Clarence Wentzel
Reviews By Author
ASF-X Shinden II "Ridgebacks" – Limited EditionPublished: November 3, 2015 BackgroundAccording to the instruction sheet, Taiga Heavy Industries was commissioned in 2008, by the Ministry of Defense to begin development of the ASF-X, a larger interceptor aircraft with various data collecting devices. The basic design was a canard with swept-forward wings similar to the Russian Su-47 Berkut. The design evolved to one with STOL characteristics as well. The… more |
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F-5E/N Tiger IIPublished: September 11, 2015 BackgroundIn the mid-fifties, Northrop Corporation started the development of a lower cost, light weight, high performance fighter airplane. The impetus for the program was potential sales to allies under the Military Assistance Program. Initial US interest was in the trainer version of the program. This resulted in the T-38 Talon supersonic trainer. This was a great looking, high… more |
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North American FJ-4B Fury Jet PipePublished: December 28, 2021 The Navy FJ-4 was, to many people, the culmination of the basic North American Sabre Jet. This final naval variant featured a more powerful engine which required a larger intake, a shorter, deeper fuselage, a larger tail, larger wing area and a longer nose gear. Its front line service was short, however. By the late ‘50’s, the Fury was being phased out by newer, less expensive fighter and… more |
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North American FJ-4B Fury Cockpit SetPublished: December 28, 2021 The Navy FJ-4 was, to many people, the culmination of the basic North American Sabre Jet. This final naval variant featured a more powerful engine which required a larger intake, a shorter, deeper fuselage, a larger tail, larger wing area and a longer nose gear. Its front line service was short, however. Although the FJ-4B was loved by its pilots, by the late ‘50’s the Fury was being phased… more |
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Windsock Datafile 82 - Felixstowe F.2APublished: March 22, 2015 This datafile, written by the great J. M. Bruce was originally published in 2000. It has long been sold out and has now been reprinted in limited quantities. This is great news for aviation enthusiasts who missed the book the first time and also to modelers who are the proud owners of recent kits from Roden and from Wingnut Wings. This datafile is larger than most at 42 pages and the… more |
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Boulton Paul DefiantPublished: March 3, 2015 The Yellow Series from Mushroom Model Publications covers individual aircraft in great detail. This book on the Boulton Paul Defiant is an excellent example. The book starts out with the basic concept of the Defiant as a daytime bomber destroyer. It then covers night fighter operations, followed by air-sea rescue operations, its use as a target tug and other tasks. Along with, and in… more |
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J-15 Chinese Navy – Limited EditionPublished: December 12, 2014 BackgroundDuring the 1970’s Russia started the development of modern carrier borne fighter aircraft. The Sukhoi design team started with their basic Su-27 Flanker and added such carrier items as tail-hook, folding wings and structural improvements plus a set of forward canard wings to produce their proposed Su-33. The Shenyang company of China had a working agreement with… more |
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J-Air Embraer 170Published: April 25, 2014 BackgroundEmbraer is an aircraft manufacturer located in Brazil. They started building some private and military aircraft but have found their niche by developing a line of smaller regional airliners. They started with a twin turboprop airliner named the Bandeirante and then the Brasilia. This was followed by a couple of twin jet airliners using some of the same airframe components… more |
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F-14A Tomcat “Iranian Air Force” Limited EditionPublished: March 10, 2014 BackgroundIn 1972, the Shah of Iran visited the US to evaluate two interceptor airplanes, the F-14 and F-15, for protection of his borders against overflights of the MiG-25. A contract was signed to purchase a number of F-14s due to superior maneuverability and weaponry. As it turned out, the sale of some F-14s to Iran gave Grumman the funds that they needed to continue Tomcat… more |
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Opel Blitzbus – Ludewig "Aero" 1937Published: December 22, 2021 BackgroundPrior to World War II, Adam Opel AG was the largest automobile and truck manufacturer in Germany. Their 3.5 ton truck, known as the Blitz, was well respected, and its chassis was used by many body builders to produce special vehicles. The subject of this kit is the streamlined “Aero” bus produced by the Ludewig Brothers. These medium size busses were used to transport… more |