Dave Morrissette
Reviews By Author
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P-47 Gun BarrelsPublished:
Master Models has released a set of 8 machined brass gun barrels for the current batch of 1/32 scale P-47 kits. One nice thing is that these barrels will fit either the Hasegawa release or the Trumpeter release. The barrels are perfectly made and already have the ends drilled out. The attached pictures show a comparison to the Hasegawa barrels, although there is really not any comparison – there are no seam lines and they have no sprue points to sand down. There is a 1:1 scale picture showing the proper alignment. To use this set in the Trumpeter kits, simply paint and glue the barrels in place. The Hasegawa kit will have to have the bulkhead drilled to accept the barrels, which you can then paint and glue. The drawing will then insure proper alignment. For… more |
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B-25 Exterior Detailing SetPublished:
Eduard continues their releases for H-K Models' 1/32 B-25 with an exterior upgrade set which addresses several areas. These include the engine with new wiring to the spark plugs, a crankcase placard, and detailed guards above the cylinders. The wheel wells get detailed with the new bulkheads for the main gear and inside detail for the nose gear door. Lastly, the cowlings get interior detail on the inside of the cooling flaps and doors, as well as detail on the framing. This set consists of two frets of non-colored PE which have excellent relief. Most of the parts, such as interior door, cooling flap interiors, bulkheads, and engine placard, require no kit modifications. I simply bent the part to shape by pressing and super glued them in place. There were then painted,… more |
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Bunny Fighter Grass MasksPublished:
For those who might have missed it, Eduard has launched the Bunny Fighter Club, a membership club from Eduard which will have special kits and aftermarket available to members only. To join, you need to purchase their excellent 1/48 MiG-21MF kit which has Bunny Club markings. The markings for the kit include the 2 Czech planes and the MiG-21MF flown by Lt. C. Bunnyfield. This colorful character has a light blue and green plane with orange details, with a large bunny on the tail wielding a missile. All kidding aside, Bunny Club members receive some great perks:
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Catwoman and Bat PodPublished:
Moebius has issued this model of Catwoman with the Bat Pod from the 2012 movie The Dark Knight Rises. The kit comes in two builds – the Bat Pod, which is all styrene, and Catwoman (who was played by Anne Hathaway), which is in six resin pieces. The styrene parts are black, crisp, and free of any imperfections. The resin is absolutely flawless. The Bat Pod assembles in three pieces – the main body and the front and rear axles. Assembly is straightforward. There are a lot of good tips in the build, so read the instructions. There is one caveat here – the axles must be in alignment to make sure the wheels ride perfectly on the ground. Part 41 is a key to this. Don't glue this in place until the front and rear axles are built and painted. Many of the parts are black. Once… more |
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Night Stalkers Don't Quit! Decals Part 1Published:
New from Floyd Werner and Werner’s Wings are decals and history for the Night Stalkers, the 160th Special Operation Aviation Regiment (SOAR). This set of decals covers the history of the group from its conception in 1981 through Operation Gothic Serpent in 1993. The aircraft covered here are H-60's and H-6’s in 1/72 scale. The decals are also offered in 1/35th and 1/48th scales. The decals cover eight markings for the H-6 and 9 markings for the H-60. Each scheme has a specific color guide and also notations about specifics of that particular helicopter. There are notes about antennae locations, markings, and history of all airframes. The most impressive thing that comes with this set is the specific history of the Night Stalkers. The coverage ranges from its inceptions… more |
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B-25 Interior Detail SetPublished:
Eduard has issued this interior set to upgrade the HK Models 1/32nd B-25 interior by addressing several areas. The set comes with two large photo etched frets and one small colorized fret, all of which have excellent relief on the parts and great color on the small fret. This set addresses the tail gunner position, the top turret gunner position, both exit hatches, and the rear fuselage interior, along with barrel covers for the guns. I started construction with the tail gunner area. Both side walls have a large PE part which address the lack of molded-in detail. These were pressed into the area and when they fit well, affixed with super glue and accelerator. These are enhanced with rails which are bent and formed to look like the ribs inside the tail. The wiring detail on the… more |
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B-25H/J WheelsPublished:
To spice up that HK Models B-25, Eduard has released its Brassin B-25 wheel set. For those not knowing, Brassin is Eduard’s resin line. It is excellently cast and comes in 11 parts, with the wheels being single pieces and the hubs coming in two parts. There is also a photoetch cover for the front wheel, depending on the configuration you are building. Lastly, there is an excellent set of masks and a nice instruction sheet. There are no air bubbles anywhere, and the resin is easy to sand. There are pour blocks on each wheel which I trimmed with a razor saw and then sanded, with no issues. I used the razor saw to get the seams out of the excellently engraved treads. I trimmed the hubs next, and they are also cast perfectly. You will have to clean out the open spots in the hubs… more |
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B-25 Pilots SeatsPublished:
This set is a single fret of excellent relief-etched material which fixes the seats on the HK Models 1/32 B-25. So, you ask, what’s wrong with the kit seats? Not much, but research does indicate that the co-pilot’s seat was not a full seat like the pilot’s, more of a half seat. The fret includes 35 parts which allow you to build more detailed and correct seats. Construction will be helped by use of one of the PE bending tools on the market today – I used a Hold and Fold and it is much more precise making the bends than any other way. Also, you will need some plastic rod to construct the seat mounts – two pieces of 1.2mm rod, each 26.5mm long, and for the smaller seat, two pieces of 1.2mm rod each 14.5mm long. I used stock styrene rod from the LHS. Each seat is well… more |
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B-25 Ammunition BeltsPublished:
Eduard has issued an upgrade set to enhance the detail on the ammunition belts in HK Models 1/32 B-25J. This set includes one fret of 15 parts which replicate the detail on the ammunition belts for the rear guns, waist guns, and, if used, the nose gun. HK Models’ detail on the gun belts is okay but does lack for some of the detail on the outside of the tracks. To upgrade this, the photoetch parts are added to the outside of each plastic part and are bent at a 90 degree angle to cover the top and sides. This gives a much better representation of the real belts. I started by trying to glue on a belt and then bend the PE over – not too successful. In the end, I prebent all the needed parts on my Hold and Fold and glued them on in sections, using CA glue and accelerator. It… more |
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Hs-129B-2 Winter Camouflage Limited EditionPublished:
The Henschel Hs-129 was a purpose-built ground attack plane which was designed for destroying tanks and attacking enemy emplacements. It wielded several versions of a 30mm cannon and had an armored cockpit and engines to allow for close air support of troops. Hasegawa has reissued its excellent Henschel Hs-129B-2 kit with the needed decals to make two winter camouflage schemes. The kit comes with nine gray sprues and a clear sprue and a new set of decals. There is also a small poly cap sprue which is used to hold the propellers onto the engine faces. The panel lines are great and the kit is flash free. The first thing that you realize with this kit is how small the actual plane was – it had a wing span of 47 feet, which is only slightly larger than a P-47. Because I can… more |