Charles Landrum
Reviews By Author
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Browning .30 Caliber BarrelsPublished:
I continue to be amazed at the variety and quality of the product line from Master Models. I have had the pleasure to review their replacement ship gun barrels but this is the first opportunity I have had to review their aircraft accessories. This latest offering from Master Models is a pair of replacement .30 caliber barrels, perfect for the rear gun mount on most two-seater US Navy aircraft. These barrels are little jewels. Okay, I am not a machinist and so I am always impressed by quality lathe work. I was a bit astounded by the perforated cooling jackets. I will not even ask how it was done, but there had to be a computerized milling machine with an indexing arc to even space the dimples in this fine brass. Installation is easy, cut off the plastic barrel, drill a small hole and… more |
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C-47 Skytrain ExhaustPublished:
In this set Quickboost offers a drop-in replacement set of exhaust pipes for the Trumpeter C-47. This set eliminates pesky mold seams and provides a deeper more realistic exhaust opening. The exhaust pipes in the kit and the QB replacements appear to have built-in mufflers. My guess is that Trumpeter depicted a later style exhaust. The Monogram kit, on the other hand, has a short pipe with a more turned out opening. This earlier style is more appropriate for the WWII aircraft. Working on the hunch that the QB pipes are a later style, I went through my reference and I have found pictures of Vietnam era Gooney Birds with such a pipe, including the AC-47 gunships. This also includes the C-47s the Army used for VIP transport in CONUS. So if you are modeling the later aircraft, including… more |
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Mig-23 Flogger Wheel BayPublished:
Now this package is deceiving - it is marked as 1/48 scale. But Aires goofed in the printing of the packaging and these are really 1/32; if you have the Esci kit, you will instantly see the size difference. But no matter and on with the review… While there is still no state of the art Mig-23 kit in 1/48, we now have the Trumpeter one in 1/32. Typical of the large Trumpeter aircraft, the basics of the wheel wells are there and are accurate, but they lack a lot of the detail that this scale cries out for. In 1/32 scale, the wheel wells are easier to detail, but the wells of the Mig-23 are complex and it will take a lot of effort to replicate the complexity of the space. Aires to the rescue! Typical of Aires, these parts are well engineered… more |
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Mig-29A Air Intake Covers, Type CPublished:
Quickboost continues to deliver targeted resin details; designed to improve one overlooked aspect of a model, for a wide range of subjects. Here are three recent releases: Quickboost states on their website that this set is for the Trumpeter Mig-29A. Unfortunately Trumpeter has only modeled the later model Mig-29s, the –K and –M variants. So I reviewed these covers against my Mig-29K build up and Mig-29A kit. As would be expected, these covers are well molded on both sides, unlike previous products from other companies, so they can be used either on the aircraft or set off to the side. To use them, the modeler only needs to remove the parts from the casting block and glue the handles in the indentations. I found clean up easy but removal of the handles needs to be done… more |
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A-4 Skyhawk Refueling Probe (Late)Published:
Quickboost continues to deliver targeted resin details; designed to improve overlooked aspects of a model, for a wide range of subjects. This is a one piece set which provides a replacement for the later, bent refueling probe on the A-4. This part provides a clean one-piece replacement for the part on the Hasegawa A-4 without the worry of misshaping the probe or the shaft while removing the mold lines and injection pins. Plus this resin is a bit more durable than styrene and therefore subject to less breakage. The detail of the probe is better than that of the kit. If you have the perfectly fine Classic Airframes TA-4J, the kit lacks the later refueling probe, so this part makes it so you do not have to rob your Hasegawa kit. Recommended We thank Aires Hobby Models and… more |
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A-6A/E, EA-6A Refueling Probe (Early)Published:
Quickboost continues to deliver targeted resin details; designed to improve overlooked aspects of a model, for a wide range of subjects. Revell in their line of A-6 and EA-6 kits provides only a late style probe – this one piece replacement part provides the more correct early style. The detail is crisp and the probe well shaped; the modeler only needs to remove the resin pour piece at the tip. Recommended. We thank Aires Hobby Models and Quickboost for the review sample. |
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Su-7 BKL Engine Ventilation LouvrePublished:
Quickboost continues to deliver targeted resin details; designed to improve overlooked aspects of a model, for a wide range of subjects. The Su-7 is a classic Soviet aircraft; while not aesthetic it is functional in design. As typical of the period the aircraft is built around the engine with little additional room in the airframe. One of the features, designed to keep the engine cool, is a pair of intake louvers along the fuselage. In 1/48 the only option is the Kopro kit, which is, for the most part, well detailed and captures the lines of the Su-7. However, the molding is a bit heavy especially the ventilation louvers. When I built the kit, it took a lot of cleanup to make the kit pieces look passable. Having suffered through that work I was excited to see Quickboost release… more |
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A-4 Skyhawk Refueling Probe - EarlyPublished:
Quickboost continues to deliver targeted resin details; designed to improve overlooked aspects of a model, for a wide range of subjects. This is a one piece set which provides a replacement for a straight refueling probe on the Fujimi A-4. It provides a clean one-piece replacement for the A-4 without the worry of misshaping the probe or the shaft while removing the mold line. Plus this resin is a bit more durable than styrene and therefore subject to less breakage. The detail of the probe is amazing. Recommended. We thank Aires Hobby Models and Quickboost for the review sample. |
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Albatros D.I - D.Va: Legendary FighterPublished:
I am tempted to re-title this book "Albatros D.I - D.Va: Legendary Polish Fighter" because it really takes a more Eastern European perspective on this iconic family of aircraft. This is refreshing because too often books on WWI German aircraft present a Western Front perspective. The Eastern Front was a different theater with differing imperatives, challenges and solutions. Complicating the war effort was the polyglot force that made up the Austrian-Hungarian military forces, of which Poland was a part. The book takes a narrative approach to the subject, being more about the stories than technical specifications while still including the latter. It covers all of the Albatros fighters including: D.1, D.II, D.III, D.III Oeffag, D.V, D.Va, Dr.II and W.4. But the emphasis really is… more |
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F-16C/D Hellenic Falcons Decal SetPublished:
The Hellenic Air Force (HAF) is one of the major European operators of the F-16 with 157 on hand and 13 more to deliver. The HAF operates a mix of Falcons including F-16 Cs and Ds, blocks 30, 50, and 52 which means they operate both the GE and P&W engines. I have to say the HAF has one of the coolest camouflage schemes and so I was pleased to see that Two Bobs has released this sheet which covers recent block 50 and 52 F-16 Cs and Ds.This is not an extravagant sheet since it replicates the spare tactical schemes of the HAF; which means that the flashes of color are predominantly the roundels and tail band. TwoBobs gives you the option to build two complete models of the seven aircraft… more |