Chris Smith
Reviews By Author
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US WWII 75 Gallon Fuel TankPublished:
Brengun brings us an improved version of the metal 75 gallon drop tanks used on all types of US fighter aircraft during WWII. You get two tanks cast in resin, a PE fret with caps and a small decal sheet with labels and stencils for the tanks. Casting blocks are attached to front of each part and come off easily. A little touch up was required since the attachment points from the blocks left minor dimples and there were a few pin holes to fill. I painted the tanks aluminum per the directions. The PE caps fit the provided recesses just right. Decaling proved easy as they went down with micro set. The only gripe here is the stencil blocks are just colored stripes without writing on them. Compared to the tank from the Airfix Mustang kit, the details are much sharper. The Brengun… more |
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De Havilland Chipmunk T-10 Landing Gear (for the Airfix kit)Published:
The Chipmunk was a Canadian design that satisfied the need for a post WWII primary trainer to replace the outdated Tiger Moth and other trainers like it. First flown in November 1946, it went on to become the standard primary trainer for the RCAF and RAF. Most famous in civilian hands was the “Super Chipmunk”, flown by aerobatic legend Art Scholl. I have a personal connection to the Chipmunk as my grandfather, a flight instructor at the Montreal Flying Club, taught many a pilot to fly in what he described as a beautiful flying aircraft. SAC has provided a white metal set for the Airfix T.MK10 kit. This was the standard RAF version of the Chipmunk of which 755 were built. Per SACs usual process, these parts are a reproduction of the kit parts in white metal. Two main gear legs… more |
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M26 FlarePublished:
Before the days of night vision goggles and infrared sensors, US bombers needed a system to illuminate the target area before or during bomb release. Introduced in 1942, the M26 parachute flare was designed to do that. Designed to mount onto the same shackles used to secure bombs, this flare system was activated at release by a wire attached to the fuse on the nose. At the pre-set time, the flare would deploy a parachute and a shield that prevented the burning flare from blinding the bombardier. This model of the M26 could burn for up to three and half minutes at a brightness of 800,000 candlepower. There are a number of these empty canisters on eBay for those who collect such things. Brengun has given us a couple of these flares to add to our next 1/48 scale US bomber load out… more |
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G.91Y "Yankee"Published:
As with most fighter aircraft, they tend to get heavier as the user needs more capability than the original design can deliver. In this case, the light weight G.91 needed more range, loiter time and weapons. Enter the G.91Y. Going from a single engine to two engines, the G.91Y nearly doubled its empty and max take off weights while increasing range and navigational capabilities. External ordinance capacity increased from 1000lbs to 4000lbs. Like its predecessor, the G.91Y also competed against some of what the world had to offer in 1965 but in the end only the Italian Air Force used this aircraft. The “Yankee” version of the G.91 would serve from 1966 to 1995. This title follows a format established by these authors in numerous volumes on aircraft in Italian service. The text… more |
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We Were Never There, Volume 1: CIA U-2 Operations over Europe, the USSR and the Middle East, 1956-1960Published:
On May 1, 1960, an ex-USAF turned CIA pilot named Francis Gary Powers flying a Lockheed U-2 at 70,000 feet 800 miles east of Moscow felt and saw the results of a Soviet SA-2 missile removing the tail of his aircraft. Thus ended the first round of U-2 overflights over the Soviet Union and the time frame covered in this volume. Despite the international incident that resulted, the information gained about the state of Soviet bomber and nuclear weapon capabilities more than justified the risks taken. The author, Kevin Wright is a university professor specializing in the Cold War. This book outlines the first phase of U-2 operations from 1956 to 1960. The book opens with a brief history of how the U-2 came to be and examines the various equipment packages that the aircraft could carry.… more |
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A-10 ACES II Ejection Seat with Belts and Lambs Wool Seat CoversPublished:
Phase Hangar brings us a resin cast replacement ejection seat for most 1/48 A-10 kits. You get a cast seat and canopy breakers with a printed seat rail. This version replicates the lamb's wool cushions seen in some Hogs. Compared to the Hobby Boss and Tamiya kit seats, this set provides a replacement with substantial improvements in detail. If you want to use this with Hobby Boss kit cockpit tub, you will have to alter the bottom to fit the width. There is minor prep work in the form of sanding the bottom of the seat flat and removal of printing frame from seat rails. The canopy breakers are very scale delicate. Most impressive is the fact that the seat slides down into the seat rails just like the real thing. For those who want to add their own harnesses, Phase Hangar… more |
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A-10A/A+/C Warthog Wheel SetPublished:
This set consists of resin 3D printed main wheels and a cast nose wheel. As the product description implies, these wheels are universal for all versions and kits of the A-10 in this scale. In the attached photos, I compared these parts with the Hobby Boss kit (in grey plastic) and the older Tamiya kit (in green plastic). The main wheels require minor clean up once the printing sprues are cut away. The nose wheel sample I received had a casting flaw in the hub area that is easily fixed with some putty. Overall, these wheels are a vast improvement over the rubber wheels in the Hobby Boss and Tamiya kits. The 3D parts have a texture, but no ridge pattern sometimes exhibited in 3D printed parts. Of note is the mounting hole in the hub of all three parts needs to be drilled to the correct… more |
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A-10A/A+/C Warthog Exterior Update set 1 w/Wingtip Covered Chaff/ Flare Dispensers for Hobby BossPublished:
Among the numerous update sets Phase Hangar has produced for the Hobby Boss kit comes this exterior upgrade that includes replacement wing tips and tail cone. Covered chaff dispensers are featured under these wing tips as well as missile launch detectors. These parts also spare you the chore of closing the joint in the curved underside of the wing present on the kit molding. In addition, this set includes a replacement tail cone with updated detectors in place. Both parts require plastic removal from the base kit. Both fall on panel lines so you have a guide for cutting. The only caution I would note is squaring up the wing end on the kit part to make sure the new wing tip is positioned correctly. There is also a second exterior upgrade set (#48110) that includes… more |
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A-10A/A+/C Warthog Engine Inlet/Update Set for Hobby BossPublished:
Phase Hangar provides a nice upgrade of the engine inlet for all A-10 variants. Before we get deeper into using this set, the inlet parts Hobby Boss provides are impressively thin and detailed for injection molded parts. However, A-10 builders always encounter the same issue, how to mask and paint the inlet interiors, fan blades and center cones. Phase Hangar has solved those issues by separating these parts making access and painting a lot easier. That’s not the only advantage of this set. The fan blades are scale thin with gaps that allow a view of the structures behind. As with other complex Phase Hangar sets, the instructions are provided on their website and include detailed descriptions and photos to modify the kit parts for a realistic view behind those beautiful fans.… more |
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A-10A/A+/C Warthog Exhaust cone/Turbine update Set for Hobby BossPublished:
The Hobby Boss 1/48 A-10 kit can make up into an impressive kit right out of the box. As with another production kits however, it has some areas that need detail upgrades to represent the aircraft in scale. One of those areas in this kit are the engine exhausts. The Hobby Boss parts C8 & C9 make up the turbine section of the engine. There is no internal detail so you end up with a black hole inside the exhaust. Luckily, Phase Hangar has developed a solution. This detail set includes one piece -3D printed exhaust cones with amazing surface detail inside and outside. Two other parts create the internal turbine details one would see if looking into the exhaust of the real thing. Phase Hangar provides detailed instructions online that take the builder through the steps to… more |