David Wrinkle
Reviews By Author
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Bf 109G CockpitPublished:
Without a doubt, the Eduard 109G-6 has to be one of the most controversial kits in the past year or two. Personally, I’ve had a good look at completed examples as well as a good look at the plastic in the box, and I’m pretty happy with the kit. For this review, I’ll be looking at the Eduard Brassin Bf 109G cockpit made for the Eduard kit. I did not try to fit this set into another manufactures kit, so if you wish to attempt using it with another kit, I wish you all the best. I should note that parts are included for both early and late model B-6s. Obviously, you will want to choose your version before assembling this cockpit and the kit, for that matter. For this review, I chose to build the early version of the cockpit. Out of the box, you receive very finely cast,… more |
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Bf 109G-6 WheelsPublished:
Without a doubt, the Eduard 1/48 scale Bf 109G-6 has to be one of the most controversial kits released in the past year or two. Personally, I’ve had a good look at completed examples, as well as a good look at the plastic in the box, and I’m pretty happy with the kit. For this review, I’ll be looking at the Eduard Brassin Bf 109G-6 wheels made for Eduard’s kit. Without diving into my stash to check, I see no problem with these wheels being used on Bf 109 G-6 kits from other manufacturers. Although, please note, your mileage may vary. The wheels are pre-molded to fit directly over the landing gear legs with just a slight bit of slop. Personally, I prefer this type of fit with resin parts, especially over the alternative: extremely snug fit. First, out of the box you… more |
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Space Pirate Battleship Phantom Death ShadowPublished:
Death's shadow rides on solar winds Sleek, magnificent, deadly. A single look at the Phantom Death Shadow will tell you all you need to know. She's a predator angled and shaped with a single purpose: destruction. Lethal Pulsar cannons in triple mounts sit idle 'til they reduce enemy warships to cosmic dust; the blade ram waits to split hulls and spill crews and cargoes to the cold, black emptiness of space. She's a piece of lethal art that deserves a spot in your display case. Kit features 2 Cosmo Wing fighters and display stand. I’m sure I have mentioned in previous reviews I have become addicted to Japanese anime and when the chance to review the Arcadia came along I took a chance. Admittedly I have not had a chance the watch any of the “Captain Harlock” anime shows… more |
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French Tanks of World War II (1) - Infantry and Battle TanksPublished:
The first of two volumes covering the French armor of World War II, this title looks at the infantry and battle tanks that faced the onslaught of the German Blitzkrieg in 1940. Many of the French tanks were intended as replacements for the World War I-era Renault FT, and various modernization efforts throughout the inter-war years had given rise to a number of new infantry tanks, including the Renault R35 and R40, FCM 36, and the Hotchkiss H35 and H39. Alongside these developments was a separate family of battle tanks, starting with the Renault D1, D2, and, finally, the best-known French tank of the campaign – the Char B1 bis. French Tanks of World War II (1) offers a background to the design and development of these tank types, and an evaluation of their performance in the Battle of… more |
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Spitfire Vb MesserSpitPublished:
In November 1942 a Spitfire VB EN830 NX-X of 131 Squadron made a forced landing in a turnip field on Jersey Island. This aircraft was repairable and started being test flown in German markings and colours at the Luftwaffe's central research facilities at Erprobungsstelle Rechlin. There it was proposed that the Spitfire's Merlin engine should be replaced by a Daimler-Benz DB 605A inverted Vee-12 engine; the Spitfire was sent to Echterdingen, south of Stuttgart where Daimler-Benz operated a flight testing division. When the Merlin engine was removed it was discovered that the fuselage cross section was virtually identical to that of the engine nacelle of a Messerschmitt Bf-110G.… more |
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Siebel 202 "Hummel"Published:
I was not familiar with the Siebel 202 “Hummel” (Bumble-bee) prior to this review, and the internet is not overflowing with information about this little gem. This build crosses a couple of firsts off my list: 1) a full resin kit, and 2) a kit from the Czech company Master-X. Up front, I will say that if given another opportunity to build one of their kits, I will do so again. What you receive in the sturdy little box is a very nice set of clean, detailed resin pieces molded in a couple shades of beige, as well as two black pour stubs with the small resin pieces, including landing gear parts, the control stick and a few as yet to be identified pieces. They also include a basic assembly guide, with color guide on the back side of the sheet, as well as a small photo etched fret,… more |
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F4F Wildcat Pitot TubesPublished:
Upfront, I want to thank Aires and Quickboost for providing these fine aftermarket bits for our beloved models and to the IPMS USA a big thank you for allowing me to review this Quickboost product. Admittedly I am proud of the fact I love the stubby World War II fighter. The Rita, Buffalo and certainly the Grumman Wildcat. I have several in my stash including the Hobby Boss and Tamiya 1/48 F4F-4 Wildcats kits. I snagged the Quickboost pitots for the Wildcat before even looking closely at the pitot tubes. Both kits are F4F-4’s and thus use the stubby angled pitot tube mounted near the port wingtip. No problem here, Quickboost provides both the angled pitot found on the F4F-4 as well as the longer straight version found on the F4F-3’s. Just a quick look at the comparison… more |
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Beechcraft Bonanza F33Published:
The Beechcraft Bonanza V-tail is one of the sleekest general aviation designs out there, and it’s still flying today. I wish I would have had the chance to log some hours in one before I gave up flying. The Bonanza was introduced in 1947 and is still produced today, although the V-tail design was retired in 1982. The KitThe Minicraft F33 Bonanza reutilizes their previous Bonanza molds, but includes a new sprue with three additions. These three additions include a 3-bladed prop, vertical fin and aft fuselage section to update the V-tail Bonanza to the standard tail version. Included with the kit is a stand allowing you to place your finished model (with the gear up or down) in an inflight setting. Minicraft also includes a set of Cartograf printed decals for two… more |
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F4F Wildcat ExhaustPublished:
Upfront, I want to thank Aires and Quickboost for providing these fine aftermarket bits for our beloved models and to the IPMS USA a big thank you for allowing me to review this Quickboost product. Admittedly I am proud of the fact I love the stubby World War II fighter. The Rita, Buffalo and certainly the Grumman Wildcat. I have several in my stash including the Hobby Boss 1/48 wildcat and it’s a good looking kit. I snagged the Quickboost exhaust stubs for the wildcat before even looking at the plastic parts. In all honesty, when I finally looked at the original parts, I didn’t think you could improve on them. I was wrong! The original parts are well molded and due to the large diameter exhaust, even the kit parts have an open exhaust. NO need to drill out the opening. Well,… more |
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Ju 88 ExhaustPublished:
In all honesty, I grabbed this little gems to review before even cracking open the box on my new tool Revell Germany Ju 88A-4. Quickboost, yet again have produced replacement parts up to their normal high standards. Packaged in their standard orange plastic bag, you are provided with two pair of exhaust stacks in finely molded grey resin. No instructions are needed as the new parts will drop right into place. Pay close attention to the kit instructions as the exhaust stubs are asymmetric. Both the original kit parts as well as the Quickboost replacements can be installed in the wrong location. After opening the bag the first thing I did was to set the Quickboost parts side by side with the kit parts. Boy, what a difference, despite the high quality of the Revell kit, the stock… more |