Chris Smith
Reviews By Author
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Model A Standard Phaeton Soft Top (1930s) with US Cars of the 1930s-1940s Paint SetPublished:
ICM continues to bring us modern tooled kits of subject’s modelers really want. Produced from 1927 to 1932, the Ford Model A followed up on the success of the model T. Several body styles were mounted on a chassis powered by a four-cylinder 201 cubic inch engine making 40hp. Coupled with a three-speed manual transmission, the Model A was capable of speeds up to 65mph. Almost five million Models were sold in the US when production ended in 1932. In what I hope will be the first of many versions, ICM has given us a two row Phaeton convertible. The parts are molded in ICMs standard soft grey plastic, and the quality of the engineering is superb. Everything is scale thin and will requires very careful removal from the runners. If you manage to get those parts off with out damaging… more |
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Dassault Mirage F1, Warpaint Series No. 142Published:
This is the latest release in the Warpaint series of aircraft books from Guideline Publishers. The format follows the other titles in this series and includes 156 pages of color and B/W photos, color side views and line drawings in 1/72 scale. Although this volume is dominated by pictures, there is a history of the F-1s development and operational history of all the operators who used this aircraft. The book is current including a description of an F-1 flying for Draken International that crashed earlier this year right here in Las Vegas. As a modeling reference, this book has a lot to offer. Between the photographs and color side views, you can piece together just about any paint scheme for any country that used it. There are line drawings in 1/72 scale showing most of the… more |
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Extra EA 330L (Four-blade Prop)Published:
This is a reissue of the Brengun Extra 300L with new markings and sporting a four-bladed prop. Introduced in 1988, Walter Extras' creation is a mainstay in the aerobatic training and competition world. Regular readers of this site will recognize this subject had been done before by me a few years ago (see Extra 300L/330LC published May 3, 2022). This time around I was provided the base kit. Brengun does make a PE set, vacuform canopy, and canopy masks for this kit. There are separate reviews for each on this site. This kit consists of a single sprue molded in grey plastic. There are no locating pins or tabs as this is a short-run injection kit. An injected canopy is included as well as a decal sheet with three options on it. Two of those versions will require some masking and… more |
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3D Printed "Finishing" Caddy w/ Micro Sol/Set SpotsPublished:
If you use the Micro Set/Sol combination for decal work like I have for years then you have (if you're honest), tipped the small round bottles they come in. While there are some other holders out there, Charles Plastic Models has given us a truly useful combination holder. Not only are there inserts for the Micro decal solutions, but this product also includes a port for the round Solvaset bottle and two bays for the square decal set bottles from Tamiya or Mr. Hobby. Several panel liner and weather solutions also come in the same size square bottles. Behind these are openings for brushes, tools, and anything else you use for decals and liners. Each of the openings is sized to allow easy insertion of the bottles and the bottom of the holder is rough textured to keep it from… more |
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F-84F ThunderstreakPublished:
The Republic F-84F was an attempt to increase the performance of the already proven straight wing F-84 versions. Although it had sleek lines and looked like a fighter, it was plagued by the same problem most aircraft of the era had, a lack of powerful jet engine technology. Despite its short comings, the Thunderstreak was pressed into service with the USAF and numerous NATO countries mainly as a stop gap till better aircraft replaced it. This is a new tool kit of the F-84F and it’s impressive. The box top lures us in with some beautiful artwork of an F-84F from the 20th Fighter Bomber Wing. This is one of the three marking options offered. The other two are the commanding officer of the 401st Fighter Bomb Wing (FBW) and a jet from the 511 FBW. All three… more |
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T-2 Buckeye "Anniversary Markings"Published:
This is a re-boxing of the Two Bobs kit first released in 2009. Special Hobby has since issued three versions. In this the “Anniversary Markings”, version we get a US Navy bird celebrating the American Bicentennial and a Greek AF, T-2 marked to commemorate 40 years of service with that organization. The T-2 first flew in 1958 and was the backbone of the Navies jet training syllabus till its replacement in 2008. The Hellenic or Greek AF received a total of 40 T-2Es and is just now in the process of phasing the last out of service. Venezuela also used this venerable trainer. In total 609 were built giving thousands of military aviators their first experience of jet flight. In this boxing comes a combination of injected plastic (including canopy), cast resin, color photoetch, canopy… more |
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B.M.W. 320 Group 5Published:
Italeri offers us a reissue of a kit first released in 1977 by ESCI. The B.M.W. 320 ran in a new group 5 class introduced in 1976. Regarded by driving enthusiasts as one of the best cars ever made, the three series was a natural for conversion to racing. Group five rules allowed wider body width which in turn allowed wider tires. This car ran a two-liter turbo charged engine making 300 horsepower. In this boxing you get the number 57 car driven by Markus Hottinger at the Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft (DRM) Norisring circuit, Nuremberg in 1978. Molded in nearly the correct color are 44 parts for the body and chassis. A chrome sprue includes the wheels and grille center. Clear parts represent the glass all in one piece and the tail-lights. Four racing slicks and a nice decal… more |
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Recreational Vehicles, A World History 1872-1939Published:
A good book takes you to places you’ve never been and opens your perspective in ways you might never have considered. This book does just that with an object so ubiquitous that we don’t really notice them, the recreational vehicle or RV. Andrew Woodmansey has written a book that takes us on a worldwide historical journey tracing the origin and development of these vehicles. A Recreational Vehicle is defined in this book as “a road vehicle that contains sleeping facilities and is used for leisure”. As the author points out, human beings are at our core wanderers. The industrial revolution tied people to living close to their work, but it also eventually provided the leisure time and money to venture away from home. While that consisted of pitching a tent at first, the desire to… more |
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Copper Wings, British South Africa Police Reserve Air Wing, Volume 2Published:
In volume one we followed the exploits of the Police Reserve Air Wings (PRAW) operating in Rhodesia from 1967 to the last 1970s. These units supported the Rhodesian police by providing air support in countering resistance units that were attempting to force independence from British control. Although that goal was achieved in 1980, PRAW operated until the early 2000s. This volume covers PRAW operations from the mid 1970s till they ceased operations. Like the first volume, the story is told in words and pictures that included excerpts from “The Outpost Magazine”, a journal published by PRAW. As the fighting grew more intense, so did the level of weaponry carried by PRAW aircraft. This escalation is advertised on the cover photo showing a Beech Bonanza with gun pods, and inside Cessna… more |
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Copper Wings, British South Africa Police Reserve Air Wing, Volume 1Published:
I was attracted to this volume because I'm a private pilot and have flown several of the aircraft types in this book. The story is set in Colonial South Africa, Rhodesia (now Botswana), to be exact. Like many of the British Colonial territories after WWII, the native populations began to demand independence from the Commonwealth. The methods employed to achieve this goal created conflict that was deadly at times. The Rhodesian Police couldn’t operate over the vast area it covered without air support. Lacking the money to purchase aircraft and maintain a cadre of pilots, they turned to the local population recruiting local pilots and their privately owned aircraft. From 1967 to 2000 these units called the Police Air Reserve Wings or PRAW preformed that mission. The fleet of… more |