Dave Morrissette
Reviews By Author
|
VF-143 Pukin' Dogs: Taproom 102 USN F-4J Phantom in the Vietnam WarPublished:
AOA Decals has filled another void in the decal world by producing a set for VF-143 Pukin’, and covers one specific airframe, BuNo 155887, call sign “Taproom”. The decals cover three cruises:
One note directly from their web site caught my attention. For the 1972-73 cruise, this aircraft also bore the name of VF-143's XO, CDR Harley Hall, who sadly become the last Navy combat loss on 27 January 1973 flying Taproom 113 and last American to be listed as POW. While his RIO was later released, there is still controversy and contradictions surrounding the ultimate fate of CDR Hall. CDR Hall was previously Blue Angels Officer-In-Charge/Flight Leader (Plane 1), he and his Blue Angel team were featured in the… more |
|
F-15C Repo EaglesPublished:
Two Bobs has been giving us awesome decals for a very long time now, and this latest set is designed for the wonderful Tamiya 1/32 F-15C kit. These markings represent the F-15C’s from the 65th Aggressor Squadron from Nellis AFB. When this was squadron was disbanded, the F-15’s were sent to various ANG squadrons. The planes from this sheet were sent to the 144th FW in Fresno, CA hence the “repo” Eagles name. These planes still retained their aggressor markings. Inside the package, you get markings for one of two Eagles - one in tan camouflage and one in gray/green camouflage, and one set of stencils printed on two sheets by Microscale. The printing is wonderful, and Microscale is a great choice for printing. Also included are color profiles, both left and right side… more |
|
McDonnell Douglas F-4J Phantom II, Part 1Published:
Zoukei-Mura first showed this kit at the 2015 IPMS Nationals and again this year in Columbia. Well, the kit has finally arrived and its beautiful. Many might have been a little skeptical with the other kits but it’s a Phantom and one of the most iconic planes made so a new kit is always welcome. In this part, we’ll look at what’s in the box and then get some parts built and painted starting with the cockpit. In the box, the molding is excellent with engraved panel lines and rivet detail. The upper fuselage is split in the middle and has a separate insert to cover the spine (indicating more versions are coming too!). The bottom is one piece and has the same excellent engraving. The one thing that really grabbed my attention is the depth of the sprues. Most of us are used to flat… more |
|
F/A-18A/B/C/D Hornet Landing GearPublished:
Hot on the heels of the release of the new Kinetic 1/48 F-18C, Scale Aircraft conversions has released a set of replacement gear in white metal. The set comprises 12 parts and includes both the main and nose landing gear. A couple notes on the SAC parts: The kit nose gear leg has several ejector pin marks and the top of the main strut is two parts. The SAC kit has no ejector pin marks and the main leg is a single solid part. You will need to drill out the main leg to attach the top section but that’s simple. Second, that main gear are complete replacement parts, but the nose gear will have to have several parts added, such as the nose gear light and the landing lights. Assembly is straightforward except as noted above - follow the kit instructions. I smooth sanded all… more |
|
US Navy & USMC Colors From 70's to PresentPublished:
Vallejo makes several different types of paints- some for hand brushing, some for detailing and some pre-thinned for air brushing. Model Air is a range of liquid acrylic colors developed especially for airbrushing and has very finely ground pigments and an acrylic resin which has been designed for durability. The set reviewed here is for modern US Navy Colors and contains eight 17ml squeeze bottles of:
This… more |
|
Metal ColorsPublished:
Vallejo has introduced a series of eighteen metallic colors in their Metal Colors line. This also includes a glossy black primer and a gloss protective varnish. Each bottle is 32ml (1.08 ounces) and has an excellent pour dropper which is angled. MSRP is $10.99 per bottle. The colors reviewed are:
|
|
Luftwaffe InstrumentsPublished:
Eduard continues to bring out superb sets meant to help modelers detail kits. This set consists of 100 individual instruments meant for 1/32 WWII Luftwaffe planes. There are multiples of each instrument. The printing on the instruments is awesome and clear. The instructions show the needed folds and the like. This set will require the modeler to research and determine which instrument goes where. These will let you replace or fabricate a new instrument panel easily. To test them, I sprayed a piece of styrene with RLM 66 paint. I then added the instruments and folded them. You’ll note in the pictures that I got a little heavy-handed with the glue. Once attached, I folded and glued the needed instruments flat. This gives them a nice three-dimensional look. Once glued, I flat-… more |
|
Berlin Airlift C-47sPublished:
I really like decals that represent historic moments in time and Iliad has released a set that is right up this alley with decals to represent four of the C-47’s that participated in the Berlin Airlift in 1/72nd scale. There are several kits available including Airfix and Italeri. Inside the package, you get a single double sided sheet covering all the profiles of the planes which include:
The sheet has a very detailed description of the plane, its paint schemes and the details of its service. The back side of the page has top and bottom profiles describing the color of control surfaces… more |
|
AIM-7E SparrowPublished:
AIM-7E Sparrow’s are semi-active radar guided missiles and there were 25,000 of the “E” series produced and used extensively during the Vietnam era by all branches of the services. Eduard has produced a wonderful replica of the AIM-7E in their Brassin line in 1/32nd scale. The set includes parts to build four complete missiles which can be painted in three different paint schemes (which changed over the years). There are four main bodies and four sets of the front fins all cast in gray resin. Lastly, there is a small photoetch fret which gives depth to the rear missile motor. There is also a full set of nicely printed decals. Assembly is straight forward. Carefully cut the main body from the casting block. The best way I found was to use a photoetch razor saw and cut… more |
|
Combat Scooters I - USN/USMC A-4E/A-4F Skyhawks in the Vietnam WarPublished:
Trumpeter’s 1/32 A-4E/F Skyhawk has been out since 2012 and while some aftermarket companies have addressed the cockpit and intakes, there have been almost no decals issued to a very familiar kit with lots of marking potential. Enter AOA Decals and Part 1 of their multi-part coverage of the Scooter in USN/USMC markings. The decals are printed by Cartograf. Included in the package are two large full color sheets covering the colorful markings and one gigantic sheet covering the black and white markings. Printing is superb as Cartograf is a leading manufacturer of decals. The instructions are full color and have side profiles in color for all 10 schemes as well as detailed information on each scheme. A full set of stencil instructions are also included. The marking choices are:… more |