IPMS Number
39182
Chris Smith
Reviews By Author
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Extra EA 300L/330LCPublished: May 3, 2022 Designed by German aerobatic pilot Walter Extra in 1988, the Extra 300 started life as an unlimited aerobatic platform with a shoulder mounted wing that made landing interesting because the runway wasn’t visible during touch down. In 1995 the Extra 300L was introduced and has become the most numerous of the Extras manufactured to date. Learning lessons from previous versions the L (for low… more |
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Tiger Moth Landing GearPublished: May 5, 2022 The SAC website says they replicate plastic kit parts in white metal and correct inaccurate or missing details if needed. That is the case in this set for the 1/48 Airfix Tiger Moth kit. The main landing gear on the Moth has two forward facing struts connecting the main gear to the fuselage. Airfix does provide those in the kit. They are not part of this set. It also has two smaller struts… more |
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Airbus A321 Neo Landing Gear for Revell KitPublished: April 3, 2022 With the success of its A320/321 Airbus has proven a worthy competitor to the Boeing 737. This set replaces the gear parts in the Revell A321 New Engine Option (NEO) kit. Six parts are provided and the casting is directly from the kit parts including runners with kit part numbers on them. No doubt, there are advantages to metal parts supporting a model of this size but there are some issues.… more |
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Seversky P-35A Landing GearPublished: March 28, 2022 This set is a metal replacement for landing gear in three kits of this aircraft currently on the market. Two main gear legs and a tail wheel are provided. The P-35 main gear has two retraction struts mounted on each side of the main gear. These are cast in the same soft white metal SAC is known for. The challenge of this set will be making those long thin struts straight. That said, this is a… more |
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Modelbuilding Guide #12, Lockheed F-4/F-5 LightingPublished: March 2, 2022 This book was compiled by Richard Marmo, a long time IPMS/USA member. It consists of a collection of 60 images of the photo reconnaissance version of the P-38, both the F-4 and F-5. The “Marmo Method” refers to other books in this series that take you step by step through the techniques used to complete a specific project. As the title says, this is a photo reference gallery of a specific… more |
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US WWII 75 Gallon Fuel TankPublished: March 2, 2022 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… more |
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De Havilland Chipmunk T-10 Landing Gear (for the Airfix kit)Published: February 28, 2022 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… more |
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M26 FlarePublished: February 28, 2022 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… more |
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G.91Y "Yankee"Published: January 14, 2022 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… 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: January 13, 2022 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… more |