Chris Smith
Reviews By Author
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A-10C Weapons Pylon Set for Hobby BossPublished:
A focal point of any A-10 build is all of the ordinance hanging from eleven hardpoints across its wingspan. While the Hobby Boss A-10 has a lot of strong points, the kit provided weapon pylons are not one of them. The surface details consist of dimpled rivets and some raised boxy panels. Phase Hangar corrects that for us with this set of replacement pylons with separate bomb rack inserts. Each pylon includes a raised station reference on the casting block that corresponds to the weapon station diagram in the kit instructions. As with the other parts Phase Hangar produces for the Hobby Boss kit, these have fine surface details. There are no instructions on the Phase Hangar site for this but you don’t need them. Identify the weapons station, remove the casting block and drop into the… more |
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A-10C Cockpit Upgrade Set for Hobby BossPublished:
As the product description says, this is an upgrade set to convert the Hobby Boss A-10A to an A-10C cockpit. The base kit comes configured as an A model and the analog instrument panel provided reflects that. In the late 1990s A-10s were upgraded with GPS navigation and other capabilities that required multi-function displays in a reconfigured instrument panel. For that reason, the kit finishing schemes may not be accurate so check your references. This set reflects those changes but the “upgrade’ doesn't stop there. Taking full advantage of 3D printing technology, in addition to the cast cockpit tub, the set includes 3D printed interior frames for the canopy and windscreen, the HUD frame, rear deck and canopy actuator and integral instrument panel and shroud. The detail of these parts… more |
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Volvo 240 Turbo 1986 ETCC Hockenheim Winner - Detail Up PartsPublished:
In 1982 the Federation International de ’L’Automobile (FIA) developed Group A requirements to allow manufactures and individuals to race production model cars. In order to qualify, a process called “homologation”, the manufactures had to build 2500 or 5000 cars or under “evolution” rules 500 cars which after inspection and approval qualified the cars to race. The subject of this review qualified under the Evolution, Group A rules by building 500 Volvo 240Ts. An interesting note is that 477 of those cars were stripped of competition equipment and sold as standard Volvo 240 turbos. In order to requalify, Volvo had to identify those 500 owners! Drama aside, the Volvo 240T turned out be a winning platform. Powered by a 340hp, 2.1-liter, intercooled turbo with water injection and weighing… more |
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Mirage III EZPublished:
A type well known to anyone with even a casual interest in aviation history, the Dassault Mirage III is one of the classic early supersonic fighter jets. First flown in 1956, it has served in 14 countries and accrued an impressive combat record most notably with the Israeli Air Forces. Another export customer was the South African Air Force. Two examples of the countries Mirages III EZs are represented in this kit. Seventeen examples of the EZ variant were purchased by South Africa and used between 1965 and 1972. They were used during the African Border War but as an interceptor, the radar system was found wanting. These aircraft are all retired from service today. This is the second build of a Mirage from PJ I’ve done for this site. I previously built a Swiss two seat example… more |
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MiG-25 PDPublished:
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 maneuverable, high-tech fighter based on the limited intelligence they could gather. Fast forward to September 6, 1976 when Lieutenant Victor Belenko took a MiG 25 from Russia and navigated his way to Japan landing at the civilian airport in Hakodate. Belenko was granted US citizenship by then President Jimmie Carter and the MiG was dismantled and studied by US intelligence officials. Some of the… more |
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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 |