Dave Morrissette
Reviews By Author
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US Navy Torpedo Loading CartPublished:
Aerobonus continues their excellent diorama releases with a US Navy Torpedo loading cart. I searched the Internet and found out it was also used to load bombs. The kits is molded in four parts of Aires dark gray resin. There is the main body which is molded in one piece. There is a sizable pour stub to remove but it is all on the bottom and easy to remove. There is one sprue which contains both handles and a insert for the center with molded in straps. The handles are very thin and fine and they need very slow careful removal to make sure they don't break. The resin is good to work with and with some patience, I removed them slowly and sanded the parts off. The insert goes into the center easily. The handles are left and right so make sure they spread enough to get a weapon between… more |
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F-105 Pitot TubesPublished:
Quickboost has released a set of pitot tubes for the Hobbyboss 1/48th scale F-105. This set is a single sprue of three pitot tubes cast with covers on each side to protect them. The usage is simple; cut the needed pitot tube off and attach to the model. I show it in the photos below beside the Revell kit I also completed for review. There are no seam lines -- so cut, glue and paint. Whether you have broken a pitot tube off, or want to prevent it, this is a nice set for that purpose. And you get three pitot tubes, so there is a reserve. This is a recommended set. My thanks to Aires and IPMS/USA for the review sample. |
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T2 Aerial Hunter KillerPublished:
The Terminator series of movies is iconic especially considering that 2014 is the 30th anniversary of the first movie. There haven't been many mainstream kits of the movies. Pegasus has started their releases with the Aerial Hunter killer tank from the 2nd Terminator movie. At the beginning of the movie, the rebels are being chased by Terminators, tanks and Aerial Hunter killers. Previously, this was only released in vinyl as far as I know. Let me say up front that the challenge to this kit will be the painting. Looking at shots of the movie on the Internet, the Aerial Hunter Killer is colored somewhere between chrome and polished aluminum. For those with the funds, one of the original props is up for auctions (starting at a mere $47,000) but it gives a great view of the actual… more |
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General Dynamics F-111 - A Comprehensive GuidePublished:
For those of you who haven't seen them, SAM Publications has a series of books they call Datafile which are devoted to a particular aircraft and also have a modeling section. The newest one is No. 19 and deals with the General Dynamics F-111 series. There are 12 chapters dealing with all things Aardvark. The chapters are listed below:
There are also three appendices -… more |
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The Modern Hornet Guide - The Boeing F/A-18 A/B/C/D ExposedPublished:
Reid Air Publications has issued a new book and the winners are anyone interested in the F/A-18 A/B/C/D Hornet! For those of you unfamiliar with the series, Jake Melampy has written his series of books detailing specific airframes. F-16's and F-16's and others have been detailed before as well as others but the newest covers the entire series of the F-18's. The format of the books starts with the cockpits and works its way back to the wings, vertical stabilizers, horizontal stabilizers, fuselage and landing gear and finishes with all the ordinance used by the Hornets. The first thing you will note about the book is the quality of the pictures. Whether they are operational shots or detail shots, the pictures are superb- in focus, clear and well lit. Even the "in-action" shots… more |
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Scale Aircraft Modelling, Vol. 35, Issue 11Published:
Each issue of Scale Aircraft Modeling follows a basic design and format. There are usually two Feature Articles, an Aviation in Profile piece, industry news and a series of Compact Build Reviews. The Feature articles for this issue covers a magnificent build of Airfix new Gloster Javelin Mk 9 and also a 1/48 Academy BAe T-59 Hawk. The Airfix Javelin build by Mike Williams covers the construction and painting in detail with excellent shots of the cockpit and all internal detail. He finishes with an excellent paint scheme and the kit looks fantastic. The other Feature article from Brian Wakeman covers building the Academy BAe Hawk in Korean trainer markings. The Korean trainer version requires adding a replacement nose. Detail is provided on this and upgrading the cockpit… more |
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Wooden Gate - StraightPublished:
Plusmodel continues its laser etched wood releases with a straight sided gate. This set is made from laser cut wood and contains two sheets of cut wood parts with 26 parts. The set also comes with directions to construct the gates. Construction starts by removing the parts from the backing. There are small attachment points which are sanded flat. I used clear Elmer's glue for all the building. One note here. If you are going to stain the parts or paint them later, watch where the glue goes as it will fill the wood and leave some issues with the paint or stain working. To start, the door panels are two parts- back and front. This allows for depth which is great. I added glue and aligned the pieces and added weight to keep flat while drying. Once done, the framework on both sides… more |
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Wooden Gate - RoundPublished:
Plusmodel has made a rounded top European wood gate. This set is made from laser cut wood and contains two sheets of cut wood parts, about 43 in total. The set also comes with directions to construct the gates. Construction starts by removing the parts from the backing. There are small attachment points which are sanded flat. I used clear Elmer's glue for all the building. One note here. If you are going to stain the parts or paint them later, watch where the glue goes as it will fill the wood and leave some issues with the paint or stain working. One very nice thing about this set is that it builds depth like a real gate so you started by gluing the back and front together. In this case, I added glue and got the part square and them added weight to it to keep it flat. I let… more |
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Sorted Waste ContainersPublished:
This kit from Plusmodel are two sorted waste containers for recycling...modern garbage cans! This would fit great into a modern diorama. The kit comes with 10 resin pieces, a small photoetch fret with four pieces and a small decal sheet. It makes two containers. Construction is simple. Remove the pour spout from the container and the base. and glue together. There are three parts glued to the top and then the photoetch covers. These are excellent with one part being the flaps to push in the recycling and then a ring securing it. It did take some putty on the side of the main container at the mold lines but one application and a quick sand and done. There is no paint scheme so I used the box cover which shows one lime green container and one fluorescent orange. They were… more |
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Hay Wagon with Wooden TankPublished:
Plusmodel out of the Czech Republic continues its great diorama accessories this kit of a European style wagon with a wooden tank in 1/35 scale. the kit is entirely resin with 27 gray resin parts and a small piece of wire. The parts molding is excellent with wood grain molded in subtly to the parts. The base of this kit is similar to the hay wagon in its undercarriage with the base and tank included. As with any resin kit, each part will need cut from its pour block and cleaned. The parts are well done but it pays to take care here. I used a fine razor saw and cut the parts loose and scraped/sanded away the molding lines. Once done, I washed the parts in dish soap and warm water in case there was mold release and the parts were ready for assembly. Assembly was very straight… more |