Dave Morrissette
Reviews By Author
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Ta 152H-1 Landing GearPublished:
Scale Aircraft Conversions (who goes by SAC most of the time) produces white metal replacement landing gear sets for a plethora of planes in all scales. In the case of this review, the gear being reviewed are for the 1/32 Zoukei Mura Ta-152H-1. The parts inside include both main landing gear legs as well as the retraction cylinders and oleo struts for each leg. Also included are the rear tail wheel component and its bracket. All are cast in white metal with no seams per se and are well done. As with many SAC retraction struts, mine were a little warped out of the package but easily straightened. Comparing them to the kit parts, they are an exact match and should drop in directly. Being metal, the gear will provide better resistance against bend and sag over the time. Being a fan… more |
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B-2A Spirit Stealth BomberPublished:
Academy’s newest kit is a wonderful version of the B-2A Spirit in 1/144 scale. This is a great scale for this aircraft as it is a large plane. Looking inside the box, you will find four perfectly crisp gray sprues with no flash and minimal mold lines. One clear sprue is included and also a precut masking set for the canopy and a large decal sheet. Markings and stencils are included for a single plane with five choices:
The build starts with a three-piece cockpit. Seats are molded in and honestly, when the canopy is added, you… more |
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GAZ-A in German ServicePublished:
ICM keeps adding more kits than most manufacturers and extending their line. ICM has produced a kit of the GAZ-A which was produced from 1932 to 1936 in a joint agreement between Ford and the Soviet Union. It is a replica of the Ford Model A. The representation in this kit is one commandeered used by the Germans. The kit is made from 201 parts on nine gray sprues, one clear sprue and 5 rubber tires. The instructions have great sprue maps and show the unused parts. There is a small sheet of decals and two markings available both with German crosses. Construction starts with the frame which is constructed from eleven pieces. Make sure that the parts are squared up as the contact points are good but not keyed. The frame needs to be square and level as tis is the basis for the… more |
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A-20G Late Instrument PanelPublished:
Yahu Models is a Polish producer making 3D photoetch replacement panels and parts for all sizes and types of models. In this instance, this is a instrument panel parts for the HK Model 1/32 A-20G Late configuration. The contents include a small card with a pictorial representation of the instructions and how to place and bend the parts. Also included are three colored, three dimensional photoetch frets and one clear set of dials for the instruments. The photoetch frets are amazing. If you scan them and zoom in, you can read the writing perfectly which in 1/32nd scale is awesome. I have included some scans from the kit showing location of the majority of the parts. Preparation is simple in that the kit detail is sanded off to be smooth. The parts are glued in using… more |
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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 |