Dave Morrissette
Reviews By Author
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Israel IAI Kfir C2/C7Published:
A little history on this kit. When AMK first issued this kit, Kfir aficionados noticed that the coke bottle shape of the fuselage was not quite looking right. IPMS/USA reviewed the kit last year. You can see the shape is flat. SO, AMK fixed it and with this new release, the subtle shape is there. Fantastic! Inside the box, you get 11 sprues of well done grey parts, a clear sprue and 20 weapons all molded as one price and stacked. More on that later. You get a superb decal sheet with marking for six planes:
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USN MK83/BLU-110 BombsPublished:
Videoaviation continues their excellent 1/32nd scale ordnance releases with a set of 4 USN MK83/BLU-110 bombs with light ablative fire-retardant coating used by the US Navy. The set consists of 34 cream colored resin parts perfectly cast: four main bodies, four tail fins, four fuses, four caps, and 18 attachment lugs along with decals. The main bodies are especially impressive. They have a very finely detailed molded on ablative coating. I have not seen this done often but have seen it replicated by modelers using putty or primer and a stiff brush. Ablative coatings are used to protect the explosives from cooking off as quickly if heated and look like rough sandpaper texture. Some great pictures are on the Videoaviation site listed above. Construction is simple. Sand the… more |
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SAC Kfir C2/C7 Landing GearPublished:
Scale Aircraft Conversions (SAC) is well known for making replacement white metal landing gear for many, many subjects. This set replaces the main and nose landing gear for the AMK 1/48th scale Kfir C2/C7 kit from AMK. The set consists of seven well-made white metal parts; four are the main gear and three make up the nose gear. The main gear replaces kits parts C54/57 and E19. The nose gear replaces parts C17, 21, and 68. To prepare the parts, I sand off a few small seam lines and the parts are ready. For the main gear, the assembly adds the two white metal parts together and then you complete the assembly with the plastic oleo from the kit. The nose gear is broken down differently than the kit gear. The kit gear has the retraction strut molded in and the remainder of… more |
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Kfir C2/C7 Antennas for AMK KitPublished:
Quickboost, which is part of Aires, is known for their wonderful and simple kit enhancements which are drop in or require slight surgery. This set is for the wonderful AMK 1/48th Kfir kit and is a replacement set of antennae. It consists of six resin parts on a small casting block which replace five of the kit parts. Parts 1,2 4 and 5 are listed as direct replacement while part 3 requires the removal of the molded-on kit part. All of the casting is superb and the parts are finer than the corresponding kit parts. Going through the parts individually:
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Angle of Attack Probes. US Type, 1/48 & 1/32Published:
Angle of Attack probes are used on all aircraft. They measure the angle between the wing and the airflow which is what controls the lift generated by the wings. Without going deep into it, it lets the pilot know when a stall might be coming. Master Models from Poland, known for their excellent metal parts, has made a set of replacement AoA probes for modern jets. There are five pieces included in either the 1/48th or 1/32nd sets. One of the great things about these sets is that they can be used on multiple air frames. The instructions list F-4, F-14, F-15, F-16, F-18, F-111, Draken, Viggen, Gripen and many more. And with the number of parts, you can do multiple kits. 1/48th scale
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F-84G Thunderjet Landing GearPublished:
Scale Aircraft Conversions continues issuing white metal landing gear for not only new kits but older ones also. In this case, set 48430 is made for the Tamiya 1/48th scale F-84G series. This set is four parts – the two main legs while the front gear is two parts itself. Parts are made from white metal and are duplicates of the Tamiya kit parts but made of stronger white metal. Looking at the nose landing gear, there are two parts in the kit and the SAC set. The SAC gear will require some straightening and is as nicely detailed as the Tamiya part. The layout of either will result in some work sanding around the linkages. The main gear legs are direct drop in replacements. Testing the fit of both gear into their appropriate positions, the gear fits very well… more |
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Dornier Do-335 Pfeil/ArrowPublished:
For fans of aviation, the names J. Richard Smith and Eddie Creek are well known for their unparalleled work on Luftwaffe subjects and the detail and history they put into their efforts. Their four volumes on the Me-262 is the definitive set on the subject. And now, they give this same treatment to the Do-335 Pfeil/Arrow. I will say upfront that if there is anything you want to know about this plane, get this book and it will be there. The hardback book is 288 pages lavishly illustrated with color and black & white photographs as well as many drawings. The table of contests lists:
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Coffins (4pcs)Published:
Hauler always makes great sets with a lot of thought put into the subjects. From AFV sets to diorama details, it is fun just waiting for a new release. With this release, they have produced four coffins with lids in two different styles. Thinking about it, I don’t remember seeing these from anyone before and with all the war subject’s modelers build and the dioramas, this set is a natural add on and will help tell a sad but not uncommon story. The set consists of four coffins; two are rectangular and two are, well, coffin shaped. Each coffin has a separate lid also. The coffins have casting blocks on the bottom which will need to be sanded smooth and the lids have casting blocks on one side. The parts are cast in a tan colored resin and are free of bubbles and pin holes. This… more |
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T-28C TrojanPublished:
Kitty Hawk Models continues their 1/32nd scale releases of the variants of the T-28 with a T-28C which is the Navy version of the trainer with shortened propeller blades. Kitty Hawks kit comes in five gray sprues of nicely engraved plastic with a clear sprue having the canopy and lights, a photoetch sheet for the seat belts and grills and a nice set of decals with markings for five airframes:
Great schemes for colorful to working class! IPMS/USA was lucky enough to review the Kitty Hawk 1/32nd T-28B/D and the review is located here: T-28B/D review… more |
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GBU-11 Vietnam Era Laser Guided BombsPublished:
The GBU-11 is a 3000-lb. laser guided bomb primarily used in the Vietnam era made by adding laser guidance and fins to a M118E1 bomb. Eduard has now given us an option of attaching this bomb to all the wonderful new 1/48th scale Phantoms among others. Eduard’s set consists of enough parts and markings to make two of the large bombs. The set includes two tail units, two main bodies and a block of two different types seeker heads. The parts are cast in Eduard’s dark gray resin and are perfect. The bomb fins are super thin so be careful of them. Preparation is simple. Sand the main body and tail unit casting blocks off and join them. I used a little putty due to my sanding. I smoothed it with lacquer thinner. Pick which seeker head you need and cut it free from the casting block.… more |