Dave Morrissette
Reviews By Author
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Kawasaki Ki-45 Toryu (Nick) Part 2 - Cockpit and FuselagePublished:
Zoukei-Mura’s latest release in 1/32 scale is the wonderful Ki-45 Toryu (Nick). This twin engine 2-seat, heavy fighter was used by the Japanese Army in WWII. In Part 2, I will get the cockpit and gunner position built and the fuselage assembled. The cockpit on this kit (like all ZM kits) is a jewel. There are 60 well molded parts with several options depending on which option you are building. The two major changes for Option B (my choice) are that there is no upward firing guns between the pilot and gunner and also, there is no back seat for the rear gunner position. Another note- much of this will not be visible when the build is done unless you use the clear parts. Construction begins by adding the floorboard and fuel tank to the main wing strut. The front and back… more |
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Kawasaki Ki-45 Toryu (Nick) Part 1Published:
Zoukei-Mura’s latest release in 1/32 scale is the wonderful Ki-45 Toryu (Nick). This twin engine 2-seat, heavy fighter was used by the Japanese Army in WWII. Let’s not wait another minute and jump into the box and see what’s what. The first thing you will notice opening the box is both clean and gray sprues. As with all Zoukei-Mura kits, this has a full interior and to show it off, they give you the option of clear or gray parts. Six sets of sprues are duplicated in clear including the wings, fuselage, tail, engine nacelles and nose. The total of the gray sprues is eighteen plus a clear canopy. Also included in the box are the 59-page instructions, markings for two planes from Cartograf and masks for the canopy. My first recommendation with this kit is to sit and read the… more |
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U-2A Dragon LadyPublished:
The U-2 is one of those historic planes that many people have heard of whether they are fans of planes or not. From the shooting down of Francis Gary Powers to its long service of gathering intelligence, it has always interested me. AVF Club has issued their first kit of this iconic plane as the U-2A Dragon Lady. Inside the box, there are eight grey sprues with petit panel lines and no flash, easily the equivalent of top-flight manufacturers. One crystal clear sprue is provided along with a large decal sheet and a nice picture of the box art. There are three options in the box for markings:
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USS Carl VinsonPublished:
I wanted to build one of the new USN Super Carriers and since I wanted a water line model, I added Coastal Kits 1/700 water base that was reviewed previously. I broke the build into separate parts- hull, air wing, flight deck Italeri has released several versions of the US nuclear carriers in 1/720 scale and this latest rebox release represents CVN-70, the USS Carl Vinson which is notably as the carrier to dispose of Bin Laden’s body along with supporting the current war on terror. I am big fan of the carrier too as most know as my son was stationed on… more |
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Douglas F4D/F-06 Skyray & F5D SkylancerPublished:
Guideline Publications newest release is No.117, Douglas F4D/F-6 Skyray and F5D Skylancer. This is a softbound book of 58 pages and is very well illustrated with both color and black and white pictures, line drawings and many color profiles. I love this era of aircraft with lots of colorful schemes in Gull Gray and white. This book is a great reference so let’s take a look inside. The book starts with the development and teething problems of the F4D mostly due to the planned engine not being ready and the test engine being underpowered. There are several excellent pictures of the prototype which, interestingly enough, was painted over all Sea Blue. When the fuselage size was increased, and the larger engine installed, the program took off and the shape is one familiar to… more |
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Pe-2 PeshkaPublished:
As a little background, the Petlyakov Pe-2 was a Soviet light bomber used during World War II. Pe-2s were manufactured in greater numbers (11,427 built) during the war than any other twin-engined combat aircraft except for the German Junkers Ju-88 and British Vickers Wellington. Eduard continues their tradition of taking great kits and adding the “Eduard” touch with new decals, resin and… more |
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Browning .50 Caliber Shells and CartridgesPublished:
For those wanting to do dioramas and figures, there is a lot of guns involved and Master Model has come to the aid of modelers everywhere with two sets. They both represent .50 caliber machine gun rounds with an options of spent shell casings or full cartridges. Each set contains 25 pieces of magnificent metal work.
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Pe-2 ExhaustsPublished:
Quickboost is part of Aires and is aptly named in that it gives a “quick boost” to your models with drop in replacements. The parts in this set represent the exhaust shrouds on the sides of both engines. The set is as usual, simple to use. Remove from the pour stubs and clean as needed. Comparing the kit parts and the Quickboost set shows where the resin replacements shine. The exhaust shrouds are meant to be hollow tubes. Quickboost nicely represents this with excellent hollowed-out ends and the kit does not. There are several pictures showing this and the effect is noticeable once installed. And installation could not be easier- they have the notch built in to make sure they are installed correctly, and they drop into place. Highly recommended to all fans of the Pe-2… more |
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North American P-51 Part 3 - Big Beautiful Doll SpecialPublished:
Lifelike Decals from Japan has issued a 1/32nd scale set titled “Part 3- Big Beautiful Doll Special” which covers six versions of Col. John Landers famous P-51D. The set actually starts with markings when he was a major and then Lt. Colonel and then finished with Colonel so it has markings showing the progression of his career. A quick bit of history, Col. Landers had 14.5 kills making him almost a triple ace, starting with P-40’s then P-38’s and lastly the P-51. This set only covers the P-51’s and there are two specific planes with multiple markings. The markings in the set cover the following aircraft:
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Stan "Long Haul" ThompsonPublished:
Master Box Ltd out of Ukraine has found a niche in providing figures for both stand-alone scenes or add-ons for current kits. This kit, Stan Thompson, Long Haul Trucker adds to their series designed to add to and compliment 1/24 scale semi trucks of all kinds. This kit is meant to represent a truck standing by his rig with his gloved hands hooked into is pockets. The kit is one sprue of seven parts which is well done and free of flash. Assembly is simple, glue to the torso together and the legs, Glue those together and add the arms and head. Sand the seams and minimally fill any seams and prime and you are ready for paint. It is to be noted that the only real seam was between the torso and legs and took a very small dab of putty to fill. The colorful box art has color… more |