Chris Martin
Reviews By Author
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Freightliner Heavy Dump TruckPublished:
SummaryThis kit represents a vehicle from the 1970’s-1980’s era as the dump body doesn’t have a rear door and lacks a debris/dust tarp. Today vehicles like this are only seen in use in quarries and not on the road. If one were to include a rear door could easily be scratch-built from styrene sheet and strip and debris/dust tarp made from styrene rod and Kleenex for a tarp. BackgroundThe following is excerpted from the instruction sheet. The renowned US Portland-based company "Freightliner Trucks", which operates in the industrial vehicle sector and is owned by the automotive giant Daimler, is mainly known for being one of the key manufacturers of trucks used for "on road" transportation roles. However, it is also important to recognize the… more |
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Structure/Infrastructure: Brick Paint SetPublished:
About Tru-Color PaintTru-color paint was formed by Rick Galazzo and Scott Cohen in 2008 in Phoenix, AZ. Tru-color paints are a solvent based paint. For those modelers out there who are also model railroaders, Tru-color is a reformulation of the old Accupaint formulation, modified to flow better and give a more glossy appearance after drying. There is currently over 600 colors in 7 separate product lines; railroad paints, naval ships, military armor, military aircraft, automotive colors, sprayable (air-brush ready) matte-finish colors and brush able flat-finish colors. Individual colors come in 1-oz. and 2-oz plastic jars. The SetTru-color paint set “TCP-10502: Brick” contains five brick colors and a light primer in 1-oz. bottles. There is… more |
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Acrylic Paint: Fire TrucksPublished:
About ICM PaintsWater-based acrylic paints by ICM. Paints are prepared for brush, for airbrush dilute it with water or ICM Thinner. The range includes 77 base colors, but colors can be mixed with each other to easily achieve a desired shade. The paint is stable after drying. A wide assortment of paint sets are also available. The SetICM acrylic paint set “Item 3031: Fire Trucks” contains six basic colors for use on most any type of fire truck. The front of the box has artwork of the AR-2 (43105) Special Fire Hose Truck. A small square of the six colors provided in the set appears in the lower right. The top has a photo of the six bottles. The rear of the box shows color callouts for an AR-2 (43105) Special Fire Hose Truck. Instructions for use are printed… more |
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AR-2 (43105) Special Fire Hose TruckPublished:
SummaryThe kit is an extremely well detailed version of the civilian AR-2 (43105) 6x6 in service as a special fire hose truck. The model has a complete chassis with a full engine, a well detailed cab, and a fire hose box with outstanding exterior detail. The fire hose box itself is empty. So if one wanted to display the doors open an interior would need to be fabricated. BackgroundThe following is excerpted from the instruction sheet. The special fire hose truck AR-2 (43105) is designed for mechanized laying of fire hose lines from the fire site to a water source. The vehicle is based on the off-road KAMAZ-43105 6x6 chassis. A specially prepared chassis is fitted with an all-metal body with side and rear doors. Inside, the body is divided into two… more |
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German Sd.Kfz. 173 Jagdpanther Ausf. G1Published:
SummaryThe kit builds up into a nice replica of the Jagdpanther Ausf G1. And while it has some odd points the overall look is spot on. The model is well detailed, but one must watch for option call-outs for the different vehicles. The parts layout and build sequence is simple and straight forward. BackgroundThe Jagdpanther G-1 was a dedicated tank destroyer based on the chassis of the Panther Ausf A. Armed with the formidable 88mm Pak 43 anti-tank gun, it first entered service in early 1944. Serving on both the Western and Eastern fronts, the Jagdpanther was capable of disabling any tank of the period, up to and including the heavily armed and armored Soviet IS-2. However, like many German innovations, it was too little, too late. With only 415… more |
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U.S. Army Diamond T Vehicles in World War IIPublished:
BackgroundThis Casemate Illustrated Special Series is the sixth issue in the series. Other books cover ambulances and medical vehicles of WWII, Chevrolet Trucks of WWII, U.S. Army vehicle markings 1944, and U.S. Army Signal Corps vehicles 1941-45. From Review InsertBetween 1940 and 1945, Diamond T Motor Car Company supplied just over 50,000 vehicles to the US military, and also to the Allies. Of this, just over 30,000 were heavy 4-ton 6x6 trucks of varying types: cargo, tow truck, pontoon carrier, engineer, cartographic, etc. The “Diamond” would serve in all theaters of operations, wherever its robustness and reliability were necessary to complete the mission. Due to its expertise, Diamond T also produced the famous half-track, with more than 10,000… more |
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Airmark In Profile & In Scale; Modellers Airguide #3, Lockheed S-3 VikingPublished:
BackgroundPhoenix Publications is a partnership of four people whose combined experience equals over 100 years working in both the aviation and modelling press. After so many years working for others, we have come together as equal partners in this new venture, with each partner bringing their own unique talents. This Modellers Airguide is the third issue in a current set of four. Airguide #1 covers the McDonnel F3H Demon, Airguide #2 is on the Dassault Rafale, while Airguide #4 covers the Dassault Super Etendard. What You GetThis is a soft bound edition in European A4 size (8¼ by 11 5/8 or 210 x 296 mm) with a gloss front and rear cover. At only 38 pages this is far from an exhaustive treatise on the S-3. But it does have some interesting… more |
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SPAD XIII c1 WWI French FighterPublished:
SummaryLet me start by sending sincerest sympathies to the family and friends of Valery Grygorenko the illustrator for Roden Models. I learned through my local hobby shop that he was killed in the ongoing war in Ukraine Like most Great War fighters this is a relatively uncomplicated kit. There are some issues that one needs to be careful with during construction, but nothing so complicated that an average modeler cannot overcome. One of the biggest trouble spots was with shallow or limited gluing surfaces. So have your CA cement handy for this one. BackgroundIn 1916 a new generation of German fighters threatened to win air superiority over the Western Front. The French aircraft company, Société pour l'Aviation et ses Dérives (SPAD), responded by… more |
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WWII RAF AirfieldPublished:
SummaryThis can be considered a “diorama-in-a-box” in that it contains everything one would need to create a nice airfield diorama. There are some frustrating fit issues, so I would recommend this kit to any modeler with a good dose of patience. BackgroundThe Spitfire MkVII airframe was based off of the MkV. It incorporated the improved Merlin 61 series engine. It was designed as a high-altitude interceptor and thus had a pressurized cockpit. It also had extended wing tips and the later large (pointed) rudder. The MkIX was a later variant incorporating the Merlin 66 and later engines. Armament consisted of two 20mm Hispano cannon in the inboard position and four .303 browning machine guns in the outer positions. While most had the standard round… more |
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Opel Blitz Radio TruckPublished:
SummaryThis appears to be a re-issue of an older kit. While the level of detail is okay, the details themselves are a bit soft. The parts layout and build sequence is simple and straight forward. Anyone with a kit or two experience should not have any troubles with the few issues I encountered. BackgroundThe Opel Blitz was the "working mule" of the Wehrmacht during World War II. It was deployed on all fronts in multiple variations. Thanks to the sturdy frame, robust rigid axles with leaf springs and twin back wheels the Opel Blitz could carry a payload of over 3 tons. While the most popular version was a rear-wheel-drive 4x2, a 4x4 version was operated in both Russia and North Africa. A model with the rear wheels replaced with tracks also saw action in the… more |