Christopher Martens
Reviews By Author
|
Bismarck Main 38cm SKC/34; Secondary 15cm; and AAA 10.5cm, 37mm SKC/30,and 20mm C/30 Turned Metal Gun BarrelsPublished:
Trumpeter’s recent 1/200 scale Bismarck is a gigantic kit at over four feet in length! Using plastic for her guns is, frankly, a serious disservice. Fortunately, Master Model has fired a salvo of several metal barrel upgrade sets aimed squarely at this large-scale Bismarck. The three Bismarck sets being reviewed are:
Master Model has excelled in… more |
|
US Navy Airborne Mark 13 Torpedoes (Early and Improved Types)Published:
Master Model has a knack for making impossibly small upgraded detail “kits” that are assembled from turned-metal parts and photoetch (PE). Previous highlights included the 1/72 scale six-barreled M61 Vulcan machine gun found in most modern US fighters, and the 1/72 GAU-8 Avenger gun tip, found at the business end of an A-10. Now, Master has somewhat outdone themselves with two “kit” versions of the aircraft-carried WWII Mark 13 torpedo…in 1/350 scale:
As you would expect from a “kit,” these torpedoes require assembly. Master Model… more |
|
HMS Dreadnought 12in and 12pdr Turned Metal Gun BarrelsPublished:
Master Model, maker of some amazingly detailed metal replacement parts, offers a new turned-metal barrel upgraded set for the 1/350 scale Zvezda kit of the HMS Dreadnought. The set consists of ten turned-aluminum 12in main gun barrels and twelve turned-brass 12-pounder secondary gun barrels. Both barrel sizes are spectacularly cut. Using the Master Model barrels couldn’t be easier, as they feature a small mounting peg at the breech end of the barrels. Simply remove an existing kit barrel, drill a small hole in its place, and insert and secure the Master barrel’s mounting peg into the hole with a bit of CA glue. Like many of the Master Model barrel sets, this set is not only limited to use with the HMS Dreadnought, as both the 12-inch and 12-pounder… more |
|
US Navy 16"/50 caliber Mark 7, 14"/45 caliber, and 5"/51 caliber Turned Metal Gun BarrelsPublished:
Master Model has turned out quite a few turned-metal parts in the last few years. They’ve recently sighted in on some common US Navy guns with three new turned-metal barrel upgrade sets as part of their Sea Master line of products:
Both the 16” and 14” barrel sets are an excellent replacement for kit parts. The barrels are hollow and the shapes appear dead on. The 5in/51 barrels are fantastic, but they… more |
|
HMS BelfastPublished:
Many ship modelers have been puzzled as to precisely why this World War 2 era heavy cruiser has never seen plastic. Belfast currently resides in London, permanently berthed as a museum and memorial. Her status as intact leaves a few decisions Trumpeter made with this kit rather puzzling. This kit comes packaged as many Trumpeter kits these days, with foam protecting styrene particularly vulnerable to damage. I saw no flash and injection points are all well hidden. Molding is extremely crisp, and many details will not need photo etch replacements. The hatches are WWII era British, which is a nice detail. Both her AA and pom poms are good, especially for plastic. The PE set that covers some fine details is also nice, though I wish a manufacturer would include some railings.… more |
|
USS IndianapolisPublished:
History BriefThe USS Indianapolis is a ship potentially more famous for her loss than her life. On July 30, 1945, after delivering components for the first atomic bomb, the Indianapolis was hit by two torpedoes from the HIJMS I-58. Her loss was not discovered before August 2nd, after many of her survivors met grisly ends at the hands of the elements and constant shark attacks. The Portland-class cruiser was launched in 1931 in the post-Washington Naval Treaty world. Envisioned as an improvement on the Northampton class, the Portlands featured a lower tripod forward mast and improved protection. The Indianapolis had a busy wartime career, earning ten battle stars for her service. She also saw extensive… more |
|
Imperial Japanese Navy Destroyers 1919-45 (1), Minekaze to Shiratsuyu ClassesPublished:
Being an avid fan of Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) destroyers, I was eager to get my hands on this book. The Japanese had two major advantages on the US Navy during the early days of WWII: a superbly trained and equipped air arm and their excellently equipped and crewed destroyer flotillas that made themselves utterly terrifying weapons during engagements like the Battle of the Eastern Solomons. The first chapters of the book provide a good summary of Japanese doctrine and how it developed from the naval treaties and influenced design. The meat of the book specifically addresses the early post-WWI designs leading up to the legendary Fubuki-class destroyers and their successors up to the Shiratsuyu class. Finally, the author provides a summary, defining why these… more |