Bill O'Malley
Reviews By Author
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U.S. Airborne Scooter with ReelPublished:
This is a nice little (very little) kit that has great potential as a vignette or diorama accessory. This kit is not for the faint of eyesight or those with more than their share of thumbs, but can be a nice one or two day build. The kit is a challenging ‘craftsman’ type build, but that adds to the enjoyment for an experienced modeler. BackgroundU.S. Air Force Fact Sheet: Cushman Airborne Scooter-In the late stages of the war in Europe, Allied paratroopers used scooters like this one to maintain contact between units, increase their mobility and haul small loads. The Cushman Motor Works designed the Model 53 Airborne Scooter to be airdropped by parachute or carried by glider, and it had a hitch to pull a model M3A4 general-purpose utility cart. By adding certain… more |
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Sd.Kfz.3 Maultier AmbulancePublished:
This is a great kit that Dragon has produced and it’s a joy to assemble! BackgroundThe Opel Blitz Maultier (“Mule”) platform was developed in 1942 to deal with the lack of paved roads on the Eastern Front in Russia, and was produced until 1944. An Opel Blitz wheeled truck chassis was modified by replacing the rear drive wheels with caterpillar tracks. The Maultier half-track Sd. Kfz.3 chassis was used with a cargo truck bed, antiaircraft gun mount, and truck bodies used for offices, workshops, & the Maultier ambulance. Dragon has produced a previous Sd.Kfz.3a Maultier Half-Track kit, #6761 with a cargo truck body. Testors, Revell, and Italeri have also produced kits of the Opel Maultier with a cargo body in 1:35 scale. This kit is part of Dragon’s… more |
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US MRAPS in ActionPublished:
This is another book in Squadron Signal’s In Action series that profiles a family of military vehicles with photos of them in actual use. The series uses in-field photos to trace the history and development of the vehicles. The history of Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected (MRAP) vehicles is chronicled from the earliest armored security vehicles (ASVs) that were built to replace armored HMMWVs and provide greater resistance to roadside bombs and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) during the Iraq wars. The book’s introduction describes the categories of MRAPs depending on their use, level of protection, weight, and number of occupants. Vehicle types included are M117 Guardian ASV, RG-31, RG-33 4x4, RG-33L 6x6, the Cougar Family, the Caiman Family, the MaxxPro… more |
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L1500S LLG WWII German Light Fire TruckPublished:
This wonderful ICM kit has been kindly furnished by MMD Squadron for IPMS review. When Hitler came to power in 1933, all fire services came under the newly created Fire Protection Police (Feuerschutz-polizei) as an arm of the Order Police (Ordnungspolizei), commanded by Heinrich Himmler. The fire equipment color changed from red to Polizei dark green. After the war, fire-fighting equipment was changed again to red. The L1500S truck was produced between 1941 and 1944 during World War II for use by the German Fire Police. ICM also will be producing another version of the Fire Truck, L1500S LF 8, kit# 35527, and MiniArt has announced a similar kit, #35171, German Fire Truck L1500S AF8 with TSA Trailer. ICM’s kit includes the Fire Truck L1500S LLG… more |
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WWII German FiremenPublished:
The kit includes four figures and accessories including hand extinguisher, hose, and fire hydrant. Facial expressions of three of the figures have static straight-ahead looks, but the fourth figure has a much better expression with an open mouth like he’s shouting. The parts are molded in tan plastic that is a little soft. The figures’ hands, faces, and accessory pieces have nice, sharp details. Mold seams are minor and well concealed when the figures are assembled. ICM does a nice job of concealing the mold seams in folds of clothing or sharp edges of the figure. ICM even overhangs the belt buckle over the coattails, so be careful not to remove the buckle prior to fastening the coattails. ICM has an interesting way to combine the body’s torso and legs. The coattails… more |
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‘67 Corvette ConvertiblePublished:
Thanks to Revell for providing the kit to IPMS and continuing to build and reissue good Corvette models. The kit is another reissue of the Revell kit that was first released in 1995 and has been reissued many times since. The plastic sprues contain parts indicating copyrights in 1995 and 4/17/13. The kit shares parts such as the chassis and interior with Coupe versions of the ’67 Corvettes. Either a stock or race version of the Corvette can be built with the kit. The kit has some fit issues and the molded detail is a little soft, but with some care a nice model can be built. It includes a 16-page instruction booklet, 217 parts, metal axle pins, stock tires, and alternative racing tires. It is molded in white, transparent red, clear, chrome plated parts, and soft vinyl… more |