Dave Morrissette
Reviews By Author
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B-26B “Flak Bait” and Friends, Part 2Published:
As a recap, we are building up the old Monogram kit and two ICM kits of the B-26B Marauder with ICM’s 1/48th scale Flak Bait as the main review item. I selected the following schemes for the three kits:
At the end of Part 1, the fuselages were all together and it was time to finish off the kits. Starting with the Monogram wings and nacelles, they are simple with the wings being two pieces, top and bottom. There are no separate parts for the flaps or ailerons. Fit is a not great and one pother thing to note is that… more |
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B-26B "Flak Bait" and Friends, Part 1Published:
When ICM started to release its family of B-26 models and variants, it was well received by modelers the world over as the old Monogram’s kit was released in 1978, 47 years ago. And at some point, they were going to release Flak Bait and they did and I jumped on the opportunity to review it. A little background on Flak Bait- it was given the name by its first pilot, James Farrell who adapted the nick name from his dog, flea bait. It then ran 202 bombing missions over France, the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium and survived the war intact and holds the record for number of bombing missions survived. And not one crew member was killed during that time and only one was injured even though it landed on one engine twice, lost its electrical and hydraulic systems twice and ended up with… more |
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T-800 Terminator, Packs 1-10Published:
Agora Models is out of England, and they specialize in large-scale, highly detailed and illuminated/automated models of all genres. This goes from figures such as Alien and Optimus Prime to ships like the Constitution and Bismarck to vehicles such as Aston Martin DB 5 and Lotus Esprit to military vehicles such as a Leopard tank and aircraft like the Japanese Zero. All are large scale from 1/2 for some figures to 1/200 for the ships. The kits are made of everything from die cast zinc to wood to plastic. Due to their size and complexity, they are expensive, but Agora has softened that by selling them as very reasonable monthly subscriptions. And when you are done, you have a showstopper. Occasionally, a model comes along that is just that special. I think as modelers we all have… more |
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Lead Wires - Half Round, Flat and RoundPublished:
John and UMM-USA have been a godsend for those that like to scratch build by supplying tools and parts to make life easier for all of us as well as giving us access in the US to suppliers not as easily found. This selection is three styles of soft lead wiring perfect for ignition harnesses, wiring jets or anything that might need some kind of wiring or plumbing. The sets come in three types- round 0.4mm, half round and flat at 0.4mm. Each set comes with about 20 pieces by 140mm for these sizes. Many different sizes are also available. I love the size consistency as the size being reviewed is about the right size for 1/48th scale ignition wires on a radial engine. I grabbed an old one and installed a couple wires and they look great. I also made a quick (and sloppy)… more |
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Ultimate Razor SawPublished:
I have been using UMM razor saws for years to cut resin and plastic with great results. Since I build larger resin figures, sometimes the fine blades and smaller saw blades take a while to cut through. Also, with the blade being sandwiched in the middle, you have a limited depth to cut. The new ultimate razor saw addresses many of these issues. First, it is a double-edged blade with course on one side and fine on the other so you have options. Second, with the blade being attached on one side, you have much more depth. One feature that is very cool is that the blade is attached by an allen wrench and that is attached to the handle, easy to remove and use and then stow back so no looking for the wrench. For a trial, I had some T Facto Godzilla fins I was working on and the… more |
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XXXG-OOWO Wing Gundam Zero EW - Master GradePublished:
So I had an opportunity, thanks to IPMS Usa and Hobbytyme to build a Gundam, suit. I have seen them become more and more popular over the years and the local hobby stores have rows of them, so I was curious as I do not limit my modeling to one genre. First, what is Gundam? Gundam is a Japanese military science fiction media and features giant robots called Gundam’s. It started in 1979 and has spread to movies, TV shows, manga, novels, video games as well as of course models. The subject of this review is from the movie Mobile Suit Gundam Wing Endless Waltz special edition released in 1998. They remind me of Pacific Rim which also featured large, cool giant robots. Inside the box you will find 14 sprues in colors ranging from white, to gray to metallic to blue and a sprue… more |
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Operativo Indepndencia, Volume 1 - Armed Insurgency in Argentina 1955-1974Published:
Volume 1 of Operativo Independencia (Operation Independence) covers the period from 1955 to 1974 in Argentina which was a period of political upheaval and change. This volume considers both the insurgencies and government responses. This is the precursor to the “Dirty War” which will hopefully be covered in Volume 2 or more. The Table of Contents is small:
The book is a history of the rise of Marxist groups from their beginnings in the 1950’s… more |
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Painting Wargaming Models: Amoured Vehicles in Europe 1943-45Published:
Andy Singelton has several books out on painting figures and war gaming pieces and this book is the newest. You might recognize him from his studio - Volley Fire Painting Service. He has worked with manufacturers of war game equipment and scenarios and is the co-host of “A Few Brits and the Hobby”. This book covers exactly as the title says, the latter half of WWII in Military vehicles. The chapters included are:
Getting started is just that and covers a discussion of the type of kits - resin, plastic or metal. Tools are… more |
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Four in One Sanding SticksPublished:
Here is a really slick idea for all types of model builders- a sanding stick with four different grits on one stick. From CRM Hobbies in Missouri comes a set of four sanding sticks with a stick having 600, 320, 240 and 150 grit on every stick. No digging around looking for a new stick as you polish up a seam, just flip it to the right one you need. As an added bonus, they are water proof. You can take them under a running sink while sanding or dip them in water and the grit stays in place. They are cushioned so they can go around corners too. I was recently built the X-Plus Ultraman kit and used these to eliminate seams and polish and they worked great. I also used them in running water and also, no loss of grit and it polished up the seams well. They cleaned right up with water… more |
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Prehistoric Scenes Saber Tooth TigerPublished:
The Prehistoric Scenes kits were first issued (from what I can find) in 1971 or before so the kit is over 50 years old. Looking inside the box, the kit comes with two small bases and a tree along with the star of the show, the Sabre Tooth Tiger. The molds have been cleaned up and there is pretty much no flash at all. The plastic is a very nostalgic yellow and if you are my age, you remember the planes and kits of the time being this bright color. Since I built this kit decades ago, I wanted to do something a little different so I reversed the layout a bit as the tiger looks mad and I wanted him jumping at you attacking. So if you look the kit up on the Internet, mine may look backwards but I like it in attack mode. There are really to parts to assemble- the tree and the… more |