Dick Montgomery
Reviews By Author
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Gear for WNW RE.8Published:
Scale Aircraft Conversions (SAC) offers an extensive range of replacement landing gear parts for a wide variety of kits. I have some experience using SAC items to replace kit parts and I’ve found that the SAC items add strength to the model without sacrificing any of the detail found on the original parts. As mentioned in other reviews, I tend to be a rather heavy-handed modeler and I have a long history of “critical parts” failure with WWI models which is self-made and not a reflection on the quality of the original kit. I’ve snapped wing struts in half, broken off tail skids, and caused catastrophic damage to undercarriage support structures. Knowing that I’ve “got a problem”. I now take it for granted that when I select a WWI aircraft model as my next project… more |
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Gear Replacement Set for Fe.2bPublished:
Scale Aircraft Conversions offers a very large number of gear replacement sets for a wide variety of aircraft kits. This gear set is designed to replace the gear, and other parts, on the Wingnut Wings Fe.2b Late. Parts included in the SAC gear set are the axle, axle brackets, tail skid, and two control cable bars. The SAC parts are packaged in a sturdy clear container with cardboard backing. Each part is made of white metal and matches its WNW counterpart with great precision and attention to detail. Wingnut Wings is known for its superior quality and attention to detail so what would be the reason to seek replacement parts? The answer is simple. The SAC parts, made of white metal, provide a strength and stability that will add to the durability of the model while… more |
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American Armor in the PacificPublished:
Overview as Found on the WebsiteThis latest in the Casemate Illustrated series explores American armor during the Pacific Campaign of WWII, from 1942-45. During this period there were over twenty major tank battles and operations where tanks provided heavy support to infantry units. These operations include the battle of Tarawa and the Bougainville Campaign. Relying heavily on first-person accounts, the strategies and tactics of the opposing forces are discussed. This book also looks at the Pacific theater, and how American armor was employed with great success in that theater of war. Detailed information on American and Japanese armored forces, including development, equipment, capabilities, organization, and order of battle, is given. About the Author… more |
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More Air National Guard Mustang DecalsPublished:
Iliad Design has a newly released set of decals for 1/48th scale P-51D Mustangs in various National Guard markings. Upon receiving the decal set for review I contacted Iliad Design and asked if there was a specific P-51D kit for which the decals were designed to be used. I was informed that the decals could be used on any P-51D on the market. I bought an Airfix P-51D to use as the test bed for this review. This is not a review of the Airfix kit, but I should mention that it has a great deal of detail. I mention this detail because the decals would be put to the test to see how well they “fit” over, and into, this detail. I will mention that I enjoyed the Airfix project immensely and found it to be a model that I could recommend to anyone who is looking for a good Mustang.… more |
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The St. Mihiel OffensivePublished:
The book in hand shows that it was published in January 2020 by Pen & Sword with an ISBN # 1526734958. Not being found on the Pen & Sword website, the Casemate website contained a page for this book with an ISBN # of 9781526734952. Overview (as found on the website)The St Mihiel Offensive, which took place between the 12th and 16th September 1918, was the first full scale attack that was under the direct command of the Americans, in the person of General J. Pershing. He combined his command of the First (at the time the only) American Army with that of Commander in Chief of the AEF, a tremendous burden. The St Mihiel Salient had its origins in the early fighting of the war and had been stabilized by the end of 1914, although there was fierce fighting… more |
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The Fall of BerlinPublished:
Overview as found on the website: By March 1945, the Red Army had closed in on Berlin. Marshal Zhukov, with almost a million soldiers and 20,000 tanks and guns at his disposal, launched his assault of the Seelow Heights. While costly with 30,000 Russians killed, it brought the Russian Army to the gates of the capital. |
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MottleMaster StencilsPublished:
Mottling the paint scheme on a model by hand can be difficult and rather time consuming. Keeping the paint at a consistent density, avoiding a semblance of a “pattern” in the layout of the mottling, and paying attention to panel lines are all issue that need attention when applying a “mottled” finish. Masterpiece has addressed these issues with an easy-to-use set of templates. The templates are sturdy pieces of a cardboard-type paper. Each template contains a multitude of holes and openings that are of a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Some of the “knock-out” panels that make up the openings in the template are still in place. Removing them will bring about a diverse pattern each time you use the template. Also, reversing which side of the template you use (top or bottom) as… more |
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Bench-Mate Aircraft Jig for 72nd and 48th ScalesPublished:
Copied from the Masterpiece Models website, About Masterpiece Models, “Masterpiece Models manufactures and sells the highest quality resin assembly kits on the market today. Featuring kits for a variety of interests including WWII, Vietnam, Sci-fi, and aircraft bases. We have acquired the rights to a large selection of the Custom Dioramics line that are now available through us as resin assembly kits. Our kits are manufactured at our Vancouver, Washington, USA fabrication and casting shop.” Among the items that Masterpiece Models offers is a jig, sized for 1/72nd and 1/48th scale models. There are no assembly instructions, per se, but that is not a problem. There is a 3x4 inch piece of paper included in the box and all that is required to assemble… more |
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Douglas SBD-1 DauntlessPublished:
The Douglas SBD-1 Dauntless publication was released on Nov 15, 2019, so it’s a new addition to the “Single” series published by MMP. This publication, by Dariusz Karnas and Artur Juszczak contains a series of excellent profile illustrations in both 1/72nd and 1/48th scales. Panel lines, access hatches, and other surface detail are clearly visible. For those who wish to add some internal detail to a model, or just wonder what might be inside the aircraft frame, pages 7 and 8 have some “cut-away” illustrations that reveal a considerable amount of detail. The black & white photographs, pp 10-15, will be very helpful to those who are interested in markings placement, and the appearance of surface detail such as navigation lights, alerion actuators, and… more |
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Photoetch Set for for M4A3E8 Easy EightPublished:
Hauler-Brengun is well known as a supplier of high-quality aftermarket detail parts for armor kits, as well as other subjects. As armor builders are aware, there can be many detail parts that are available to be added to the Sherman M4A, and Hauler has provided 60+ photoetch parts to “detail” the Tamiya 48th scale M4A. The package containing this Hauler product is the standard clear plastic envelope, with a black card stock insert that adds some rigidity to the product while on the shelf. The product instructions are printed, front and back, on a piece of 5.25”x8.25” paper. All of the photoetch parts share the same parts runner. While most of the photo etch parts are quite small, the detail is quite exquisite. This project is not a “dash and done” project but… more |