Chris Smith
Reviews By Author
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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 |
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Miles M-65 GeminiPublished:
Yet another beautiful kit from Leonid Shilin and Konstantin Nikolaychuk aka, Croco models. This is the third kit I’ve reviewed from these gentlemen and they continue to produce subjects the big companies never will. This time around we get a fantastic replica of the Miles M-65 Gemini, a light twin with some novel design features I’ll get into later. The Miles aircraft company started in the early 1930s and consisted of Fredrick George Miles, his wife Maxine and his brother George. Known for some interesting designs of both light civilian and several specialized military aircraft that were used for training and target tugs for gunnery practice. Examples of the later include the familar Martinet, Magister and Messenger. The Gemini included some of the elements Miles had used in other… more |
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USMC SBD-1 "Pearl Harbor"Published:
With the recent release of yet another Battle of Midway film, it seems appropriate for Academy to release this version of the venerable Douglas Dauntless in Marine colors. This package starts off with Accurate Miniatures excellent kit of the Dauntless. In addition, we get a photoetch fret of seat belts and pre-cut masks for the extensive canopy framing. The marking options include a USMC SBD-1 based in Hawaii on December 7, 1941 and another Marine SBD-1 based at MCAS Quantico, Virginia around the same time. I’ve always been a fan of the Accurate Miniatures line and this kit is no exception. Fantastic surface and interior details are hallmarks of the brand. The cockpit is packed with detail but I used some online reference photos to make sure I was putting parts in the right… more |
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F-86K Sabre Dog “NATO” All Weather FighterPublished:
The F-86 D was built as a stop gap interceptor while the U.S. developed more sophisticated and mission specific aircraft for that purpose. At the same time, the European NATO operators realized they needed the same type of aircraft and the F-86K was the result. The F-86K differed from its U.S. built examples by installing cannons in lieu of the rockets on the US version. Some plugs were added into the fuselage to maintain the center of gravity. Italy’s Fiat company produced license-built versions of the F-86K. Also of note, was the capability of some of these aircraft to carry sidewinder missiles. This is an upscaled re-box of Special Hobbies 1/72 F-86K (Stock #72146) released a few years ago. Most of the kit is the same including the box art and decal options. The differences… more |
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North American B-25B, C, and D Mitchell DecalsPublished:
Iliad Designs is a company based in Ottawa Canada. They offer decals, aircraft color charts, and publications. This time around we’ll take a look at their decal sheet for the B-25B, C, and D models. There are five different aircraft represented on this sheet. My modification comments are based on using the Airfix B-25 (kit # A06015). See my separate review of that kit on this site.
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North American B-25C/D MitchellPublished:
So often we see warbird models built to represent the battle-tested mounts of our aviation heroes. The subject of this review, the B-25 is certainly no stranger to famous pilots and war theaters. Underrepresented are the aircraft chosen for less glamorous tasks like domestic patrol, supply runs and training. With the help of Airfix and Iliad Designs, I have attempted to address that. Airfix's rendition of the Mitchell has been around for a bit so I won’t give you a parts tour. Suffice to say, it lives up to the standard of the new generation Airfix kits. Recessed panel lines, detailed interiors, poseable control surfaces and hatches are features of this release. Fit and finish is almost too good in that a coat of paint seems to interfere with it. The bottom line, with proper… more |