Clarence Wentzel
Reviews By Author
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Albatros D.I – D.IIPublished:
Osprey Publishing provides many different lines of aircraft information books for the enthusiast. These include the Aces series, the Elite series, the Dual series, and others. This latest series, Air Vanguard, seems to combine the best of the other series and really seems to be aimed at the modeler as well as the aviation enthusiast. The World War I timeframe resulted in an unbelievable amount of progress in aviation. The aircraft of this book entered the fight just 13 years after the Wright Brothers’ first flight. During 1916, the Albatros design team seemed to be working on several designs at the same time. The first D.I’s entered the Western Front in September, 1916. These were accompanied by a prototype of the D.II. These designs featured many aerodynamic improvements from… more |
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Steve Kinser Bass Pro Shops Sprint CarPublished:
BackgroundSome of the most exciting racing can be found with American Sprint Cars. The series may also be called “The World of Outlaws”. These cars feature a high power-to-weight ratio and huge wings. These small cars race around dirt tracks and thrill crowds around the country. Steve Kinser has been one of the biggest stars in this series with over 550 “A” feature wins and 20 championships during his career. This kit features the 2011 series markings of Steve’s car which was sponsored by Bass Pro Shops. This car features an eye-catching scheme of black, white, and a florescent red. Steve’s car owner is Tony Stewart. The KitIt appears that this kit has been around for quite a while. It has been issued with other markings of Steve Kinser, and it… more |
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MiG-21 Pitot Tubes – BIS, F-13, & U ModelsPublished:
Product / Stock #s:
As I have mentioned previously, the MiG-21 is one of my favorite aircraft to model. Also, I have been impressed with the products from Master Model and jumped at the chance to review their latest pitot tubes for various MiG models. This review covers three different pitot tube sets that differ primarily in their length. They all feature pitot tubes with small vanes near the tip to measure angle of attack and yaw. The fronts of the pitots, where the vanes mount, are all similar. My initial reaction to these three sets is, “HOW CAN THEY DO THIS!?!” Each set includes three parts:… more |
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MiG-21 PF, PFM Pitot TubePublished:
One of my favorite aircraft to model is the MiG-21. The airplane was the most important fighter of the old Soviet Union for many years and was exported virtually around the world. The number of interesting color schemes abounds. We have all seen a great number of reviews of impressive parts from Master Model and have purchased a few, so I jumped at the chance to review their new MiG-21 Pitot Tubes. The subject of this review is a solid, milled replacement for the plastic pitot tubes from Fishbed D and F models. These MiG-21 PF and PFM models were a part of the second generation Fishbeds and were widely exported. The attached photo shows a comparison of the Master Models part against an old Airfix MiG-21 model. A day and night difference. The instruction sheet does a great… more |
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Nakajima Ki-84 Type 4 Hayate (Frank) ComboPublished:
“Forget it, it’s a Frank.” This phrase from the old Famous Fighters series comes to my mind whenever I think about the Ki-84. It is attributed to allied airmen who watched radar screens to find Japanese aircraft that may be potential targets. It meant that the very high performance Frank would be equal or better than the allied aircraft and would not be an easy target. The Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate (Gale) was the culmination of a line of fighter aircraft initiated by Nakajima in 1935 with the Ki-27 Nate and followed by the Ki-43 Hayabusa. The Ki-84 possessed a more powerful engine and was extremely sturdy and possessed good firepower and protection for both the pilots and the fuel tanks. On the down side, the Hayate was beset with problems with hydraulic and fuel pressure systems, brakes,… more |
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Mi-24V Hind AntennasPublished:
The Mi-24V Hind E is the prime Russian attack helicopter. This variant entered production in 1976 and has become known worldwide for its effectiveness. Variants remain in operation in many countries around the world and, I believe, some variants are still in production. The Russian scale plastic model company, Zvezda, offers an excellent kit of the Mi-24V, as well as the earlier Mi-24A and the later Mi-35. One notable feature of the aircraft and the kits is a variety of exterior antennas. This offering from Quickboost provides a number of these antennas, finely molded in resin and much more petite than is possible with injection molded plastic. The scan of the Quickboost Antennas package shows the eight antennas arranged on the casting. The next photo shows the detail of the… more |
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F/A-18C Special Edition – Chippy Ho! 2009Published:
HistoryThe F/A-18 Hornet is a twin-engined aircraft designed for both fighter and attack missions. The initial versions, the A and B (two seat) entered operation in 1981. The F/A-18C was a visually similar but had a number of improvements related to avionics and weapon carrying capability. It started production in 1987 and has proven successful in the various roles. The Hornet participated in Operation Desert Storm and proved very successful in combat situations. The Hornet is also operated by the Air Forces of Australia, Canada, Finland, Kuwait, Malaysia, Spain and Switzerland. The subject of my model is the CAG airplane of VFA-195, Dambusters. They are based at the Naval Air Facility Atsugi and the scheme shown existed in April, 2009. I tried to find out the origin… more |
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Su-33 Flanker D Replacement StabilizersPublished:
The Su-33 Flanker D is an all-weather carrier-based air defense fighter based on the Su-27. The airplane had a production run of 24 units. Hasegawa has produced a kit of this interesting aircraft for modelers. As usual, Quickboost has added several items to improve the accuracy of the basic Su-33 Flanker D kit. This set consists of new horizontal stabilizers. The attached photo shows the Quickboost part compared to an Su-27 from my collection. The stabilizers are the correct shape for the model and are interchangeable with the kit parts. The level of surface detail of the resin parts is excellent. They are molded in a brownish-grey colored resin. They are smooth, seamless, and bubble-free. I highly recommend this product if you want a really superior-looking model. Since… more |
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Windsock Worldwide Magazine V28 N3 – May/June 2012Published:
This bimonthly magazine is a must for modelers (and aviation enthusiasts) interested in World War One aircraft. The magazine is published by Albatros Productions Ltd. in the UK, who also publish the great line of Windsock Datafiles and Specials. The headline article in this issue covers an overview of various reproductions of actual World War One Aircraft. These include the OEF D.III, built in Austria, and the RAF RE8, the Albatros D.Va, the Fokker E.V, the RAF FE2b, and the Sopwith Pup, all built in New Zealand. Lots of great color photos of the aircraft are shown, including some valuable detail shots. The next major article covers the scratchbuild of a 1/72 scale model of the Dornier RS.III Giant Flying Boat. This is a big, complex model with lots of rigging and struts… more |
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Su-33 Flanker D Control LeverPublished:
The Su-33 Flanker D is an all-weather carrier-based air defense fighter based on the Su-27. The airplane had a production run of 24 units. Hasegawa has produced a kit of this interesting aircraft for modelers. As usual, Quickboost has added several items to improve the accuracy of the basic Su-33 Flanker D kit. This part is a corrected Control Lever for the model. The attached photo shows the excellent level of detail of the Quickboost part. Three copies of the lever are provided. The control lever is the correct shape for the model and is interchangeable with the kit part. It is molded in brownish-gray colored resin and is smooth, seamless, and bubble free. I highly recommend this product if you want a really superior-looking model. Since this part is interchangeable… more |