew Ridgway). The limited text is arranged chronologically in five chapters:
The author does a good job of setting the scene for US military involvement in Korea, with the initial scramble to establish a blocking force of US troops from the… more |
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Pacific Adversaries Volume 3: Imperial Japanese Navy vs The AlliesPublished:
This is the third installment of Claringbould’s accounts of aerial combat between Japanese and Allied air forces. Volume 3 continues with accounts of Japanese Naval Air Force operations in the Solomons and New Guinea from 1942 to 1944 against Allied forces - USN, USAAF, Australian and New Zealand. Everything that I wrote previously about Vol. 2 applies here regarding the author’s approach to documenting both side’s account of individual actions by researching official records, eyewitness testimony, personal narratives and diaries, and often evidence obtained from recently discovered wreckage. The 16 stories told here reflect a wide range of actions and incidents from the 1942-1944 timeframe. They include the first “kill” claim made by a 5th Air Force P-38 pilot, Capt. Bob… more |