Dave Morrissette
Reviews By Author
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Boots on the Ground - The Fight to Liberate Afghanistan 2001-2002Published:
Zenith Press has published and excellent read with Boots on the Ground. The book covers the build-up and start of the war in Afghanistan during 2001-2002. The book starts with coverage of the Soviet involvement prior to their invasion, including their poisoning of the Afghani President and his subsequent execution, as well as coverage of the Soviet invasion and their loss of 15,000 troops and thousands of vehicles. There are great explanations of the Mujahedeen philosophy of "Death by a Thousand Cuts" where, in one year, the Mujahedeen conducted 5,236 attacks on the Soviets, one small attack at a time. There are great descriptions and pictures of the weapons used, from Stinger missiles to the Hind helicopter. This background history continues up through 9/11 and the decisions… more |
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Romulan WarbirdPublished:
Star Trek. Like a lot of people my age (the other side of 50), I was raised on the show and then the long running reruns. Of course, you have the movies, Deep Space Nine and more. The series is as iconic. This kit represents a Romulan D’deridex class ship which appears in STTNG series which aired between 1987 and 1994. This kit was first released by AMT a number of years ago and has become scarce in the last few years, so the rerelease is welcome. And there are improvements! The basic kit is the same with nice molding and relief. There is a round base with parts to make the kit appear in flying pose. If you see the miniatures in the series, there are two things the original kit didn’t have included. First, the warp nacelles always glowed a greenish color which… more |
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MiG-21MF Fishbed J Air ScoopsPublished:
Quickboost is known for its quick, easy and very well done add-ons to kits. The set reviewed here is a set of six air scoops present on the Trumpeter 1/32 MiG-21 series. One problem with a lot of kits is that the many of the cooling, air, etc. scoops come in two pieces. To get them correct, you need to glue them together and then sand both the inside and outside for a good fit. On this MiG kit, there are six such scoops. Quickboost has a great time saving idea. They have all of the scoops with a nice recessed depth and no seams. You simply remove the scoops, a light sanding to remove the seam and make it fit and glue in place. It provides the correct cross section for the opening- no worrying about sanding a seam flat. Also, there are no problems on the inside as they are good… more |
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Air Modeller #42, June/July 2012Published:
I have loved these magazines since they first arrived. Great photography mixed with great builds. This issue is no exception and has feature articles on:
As an example, the Wellington build is an example of what can be done with photoetch parts as Zbenek Sebesta use Eduard photoetch on the exterior, bomb bays, interior, cockpit, flaps and engines. He uses resin on the Quickboost exhausts, guns and flaps. Griffon parts are used on the wheels and flaps. Various parts were also used from… more |
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Lo-Viz Rhino's - RF-4B, F-4N, F-4J, F-4S DecalsPublished:
Furball Designs fourth issue is a set of markings for Hasegawa's 1/48th series of F-4's including the RF-4B, F-4N, F-4J, F-4S versions. There looks to be enough markings for two kits and there are ten total available. If you add stencils, you could use the entire sheet. The markings include:
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Fast Fords - F4D-1 DecalsPublished:
Furball Designs and Geoff Martin hit another high note with their second release, Fast Fords designed for the Tamiya 1/48 F4D kit. There are options for 11 planes with a largely varied set of markings. Printing is done by Cartograf and is superb with great opacity and registration. The markings listed are:
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VFA-147 Argonauts F-18E 2012 Cruise DecalsPublished:
The newest release from Bob Sanchez and Twobobs is a set for the VFA-147 Argonauts aboard the USS Ronald Reagan. The Argonauts are based at NAS Lemoore and transitioned into their current planes, the F-18E Hornet, in 2008. The set is designed for either the Hasegawa or Revell F-18E single-seat Hornet and represent the planes on their 2012 cruise. The set comes in the superb Twobobs format with a full color sheet showing the beautiful CAG configuration with black tail and spine, as well as one line plane in grey. Both side, top, and bottom views are provided. There is a list of kits and aftermarket to add for those wanting a little resin and photo etch with their decals. The back also includes all the necessary color callouts for the planes. There are also some shots of the… more |
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VAQ-130 "Zappin' Growlers" EA-18G DecalsPublished:
Bob Sanchez and Twobobs continue their excellent new releases with a set for the EA-18 Growler. This set covers Electronic Attack Squadron 130 (VAQ-130), also known as the "Zappers" and based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island. Currently part of Carrier Air Wing 3, the Zappers deploy aboard the USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75). VAQ-130 is the oldest electronic warfare squadron in the U.S. Navy. This set covers two planes, the CAG plane with black tail and spine with a green dragon breathing lightning bolts, and a line plane in all gray with the same markings. This kits listed are for Revell and Hasegawa F-18F with the Steel Beach conversions. I would suggest that the Hasegawa Growler release may be your best choice and it was reviewed here:… more |
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USS Los Angeles Class Submarine SSN-688/VLS/688I (3 in 1)Published:
The Los Angeles-class is a class of nuclear-powered fast attack submarines that forms the backbone of the United States submarine fleet. With 42 submarines on active duty and 20 retired, the Los Angeles class is the most numerous nuclear-powered submarine class in the world.
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AIM-9L/M/N Seeker Head Cover with RBF Flags, IDF StylePublished:
For those of you that have never heard of Aerobonus, they are a line produced by Aires that includes various RBF tags, munitions carriers, and some select weapons. The product for review today is a set of six resin seeker head covers in 1/32 scale for any of the AIM-9L/M/N variants. In this case, the RBF tags are printed on yellow vinyl and are marked in white letters in Hebrew specifically for the Israeli Defense Force. Assembly is as easy as it gets. Trim off a seeker head which is already cast in the correct yellow resin. Sand any nubs. Wire is provided, so cut a piece off and thread through the hole in the resin piece. I doubled mine over and twisted it like a bread tie. The vinyl parts are solid colors and peel off easily. Fold it over on itself and thread the other end of… more |