Brian R. Baker
Reviews By Author
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Nakajima B5N Kate Double KitPublished:
HistoryThe Nakajima B5N torpedo and attack bomber was developed during the late thirties to replace the 1936 Yokosuka B4N biplane carrier-based torpedo bomber. Roughly comparable to, but also decidedly superior to, the U.S. Navy’s Douglas TBD-1 Devastator torpedo bomber, the B5N was code named Kate by the Allies when the name-codes came into use during 1942. Beating out the Mitsubishi B5M, which had an elliptical wing and a fixed landing gear, the B5N featured manually folding wings and a retractable landing gear. Strongly influenced by the Northrop A-17A attack bomber then in service with the U.S. Army, the B5N was produced in two basic models, differing mainly in powerplant. The B5N1 was equipped with an 840 hp. Nakajima Hikari 2 radial engine, while the later version,… more |
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Supermarine Spitfire F. Mk. 21Published:
HistoryThe Spitfire is probably one of the most-modeled kits in 1/72 or any other scale, for that matter. It was used in many different modifications and variations, and a few are still flying today. It combined the classic beauty of a thoroughbred with the performance of a champion, and remained in production well after the end of World War II even though the original prototype first flew in 1936. The F. Mk. 21 was powered by the upgraded 2,050 hp. Rolls Royce Griffon 61 engine turning a five bladed propeller, and was developed from the Mk. IV and Mk. XX Griffin-powered prototypes during 1944. The aircraft featured a protracted development period due to stability and other aerodynamic problems. The aircraft also featured a redesigned wing, and although production… more |
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Mitsubishi A6M-5c and J2M-3Published:
HistoryThe 352nd Flying Group was apparently activated in Japan on 1 August 1944 as a day and night fighter group, and operated from Omura Air Base in Japan until the end of the war. They used the A6M5 Zeke 52, N1K2-J George, and J2M3 Jack in the interceptor role. Apparently, their aircraft were marked with distinctive tail codes denoting their unit, and Hasegawa has seen fit to issue a “two-in-one” kit of two of the three types they operated. I was able to find very little information on the unit history, and none is provided in the kit instructions or box art. Thorpe’s book on Japanese Navy Camouflage and Markings only provides the dates and types operated. Osprey’s Imperial Japanese Navy Aces, 1937-1945, mentions the unit as having operated defending the Sasebo, Nagasaki,… more |
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DH-2 vs. Albatros D.I/D.II - Western Front 1916Published:
History: The DeHavilland DH-2 appeared during 1915 to counter the devastating attacks of the Fokker E-III Eindekkers, which were the first true fighter planes with reliable fixed armament firing through the propeller arc. When the DH-2’s first appeared, they achieved air supremacy over the German Fokker fighters and two-seat observation types. Powered by a somewhat unreliable 100 hp. Monosoupape air-cooled rotary engine swinging a two- or four-bladed wooden propeller located behind the pilot, the plane was seen by the British as the answer to the monoplane scouts, since they could mount the machine gun in the nose and the pilot could operate it either on a swivel mount or, more likely, on a fixed mount where the plane could be aimed directly at the target. No… more |
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Tupolev TU-7 and PE-8Published:
History The Tupolev TB-7, originally known as ANT-42, heavy bomber was developed in the late thirties by the Tupolev Design team to provide the VVS with an up-to-date long range heavy bomber for strategic operations. Development was slow, partly because the Soviets never could ascertain exactly who their next enemy would be, or whether they should concentrate on strategic or tactical airpower. In the end, they decided on the tactical air force, putting the strategic bomber on the back burner. In the event, development of the design coincided with the 1937 Moscow Purges, which resulted in the arrest by the NKVD of Tupolev, Petylyakov, and many other competent Russian designers. Although they continued to work from prison, they succeeded in producing a state-of-… more |
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RAF RE-8 at WarPublished:
HistoryThe Royal Aircraft Factory RE-8 was one of those airplanes that never attracted the attention it deserved, mainly because it wasn’t a fighter that attracted a lot of press. It was, however, a very basic, fundamental design, one intended for observation and reconnaissance duties over the front. I had always been under the impression that the RE-8 was a rather unimpressive plane, but after reading Paul Hare’s account of its development, I have come to the conclusion that it was really a fundamentally sound airplane for the tasks assigned to it. During the time period it was in operation, it acquitted itself honorably, with its pilots and crews often getting the best of higher performing German fighters. Certainly, taking photos of the trenches wasn’t as glamorous as… more |
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Italeri Acrylic PaintPublished:
IntroductionFor the past 50 or so years, I have built plastic models and painted them using various types of enamel paints. For the earlier wooden models, before plastic kits became popular, I used regular model airplane dope (actually, lacquer), sometimes laced with talcum powder to achieve a matte finish. I started airbrushing relatively early, still using enamels, and eventually settled on the Testors’ Model Master series, which I have found to be entirely satisfactory. The only problem with using enamels indoors is that my wife constantly complains that the odor is overpowering, although I don’t think that it is really that bad, certainly not as bad as the smell of onions cooking in a frying pan, which has to compete favorably with the Geneva Convention’s definition of “… more |
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Supermarine Spitfire Mk. VIIPublished:
HistoryNo modeler of World War II fighter aircraft can possibly be unaware of the background of the Spitfire, so no discussion will be provided. Over 30 different Marks and variants of the Spitfire were produced before, during, and after World War II, and nearly all of them have appeared as 1/72 scale kits at one time or another. Of the long-wing Mk. VII, injection molded kits have been issued by Hasegawa, Jay’s Models, and a resin kit from CMR. Italeri’s kit, issued in 2012, is a welcome addition. I have built the Hasegawa kit and it is excellent, and the Italeri kit will be interesting competition. I have not seen the other two, but I understand from reviews that they both are very good kits. The Spitfire Mk. VII was an offshoot of the Mk. VIII, which was, in itself… more |
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Reggiane RE-2002 ArietePublished:
HistoryThe Reggiane RE-2002 shows its ancestry, as its designers were obviously influenced by the Seversky P-35. The original RE-2000 was first flown in 1938, and since the plane had some problems, the majority of the RE-2000’s were exported to Sweden and Hungary. A few were used by the Italian Navy. Reggiane attempted to improve the design by installing a German DB-601A-1 liquid-cooled engine, resulting in the RE-2001. It was accepted by the Regia Aeronautica, but shortages of German engines, plus the fact that the same engine was used in the Macchi C.202 Folgore, restricted production to 252 aircraft. To keep the production lines going, Reggiane redesigned the plane for a third time, using a 1,175 hp Piaggio P.XIX fourteen-cylinder, intending the type mainly for the close… more |
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Curtiss SOC SeagullPublished:
HistoryThe Curtiss SOC Seagull was one of the classic biplanes of World War II. The early models entered service as the Navy’s ship- and shore-based scouting-observation airplane in 1935, replacing the Vought O3U Corsair biplanes during the late thirties. Although the prototype SOC, designated XO3C-1, was an amphibian, all subsequent models were either floatplanes or landplanes, and the type was used everywhere the Navy operated before and during the war. A total of slightly over 300 were built, including Curtiss-built SOCs and Navy-built SONs. The book outlines the history of the type’s design and service, even to the point of identifying its competitors and why they failed to make the grade. Another significant fact is that the author explains some of the aerodynamic… more |