David Wrinkle
Reviews By Author
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Kawanishi H8K2 Type 2 Flying Boat Model 12Published:
This H8K Emily was certainly an eye opener for me as it to date is the largest model kit I’ve built and in 1/72 scale that is simply amazing. In scale, the wingspan of the Emily is 0.53 meters (20.75 inches). To give you an idea of its true size, the Emily is just a couple of meters smaller in wingspan than a C-130 Hercules. The first boxing of the H8K by Hasegawa in 1/72 dates back to 1967 and was in need of an update. Fast forward to 2017 and thanks to the good folks from Hasegawa we have a simply amazing new tool replacement to their earlier release. As a nice little bonus, Hasegawa includes a poster of a cutaway view of the fuselage with this boxing of the kit. This may only be a limited run bonus, so check the box top for the bonus item markings. There is no surprise that… more |
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IJA Type 4 Light Tank “Ke-Nu”Published:
The IJA Type 4 “Ke-Nu” was designed and built during 1944 utilizing two existing IJA tank components. The designers mated surplus Type 97 Chi-Ha turrets left over from the Type 97 modernization program with obsolete Type 95 Ha-go tank chassis. In total 100 tanks were produced with this recipe. According to the Dragon Models website, this kit utilizes a brand new Type 97 Chi-Ha turret & antenna ring mated with the hull parts from their Type 95 Ha-Go hull. Dragon included updated glacis plate and upper hull parts to accurately represent the Ke-Nu. I hope to see Dragon produce a Type 97 sometime in the near future now that they have the Type 97 turret tooled. To be very clear up front, this kit was an absolute joy to build. I can’t wait to dive into my Dragon 1/35 Ha-Go kit… more |
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244th Sentai Part 2 DecalsPublished:
The 244th Sentai (Fighter Group / Fighter Regiment) was formed in 1941 and charged with the defense of Tokyo. As apparent from the options included in this decal set, the unit started flying Nates and later turned in their Ki-27s for Ki-61s & Ki-100s. There are a handful of Ki-61 Hien kits on the market in 1/48 scale with the most prominent player being Hasegawa. Along with the Hasegawa tool, Arii / Otaki and the RS Models tools were just minor players in the Ki-61 arena. All that changed in the past few months when Tamiya released their brand spankin’ new tool of the Ki-61 in 1/48 scale. From the reviews I’ve read, it’s a very sweet kit. Thankfully Lifelike has come to the rescue with a timely re-release of their 244th Sentai Part 2 Decal set that… more |
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A6M5 Zero Landing Gear (Has)Published:
Upfront, I want to thank Scale Aircraft Conversions for providing outstanding aftermarket bits for our beloved model kits, and to the IPMS USA a big thank you for allowing me to review the Scale Aircraft Conversions metal gear. Since my early days as a lad building and enjoying model aircraft, the A6M Zero has been on my short list of favorite propeller drive fighter aircraft. Recently, I acquired the new Hasegawa A6M5c kit and thought I would give the SAC metal gear set a try. My personal opinion regarding heavier 1/32 aircraft and smaller scale kits with fiddly landing arrangements, metal gear is the only way to go. Metal gear is more forgiving and has the wonderful ability to be gently adjusted, unlike their polystyrene relatives. Please be aware like any other molded… more |
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Gloster Gladiator Resin Replacement Stabilizer and ElevatorPublished:
I’ve always had a soft spot for the Gladiator, as in my opinion it is one of the best looking biplane aircraft ever designed. The Gladiator prototype first flew in 1934 and entered service in 1937, just a year and a half ahead of the Hawker Hurricane. The Gladiator was utilized by 18 nation’s air forces during the war, and its last recorded combat operation being flown by the Finns in February of 1943 ended with a Soviet R-5 recon plane being shot down. This resin set by Aires is not my first experience with their products. Like their other products, the resin is smooth, bubble and blemish free. What I really like is that the part includes the attachment tab for locating the stabilizer to the fuselage. As a builder, you really only need to know that the part will drop right in… more |
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DH-82a Tiger Moth Photoetch DetailsPublished:
Over the past few years Airfix has been turning out some stunning kits and thankfully the detail community has been stepping up to the plate to provide details for those new kits. No exception is the Czech company Brengun who has released a nifty detail set for the new tool Airfix DH.82a Tiger Moth series of kits. Brengun provides a single photoetch sheet with instructions that incudes details for both the cockpit and exterior of the kit. Obvious interior details include the instrument panels, seatbelts, as well as bulkhead covers and control levers. I should note that I was not clear if I should have received some sort of instrument decal with the detail set as none was included. I don’t see this as a problem as the photoetch instrument fret fits nicely over the kit decals of… more |
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Mitsubishi Ki-67 Heavy Bomber Hiryu "14th FR"Published:
The Ki-67 was a very robust aircraft, able to withstand heavy battle damage and employed good defensive armament. Its high maneuverability allowed it to carry out dive bombing attacks and escape from a low level. Japanese troops nicknamed it the "Flying Dragon," while the Allies gave it the code-name "Peggy." This limited edition kit features resin upper panel and drop tank parts, side panel parts and three marking options to represent the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force's 14th Flight Regiment in August 1945. There is no surprise that I am a fan of Japanese equipment when it comes to my modeling tastes. I couldn’t resist taking on this Hasegawa offering of the Peggy. Basically this is a stock Peggy kit with the addition of an additional resin part that is used to create a… more |
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Lysander Mk. III ProfipackPublished:
I have always loved the look and lines of the Westland Lysander so when given the chance, I didn’t hesitate to build the profipack kit from Eduard. To be honest I have the older Gavia boxing in my stash but it doesn’t contain all the little extras that Eduard has added over and above the original boxing of the Gavia kit in 2001. From reading reviews of the Gavia boxing there was small issue in the original tool that involved the location of the alignment holes for the wing strut attachment points. On the recommendation of a friend, I compared the molding of Eduard’s Lysander to the original boxing and Eduard have retooled the lower wing pieces to relocate the alignment holes to the correct position. Go team! The rest of the box o’ parts were top notch and included the great Eduard… more |
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British Landing LightsPublished:
Honestly until I built an Eduard Fulmar last year I didn’t know about the distinctive design of the British landing light. Now, if you are so inclined to add a great scale detail to your British aircraft look no further. Brengun has a wonderful set of photoetched landing lights for most any 1/48 British subject. Included in this photoetch set are: four – 4.5mm diameter lights, four – 4.0mm diameter lights and six – 3.0mm diameter lights. Each light is made up of two parts, the concave dish and the spiral cover. The instructions are very straightforward and the first step is to anneal the dish portion of the landing light. When complete, place the dish portion on a rubber eraser and work at shaping the dish by pressing with a dull pencil or another rounded tool of your choice.… more |
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Tips to Master advanced techniques building 700th IJN ships Vol. 2Published:
Since April of 2013 when Kodakawa games released their free browser game Kantai Collection (aka Kancolle), featuring cute anime girls each of which represent ships from the Second World War IJN, there has been an increased interest in ship modeling in Japan. Tamiya, Hasegawa and Aoshima, have long worked in harmony releasing a sizable number of 1/700 warships represented by the waterline series of kits. These three companies as well as Fujimi are capitalizing on the popularity of the game and anime series by re-releasing many of these kits, as well as creating new kits, with extra decals of the girls as well as game specific box art. Admittedly, because of the game as well as the anime series, I too have become a bit more interested in ship modeling. After my review of Model… more |