Bill O'Malley
Reviews By Author
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BTR-60 WheelsPublished:
The set provides eight resin replacement wheels and tires, molded as one piece, for the Russian BTR-60 APC. The tires are slightly wider than the Trumpeter rubber tires. The Hauler wheels are a different style and much smaller than the Trumpeter wheels. The Hauler tires have a crisper tread pattern than the Trumpeter tires and are molded without a center seam. They do not have a flattened portion for the weight of the vehicle. Each of the wheels is molded with their own casting block. The mounting hole for the wheel is much larger than the Trumpeter axle so it needs to be drilled out. Mounted on the vehicle, it becomes apparent that the Hauler wheels are smaller and the tires have a larger profile. The profile and size of the Hauler wheels provide a good option to the… more |
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German WWII License PlatesPublished:
This detail set by Hauler provides numerous license plate frames in different shapes for WWII German vehicles. The set is a steel photoetch fret that is 1 1/8”x3 7/8”. The PE pieces have a slight curl to them. This set provides only the backing plate for licenses, but no decals or stickers are provided for the actual license plate graphic. Mounting brackets are not provided either. There are 33 license plates provided in the following sizes in millimeters (width x height):
The photoetch pieces are… more |
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Hitachi Zaxis 135US ExcavatorPublished:
This is not a highly-detailed kit, but can be an entertaining build for both less experienced and more advanced modelers. Less experienced modelers will enjoy the ease of assembly, and can build the kit without painting. More advanced modelers looking for construction equipment will find the kit to be an opportunity for some extreme weathering. BackgroundThis is the second kit Hasegawa has produced based on the Hitachi tracked excavator. The first was the Double Arm Working Machine Astaco Neo released in 2015 and updated in 2017 with new parts. This new Hitachi Zaxis kit retains the grasping claw from the Double Arm kit, but adds an excavator bucket and dozer blade as additional options. The Zaxis 135US-6 excavator is used by contractors… more |
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SE.5a Radiator - Hispano Suiza for 2 & 4 Blade PropellersPublished:
Eduard has issued two resin radiators to upgrade the radiator in their SE.5a kit:
These radiators are for the Hispano-Suiza engine version of the SE.5a. The upgraded radiators include resin and photoetch parts with much finer detail than the kit parts. The Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5 was introduced in 1917 with a 150 HP V8 Hispano-Suiza 8A engine with two-bladed counter-clockwise (left) rotating propeller. The SE.5a was an improved version of the SE.5 and was one of the fastest fighters of WWI. The SE.5a aircraft was originally produced with a 200 HP Hispano-Suiza 8B gear-driven engine (‘Hisso’), with a… more |
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Husky MKIII VMMDPublished:
First released by Panda-Hobby in 2015, this is a good kit of an interesting and very unusual vehicle. The parts have some fit issues, but are generally okay. There are not a huge number of parts (220) and there is not a lot of detail to the vehicle, which simplifies assembly. BackgroundThe Husky VMMD was first developed for the South African Defence Force in the 1970s to clear military convoy routes of mines. Formerly called the Chubby System, the Husky uses ground penetrating radar to locate mines and IEDs. Driven by a single occupant, the vehicle can withstand explosions and is easily repairable due to its modular construction. The Husky VMMD has been used extensively in Afghanistan and Iraq. Kit Contents
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Büssing NAG 4500 A-1 with Bilstein 3t DrehkranPublished:
The Büssing-NAG 4.5 ton truck was manufactured for the Wehrmacht and Luftwaffe between 1942 & 1945. The truck was adapted for many uses including cargo, troop carrier, artillery prime mover, flak carriage, and even a version that could run on railroad tracks. This particular version of the Bussing Nag was fitted with a Bilstein 3 ton crane which could be used to lift engines and change tank gun barrels. After 1943, the Büssing-NAG with 3 ton Bilstein crane was designated Kfz. 100. The Büssing-NAG was first issued by AFV Club in 2012 as a cargo truck, again in 2014 with new parts, and this version in 2015 with the Bilstein Crane. The bulging 9-1/2 x 15 x 2-3/4 box is jam packed with dark yellow plastic sprues in… more |
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SE.5a Propeller Four-BladePublished:
Eduard has issued a four-bladed resin propeller to upgrade the propeller in their SE.5a kit. The upgraded propeller includes resin and photoetch parts with much finer detail than the kit propeller. The Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5 was introduced in 1917 with a 150 HP V8 Hispano-Suiza 8A engine with two-bladed counter-clockwise (left) rotating propeller. The SE.5a was an improved version of the SE.5 and was one of the fastest fighters of WWI. The SE.5a aircraft was originally produced with a 200 HP Hispano-Suiza 8B gear-driven engine (‘Hisso’), with a counter-clockwise (left) rotating four-bladed propeller. The gear-driven engines proved unreliable, and were quickly replaced with the 200 HP Wolsely Viper direct drive engine with clockwise rotating (right) two-bladed… more |
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SE.5a StretchersPublished:
These are Eduard’s brass photoetch cable anchors for their new SE.5a kits. Eduard refers to them as stretchers, but they are simple anchors without any kind of turnbuckle or way to tighten cables. The package includes both single and double anchor points for the double wires on the SE.5a. Eduard supplies way more pieces than are actually required for the aircraft to make up for all of those that will be lost. The anchor point holes on the wings will need to be drilled out deeper for the length of the anchor, which will then fit neatly. The stretchers for 1/48 scale are extremely small. The holes on the structures are much smaller than my smallest drill bit, a #80. The holes in the stretchers were too small for E Z Line, invisible thread, or 2 lb. fishing line. The only thing I… more |
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SE.5a Photoetch SetPublished:
This is the photoetch fret for Eduard's 1/48 SE.5a. It is listed for the Wolseley Viper Version of the kit, but can also be used for the Hispano-Suiza Version of the SE.5a. This is the same photoetch fret included with Eduard's Wolseley Viper, and with the Royal Class edition as R0015-LEPT 1. It can also be purchased separately from either kit. The photoetch fret is not required for completion of the kits, but adds more accurate scale detail than the kit parts. The steel fret is about 2-3/4 x 2-1/4 inches and includes photoetch pieces for the seatbelts, instrument panel and gauges, machine gun magazine upgrades, several different cockpit levers, brackets for the exhaust pipes, cables and stanchions for the control surfaces, bomb rack, and frames for the wing pulley observation… more |
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Acrylic PaintPublished:
Mission Models has a new line of ‘airbrush ready’ acrylic paints. These paints are odorless, spray easily to a nice, hard, even finish, and have less ‘tip-drying’ than other acrylic paints. The paints come in 1 oz. dropper bottles to facilitate measuring and contain a BB to help mix the paint. MMP paints include the following:
Acrylic PaintMMP paints are non-solvent based, odorless, organic acrylics that produce a flat finish. The paints appear thicker than other paints. MMP says that compared to other paints that are thinned to the consistency of… more |