Chris Smith
Reviews By Author
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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 |
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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 |