Chris Smith
Reviews By Author
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2010 Ford Shelby GT 500Published:
In 1979, my teenage dream came true when I bought my third car (or I should say my Dad did after I pestered him to death), a 1965 Mustang coupe. When I was growing up, my folks bought two of these beauties brand new, a 1965 convertible and 1968 California Special. The Mustang was firmly rooted in my mind as one the coolest cars I’d ever seen. I had to have one. A testament to my Dad’s wisdom, my Mustang wasn’t the hotrod my friends had with their 289 and 302 V-8s. Mine was a straight six 200 cid with diamond tuck interior and a cheesy baby blue paint job. In retrospect, he probably saved me from getting into a lot of trouble. Over the course of the next two years I restored the car to its original factory condition, down to its Philco AM radio. As nice as it turned out, I really always… more |
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La-5/7 vs Fw 190Published:
Editor: This publication is also available from publisher as a downloadable PDF. This is number 39 in the “duel,” series from Osprey in which two well-known opposing aircraft types compared to each other in every way imaginable. This time the Lavochkin 5/ 7 series is compared to several versions of the FW 190.The focus of this clash is this book is on the eastern front between 1942 and 1945. The opposing aircraft are compared in the following categories: Chronology, Design and Development, Technical Specifications, The Strategic Situation, The Combatants, Combat, Statistics and Analysis and aftermath. The first thing that caught my attention was one of the authors; Dmitriy Khazanov is a co-author “Soviet Aircraft of the Second World War volume 1 & 2.” I have both… more |
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B-24D Liberator "Mission Centenarians"Published:
Editor's note: This build includes parts from Quickboost.net as noted below:
DedicationI would like to dedicate this model to SSGT M.G. Hobelman who served with the 376thHeavy Bombardment Group based in San Pancrazio Italy. SSGT Hobelman flew 38 combat missions from September 21, 1944 to April 15, 1945 manning the nose turret of a B24J. Thanks to his son, a good friend of mine, I had the pleasure of meeting SSGT Hobelman and sharing conversation over breakfast about what he experienced during the war. Unfortunately, “Hobie,” as he was affectionately known passed away last year. I thought often of the stories he told me during… more |
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'68 Corvette L88 "Rebel Racer"Published:
History The Chevrolet Corvette is the quintessential American sports car. Included in the numerous models produced since the cars introduction in 1953 were some very serious performance cars. The L88 version was a special order 427 big block option available for three model years 1967 to 1969. For $5000.00 you got a factory built racecar with over 500 horsepower under the hood. The subject of this kit is the 1968 (some sources say 1969) L88 powered car driven by Dave Heinz and Bob Johnson to first place at both the 12 hour Sebring and the 24hr Daytona races. Some interesting notes about this car include its Ferrari red paint, which was required because this and a sister L88 'Vette were running in two Ferrari slots just to get in the races. A backdoor agreement… more |
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Yak 3 Soviet FighterPublished:
IntroductionSoviet aircraft manufacturers, like all the other allied nations during World War II, quickly realized Germany had produced some very potent fighter planes. In response the Soviets produced some classic designs like the Lavochkhin La-7 and the subject of this review, the Yak 3. Resulting from refinements of its predecessors the Yak 7 and 9 series the Yak 3 was lightened and mated with a 1240 hp Klimov engine. The resulting aircraft out climbed and out turned its German opponents at the lower altitudes where most engagements took place in this theater. With a structure built largely of wood, the Yak 3 was a simple, rugged design typical of the Russian approach to military aircraft construction. Over 4000 were built during what Russians called the Great Patriotic… more |
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Supermarine Spitfire Mk XIIPublished:
The Spitfire certainly needs no introduction; it’s quite simply one of the most versatile and beautiful propeller driven fighters of all time. Because of that fact there has been no shortage of kit manufactures willing to produce any number of variations of this venerable design. Enter Airfix a name long associated with British aircraft models. This time we get a new release of the Spitfire Mk XII in 1/48 scale. In brief, the Mk XII was powered by the Rolls Royce Griffin engine and as a result sports some cowling bumps and a big prop spinner not seen on other variants. Couple the Griffith engine with clipped wings and you get a Spit designed to fly fast at low altitudes to counter low flying Luftwaffe fight bombers and later, V-1 buzz bombs, but enough of the history, lets have a look… more |
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Lockheed F-80 Shooting StarPublished:
History Yet another classic design from Kelly Johnson, the Lockheed F-80 was America’s first practical, jet powered fighter. I say practical because the real “first U.S. jet was the Bell P-59 which was really a transition trainer for new jet pilots, not a viable combat aircraft. The first “Shooting Star,” was produced in 141 days and flew on Jan 8, 1944. Teething issues included fuel consumption levels higher than anticipated (a common problem of early jet engines) which required hanging extra tanks under the wings. Armed with 6x 50 cal. machine guns and a stable flight profile, the F-80 proved its worth in the Korean conflict primarily as a ground support aircraft. Another distinction the F-80 claims is as the mount of the first jet powered USAF… more |
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Ferrari 458 ItaliaPublished:
Deriving its name from its country of origin, the 458 Italia is the latest from the Ferrari stable. All the usual things you would expect from a Ferrari are there including incredible performance (top speed over 200 mph) and styling that makes it look fast just standing still. There are some firsts for Ferrari including no floor shifter and direct fuel injection. The gear changes are handled by paddle shifters coupled to a dual clutch, 7-speed transmission. A former Ferrari team driver Michael Schumacher helped design the interior layout. Cooling air is introduced by some clever intakes around the headlamps and behind the rear quarter windows. Another neat innovation is the airflow vanes in the front grille that actually deflect as speed increases to reduce drag. The 458 has been in… more |
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The "Mongoose" 75 Plymouth Duster NHRA Funny CarPublished:
History “The Mongoose” is a name that conjures up a lot of memories for me. I remember the Hot Wheels renditions of the “The Snake” and “The Mongoose” as any Hot Wheels collector worth their salt had those cars in their case. What I didn’t realize at the time was the marketing savvy behind those shiny little toys cars. As it turns out, Tom McEwen, the driver of “The Mongoose,” was a master of promoting drag racing and one of the key figures in developing sponsorships that although common today, were a novel idea in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. Toms racing career would span 40 years and while he didn’t accrue the winning record of his nemesis Don Prudomme, the rivalry Tom created with the Snake and the Mongoose has become the stuff of drag racing legend.… more |
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Ilyushin IL 40-01 "Brawny"Published:
It’s hard to find words to describe this cross between the famous IL-2 Sturmovik and a T-34 tank. Like its WWII cousin, the IL 40 was born as a jet powered heavily armed and armored ground support aircraft. First flown on March 7, 1953, this beast carried 4000 pounds of armor plates protecting the crew and vital airframe components. Weapons were carried internally and on external hard points. Additional firepower consisted of four 23 mm cannons mounted on the underside and another in a remotely aimed stinger protecting the rear quadrant. This kit represents the refined prototype as the original had air intakes at the wing roots and the cannons in the nose. As many other aircraft designers discovered, cannon gasses don’t mix with jet engines and as a result the guns on the IL 40… more |