Bill O'Malley
Reviews By Author
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Benz Patent-Motorwagen 1886 with Mrs. Benz & SonsPublished:
This kit is the second release in 2020 of the Benz Patent-Motorwagen 1886. This release includes three figures of Mrs. Benz and her two sons in addition to the Motorwagen vehicle. The vehicle was previously reviewed by IPMS so this review will focus on the three figures included in the second release. Mrs. Benz is posed sitting on the Motorwagen with her hands on the tiller, and the two sons are alongside the vehicle, maybe pushing to get it started? The poses look realistic and natural, but the detail is a little soft for a 1/24 scale figure. Instructions are provided… more |
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The Final Archives of the FührerbunkerPublished:
This book vividly describes life in Hitler’s Führerbunker below the German Reich’s Chancelleries as the Soviet Red Army closes in on Berlin at the end of WWII. Two French officers secretly entered the bunkers in November 1945 and gathered hundreds of documents that describe the living conditions and actions of the bunker’s inhabitants at the end of WWII. These documents form the basis for this book. Führerbunker is divided into chapters that chronologically describe the last few months of Germany’s Reich at the end of WWII. Each chapter contains written text, sidebar narratives with first-person accounts, B&W and color photos with descriptive captions, photos of historical documents, and color illustrations. The chapters are: Prologue: Berlin 1945The… more |
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Construction Yellow & Concrete ColorsPublished:
This review looks at Mission Model Paints Farm Tractor Yellow (MMP-126), Hiway Yellow 1930/1990 Heavy Equipment (MMP-041), New Construction Yellow 1990 to Present (MMP-125), and Concrete 1 (MMP-127). This is a comparison of the paint colors to actual vehicles or materials. Check out my earlier review on the use and performance of MMP Paints. Mission Models Paints are non-solvent base organic acrylics that produce a flat finish. Construction Equipment ColorsMMP has released three yellow colors for construction equipment:
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U.S. Army Ambulances & Medical Vehicles in World War IIPublished:
IntroductionThis book covers the search for and the development of all types of ambulances, medic jeeps, medical trucks, and litter carriers used by the US Army during World War II. The book details many modifications made in-theater to vehicles, and other missions for medical vehicles including use by the American Red Cross and American Field Service. US Army Ambulances & Medical Vehicles in World War II is part of Casemate’s Illustrated Special Series that uses hundreds of B&W photographs, color illustrations, and diagrams to provide a wealth of information for the historian, modeler, or researcher. Author Didier is passionate about military history, in particular American vehicles of World War II. He has accumulated an impressive… more |
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Sherman - The M4 Tank in World War IIPublished:
This awesome book Includes a vast amount of information with a very complete description of the Sherman tanks from the early M4s through the M4A6. The book is profusely illustrated with black & white and color photographs, color illustrations, charts, and diagrams. Modelers, historians, and those interested in tanks in general will find this book to be an invaluable enjoyable resource. The text is informative and easy to read, and the illustrations are beautifully done. Contents
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Dunkirk Evacuation Operation DynamoPublished:
Dunkirk Evacuation Operation Dynamo is an excellent book that paints a vivid picture of the chaos and monumental evacuation efforts to save the British Army early in WWII. The book describes one of the most inspiring stories of World War II, the evacuation from Dunkirk, on a daily basis from Sunday, May 26, 1940 through Monday, June 3, 1940. Evacuation of Britain’s only army, the British Expeditionary Force, from Dunkirk was chaotic and rushed but miraculously saved the BEF. Part of Pen & Swords Illustrated Series, the book is a compilation of fascinating photos. The book is organized in chapters for each of the nine days of the evacuation. Each chapter provides some text describing the major operations of the day and includes many black-and-white photographs of the rescue… more |
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American Sport Car Drivers (1910's)Published:
This kit contains two figures, a man and women in sporty attire. The figures are a nice companion to ICM’s Model T 1913 Speedster American Sport Car, kit no. 24015. For this review I posed them with ICM’s Model T Touring Car. The kit comes in a 10 x 7 1/2 x 1 1/2 light cardboard box with a slip cover with box art. The box top includes a painted rendering of the two figures and artistic suggestion for painting of the figures. The instructions come on a single 8 1/4 x 11 1/4 sheet with the sprue layout and color list on one side and the assembly diagrams and painting instructions on the reverse side. Both figures come on one sprue molded in a medium gray plastic. The parts of the figures have nice detail, although slightly soft. There are some rough spots in the plastic… more |
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Model T 1911 Touring with American MotoristsPublished:
BackgroundAnother of ICM’s beautiful 1/24 car kits, this one a 1911 Model T Touring Car. The Touring Car body had two rear seat doors in addition to the front seat doors, two bench seats, and a foldable canvas top. This release also includes two figures, a man and a woman, in period attire. ICM’s kit is an easy build with nice fitting parts and without a lot of small parts. ICM’s KitThe kit comes in a 9 x 12 x 2 1/2 light cardboard box with slipcover. The box art depicts the vehicle in a dark green color with brass accessories, the male figure driving, and the woman in the backseat. The canvas top is shown in a medium gray color. The kit comes on five sprues crisply molded in a light gray color, one clear plastic sprue, and four white vinyl tires.… more |
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Brick Street w/ European Tram RailsPublished:
Tiger WerkeTiger Werke is a small company under new ownership that manufactures and distributes scale resin items. Their product line includes paved and cobblestone street sections, figure bases, building fronts, roadside shrines, fountains, and armor and aircraft bases. They also have storage and accessory sets for Allied, German, and British vehicles. Resin MoldingThis review is of Tiger Werke’s 1/35 scale Brick Street w/ European Tram Rails, a resin base that depicts a street section with trolley tracks running diagonally across base. On each side of the street or what appear to be stone curbs and concrete sidewalks. In 1/35 scale the pavers vary from about 4” to 5” wide by 7” to 8“ long, although they vary in size. The size of the pavers could also… more |
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The Doolittle Raid, Images of AviationPublished:
IntroductionOn 1 April 1942, less than four months after the world had been stunned by the attack upon Pearl Harbor, sixteen US aircraft took to the skies to exact retribution. Their objective was not merely to attack Japan, but to bomb its capital. The raid was more successful in its moral impact on shaking the Japanese sense of invulnerability than in its physical damage to the targets. The Doolittle Raid tells the story of the preparations for the raid, descriptions of each of the 16 crews and their outcome, and the aftermath of the raid. The book is part of Pen & Sword’s Images of Aviation Series and is profusely illustrated with quality B&W photos. The photos create vivid images of the men, aircraft, and ships involved in the raid. Each crew and… more |