Chris Smith
Reviews By Author
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Air National Guard F-106A/B Part 1Published:
The F-106 served active duty Air Force squadrons from 1959 to 1981. As the aircraft were replaced with the new F-15A, those Darts were relegated to six Air National Guard, Fighter Interceptor Squadrons (FIS). Those squadrons used the F-106 until their final retirement in 1988. Three of those units are the subjects of this release from Caracal Models. The zip lock bag contains four sheets of decals that include every marking needed to finish your F-106 with the exception of the weapon stencils and instrument panels. For that you’ll need to use the kit decals. You get decals for a single seat and a two-seat version from each of the following units.
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F-106A Delta DartPublished:
IntroductionThe F-106 was a direct development of the F-102 first conceived of in 1951. This supersonic all weather interceptor had a number of advanced features for its time including fully enclosed weapons bay and a delta wing platform. The F-106 further developed the concept with a more powerful Pratt and Whiney J75 engine and the unique area rule or coke bottle fuselage that enabled the F-106 to reach twice the speed of sound. The F-106 was equipped with the first guided missiles used by the USAF. The Aim 4E was semi radar guided and the Aim 4G was a heat seeker. The aircraft could also carry nuclear weapons. The F-106 never saw combat but did intercept countless Soviet bombers over the course of its career. They served over 20 years with the USAF and 16 years with… more |
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F-106 Delta Dart Landing GearPublished:
Yet another landing gear set from our friends at Scale Aircraft Conversions (SAC). Like the other sets I’ve used these are an exact reproduction of the kit parts in white metal. My first impression every time I use SAC parts is they look rough in the package but are indistinguishable from the kit parts once painted and installed. This set is no different. I have to confess up front, I had started the kit before I saw this on the review list so I couldn’t use the whole set. The nose gear leg cannot be added after the fuselage is together so I missed the boat on that one. As for the main gear legs I decided to do one of each to see if any difference is apparent, there isn’t. I could go either way on this set. The real F-106 had a very robust landing gear design that Trumpeter has… more |
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Martin-Handasyde 1911Published:
BackgroundH.P. Martin and George Handasyde were an aircraft and motorcycle manufacturer from 1908 to 1922. The subject of this kit was one of their first efforts and appears to represent the third version of this aircraft. I base that on the 40hp J.A.P. engine that is fitted to this kit. This aircraft strongly resembled the French Antoinette including the odd twin wheel controls in the earlier versions. Those were abandoned after criticism from early test flights. Controls were modified to a control wheel with fore and aft motion for the elevators and wing wrapping controlled by turning the wheel. A bar controlled the rudder. Of interest on this design is the simplified construction of the landing gear and wing warp rigging. Both shared a common post that extended… more |
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MiG-21RPublished:
BackgroundIn December 1979 armed forces of the former United Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR), entered the country of Afghanistan under the auspices of a treaty signed with the newly formed Afghan government. The Soviets goal was to provide support and stability for the new regime. After establishing themselves in the major cities, the campaign became a reactive back and forth with the Afghan rebels known as the Mujahedeen. Before 1986 air superiority was assured as the Hind 24s and Su 25s could survive anything the rebels could shoot at them. In 1986 the U.S. indirectly provided the “freedom fighters”’ with stinger missiles. With aircraft loses averaging one per day, the USSR would eventually pull out of the conflict and demobilize. The 263rd Independent… more |
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Deperdussin 1911Published:
BackgroundArmand Deperdussin made a living as a silk broker but with the help of his technical advisor and designer Louis Bechereau, he built a number of interesting aircraft including the subject of this kit. The 1911 Deperdussin shared some similarities with its contempories such as a monoplane layout with conventional control surfaces except for wing warping in lieu of ailerons, its very shallow fuselage section characterized the Deperdussin. The pilot looked more like he was sitting on top of the aircraft then in it. This particular example was powered by a 50 HP Gnome Omega rotary engine. The really cool thing about this aircraft is that a real example survives in the Shuttleworth collection in England and numerous utube videos show it in flight. The Kit… more |
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P-51K MustangPublished:
BackgroundOn November 27, 1944 a 21-year-old Captain named Leonard “Kit” Carson was leading a flight of Mustangs on a mission to strafe oil reserve stores at Leipzig. As they approached the area of Magdeburg, Germany a large group of 50-75 Fw190s was spotted. The squadron dropped their long-range tanks and turned to attack the Focke Wulfs head on. In a series of turning, diving and climbing dogfights Carson managed to down five of them. By wars end, then Major Carson would fly 115 combat missions and score 18 ½ aerial kills with an overall score of 23 with ground kills included. Carson flew four different Mustangs called “Nooky Booky” including P-51K 411622 depicted in this review. I don’t think anymore of an introduction is needed for this legendary aircraft. The… more |
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Bleriot Monoplane 1910Published:
BackgroundOn July 25, 1909 Louis Bleriot assembled a tiny monoplane of his own design on a farm in Les Baraques, France. Weighing in at 500 lbs. and powered by a 25 HP Anzani three cylinder motorcycle engine, the airplane was the picture of utility. Still limping from a recent crash (one of many Bleriot had) he climbed into the monoplane after a short warm up flight and set out across the English Channel. 37 ½ minutes later flying at speeds up to 42 mph per hour at an altitude of 260 feet, Bleriot spotted the white cliffs of Dover and threaded his way through a gap in them to crash land on English soil. His goal in accomplishing this feat was not the prize money that totaled 20,000 dollars, but Bleriot wanted to sell airplanes and did he ever. As a result of the fame gained… more |
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Mirage III BE/BD/DS/D2Z Kit and Detail Set for IIIS/RS/DS VersionsPublished:
IntroductionThe Mirage III’s history has been well covered in numerous other places, so I won’t dwell on it. Suffice it to say, it was introduced into service in 1961 and proved its worth in the hands of the Israeli Air Force in the 1967 Six-Day War and the 1973 Yom Kipper War. It’s been used by 20 of the world’s air forces, and it is, quite frankly, one of the most elegant fighters ever designed. The KitPJ Productions’ two-seat Mirage kit can be built in one of four versions. I also had the opportunity to update this kit with a conversion set from PJ that builds a better Mirage IIIDS or two other Swiss variants. The base kit is very nice. You get the standard sprues in grey plastic and some resin replacement parts, which include all the cockpit details (… more |
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Lockheed A-12Published:
The story of the Lockheed A-12 began with a bright orange fireball 70,000 feet over Sverdlovsk in the Soviet Union. This explosion, 1500 miles deep into Russian territory, would start a diplomatic crisis with repercussions that directly impacted the A-12 and SR-71 operations for the rest of their service lives. That explosion severed the tail from a Lockheed U-2 reconnaissance aircraft and sent the pilot, Francis Gary Powers, plummeting into the hands of the Soviet authorities. After the U.S. broadcasted a cover story assuming Powers had died, the Soviets revealed they had parts of the plane and Powers in their custody. This caused then U.S. President Eisenhower to do two things, stop all over flights and find a way to make the U-2 invisible to radar. While some efforts where made to… more |