David Wrinkle
Reviews By Author
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Royal Aircraft Factory FE.2b LatePublished:
HistoryThe FE.2b "FEE" (Royal Aircraft Factory / Farman Experimental 2b) was produced as a two-seat fighter/reconnaissance aircraft. The FE.2b arrived on the Western Front late 1915/early 1916, when 20 Squadron took possession of the FE.2b. The "FEE" was liked by its pilots and contributed in the RFC's battle to counter the Fokker scourge. The FE.2b continued to fly daylight operations until early 1917 before being relegated to night bombing and home defense roles. When I first received confirmation that I would have the opportunity to review the FE.2b kit by Wingnut Wings, I dropped a note to a couple of my RC Soaring buddies who are both fanatical about aviation related to "The Great War." Even now, two months later, I still chuckle at Ken's one sentence reply: “The FE.2b… more |
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Polish Spitfires - Book with DecalsPublished:
I will not hide the fact I've always been a huge fan of the Supermarine Spitfire and specifically the Merlin-engined marks. Kagero has released volume #27 in the Topcolors series and this one certainly does not disappoint. This publication is dedicated to Polish Spitfires, specifically to eight machines ranging from a Mk I to a Mk XVI. What your money buys you is a stunning publication with a beautifully printed glossy cover and 18 stunning pages of profile drawings of the eight Polish machines. Also included is a sheet of decals representing all eight schemes presented in the book. I shouldn't forget to mention the fact the decals are printed by Cartograf. The publication and decal set arrives in a re-sealable plastic bag which I thought to be a nice touch to preserve and… more |
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Hurricane De Havilland Propeller and ToolPublished:
I've always been fond of the Supermarine Spitfire with its elegant design, but I certainly don't discount the role played by the Hawker Hurricane in defense of Britain in her hour of need. The Hurricane was far easier and quicker to produce than the Spitfire and made a very stable gun platform. Like the Spitfire, the early Hurricanes were originally equipped with a fixed pitch wooden propeller. By the end of 1939, Hurricanes were being equipped with either the De Havilland or the Rotol constant speed propeller, giving the Hurricane a much needed performance increase. A quick review of the Quickboost website will show you that Quickboost offers the modeler a plethora of resin accessories from nose to tail in the popular scales. This review will focus on the nose and, specifically… more |
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N1K2-J Shiden-KaiPublished:
Although not mentioned on the box, the Shiden-Kai was known by the Allies as "GEORGE". The SHIDEN (Violet Lightning) - KAI (Variant or Improvement) was essentially a redesign/conversion to a land-based fighter from the floatplane N1K Kyōfū, codename "REX". The Shiden-Kai entered service in early 1944 and, in the hands of an able pilot, could easily compete with the Corsair or Hellcat. The Shiden-Kai was extremely rugged and carried four 20mm cannon but, to its detriment, was plagued by mechanical problems. My jumping on this review was primarily for one reason; I had not had a chance to build a 1/144 scale aircraft and this looked like a good model to start with. I can honestly say that in no way, shape, or form was I disappointed with the kit. Building 1/144 scale… more |
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GLOSTER GLADIATOR, Vol. 2 - The Survivors in DetailPublished:
I've always been a fan of the Gladiator and certainly in my eyes she is still one of the best looking biplane fighters ever produced. When I saw the chance to give this book a read and review I jumped on it. I'm very glad that I did. My initial flip through of the book left me speechless. The publication is printed on thick paper stock and is wrapped in a beautiful glossy cover complete with a sweet photo of a Gladiator touching down in a perfect 3-point landing. The first 10 page chapter of the book includes a brief rundown of each of the known Gladiator survivors and a photo of each. I found this information to be very interesting although a couple of airframes only warranted a paragraph or two due to the fact little is known of its history. The second 13 page chapter of the… more |
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McCudden S.E.5a Conversion SetPublished:
Description3 resin parts, decal sheet and a decal / paint guide to convert the stock Wingnut Wings SE5a 'Hisso' kit to James McCudden's B4863. Included with the conversion are the shortened exhaust stacks and a replacement cockpit deck representative of McCudden's aircraft. As an added bonus you get 8 resin parts used to construct a 1/32 scale figure of McCudden. InspectionThe conversion kit arrives in sturdy plastic packaging and given the amount abuse the priority mail box received, I was impressed nothing was damaged. After opening the package I gave everything a good once over and was impressed with the detail of the conversion kit. All the resin parts were given a quick wash with my trusty toothbrush to remove the mold release residue. I started by razor… more |