Dave Morrissette
Reviews By Author
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F/A-18E/F ECS Exhausts, Late and EarlyPublished:
Quickboost has a pair of great detail sets for the Trumpeter 1/32 F/A-18E/F kits. The parts reviewed here are the ECS (Environmental Control System) exhausts which are located on the back of the new Hornets. There are two sets. First is a late version which is a direct replacement of the kit parts. Simply sand the kit parts smooth and sand off the casting block and attach. The Quickboost parts have more of a correct angle to them and deeper intakes and are very well cast. The second set allows you to backdate the kit to one with the early set of ECS exhausts. In this case, a little surgery will be needed to allow the part to sit into the kit. There is a picture included to show the needed… more |
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F-35B Metal Landing GearPublished:
Hot on the heels of the release of Kitty Hawk Models’ 1/48 F-35B is Scale Aircraft Conversions’ metal landing gear set. The set consists of 11 pieces of white metal to replace the entire landing gear structure on the F-35. There are three gear struts, three torque links, three retracting arms, and two retraction cylinders. As you can see from the pictures, the metal castings are excellent. For review, I installed the parts on the kit (which I am in the process of reviewing) and they fit like a charm. In one picture, you can see the nose gear torque link has snapped and, thankfully, SAC to the rescue. All it takes is a little clean up and they drop into place, providing a sturdy base to the kit. You can also polish the metal where the silver parts are and leave them bare metal… more |
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F4D-1 Skyray Part 1Published:
Being a fan of large scale planes (1/32 and above), I was excited when Paul Fisher from Fisher Model and Pattern announced an impending 1/32 F4D-1 Skyray. No one else would have the tenacity and devotion to make one, and as a fan of US Navy planes, this was a dream come true for me. The plane itself has not been made in 1/32 before and is a welcome addition. This is going to be a multi-part build. In this part, we'll take a look at what you get in the box and then dive right into a full build in subsequent parts. For those not having built a Fisher kit, they are cast in resin with photoetch detail added, and this kit is no different. The parts are cast in a light gray resin that holds detail well. There are approximately 157 parts to the kit. The windscreen and the canopy are… more |
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F-18E/F Hornet Landing GearPublished:
New to the Scale Aircraft Conversions line is a set of gear for a Revell F-18E/F. The set comes in five pieces with the three main gear and two small retraction links all cast in sturdy white metal. I included pictures of the gear with its plastic counterparts and the detail is good. One issue I have had building F-18 kits in 1/48 or larger scale is there sometimes is a tendency to sag based on the way the main landing gear are configured. The attachment points on this gear have a key the attaches it to the fuselage via three points of contact and, being white metal, this should prevent any long term issues. I included some shots of them on the Revell kit for reference and fit is very good. One thing to note – these are for the Revell kit. They could be made to fit the Hasegawa… more |
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The Mole from "Thunderbirds"Published:
Nostalgia – there's nothing that warms the heart more at times. Being the age I am, I remember Gerry Anderson's Thunderbirds, a marionette based Sci-Fi show which originally aired in 1965-66. The cool weapons and craft, the evil villains, the puppets – all very cool! Lately, Aoshima has been reissuing kits from the original series and this review will deal with my favorite, "The Mole." For those not knowing , the Mole is a 30-ton drilling machine with thermal imaging in the nose, made to rescue people trapped underground. It appears in 4 or 5 episodes. What's in the box? Lots of things. First off, the kit represents the Mole itself and its tracked transporter. It is meant to be motorized, with the transporter tracks moving and the Mole’s drill bit spinning. This creates… more |
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RQ-7B Shadow DronePublished:
The RQ-7 Shadow is a UAV used by the US Army and Marine Corps for surveying the battlefield for damage assessment and just about anything else. It is made to be compact and portable. It is launched by a pneumatic track and recovered with arresting gear similar to what’s used onboard aircraft carriers. Academy has offered a great diorama of this UAV. I could call it a kit but it comes with a base, two choices of pneumatic launchers, and two complete figures, so the term diorama is accurate. Also included are two sheets of decals – one with markings for the UAV and the second with digital camouflage for the figures. Assembly is a snap in that the entire UAV is 27 pieces. I needed a little filler around the sides of the fuselage, but that’s it. Be careful of the two tail booms!… more |
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PV-1 Ventura WheelsPublished:
More goodies from Eduard for the Revell 1/48 PV-1. In this review, we'll look at the Brassin wheels. Each set consists of two perfectly cast resin wheels with one hub molded in and a diamond tread. The second hub is separate. Also included is a PE fret with brake lines and covers if you need them for the outboard hub. A mask set is also included. Removing the wheel from the hub takes a bit of time as the pour stub wraps around 20% of the tire. The treads need to be engraved once the removal is complete. The rest of the installation was a breeze and they take paint well. I used the covers, as my version had them mounted. The set replaces the main wheels only. And they are much better that the kit wheels (see the shot I included) with much better tread design and accuracy. … more |
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P-61A/B External Fuel TankPublished:
When this item came up for review, I did a little research and found early P-61's didn't have a connection for the external fuel tanks (but they were soon added). Those thirsty engines needed more fuel for ferrying and long range runs, sond to accommodate that, they came up with a fuel tank with an aerodynamic fairing behind it that fit where the turret would ultimately end up. Great Wall's first release of the Black Widow is a perfect selection for Quickboost’s latest release, an external fuel tank. The set consists of two parts, a tank insert and the fairing behind it. Installation is simplicity itself. The main tank fits right into the hole which is blanked off normally. The aerodynamic fairing needs its flash sanded off and to be glued in place and, if you want, a fuel line could… more |
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Sci-Fi and Fantasy Modeller Volume 27Published:
Nothing makes for a great day than to get a fantastic magazine in the mail and no big plans for the evening! Issue number 27 of Sci-fi and Fantasy Modeller, which is published by Happy Medium Press in the United Kingdom, covers in-depth builds and reviews of Sci-fi subjects from vehicles to figures and back again. In Volume 27, there are 13 distinct articles covering this area of modeling and they are:
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PV-1 Ventura Cockpit and Interior UpgradePublished:
Eduard’s latest release for the Revell 1/48 PV-1 is a complete cockpit set which includes two frets. One of the frets is colorized and contains a new instrument panel and backing, seat belts, and lots of placards, panel faces, and levers for the cockpit. The second fret is standard metal with details for the gun turret, bottom gun, and other cockpit details, and is beautifully relief-etched. Starting with the seats, you need to remove the molded-in belts and paint the seats. There are also some brackets for the pilot’s seat. Once added and painted, the belts really make the seat look great. The cockpit is next, and here there are three places to sand flat – the instrument panel, the front of the main console, and the console between the seats. Easy stuff and it sets up for the… more |