Chris Durden
Reviews By Author
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M1078 LMTV Special Forces “War Pig” Detail Set, Part 2Published:
Prior to starting this conversion, I recommend gathering as many pictures of the “Warpig” as possible, as there are subtle differences between individual vehicles based on the preferences of the crews. Construction of the donor kit (Trumpeter’s LMTV) begins with the chassis and suspension. This portion is straightforward with only a few added detail parts from the conversion. At each wheel, some extra brake (?) cylinders are to be added, with the brake cable to be provided by the modeler (I used thin solder wire). The Pro Art instructions are a bit vague regarding exact placement; I found the in-progress pictures on the Pro Art website to be helpful during this step (and during subsequent construction). Pay particular attention to the placement of the fuel tanks and tool boxes… more |
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Rumpler C. IV LatePublished:
Having established themselves as the leading manufacturer of WWI aviation kits, Wingnut Wings continues their program of releasing quality kits of previously unavailable subjects in 1/32 scale. The Rumpler C. IV Late does not disappoint in the slightest, providing an intricate model that is a joy to build. Boxed in their trademark sturdy box with beautiful box art by Steve Anderson, there are 12 sprues containing 255 parts (around 32 are not used). As with previous releases, the detail and molding quality are first rate and flash free. A small PE fret is included with parts to detail the machine guns and cockpit. There are also 3 huge decal sheets included for 5 different aircraft – 2 entire sheets of lozenge decals are worth noting because they are designed specifically to fit… more |
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M1078 LMTV Special Forces 'War Pig' Detail Set, Part 1Published:
“Cry ham hock! And let slip the hogs of war!” Okay, so I misquoted Shakespeare, but the sentiment is appropriate for the latest Pro Art Models release. As used by US Special Forces, the ‘War Pig’ is a cross between Pimp My Ride; Extreme Makeovers, and the Road Warrior. The War Pig is designed as a communication and supply vehicle for various small Special Forces vehicles deployed in the field. If that seems familiar, think of the LRDG trucks that served a similar support function for the SAS in the Western desert. Basically a chopped down LMTV, the trucks are fitted with a basic set of modifications and then turned over to individual units for final fitting out, depending on mission and the crew. Designed to fit the Trumpeter base LMTV kit (#01004), the Pro Art Models… more |
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Arado Ar-196 Armament SetPublished:
At least to me, Master Model has been putting out some of the most affordable gun barrel upgrades in the industry without sacrificing detail. This set is no exception, providing a quick upgrade to the armaments on what is already a well detailed kit. The set includes barrels for both guns, cooling jackets, ring sights and their mounts (extras included) – don’t overlook the tiny turned bead for the handheld MG either (mine almost was eaten by the carpet monster). When compared to the kit parts, you can see the difference in refined detail and size. Both of the kit-supplied barrels look clunky in comparison. No other modifications are really required aside from replacing the barrels on the kit parts, so it couldn’t be any easier. Recommended without reservation. … more |
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Italian Street ScenePublished:
Dioramas Plus was founded in 2008 and has been producing 1/35 bases and buildings for the diorama builder. These products are plaster cast and quite robust. When the box arrived I could tell that just walking it up my driveway tired the mailman out it was so heavy (OK, so maybe I exaggerate). Upon opening the box I found the content wrapped carefully in bubble wrap and an examination of the parts revealed no broken bits. You get 4 main cast pieces consisting of the walls and the street base; a thin wood laser cut sheet with window frames and a door, a clear sheet with holes and jagged edges for the window glass and a bag of loose bricks as well as some large debris piles cast as one piece. I was extremely impressed with the quality of the castings – the relief and detail is excellent… more |
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Roland D.VIaPublished:
How to write a Wingnut Wings review:
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M7 Priest ‘Mid-Production’ Smart KitPublished:
Dragon has countered Academy’s recent M7 release with their own excellent release of a mid-production Priest with a combination of the early suspension and additional armor. Coming in the usually sized Dragon box, this kit only clocks in with 260 parts as there are no individual track links or many left-over parts. Those of you used to many of Dragon’s German subject that fatten the spares box will be disappointed with only about 10 left over parts! An entire sprue utilizes common parts from the previously released 105mm gun. The moldings are crisp and flash free with fine detail. The DS tracks are also well detailed and really pop when painted and weathered. I really won’t have much to say about assembly except that it was straightforward with excellent fit of the parts. … more |
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MC.200 SaettaPublished:
Italeri has been releasing more Italian WWII subjects in both 1/72 and 1/48 scales over the past several years, with mixed success. Several were excellent kits such as the CR.42 and the SM.82 while others, like the most recent Re.2002, were poorly received by some modelers. The recent release of the MC.200 has drawn some negative pre-release publicity as well as comparisons to the well done PCM kit released earlier. Being a sucker for anything in splotchy camouflage, I jumped at the opportunity to try the kit for myself, and found a solid effort with good points and some bad points as well. The kit contains a total of 86 parts in clear and grey plastic, and a small fret of photoetch parts for the cockpit and landing gear. The recessed panel lines are deep and crisp, although I… more |
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Spitfire E Wing – Late Hispano 20mm Cannon and .50 Cal FairingsPublished:
Master Model produces some finely turned brass barrels for aircraft and ships in a variety of scales. One of their latest offerings is a barrel set for the Spitfire ‘e’ wing. There are a total of 6 parts – 2 cannon barrels, 2 fairings and 2 .50 caliber barrels. The .50 cal barrels are designed to fit snugly in their fairings, which they do exactly. The barrels are perfectly turned, the details are very fine and will avoid the issues associated with eliminating molding seams , such as ending up with an oval shaped cannon fairing (been there, done that). I pulled out the kit barrels from the latest Tamiya Mk. VIII as well as the wing and barrels from the Pacific Coast Models Mk. IX for comparison’s sake. The Tamiya cannon are very finely detailed themselves down to the drilled out… more |
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North African HousePublished:
MiniArt has continued adding to their impressive array of buildings and accessories with the diorama builder in mind. Their latest offering takes them to the North African / Mediterranean theatre with the “North African House”. At 130 parts, this kit comes in a large box with multiple sheets of vacuformed parts and 3 sprues of injection molded detail parts (most of which will end up in the spares box as extras. My sample kits had a “bonus figure” set which unfortunately were not applicable for the building setting (although I am sure that the German “Stalingrad ’42” figures wished they were in North Africa during the Russian winter). Make no mistake; this is a substantial kit that makes up into a large building. I don’t usually build vacuform kits, but I thought that I would… more |