Bob LaBouy
Reviews By Author
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Fw 190 A-4Published:
ReferencesI 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:
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M3 Stuart - Early ProductionPublished:
A Very Brief History of the TankThis is clearly one of the seminal tanks of the 19th 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 |
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Marston Mat Landing StripPublished:
Background of Marston MattingI realize that I recently completed a companion review of this similar M8A1 landing matting and do not wish to rehash the same ground. However, if you’re interested, I urge you to read that narrative as well, as the background and history of the Marston mat system is one that should be of historical and modeling interest for many of us. I should also point out that this modern style of Marston matting is not the type with the circular holes, but rather the narrow-slit types of surface design. The original WW II type (with holes) can be found in the… more |
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Flying Colors Bookazine Collection: 2Published:
This is another colorful book (in a larger series) by the well-known aviation artist, Richard J Caruana. I recommend that you review one or more of the biographical sketches of Mr. Caruana, who was born and resides in Malta. The well-known artist has the distinction (amongst other aspects of his life) having published a 15-volume history of the Italian Air Force, numerous Scale Aviation Modeling, Scale Models, and Osprey books (amongst others), and has designed 89 stamps for the country of Malta. This Bookazine Collection: 2 is richly packed with 48 pages of full-color illustrations and the inside cover B&W drawings of the Hawker Hart and Hawker Siddeley Harrier in 1/72nd scale. The full-color profiles include: the Morane-Saulnier… more |
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F-4E/G Landing Gear SetPublished:
This is not my first review of a Detail & Wonder after-market landing gear set. And, as previously noted, this landing gear ‘Upgrade Set’ continues to set a very high bar in terms of both accuracy, price, and overall quality.Thanks for taking a few minutes to read these notes. I am attaching several color scans to illustrate the first three pages of the instructions. Hopefully, aside from my amateurish scanning efforts, this will provide several insights as to the quality of the D&W instructions. Not only are they in red, black, and white colors, but these provide specific instructions as to where you should cut them to achieve the desired result when removing the surrounding structure and using small blue cutting indicators to show where the larger pieces are to be… more |
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Operation 'Dragoon' and BeyondPublished:
Hope you understand if this review contains some insight into the After The Battle standard presentations. These books, of which there are now over 86 issues (and this number does not count the WWI, Military, Aviation, Maritime or Ancient History books), take a photographic trip through the battles or campaigns named (e.g. Arnhem, Bastogne, Omaha Beach). These publications take great pains to compare the war time photographs to modern day images of the same location, which in most cases still stand today. Most of the titles are available as eBooks, Audiobooks, DVDs, and the original magazines. My interest stems from several aspects in my life, including my father, who was a participant in several Pacific landings and invasions in South Korea and in Lebanon. My wife and I have… more |
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M8A1 Landing MatPublished:
The BuildAs you initially open this… more |
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F-4B Phantom II Landing Gear Upgrade Set and F-4B/C/D Exhaust Nozzles Upgrade SetPublished:
3D basics: I really fell down the rabbit hole in this respect and very quickly found a whole bunch of information about the ‘art’ of 3D printing and other basics. While I can’t say I’ve mastered anything, I suggest that you consider these URLs as a jumping off point: Tom's 3D for basic information and 3D Printer Anatomy: 50 parts in 5 minutes (Basics). Reviewer's ObservationsIt should be noted that these two aftermarket sets are intended for the Tamiya F-4B kit (#7600). This is important as the locating holes are intended for this Tamiya kit and in the case of the exhaust nozzle upgrade set… more |
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P-47 Thunderbolt Masking SetPublished:
Please note: this is a companion review for the Hawaiian Air Depot masks; here is the review for the MiniArt P-47D. MiniArt and Hawaiian Air Depot Link to product on company site: https://miniart-models.com/product/48001-p-47d-25re-thunderbolt-advanced-kit/ Hawaiian Air DepotThis review is for an… more |
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P-47D-25RE Thunderbolt - Advanced KitPublished:
A Very Brief History the P-47A great deal of information and data is readily available online about the legendary P-47, often referred to as ‘Juggernaut’ or just the ‘Jug.’ The thousands of women and men working around the United States produced over 15,683 P-47s with the P-47s accounting for over astounding 7,000 enemy aircraft losses,86,000 railway cars, 9,000 locomotives, 6,000 armored fighting vehicles and 68,000 trucks. You can easily spend hours reading about the exploits of the P-47 and many of the well-known pilots who flew them. The P-47’s maximum weight capacity was almost 17,000 pounds, compared to the P-51’s at 12,000 pounds, an increase of approximately 5,000 pounds or 41% more than the Mustang. It’s eight .50 caliber guns carried 3,500 rounds compared with the 1,… more |