Chris Smith
Reviews By Author
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Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II, The “Warthog” Ground Attack AircraftPublished:
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 utility of true close air support (CAS) aircraft, it would seem the need for this type of aircraft was self-evident. However, in the post war world of fast high-flying jets, the Air Force saw no need for a low and slow CAS aircraft nor did they have an intertest in conducting the CAS mission. This ideology persisted even though the CAS experience in Vietnam demonstrated the need for such an aircraft… more |
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Fiat CR 42 FalcoPublished:
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 until France surrendered. From September to November 1940 the RA stationed two squadrons, the 85th and 95th of the 18th fighter group at Ursel Belgium. Here the CR 42 would prove unsuited to the task. Lacking the performance of modern fighters, the Falco's took a beating at the hands of the RAF. More critical was lack of firepower and the open cockpit that froze… more |
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Secret Projects of the Luftwaffe, Heinkel He 162Published:
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 required a lot of materials to build the airframe and two engines. The philosophy of a small single engine fighter was to build enough to station them close to all the potential Allied targets. This requirement meant the Volksjager could be a small aircraft with limited range. With a minimum of training, it was hoped that He 162 would provide the defense Germany so desperately needed. It'… more |
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Mercedes-Benz 600SPublished:
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 released a completely revised 600S for 2021. Oh, and don’t be fooled by the mundane appearance, these cars have very respectable performance with powerplants ranging up to a twin turbo V-8. In an age taken over by SUVs, the Mercedes S series reputation as the luxury sedan standard will maintain a steady customer base for the foreseeable future. Italeri brings us a rebox of the Protar kit molded… more |
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1995 Mitsubishi EclipsePublished:
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 justify the car’s success, but in 2001 the first Fast and Furious movie was released. In it, Brian O'Conner (played by Paul Walker) drove a lime green modified 1995 Eclipse. That car and a few others in the subsequent movies because icons of the street car world. AMT first released this kit to capitalize on the success of the movies and now Round 2 Models has reissued the kit with a new decal… more |
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Avions De Combat De L’OTAN Depuis 1949 (Combat Aircraft of NATO since 1949)Published:
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 alphabetical order starting with a brief narration in French but don’t despair, what follows are an incredible number of profiles and photos of aircraft ranging from Vampires to Vipers or Thunderstreaks to Typhons. The section on the United States is the most extensive with a unit by unit accounting the types used and lots of illustrations with brief unit descriptions that are not hard to figure out.… more |
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Single No 23 NAA P-51B-1-NA MustangPublished:
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 content modelers like to see. The book opens with four-view scale drawings in 1/72 and 1/48 scale. Several pages of B&W wartime photos show the type in various roles. Next, are a series of drawings and photos taken from technical and pilot manuals showing the details of things we modelers like to see including engine, landing gear wells, gun bays, and cockpit. This volume closes with color plates… more |
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F-5F Tiger II Cockpit SetPublished:
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 seats or as in this case, a complete cockpit replacement. This set consists of resin parts for the cockpit tub, seats, instrument panel pedestals and shrouds, control sticks, canopy actuators and multiple fine detail parts. A PE fret includes: seat harnesses, instrument panels, rudder pedals and various fine details for the canopies including rear view mirrors, locks and a wet compass for… more |
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F-5F ROC AggressorPublished:
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 find willing operators in the several foreign air arms including the Republic of China (ROC) also known as Taiwan. The island nation produced their own licensed built F-5s including 66 of the two seat F5-F models. This kit presents four aircraft of the 46th Aggressor Squadron. As the name implies, this unit trains fighter pilots in air combat maneuvering by engaging in mock combats, recording the… more |
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P-51D ExhaustPublished:
By now many of us have delved into the Airfix new tool 1/48 P-51 Mustang series. In spite of what are awesome kits out of the box, Quickboost has found an area the kit could use an upgrade. This consists of a drop-in replacement for the kit exhaust parts. The Mustang came with two variations of the exhaust pipes. This detail set provides the unshrouded type that were visible back inside the cowling. A comparison of the Quickboost parts with the kits reveals a number of improvements including a better overall sharpness of casting, hollowed ends and mounting bolts at the ends that go inside the cowling. Removal of the casting blocks is as easy as a pass with a sharp knife. These are recommended if you want to easily enhance a very visible part of your finished Mustang. … more |