Bill Kluge
Reviews By Author
|
USS Intrepid - Part 3Published:
The ShipLaunched in April 1943 and commissioned four months later, USS Intrepid (CV-11) participated in numerous actions in the central and western Pacific from early 1944 until the end of the Pacific War, including Leyte Gulf and Okinawa. She was hit twice by kamikazes but was still on station at the end of hostilities. Intrepid underwent modernization twice during the 1950s, which enclosed her bow and gave her an angled flight deck. Reclassified as an Anti-submarine Carrier (CVS-11), Intrepid was the lead ship for the NASA’s Mercury Aurora 7 and the Gemini 3 splashdown recovery. From April 1966 to February 1969, she made three deployments to the waters off Vietnam. She ended her active career back in the Atlantic and Mediterranean, being decommissioned in 1974 with over 30… more |
|
USS Intrepid - Part 2Published:
The ShipLaunched in April 1943 and commissioned four months later, USS Intrepid (CV-11) participated in numerous actions in the central and western Pacific from early 1944 until the end of the Pacific War, including Leyte Gulf and Okinawa. She was hit twice by kamikazes but was still on station at the end of hostilities. Intrepid underwent modernization twice during the 1950s, which enclosed her bow and gave her an angled flight deck. Reclassified as an Anti-submarine Carrier (CVS-11), Intrepid was the lead ship for the NASA’s Mercury Aurora 7 and the Gemini 3 splashdown recovery. From April 1966 to February 1969, she made three deployments to the waters off Vietnam. She ended her active career back in the Atlantic and Mediterranean, being decommissioned in 1974 with over 30… more |
|
USS Intrepid - Part 1Published:
The ShipLaunched in April 1943 and commissioned four months later, USS Intrepid (CV-11) participated in numerous actions in the central and western Pacific from early 1944 until the end of the Pacific War, including Leyte Gulf and Okinawa. She was hit twice by kamikazes but was still on station at the end of hostilities. Intrepid underwent modernization twice during the 1950s, which enclosed her bow and gave her an angled flight deck. Reclassified as an Anti-submarine Carrier (CVS-11), Intrepid was the lead ship for the NASA’s Mercury Aurora 7 and the Gemini 3 splashdown recovery. From April 1966 to February 1969, she made three deployments to the waters off Vietnam. She ended her active career back in the Atlantic and Mediterranean, being decommissioned in 1974 with over 30… more |
|
IL-10 Oil RadiatorPublished:
The Special Hobby IL-10 is one of those relatively obscure kits that one would never think you’d find many after marked parts for. While the kit has its own particular set of build issues, it does come with a fairly complete package of resin detail parts. The level of detail on those parts varies widely, and the oil radiator is a prime candidate for substitution with something better. As with everything that I’ve received from Quickboost, their replacement IL-10 oil radiator is highly detailed and crisply molded with no flash or surface imperfections anywhere to be found. The screen mesh that makes up most of the surface of the radiator is nicely represented; it’s a far cry better than the smooth surface of the kit’s resin radiator part. The radiator can be prominently seen on… more |
|
British Sea Harrier Pilot, Falklands War, 1982Published:
Aerobonus has branched out from their long line of US Vietnam-era pilots and air crew figures to produce this standing Sea Harrier pilot figure from the 1982 Falklands War. The figure’s flight suit and survival vest fully duplicate the gear typically worn by Royal Navy Harrier pilots (and probably the RAF pilots flying GR1s off HMS Hermes, as well), including the oxygen mask attached to the vest, the Mae West around his neck, and the knee-pad clear pockets on the pilot’s legs. The head and arms are molded separately to allow for some variation in the pose. One hand holds a map, chart, or some other paperwork. For the most part, the individual pieces are easy to detach from the carrier block. One arm is molded along the side of the hand and forearm, so some extra care must be… more |
|
USS Indianapolis (1945) ArmamentPublished:
This set of finely turned stainless steel and brass gun barrels for is designed for the new Academy USS Indianapolis kit. It does not include a styrene turret face, as is included in the set designed for the Trumpeter kit, but could undoubtedly be used to augment the Trumpeter San Francisco class cruisers as well. Each of the 8” barrels are slightly tapered with very finely defined segmentations. The short stubs at the end of the barrel allows for easy insertion into the kit’s turret face. Although the barrel openings are not as pronounced as compared to other Master barrel sets (or the kit’s barrels), these barrels are noticeably longer, more even and, no doubt, more accurate than the kit parts. A couple of my kit’s barrel ends were noticeably uneven. That’s not an issue with… more |
|
R.A.F. 3-inch 60lb RocketsPublished:
This latest weapons set from Aerobonus contains all the parts necessary to represent eight 3-inch aircraft rockets and the launch rails used with them on a variety of British aircraft. The set includes eight rocket bodies, along with four different 8-piece sets of warheads (for a total of 32 warheads). Also included is a photoetch set with clips to attach the rockets to the rails, individual rocket fins (32 of them) and a photoetch alignment tool to help set the fins properly in place. A comprehensive decal sheet completes the package. Once the choice of warheads is made, assembly of the rockets is pretty straightforward. Be mindful, the resin is somewhat brittle; and around the insert holes in the rocket bodies, where the warheads fit, it is thin. The ends were already broken… more |
|
U.S. Navy Fighter Pilot with Ejection Seat for F-8E/H/J/K CrusaderPublished:
Aerobonus continues to expand its range of pilot/ejection seat combos with this Crusader pilot seated in his Martin Baker Mk7 seat. The arms and head are separate attachments, allowing for some variation with the positioning of each attachment. The detailing of the g-suit and survival vest easily defines these garments as separate from the flight suits. All the belts, straps and buckles are minutely detailed. The separate arms and head allows you to more easily position them after the seats are installed in the cockpit, so that they’re not interfering with the fit, and more realistically seated in the cockpit. The only omission is that there’s no oxygen mask included. If one is needed, an option would be to use the head from the kit’s pilot, with its visor down and the mask… more |
|
F-4B/N/J/S US Navy Pilot and Operator with Ejection SeatsPublished:
Aerobonus, a new company (new to me, anyway) under the Aires umbrella, has come up with a novel approach for providing flight crew for modelers who want to add a little more life to their aircraft. In these new, very highly detailed sets, the ejection seats are molded with the pilots in them, eliminating the usually imperfect fit of trying to place pilots into empty seats. In this set, two seats come with the pilot’s torsos and legs molded in. The arms and heads are separate attachments, allowing for some variation with the positioning of each attachment. Each of the four arms is shaped slightly differently, as are the gloved hands. Three heads are included – two helmeted and one wearing a soft, fore-and-aft cover. Each of the two pilots (or three, if you include the “extra”… more |
|
F-4B: Pylons, Wheel Wells and Auxiliary Air IntakesPublished:
Aires has released several nice detail sets for the new Academy F-4 series, and these three sets go a long way to enhancing the look of the Academy kit. With each of these pieces, as with all Aries work that I’ve ever come across, the engraved lines are petite and the detail is crisp. … more |