Brian R. Baker
Reviews By Author
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German Fokker E.III EindekkerPublished:
InstructionsThe instructions in this kit are similar to those of all of Airfix’s new issues. They are on full size sheets, with one page of general historical information in 5 languages, one sheet of brief modeling instructions in 12 languages, and 19 detailed assembly drawings on 4 pages. There is also one sheet of excellent rigging instructions with 1/72 scale drawings, since this model needs wire rigging to look realistic. The box art has the color guide and painting references, although there isn’t a lot of interior information, especially since not all interior colors are covered. There is no sprue diagram or detailed information on the forward part of the cockpit interior. The photo on p. 20 of the Imrie book should solve this problem. DecalsThe… more |
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Fieseler Fi-156 Storch Cockpit Accessories (Academy Kit)Published:
HistoryThe Fieseler Fi-156 “Storch” was one of the first STOL aircraft developed for military use. Appearing first in 1935, it went into Luftwaffe service in 1937, and served throughout World War II, both in the Luftwaffe, and in the armed forces of Bulgaria, Croatia, Finland, Hungary, Rumania, Italy, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. In addition, they were also manufactured in Czechoslovakia and France, where production continued after the war. Many postwar models had different engines, and some wartime models are still flying. Some Fi-156’s were captured by the Allies, and were used by the Americans, British, and French. The main advantage of the Storch was its STOL capability, being able to take off and land in 200 ft. or less, depending upon wind. It… more |
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Japanese Yokosuka MXY7-K1 TrainerPublished:
HistoryIn the Summer of 1944, things were not going well for the Japanese. The Americans were approaching Japan, and from the Japanese viewpoint, an invasion of the homeland was not too far away. Conventional weaponry seemed to be ineffective. Due to the fact that Japan was far behind the U.S. in industrial development, existing air and naval forces were being used up far beyond Japan’s ability to replace equipment and personnel. The leaders still thought they could win, but it was obvious to many military and naval people that something radical was needed. A Japanese Navy transport pilot, Mitsuo Ohta, came up with the idea of a piloted missile that could be launched by aircraft, being guided to its target by the pilot. He designed a small, rocket powered aircraft… more |
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Bristol Blenheim Mk. IVPublished:
HistoryThe original Blenheim bomber evolved from a Bristol light transport development, probably the first aircraft specifically designed as a high-speed executive transport. Labeled the Model 142 “Britain First”, the airplane was displayed at the 1935 Hendon display. RAF leaders immediately saw its potential as a light bomber, and after protracted development, it emerged as the Model 142M, a mid-wing, three place twin-engine bomber with a crew of 3. Only two machine guns were installed, and a total of 986 Mk. I’s was produced before it was replaced by the Mk. IV model, of which 2703 were built. Blenheim Mk. 1’s replaced Hawker Harts at first and became the standard RAF light bomber. Some were modified as fighters, designated Mk. IF, and these were used, especially… more |
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Soviet Tupolev TB-1 Heavy BomberPublished:
HistoryThe Tupolev TB-1 heavy bomber was a historically significant aircraft, in that it was the world’s first all-metal multi-engined bomber. After World War I, Dr. Hugo Junkers established an aircraft plant in the Soviet Union, and Russian designers, notably Andrei Tupolev, learned from the Germans’ techniques of building metal aircraft, and began design and construction of a twin engine prototype bomber in 1925. The prototype was built in Moscow, but in November, 1925, the aircraft was flown, and the decision was made to place the plane in production as the TB-1. A former Junkers plant in Fili, near Moscow, was used for production. Powered originally by British Lion engines, the production models had 680 hp. Russian Mikulin M-17 water cooled engines, which were developed… more |
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Bf 109F2/F4 Photoetch Set for AZ ModelPublished:
This PE sheet was designed to be used with the recent issue BF-109F by AZ Models. I took on this review with the understanding that because I didn’t have access to the AZ kit, I would use another BF-109F kit. Unfortunately, the only Bf-109F kit I had was an old Frog kit, so I used that. In reality, it didn’t turn out too badly, considering the antiquity of the Frog issue, sometime in the late sixties. The UnitThis accessory unit consists of a small brass sheet of parts intended to superdetail the AZ Bf-109F-2 and Bf-109F-4 kit. A detailed set of instructions is also provided, along with a clear plastic set of instruments for the instrument panel. I would advise leaving the canopy open on this model if you want the cockpit interior to be visible, as a good part of… more |
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Spitfire Mk. XVI Bubbletop, Profipak EditionPublished:
HistoryThe Spitfire is probably one of the most famous fighters to emerge from the World War II era, combining performance, beauty, and reliability in one exceptional airframe. Its story has been told repeatedly over the years, so I won’t retell it here. The Mk. XVI was a development of the Mk. IX, a Merlin-powered variant, and the basic difference between the Mk. IX and the Mk. XVI was the American build Packard-Rolls Royce Merlin used in the later mark. Most Mk. XVI’s had “bubble” type canopies, although a few of the first had the standard Spitfire faired in type. Over 1,000 were built during the last year of the war, and the type was used by the tactical Air Force as well as Fighter Command. Many served postwar until replacement by jet fighters. References… more |
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Spitfire Mk. VII Weekend EditionPublished:
HistoryThe Spitfire is perhaps one of the most famous fighters to emerge from World War II, combining performance, development potential, versatility, and beauty in one airframe. I cannot imagine a modeler who does not know the basic history of the type, so I won’t repeat it here. The Mk. VIII represented by this kit was an upgrade from earlier models, which gave improved performance. Developed from the Mk. VII, the Mk. VIII featured a 1710 HP Merlin 63 or 66 engine, and all were fitted with the Vokes tropical filter. While most had the standard elliptical wingtips, some had the extended wingtips for high altitude use. A few were also equipped with “bubble” canopies. Most Mk. VIIIs were used in the Middle East or with the RAAF in the Far East against the Japanese, where they… more |
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Avia BK.534 Czechoslovak Biplane FighterPublished:
HistoryThe Avia B.534 was one of the major achievements of the Czech aircraft industry during the late thirties, and their biplane fighter was as advanced as any European fighter during the middle thirties. Numerous variations were produced, and Eduard has seen fit to produce kits of just about all of them. I have written several reviews of earlier issues of this kit over the past several years, and I refer you to these for a detailed historical account. The BK.534 variant differed from previous production models in that it was armed with an Oerlikon 20 mm cannon firing through the crankshaft and mounted between the cylinder banks of the Hispano Suiza 12Ycrs. Engine. Two of the fuselage mounted machine guns were removed to save weight. The installation did not prove… more |
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Avia B.534 Early Series Dual ComboPublished:
HistoryThe Avia B.534 originated with the B.34 fighter prototype and first appeared in 1934. After several engine changes, the type was approved for production for the Czech Air Force with an initial order of 34 aircraft. With detail development over a period of several years, a total of 568 was finally produced. Series I and II, the subjects of this kit, had open cockpits, with the Series II having a total of four machine guns in the fuselage, firing through the propeller arc. The plane was thoroughly up to date in the biplane fighter era, and the type remained in service with various military organizations well past the time that most biplanes had been replaced by monoplanes. First used by the Czech Air Force, the type was denied an opportunity for combat by that… more |