Chris Smith
Reviews By Author
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MiG-25 PDPublished: May 14, 2021 Seldom does a military aircraft gain a reputation the way the MiG 25, NATO codename “Foxbat”, did. When it entered service in 1970, little was known in the west other than grainy satellite photos and radar tracks that showed impressive speeds at high altitude. It was originally developed as a counter to the American XB-70 Valkyrie bomber, Western analysts believed the MiG 25 was a highly… more |
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Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II, The “Warthog” Ground Attack AircraftPublished: May 1, 2021 This book has personal significance to me. As a member of the 23Tactical Fighter Wing in the early 1980s, I got to see A-10s doing their thing including firing that incredible gun at the local gunnery range. The A-10s path to service and continued operations has not been an easy one. After the experiences of WWII where the Ju87 Stuka, IL-2 Shturmovik and P-47 Thunderbolt proved the… more |
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Fiat CR 42 FalcoPublished: April 22, 2021 The Battle of Britain (BOB) brings to mind Spitfires and Hurricanes in swirling dogfights with the Luftwaffe's Messerschmitt's, Dornier's and Heinkel's in the summer skies over England in 1940. One of the lesser-known participants in the battle was the Regia Aeronautica (RA) or the Italian Air Force. In fact, the RA had participated in the invasion of France providing escort to bombing forces… more |
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Secret Projects of the Luftwaffe, Heinkel He 162Published: March 22, 2021 This book takes an in-depth look at the development, selection, and early flight tests of the Volksjager (people's fighter) concept or what became known as the He 162. In the waning years of WWII, the Luftwaffe was desperate for a point defense fighter that could be produced in great numbers with a minimum of strategic materials. Although Germany had a jet fighter in the form of the Me 262, it… more |
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Mercedes-Benz 600SPublished: March 7, 2021 The S class cars from Mercedes have always been the luxury flagships of the company's line and the 600S is the king among them. Although not particularly appealing, at least to my eye, these cars feature state of the art technology including self-driving capability and absolute luxury in every interior detail. Near as I can tell this model represents the 2000 model year but Mercedes have… more |
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1995 Mitsubishi EclipsePublished: March 4, 2021 Named after an 18th century winning racehorse, the Mitsubishi Eclipse was a compact two door car with a design meant to appeal to younger buyers. When coupled with a four-cylinder engine capable of up to 210 hp, the car found success and its production ran from 1990 to 2014. During that time, over 900,000 units were produced and the power maxed out at 265hp. This history alone would… more |
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Avions De Combat De L’OTAN Depuis 1949 (Combat Aircraft of NATO since 1949)Published: March 1, 2021 Ok, I know what you’re thinking this book is written in French so why would I be interested? Let me assure you any aircraft modeler interested in NATO aircraft from 1949 to the present is going to find this tome a veritable cornucopia of modeling inspiration! Inside you will find an incredible selection of every type of aircraft used by NATO. The author takes you through 21 countries in… more |
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Single No 23 NAA P-51B-1-NA MustangPublished: January 25, 2021 Like many of us modelers, I simply never get tired of anything related to the iconic P-51 Mustang. In this volume of the MMP “Single” series, the authors focus on the Bravo model of the Mustang. Having never seen an example of this book series, I was a bit surprised at first glance. Unlike other publications that cover the development of the type, this book launches right into the… more |
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F-5F Tiger II Cockpit SetPublished: December 21, 2020 This set was incorporated into my build of the AFV F5-F ROC Aggressor (Kit #AR48S07) presented in a separate review. While the base kit is nicely done, it is lacking a few details that need to be addressed to produce a finished model. Most notably, there are no seat harnesses on an aircraft with a lot of canopy to see them through. As it turns out, there are a few options, you can get resin… more |
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F-5F ROC AggressorPublished: December 21, 2020 HistoryBuilt at a time when US fighter aircraft were getting more complex and expensive, the Northrop Grumman company decided to go against the grain and build a lightweight fighter based on their successful T-38 Talon design. The first F-5 Freedom Fighter flew on July 30, 1959. It proved to be a very nimble and adaptable aircraft but it was never widely adopted by the USAF. It did… more |