Chris Smith
Reviews By Author
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A Storm of Spears - Understanding the Greek Hoplite at WarPublished:
Have you ever struggled over a problem or edited your own writing, only to have someone look at it and see the thing that you couldn’t find or solve in seconds? That’s how I felt reading this book. The Greeks dominated the fourth and fifth century BC battlefields with the Phalanx form of warfare, which combined the use of specially armed and armored soldiers (or Hoplites) in specialized formations. As the title implies, the author has taken a fresh look at old evidence of ancient Greek writers and artists and coupled that with modern research, primarily in the form of re-enactors who put on the Panopy, (or armor) and the weapons – in this case, the thrusting spear of the Greek solders – and tests his theories of methods and tactics. In the process, some interesting and groundbreaking… more |
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E-2C Hawkeye - VAW 126 SeahawksPublished:
Overview Since its entry into Navy service in January of 1969, the Hawkeye has been the carrier-borne “eye in the sky” of the fleet. First flown October 21, 1969, the E-2 series has participated in every US combat action since Vietnam. After a rough start due to some teething problems with the electronics on board, the E-2 series is ready to serve into the foreseeable future in the form of the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye. This model represents the E-2C series serving with VAW 126, The Seahawks. The Seahawks began operations with the Hawkeye back in April, 1969. The squadron has served around the world aboard 8 different carriers. Sporting an upgraded electronics suite and the wicked looking scimitar propellers, the E-2C has a utilitarian look that matches its mission… more |
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P-40 E/K Warhawk “Flying Tigers”Published:
Overview Since as long as I can remember, I’ve been fascinated by the stories of the WWII fighter aces. One of the earliest images I can recall is the famous picture of Robert L. Scott sitting in his P-40 cockpit giving the A-OK sign in front of his kill marks painted under the windscreen. That picture personified the daring fighter pilots of WWII for me. The Flying Tigers were a daring group of American pilots who gave up commissions in the US military to fight as mercenaries for the Chinese government. The Chinese people gave them the name Flying Tigers since the tiger is a symbol of strength in Chinese culture. Led by crusty General Clare Chennault, the American Volunteer Group (AVG) amassed 286 victories between December 18, 1941 and July 4, 1942. On July 4… more |
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Pirate Ship "Black Swan" Part ThreePublished:
Well, the Black Swan has set sail! In the process, I’ve developed a new appreciation for all those shipwrights out there, especially those who build from scratch! But I digress; in this final installment ,we’ll cover steps 37 to 61. The MastsFirst up, the masts, of which there are three: the main or largest mast, the fore mast, and the mizzen or rear-most mast. The mast assemblies are molded in halves with hollow centers. One of the tricks I learned is that plastic ship masts require some added strength in the form of a metal tube or rod inside the hollow space. I chose brass rod to reinforce mine. The only modification you have to do to make this work is to remove the pins at the point where the mast sections overlap (called doubling). The pin is removed and a hole… more |
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Lighting F Mk. 6 ComboPublished:
Overview The British Electric Lighting served 34 years from its first flight on August 30, 1954 to its retirement from service on April 30, 1988. One of the more spectacular fighters of the cold war era, the Lighting is remembered for its amazing take offs that pitched up to the vertical soon after lift off. This was not a feat common to aircraft of the period. The Mk 6 was the last of the Lighting models to serve the RAF. It had wings plumbed for over wing fuel tanks to extend range and was fitted with two 30mm cannons in the forward belly bulge. This version of the Lighting was a common sight to Russian Bear pilots who regularly poked near British airspace just to see if someone was paying attention. I’m sure it was a sad day indeed for the members of No. 11… more |
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Pirate Ship "Black Swan" Part TwoPublished:
Hull AssemblyWe left off last time with a big box of parts just waiting for the magic of modeling to happen to them. I’m happy to report that things are moving along. In this installment, we get to step 36 of 61 in the instructions. It seemed like a good place to report, since the masts and rigging begin in earnest after that, so you won’t have as open a view of the deck. Before any parts are cut lose and glue uncapped, you have to make some decisions about colors. The instructions list seven colors in the Testors range. The photos on the box show a pristine ship with an off white hull representing a lead-based antifouling coating used on war ships. Since this is (according to my story) a cargo ship turned pirate ship, I elected to show the lower hull in off-black or a pitch… more |
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Pirate Ship "Black Swan" Part OnePublished:
Ahoy, Mates! Welcome to the first installment of Zvezda’s 1/72 Pirate Ship “Black Swan.” One of the things I love about review team duty is the chance to try subjects I wouldn’t normally build. This is one of them. In fact, this is my first attempt at building a sailing ship. I think I’ve avoided it because, like biplanes, there’s usually a lot of rigging. Just can’t imagine building models over a lifetime and never building a sailing ship, so here goes! I’m not up on all the proper terms, so I hope the pictures show what I can’t describe. After discussing the origin of this kit with a few of my IPMS friends on the forum, we concluded this kit is a reissue of Captain Jack Sparrow’s “Black Pearl” from Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean series. Licensing issues with… more |
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Hawker Tempest ExhaustsPublished:
Just like the company name implies, this a quick boost for the exhausts on the old Eduard 1/48 Hawker Tempest kit. Like the other products I’ve reviewed from this company, they are very well done and easy to remove from the casting blocks. I must admit, I requested these because, during the sanding phase of this project, I broke some of the stock exhaust stubs off. The kit parts and these replacements are installed from the inside before closing the fuselage halves. I was too far along to do it that way so, after chopping out the old stubs and trying to level the plate behind them, this is as close as I could get. There is no doubt in my mind they will fit perfectly when properly installed. I give this set a ten out of ten for saving me the trouble of drilling out the… more |
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Lavochkin La-5FN Detail SetsPublished:
IntroductionWhile it’s primarily remembered for the massive clash of armor on the ground, the battle of Kursk was also the debut a new Soviet fighter that would eventually help wrest control of the sky from the Luftwaffe’s Fw190 and Me109. That was the Lavochkin La-5/7 series of fighters. An offspring of the earlier LaGG-3 fighter, the La-5 was born when the inline engine of its protégée was replaced by a 14-cylinder M-82 radial engine. In spite of early teething problems that resulted in a redesigned cowling and the reduction of armament to 2 x 20 mm ShVAK cannons, the La-5 proved more than a match for the heavier Fw190A-4/5 series. The La-5FN was equipped with a fuel injected M-82FN radial, further improving its performance. Many Soviet aces, including Ivan Kozhedub (62… more |
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2010 Ford Shelby GT 500Published:
IntroductionIf this subject looks familiar to you, it should. This is the smaller brother of Revell’s 1/12 scale monster I reviewed a few months ago. If you want to know my history with the Mustang, please see that review. In short, I’ve been a Mustang fan since I was a kid, especially Shelby Mustangs. Yes, this is the car that, when it was introduced as a 1964½, started the “pony car” craze that’s been carried on since by the Mustang, Camaro, and Firebird. The Shelby name needs no introduction to car fans and most anyone else. Shelby Mustangs have established a race-proven record of performance. Combine that with basic good looks and the now traditional double racing stripes and you’ve got an unmistakable classic. The KitThis appears to be a scaled-down… more |