Bill Kluge
Reviews By Author
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T-45 Goshawk Landing GearPublished:
Here’s another fine replacement landing gear set from SAC, this time for the new Kinetic Goshawk. The white metal parts are a spot-on match for the kit gear. In situations where the weight of the model could lead to overstressed and broken gear, these sets are a lifesaver (the life of the model, that is). All relevant parts are there, including both the compressed and extended nose gear struts. A few of the smaller, thinner pieces in the package I received were slightly bent, but were easily returned to their proper shape. That just shows that care must be taken when handling some of those more delicate thin pieces, but unlike plastic, they are more easily reshaped when necessary before they reach the breaking point. All told, another very worthy effort from Scale… more |
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T-45 GoshawkPublished:
With the release several years ago of the Italeri and Airfix quarter-scale BAE Hawk kits, many of us U.S naval aviation fans wondered if we would finally see a mainstream kit of the T-45 Goshawk. Following on their other notable naval air kits, Kinetic Model Kits now offers this very detailed rendition of the Navy’s newest intermediate/advanced jet trainer. The kit offers the option of either the T-45A or T-45C, the primary differences being in the cockpit, with the earlier A model equipped with traditional steam gauges, and the C model equipped with glass instrument panels. Both of these options are well represented with raised detail panels. The overall two-seat cockpit is nicely detailed with main and side consoles and highly detailed ejection seats. With the addition of tape… more |
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TBD-1 Devastator Detail SetPublished:
Years ago, Eduard produced a photo etch set for the Monogram Devastator that really breathed some life into that venerable old kit. With the release of the new Great Wall Hobby Devastator, once again Eduard comes through with a PE set that pushes detailing well beyond the already superb lever that the kit itself provides. I had hoped to receive this set in time to use it with the GWH Devastator that I was building for IPMS review. As it turned out, the Devastator build was nearly completed before this set arrived. Nevertheless, here’s a rundown of what you get. This new Big Ed set is a combination of four photo etch sheets and a complete set of vinyl canopy and wheel masks. The Flap sheet has supports, bracing, and flap parts for both the upper and lower wing. This is… more |
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TBD-1 Devastator "Wake Island"Published:
For decades, the venerable Monogram TBD Devastator was the only kit of its kind available in 1/48 scale, lauded in its heyday for its cockpit and surface detail, as well as the option to pose the wings in either the folded or extended position. Now, Great Wall Hobby has delivered a new Devastator, and like the original release, this second edition is a quantum leap past the old benchmark kit. When first seen, the GWH Devastator was derided as a mere copy of the Monogram version, but close examination reveals that the new kit is several steps beyond its aged predecessor. The first thing you notice upon opening the box is the level of care that went into the packaging. Each sprue is individually wrapped in its own re-sealable plastic bag. The clear sprue is wrapped in styrofoam… more |
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J35S Draken Finnish SpecialPublished:
The Hasegawa quarter-inch scale Draken kit has been around for several years now, released in the markings of all of the European countries that flew it, including a number of special anniversary schemes for Swedish, Danish, and Austrian aircraft to commemorate the aircraft’s decades of service. This kit provides decals for the Finnish anniversary scheme to highlight the aircraft’s 28 years with Finland’s Ilmavoimat. The kit itself is a relatively simple and easy build, with a fairly low parts count compared to many Hasegawa kits. One of the nicer aspects of this “special” kit is that, with the exception of decals and weapons, all the parts are included to build a Finnish Draken at any time of its service with the Finnish Air Force. That includes extra antenna, optional gun… more |
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USN 8in/55 Mk9, 10, 11, 13, 14 Gun BarrelsPublished:
This set of finely turned stainless steel gun barrels for early U.S. Navy 8” gunned cruisers and carriers is the latest in a long line of superb replacement parts for 1/350 naval vessels. Each of the open-ended barrels is 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 or blast bag. The accompanying comparison photos show the Master metal barrels next to the 8”gun kit parts from the Trumpeter Saratoga. The Master barrels are noticeably longer and, no doubt, more accurate than the kit parts. With nine barrels included in the package, these parts would be used with kits of the pre-war Treaty classes of U.S. heavy cruisers - the Pensacola, Northampton, Portland, and New Orleans classes… more |
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Yamato Super Detail SetPublished:
Anyone who’s seen or even heard about the new Tamiya Yamato knows that this is one of the largest, most complex model kits yet to hit the hobby store shelves. So it almost goes without saying that this new super detail set from Lion Roar would be equally large and complex. Using the bulk of this set, or even a portion of it, is not for the faint of heart. This multi media set contains 27 photo etch sheets (both brass and stainless steel), several bags of resin parts, and a complete set of turned brass gun barrels for the main 18”, secondary 6”, and dual purpose 5” guns. There are resin replacement parts for four ship’s boats (2 motor launches and two barges), six complete 5” open gun mounts, and ammunition boxes, as well as blast covers for each of the 18” and 6” guns. The PE… more |
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WW2 IJN Ship Guard RailsPublished:
Lion Roar has been providing ship modelers with extensive sets of ship-specific photo etch for some time, and now offers generic railings for nearly any WWII era Japanese vessel. The package contains two identical sets of stainless steel rails, each containing three different types of rails. One type is the “drooping chain” type that is usually found on the main deck (as well as the second deck on battleships), and two types of “solid” rails usually found on the upper decks or superstructure. The solid rails are of a three-dimensional nature, requiring that the extra long stanchions be folded over themselves to provide supplemental, angled supports to each stanchion. This is a new twist that I’ve never seen this before on PE deck railings. This set is almost identical to the “… more |
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IJN Chokai Railings and DetailsPublished:
Having made a variety of generic PE sets for 1/700 and 1/350 scale ship kits, Eduard is now providing us with dedicated complete sets for specific ships. These two sets will provide complete (or nearly complete) coverage of the Aoshima Chokai, and probably for the Fujimi Chokai as well. The set is labeled for the “1944” version of the ship, so check your references carefully if you hope to use it for an earlier version of the vessel. She underwent several refits during her lifetime that altered her structure or equipment significantly. The same goes for attempts to use it on other ships of the class (especially Takao or Atago). Both of these ships received refits that changed them… more |
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Northrop BT-1Published:
Coming at a time of rapid technical development in the aviation industry as the United States began to ramp up for its entry into the Second World War, the Northrop BT-1 was truly a transitional and transformative aircraft. Dive bombing was seen as the most potent anti-ship weapon in the arsenal of carrier aviation, and the BT-1 gave the U.S. Navy a sleek new dive bomber that held the promise of more potent things to come. It was the direct predecessor of the enormously successful Douglas SBD Dauntless, with a family resemblance so close that, from certain viewpoints, it was difficult to tell the two apart. Steve Ginter’s volume on the Northrop BT-1 is as comprehensive a look at this aircraft as one could expect to find. Using many excellent period black/white photographs from… more |