Bob LaBouy

	Austin Armoured Car 3rd Series: German, Austro-Hungarian, Finnish Service Interior Kit Published: October 7, 2025 Company: ICM Fit and Finish This kit’s fit overall kit is very good to excellent. The surface details are outstanding and compare favorably with what photographs and line drawings show. This model, like so many of the new releases from MiniArt, just look like the real vehicles themselves. Construction Notes The kit is moulded in light grey plastic with only two large plastic sprue trees. There are few if any aspects of this build which posed any problems—it goes together in a basic pattern, beginning with the engine, suspension and drive assemblies. Believe me, the 26 pages of kit instructions provide you with a deal of in depth instructions broken down in multiple steps and 71 assembly panels. For the most part each of construction notes and steps are well thought out,… more
	USMC Tank Markings in the Pacific Published: October 7, 2025 Book Author(s): Romain Cansière Company: Casemate Publishers Publisher’s Notes The markings on tanks of the United States Marine Corps during World War II are so varied that some have concluded they were meaningless, even anarchic. Official documents offer little insight, but a careful study of period photographs and film, cross-referenced with combat reports and veteran accounts, reveals the different systems of markings that combat units used to identify their vehicles. These markings varied between units, and from one campaign to the next, but were well-thought-out and designed to be practical and easy for tankers to interpret. In addition to tactical markings, most tankers were given names by their crews, and these were added to the tank’s markings. Personifying the tank often boosted crew morale and led to even more careful… more
	DShKM with Support/Tripod Published: August 13, 2025 Company: ICM Introductory and Historical Background ICM’s Notes DShKM with support/tripod In 1946, the Soviet Army adopted the DShKM heavy machine gun—a modernized version of the previous DShK model. This powerful weapon had broad applications, serving both infantry units and as a mounted weapon on various equipment types. With a muzzle energy of 19.2 kJ and high rate of fire, combined with exceptional reliability, it stands as one of the finest weapons in its class. The DShKM proves highly effective against lightly armored vehicles: its B-32 armor-piercing incendiary ammunition can penetrate 20mm-thick armor at distances up to 500m. The weapon accommodates multiple ammunition types including armor-piercing, incendiary, armor-piercing incendiary,… more
	"Dragon Teeth" Anti-tank Obstacles Published: May 20, 2025 Company: ICM Concrete anti-tank obstacles, also known as ‘Dragon’s Teeth’, were first used during World War II. They are believed to have been invented in Finland as a means of defense against the armored vehicles of the Red Army. The purpose of these obstacles was not only to stop tanks and other armored vehicles but also to direct their movement into areas where they could be targeted by fire. These types of obstacles were widely used by all participants in the conflict, including neutral countries. For example, Switzerland also used similar obstacles, referring to them as Toblerone fortifications, due to their resemblance to the shape of the famous chocolate bars. ‘Dragon’s Teeth’ are still used today as engineering obstacles of a fortification type. Typically, they are made of concrete… more
	MH-60L Black Hawk & Black Hawk US Helicopters Paint Set Published: May 10, 2025 Company: ICM Historical & Reference Notes From ICM's own description: At the end of 1968, the U.S. Army awarded contracts to several companies for the development of a multi-role tactical transport helicopter. This program was called UTTAS (Utility Tactical Transport Air System), and the following requirements were set: a three-person crew, the ability to carry 11-15 soldiers in the cabin, a powerplant with two engines, and the ability to transport the helicopter inside cargo aircraft. In 1976, after completing the tests, the Army selected Sikorsky as the winner of the UTTAS program, and a contract was signed for the production of the first batch of helicopters, which were designated UH-60A Black Hawk (Sikorsky’s series designation was S-70). These became the basis for… more
	AH-1W Super Cobra Published: May 6, 2025 Company: Trumpeter The AH-1W Super Cobra was the US Marines’ attack helicopter. Designed and developed by Bell, it entered service with the US Marine Corps (USMC), Marines have been flying the AH-1W Super Cobra since 1986. The last AH-1W was delivered in 1998. and was retired in October 2020 after 34 years of service. The AH-1Z Viper, which is also manufactured by Bell Textron, replaced the Super Cobra. It is also a brand new tooled kit in 2025. The Super Cobra was the first attack helicopter to qualify both the Sidewinder air-to-air missile and the Sidearm anti-radiation missile. Both missiles can use the same LAU-7 rail launcher. Sidearm has a range of more than 15km. AIM-9L Sidewinder is an all-aspect, short-range, air-to-air missile has a range of 15km. … more
	U-2R "Dragon Lady" Senior Span Published: February 28, 2025 Company: Hobby Boss Historical and Reference Notes As you delve into this project, you should really become familiar with the basic U-2 story from its origins in 1953 all the way to its usage in 2025 – that’s over 72 years. I recommend Wikipedia’s history, which I warn you, is extensive: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_U-2 US Air Force: https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/104560/u-2stu-2s/ Several terrific YouTube videos (each of contain U-2S a/c): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpcKKAhhGiw … more
	The Siege of Leningrad, Then and Now Published: December 12, 2024 Book Author(s): From an article in issue 123 of After the Battle magazine, the joint authors were Karel Margry and Ron Hogg Company: Casemate Publishers Publishers’ Description From the publisher’s notes, you’ll quickly grasp the basic facts surrounding the siege of Leningrad: The siege of Leningrad (1941-1944) was the longest and deadliest in modern history, with over one million deaths from cold, disease, starvation, and bombardment. The siege of Leningrad was the longest ever endured by a modern city, and the deadliest siege in recorded history. It lasted for nearly 900 days, from late August 1941 to late January1944, bringing unparalleled hardship to the population. Out of over three million persons inthe city more than one million lost their lives through cold, disease and starvation, bombs and artillery fire. The severe winter of 1941-42 was by far the worst period of the siege, when food reserves… more
	Fw 190 A-4 Published: October 20, 2024 Company: Zoukei-Mura References I often enjoy providing several references to supplement my review notes. I initially pull out one of favorites: from the series of hard bound books, their Focke-Wulf Fw 190 by Robert Grinsell and illustrations by Rikyu Watanabe. This book among its other 1990 illustrations is a great series of cutaway drawings and a three-page drawing of Wurmheller’s Fw 190 with the color scheme and markings very close to the model and markings. I am unsure about the availability of these fine 48-page books, though I highly recommend them. Additionally, there are many internet sources of background information about the Würger, including: Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Focke-… more
	M3 Stuart - Early Production Published: September 14, 2024 Company: MiniArt A Very Brief History of the Tank This is clearly one of the seminal tanks of the 19^th century with the total number of over 22,700 being constructed (both M3 and M5 versions) from 1941-1944 largely by four manufacturers (including Cadillac, American Car & Foundry Co. and Massey-Harris). From an armor standpoint, the Stuarts were our several ‘starter’ tanks during the early 30’s. They were largely lacking in firepower and lightly armored. They also suffered regarding their ability to meet their opposition, the German tanks they often faced on the battlefield. However, throughout their production and a great number of modifications and improvements, the M3 proved its worth on the battlefield. Rather than ramble on further, here are some additional… more