Bill O'Malley
Reviews By Author
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Panzer DNAPublished:
This book, published by AMMO by Mig Jimenez SL, is a guide to the subject of colors and markings of German military vehicles and units. The books stated attempt is to bring order to the complex and partly unknown topics, and to provide clarity to all of the information available on the Internet. The book is divided into chapters that deal with the main themes separately Chapter 1: The BallenkreuzDescribes the beginnings, evolution, implementation, and use of the straight-armed cross used on almost all German vehicles. Colored illustrations of variations in the cross and black & white photographs are used to illustrate examples. Chapter 2: Composition of Military UnitsExplains the tactical symbols and hierarchy of military units. A color chart… more |
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T-55 Mod. 1963 Interior Kit, Part 1Published:
IntroductionThis is part 1 of the review of MiniArt’s T-55 Mod. 1963 Interior Kit. Part 2 will complete the assembly of the turret, tracks, fenders, and the remainder of the kit. This kit is the first of MiniArt’s T-55 variants and follows their earlier series of T-44/54 Russian tank kits. Following their previous versions, this kit is first released with full interior detailing. MiniArt has also announced a soon to be released IDF Tiran version of the T-55, and a T-55A Late Mod. 1965. With over 1200 parts, this is an extremely well-detailed kit that is best suited for patient, experienced modelers. MiniArt provides full interior details of the hull, turret, and engine. The drivers' compartment provides some detail, but not as complex as the other areas.… more |
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The 101st Airborne in Normandy, June 1944Published:
SummaryThis book is a photo essay of the 101st Airborne in Normandy from D-Day through early July 1944. The first of Casemate’s Illustrated series, the book has many black-and-white and color photographs, colored vehicle profiles, color photos of key participants, and colored maps. Written descriptions of the 101st units and movements accompany the many photos. The text is fairly brief, and is not meant to be a complete written description of the activities of the 101st. Most of the information is contained in photographs, captions, and more detailed “In profile” articles. The Book’s Chapters:
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Jeannin Stahltaube Landing Gear & Wire Supts. (WNW)Published:
Scale Aircraft Conversions produces white metal replacement parts for kit details such as landing gear. This set provides metal landing gear, plow brake, upper & lower cable support struts, and outside wing cable supports for the WingNut Wings 1/32 Jeannin Stahltube plastic kit. These detail parts come in a 2 1/2”x 3 1/2”x 1” blister pack containing eight sprues with 12 parts. Parts include the main landing gear, plow brake, and the upper and lower struts and turnbuckles for the wing rigging cables. Some of the parts were slightly bent coming out of the package, but one of the advantages of metal castings is their ability to be bent back into shape. The detail on the metal parts slightly softer than the comparable kit plastic parts, although still good. There is some… more |
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Osprey Early US Armor - Armored Cars 1915-40Published:
This informative and well-illustrated book covers early US armor from steam-powered units in the late 1800s, early armored cars used in pursuit of Pancho Villa, and armored cars in action during the Great War. Armored cars were abandoned prior to World War II in favor of more lightly armored scout cars and half-track cars that would see extensive use in World War II. Prolific author Steven J. Zaloga has worked as an analyst in the aerospace industry for over three decades, covering missile systems and the international arms trade, and has served with the Institute for Defense Analyses. He is the author of numerous books on military technology and military history, with an accent on the US Army in World War II as well as Russia and the former Soviet Union. Illustrator Felipe… more |
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Sd.Kfz. 2 Kleines Kettenkraftrad Typ HK 101Published:
Background on the vehicle is provided in English, German, Spanish, Italian, French, and Russian. Colors are called out in Italeri acrylic paint numbers and some in RAL numbers. Detail color references are included in the various assembly steps. Diagrams of each of the sprues are included, which is important as the parts are not numbered on the sprues themselves. The sprue letter is only called out on the diagram, not the actual sprue. Identifying the correct part will require referring to the sprue diagrams to see the number and where it’s located on which sprue. I made copies of the sprue diagrams to tape up in front of my workbench for quick reference. I also added tape tabs to the sprues with the sprue number to make it easier to find the right sprue. Hull Assembly… more |
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Operation Dynamo Colouring BookPublished:
This is the second adult coloring book published by MMP following their Classic Fighters book. The Operation Dynamo adult coloring book focuses on the airplanes and military vehicles used at the time of Operation Dynamo, the evacuation of Dunkirk in 1940. The book is 8 1/4“ x 11 1/2“ and includes 32 pages with 15 vehicles on two-page spreads. Each vehicle or aircraft includes a black-and-white photo, technical specifications, and a brief description. The image to be colored is a simple line drawing without a lot of detail, which makes coloring easier. Aircraft & Vehicles Included:
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Real Colors of WWII bookPublished:
AK’s Real Colors of WWII is a beautiful publication packed with historical information and photos documenting actual colors and camouflage patterns used on WWII military vehicles. AK describes the book as a detailed study of documents and original vehicle material from each respective army, plus the synthesis of other publications which are recognized as benchmarks in vehicle color. The intention of the book is to share all this information and provide a guide to the colors that can be used to produce an accurate camouflaged vehicle in a specific theater of operations. The goal to provide a standard guide of colors is a noble one, and will surely generate lots of discussions. Using the study of preserved military equipment, and scientific analysis, AK has developed the… more |
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Real Colors Acrylic Lacquer PaintsPublished:
Real Colors are AK-Interactive’s excellent new line of acrylic lacquer paints. These paints are new technically in the paint formula and new artistically with the statement on paint colors. These paint colors have been determined through scientific analysis of actual WWII paint samples to produce colors as accurate as possible. In addition to the paints, AK has published a book, Real Colors of WWII, that documents the historical research and analysis that went into determining the paint colors. The Real Colors paints and Real Colors of WWII book provide a historical benchmark of paint colors that will be a valuable resource for modelers to reproduce accurate vehicle colors. I anticipate lots of discussion about the colors presented. The PaintsReal Color paints are… more |
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Scammell Pioneer SV2S Heavy Breakdown TractorPublished:
IBG is the first of several manufacturers to issue new versions of the iconic British WWII truck, the Scammell Pioneer. Their first release is the Pioneer SV2S Heavy Breakdown Tractor. IBG has also announced two additional versions of the Scammell, the Pioneer R100 Artillery Tractor and the Pioneer Tank Transporter with TRMU30 Trailer. Background on the Scammell Pioneer from IBG’s website: The Scammell Pioneer was a British 6x4 tractor used in the Second World War as recovery vehicle, artillery tractor, and tank transporter. All Pioneers in British Army were equipped with a 102 HP Gardner 6-cylinder diesel engine, rear-wheels drive, and a power winch. Introduced in 1935, the version R100 heavy artillery tractor was used in World War II to tow medium and… more |