Dave Morrissette
Reviews By Author
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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Seatbelts Luftwaffe WWII Fighters - SteelPublished:
Eduard has produced many different sets of seat belts over the years for many sizes and types of aircraft. Hey also have several different style with the fabric belts and straight photoetch belts. This set is 1/32nd scale photoetch steel with pre-printed color on one side. The printing is top notch and even includes the required stitching on the belts. There are enough lap and shoulder belts for four separate seats. The detailed instructions show attachment to Bf-190 and FW-190 variants. I had a spare seat for the Trumpeter Me-262 and used that for this demonstration (after painting it). The shoulder belts are simple in that there are no attachments necessary so you can cut them loose and attach them. I bent them to shape and glued them in place. Please take note… more |
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Seatbelts USAAF WWII SteelPublished:
Eduard has produced many different sets of seat belts over the years for many sizes and types of aircraft. They also have several different styles, with the fabric belts and straight photoetch belts. This set is 1/32nd scale photoetch steel with preprinted color on one side. The printing is top notch and even includes the required stitching on the belts. No specific aircraft are mentioned on the set. One set is tan and one is green and there are two complete sets of each including the lap belts. The shoulder belts are straightforward in that you cut them free, bend the bottom clips perpendicular and glue them in place. One note here- to make the belts drape more naturally, I bend them up a little and twist them slightly. Not too much or the printing can come off but… more |
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R40TD Med Range AA Missile W/Passive IR HHPublished:
According to our friends at Wikipedia, the Vympel R-40 (NATO reporting name AA-6 'Acrid') was a long-range air-to-air missile developed in the 1960s by the Soviet Union specifically for the MiG-25 interceptor, but can also be carried by the later MiG-31. It is the largest air-to-air missile in the world to ever go into production with a length of over 20 feet and a speed approaching Mach 5. Advanced Modeling now lets you add this unique missile to your planes with this aftermarket kit. The set includes two of the missiles which are comprised of eight parts. Seven of the parts are beautifully cast in gray resin and the kicker, a perfectly cast, shiny clear seeker head. This is art! Assembly is simple. Trim the nose casting plug to the correct length and slide into the socket and… more |
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PBK-500U 500Kg Unified Gliding Cluster BombPublished:
The PBK-500U glide cluster bomb dispenser (the Russian acronym translates to glide bomb cassette, 500-kg) is a single-use weapon that houses either a single warhead or multiple elements. Unlike the previous generation, the PBK-500U can deploy at longer distances to enable standoff attack capability for tactical aircraft acting against targets with pinpoint anti-aircraft defenses. Advanced Modeling has come out with a lovely 1/72nd scale set of two bombs for addition to modelers kits of MiG-29, Su-34, or Su-27/30/33/35. The set includes the main bomb bodies as large pieces with a casting block at the bottom. There is a separate casting block which has the pieces for the nose, rear plate and small fins for the four moving parts to the bomb fins. These are very tiny… more |
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KAB-1500Kr 1500 kg TV-guided BombsPublished:
The KAB-1500Kr series are Electro-Optical guided bombs. The seeker employs a gimbaled daylight television imaging sensor under a wide angle glass dome. This has enhanced sensors for guiding the bomb and can come in several different explosive materials inside. It is a large weapon for taking out difficult hardened items. Advanced Modeling has produced a 1/72nd scale version of this weapon and it is a beauty! The set comes with enough parts to make two individual bombs. All the parts are perfectly cast firm gray resin. Each bomb is comprised of eleven gray parts and a clear cast seeker head. There is also a comprehensive decal sheet. No seams or bubbles are on any parts. Assembly starts by preparing the resin parts and removing the casting blocks. This is simple… more |
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B8 80 mm Rocket LauncherPublished:
The B8M1 rocket launcher carries 80mm S-8 unguided rockets that can come in a variety of types. It is still in use by various countries and on various planes. Advanced Modeling has produced a wonderful 1/72nd scale version of this weapon to upgrade current kit parts or add something different. The resin comes with enough parts for two rocket launchers that each consist of three parts - the main body, the nose cone and the back shroud. Simply cut the parts from the casting blocks and make sure they are square. Glue the parts together and fill any seams (I had almost none as the fit was good). The recommended color is aluminum dope. Advanced Modeling included some great shots of the real thing and while they started as silver colored, they are well used so it is a great… more |
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Mk82 AIR Bombs with BSU-49/BPublished:
The Mark 82 serMK82 AIR is a 500 pound bomb modified with a BSU-49/B high drag tail assembly. The "ballute" air bag which deploys from the tail provides a high speed, low altitude delivery capability by quickly slowing the bomb and allowing the aircraft to escape the blast pattern. The tail assembly consists of a low-drag canister unit containing a ballute (combination balloon and parachute), and a release lanyard assembly that opens the canister releasing the ballute. The ballute assembly is made from high strength low porosity nylon fabric. When the bomb is released from the aircraft a lanyard unlatches the back cover which opens, releasing part of the nylon bag/retarder. Air turbulence at the rear of the bomb acts on that portion of the retarder, pulling the remainder out of the… more |