Bill O'Malley
Reviews By Author
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Kriegsmarine Fire Control SetPublished:
BackgroundGerman battleships and heavy cruisers were equipped with three armored fire-control posts (in the conning tower, on the foretop, and on top of the aft superstructure. Target selectors around the foretop selected air targets. Each of the selectors, called ZAGs, worked in conjunction with one of the Directors for targeting. Veteran Models Fire Control Set provides 4 - ZAG Light Flak Directors, 4 - Zielsäule C/38 S Night Directors, plus 8 - 1540mm Search Light Directors. The resin pieces are exquisitely cast with extremely fine detail, and virtually no imperfections. There is some very minor flash on the parts, but no bubbles or voids. The eyepieces even have recessed ends! The small photoetch fret provides hand wheels for the Light Controllers and Night… more |
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Kriegsmarine Observation Equipment SetPublished:
BackgroundFor directing the 38cm and 15cm guns, Bismarck was equipped with three armored fire control posts (in the conning tower, on the foretop, and on top of the aft superstructure. The main and aft control posts were equipped with 10.5m rangefinders, while the front control post received a 7m rangefinder. Each station was also equipped with optical target givers (Zielgeber C/38 S), two pieces in the aft post and three each in the fore and main posts. Binocular columns were also probably placed in the fire control posts. Veteran Models provides a diagram of the Bismarck showing possible locations for the equipment. The Battleship Bismarck By Stefan Draminski Veteran Models KitVeteran Models Kriegsmarine Observation Equipment set provides 12 DF 10 x 80… more |
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British Army Husky TSVPublished:
BackgroundFrom Meng's Website - High altitude, large temperature difference, dry weather, broken stones and snow, Afghanistan has the harshest natural environment for ground weapons and soldiers. In response, the shrewd British has chosen a special light-weight vehicle for their famous and professional army. The vehicle was derived from the heavy pickup trucks of the U.S. company Navistar. It can be transported by the C-130. It has better cross-country capability than normal wheeled vehicles and can be easily modified. The British Army named this vehicle after the working dog Husky in the Polar regions. Meng's KitThe 320 plastic parts are molded in dark yellow and have nice crisp detail. There is no flash, but mold seams are evident on all of the parts.… more |
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Rome at WarPublished:
This book chronicles the Roman soldiers and generals that shaped the Roman Empire by wars and conquests, from expansion, to its decline and fall. Color photos, maps, and photos illustrate the disciplined and highly trained army that conquered a vast empire comprising the known world. Four sections of the book describe the development and wars of the Roman army:
A chronology of Roman Empire wars and empires, and an index of significant warriors and battles are also provided. The chronological organization of the book nicely portrays the training and tactics developed for the Roman soldier, and also… more |
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Jeffery Quad Ammunition TruckPublished:
Kit ManufacturerThis is a high quality resin kit of the Jeffrey Quad 4 wheel drive truck produced by Lukgraph Models from Krakow, Poland. Lukgraph’s focus is on British and American aviation in the years between WWI and WWII. Lukgraph also produces the Jeffery-Poplavko armored car, and Nash-Quad Artillery truck in 1/35 scale; and the Nash-Quad Truck, and Nash-Quad Ammunition Truck in 1/48 scale. Lukgraph also makes a number of WWI aircraft kits in both 1/48 and 1/32 scales. The kits are available direct from Lukgraph, Victory Models, or KitLinx in the U.S., and several European suppliers. The review sample was ordered direct from Lukgraph and included a nice personalized photo of a completed kit. The cost of the kit is $84.83 plus $11.31… more |
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Tiger Shark Show RodPublished:
BackgroundFrom KustomRama: "The Car Craft Dream Rod was designed by the staff of Car Craft Magazine in 1961 and built in 1963. The car was completely custom made and got its power from a 289 Ford engine. In 1966 the Dream Rod was sold to the International Show Car Association, which commissioned a substantial revision to the car's styling, called the Tiger Shark. New alterations on the car included a hood scoop, the side roof scoops were closed, the trunk lid was eliminated, the rear was stretched 6 inches, the rear window, grille opening, and front fenders were also modified, and the roof clad in vinyl. The fenders followed the nose's shape and enclosed the Dream Rod's wheel wells. The… more |
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The Second World WarPublished:
This is an excellent, well-written, beautifully illustrated book that provides a comprehensive overview of the WWII conflict at both a global and personal level. The hardcover book includes both color and B&W photos, and color illustrations that give a concise, but thorough, understanding of the strategies and decisions of the combatant nations. Osprey’s Press release describes The Second World War as telling the stories of the men and women who lived and died during the second world war, from “politicians to factory workers, and from high command to the conscripted man on the front lines”. The experience of war is brought to life through a wealth of contemporary documentation, writings, and historical research while the political, military, and historical significance of… more |
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Doors SetPublished:
The Matho Models Doors Set includes one photoetch fret about 4 x 6“, with seven doors. The fret also includes some miscellaneous hardware including latches, escutcheon plates, door knockers, key holes, and two flower designs for one of the doors. The doors are all different wood door styles and several sizes as follows:
The door hardware is very small and difficult to work with. I couldn’t get the flower designs off the sprue without crumpling them. The door knockers are also very thin, and I… more |
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M54A2 5-Ton 6x6 Cargo TruckPublished:
BackgroundExcerpted from Wikipedia: The M54 5-ton 6×6 truck (G744) was the basic cargo model of the M39 Series truck. It was designed to transport a 10,000 lb., 14-foot long cargo load off-road in all weather. In on-road service, the load weight was doubled. The M54 was the primary heavy cargo truck of the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine forces during the Vietnam War and was also used by the U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, and ARVN forces. The M54 truck was used as the base vehicle for Gun Trucks during the Vietnam War. Field-applied armor added protection to the Gun Trucks, and armament consisted of various combinations of weapons including M60s, .50-calibre machine guns, XM 134 miniguns, and anti-aircraft weapons such as the quad mount .50 cal. machine guns.… more |
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The "Einheits-Diesel" WW2 German TrucksPublished:
This photo album is packed with 120 photos and is part of MMP books Camera On series of photo books. Author Alan Ranger uses photos taken by regular German soldiers of vehicles both before and during the WW2. Ranger attempts to show a more personal view of the vehicles through the eyes of the soldiers that lived and worked with the Einheits Diesels. The photos are all in black and white and many have only recently become available. The photographs are in most cases clear, but many are low contrast, typical of personal photos of the time. In the Introduction Ranger provides a nice background on development of the Einheits Diesel, which developed from a vehicle standardization in 1933. The Einheits were produced by 9 different manufacturers, with most built by Bussing Nag, Vomag… more |