Ed Kinney
Reviews By Author
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F7U-3M Cutlass, Part 2Published:
Big Cutlass… Part DeuxWell, shiver my swashes and buckle my timbers…at last. The finishing touches have been applied to this magnificent beastie! The stance of the aircraft can be referred to as a cross between a praying mantis and a Great Dane passing a peachpit. In any case, this has to be one of the most unique carrier aircraft ever produced. Although not the most popular among pilots, I recall reading a pilot report in Tail Hook magazine where comments ranged from concern over a hard landing which would drive the nose gear up through the cockpit floor “doing horrible things to the pilot” to attempts to keep the fuel load in trim being much akin to “sitting on a basketball.” Oh, well, I digress, so on to the build. As with all of Paul’s previous kit releases, they… more |
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T-6A Texan IIPublished:
From a company, although 10 years old but brand new to injection molded kits, comes a brand new model of the T-6 Texan II. To the best of my knowledge, this is a first-time release of a never before kitted aircraft in 1/48th scale. First, a little about the Texan II, a modified version of the Pilatus PC-6. My stepson was the lead A&P mechanic of Hawker Beechcraft that was able to obtain the USAF blessing by certifying the various modifications in San Antonio, Texas. During this time, I was able to become quite familiar with the bird, but alas, couldn’t get permission to get any “stick time,” being of civilian status. The Texan II has quite an impressive flight envelope, with the performance figures being closer to that of a P-51 Mustang than that of the original T-6. In short, “… more |
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B-25J Mitchell 'Glass Nose' - Part 1Published:
As those of you who know me, my scale of choice for a long time now has been 1/32nd (aka Braille scale!). Needless to say, I’ve been ecstatic with the explosion of offerings from numerous manufactures. This is one I have been patiently waiting for for the last two years- Hong Kong Models B-25J. The one pictured here, the glass nose “J” model, and I find it absolutely outstanding. The engraved detail is actually exquisite, the clear parts are like crystal, and the attention to detail is near phenomenal. (Are you getting the message that I REALLY like what I am seeing?). Included with the more than 11 excellent gray sprues was a basic decal sheet and a set of photoetch. The etched parts include seat belts. Engraving of the panel lines is superb and rivet detail… more |
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Air Modeller #39, December/January 2012Published:
This issue is one I’ve been looking forward to for a while now, and the reason is the subject on the cover…Zoukei Mura’s beautiful new 1/32nd scale A-1H Skyraider! In addition to a full 10 page build article, there is also included a ten page walkaround with numerous photos in both color and black and white. Without a doubt, this is likely the most impressive array of interesting subject matter, well documented build articles, and some of the handiest tips and techniques. The contents of this issue are as follows:
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P-51D Gun Bay and Seatbelts PEPublished:
#32732 – 1/32nd Tamiya Early P-51D gun bay photoetch set, includes pre-painted ammo belts, door placards, gun placards, plus all the goodies to create a winner should you decide to open the bays. Very well done and engineered. MSRP - $ 33.00. # 32731 – Prepainted seat belts for the 1/32nd Tamiya P-51D. Not much to be said here that the image doesn’t show, except that Eduard is and has been second to none in this arena. If you haven’t used one of their belt sets, you owe it to yourself to try one. MSRP - $ 23.00. Most highly recommended.
Special thanks to Eduard for supplying the review samples and to IPMS for allowing me to review them. |
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A-1H SkyraiderPublished:
What a great time to be a modeler! Zoukei-Mura continues their excellent 1/32 scale releases with an A-1H Skyraider. The kit is stunning with the option to fold the wings already included, great cockpit detail, and a full interior. Other options include positionable air brakes, a highly detailed engine, detailed gun bays, and many other options. The kit is available now and Zoukei-Mura also allows the modeler the option of adding even more aftermarket to it as options, with a complete weapons set (that could be used for other aircraft and is excellently detailed), metal landing gear, turned cannon barrels, and a variety of photoetch and decals. I love the fact these are options, in that it gives the modeler a choice of how far he want to go with his own build and cost. … more |
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Accessories for Four AircraftPublished:
Paul Fisher has continued to expand his stable of exceptionally well done aftermarket products. These are, without exception, beautifully mastered and flawlessly cast in cream colored resin. No warps or pinholes (no surprise there). The four new items are shown in the images. Many thanks to Paul for the review samples. Please visit his website for these and many other quality Fisher Model products.
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SAC Landing Gear in Three ScalesPublished:
Well, it’s November and Ross McMillan and his elves appear to be busy as ever with six new SAC releases. These range in scale from 1/72nd through 1/32nd and, as always, are welcome additions to his ever-growing list of metal replacement gear. This month’s releases are as follows:
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The Modelers Guide to the SkyraiderPublished:
AERO RESEARCH offers their FIRST BOOK ! Recommendation – Most High I will say that purely from the standpoint of a modeler, this has to be one of the most informative and well thought out publications I’ve seen to date. It comes to you soft bound with a plastic spiral binder (much easier to lay open on the workbench), 104 pages with 36 variants of the Skyraider. (I had no idea there were that many) Also, 42 drawings of the Skyraider variants. The book starts out with kit descriptions of every kit of the Skyraider ever produced, as well as full reviews of 13 Skyraider kits in the popular scales, plus announcements of some coming in the larger scale. Also, a complete listing of all aftermarket accessories available for… more |
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U.S. Navy Late Style Wheel ChocksPublished:
New from Wheelliant come 2 styles of U.S. Navy (late) wheel chocks. Both are beautifully cast in resin, come with complete photo instructions, and are very simple to complete. One set has the braided rope handles and the other has the “slide bar” arrangement to adjust for the size. Images show both styles completed and painted with a dark wash. These are an excellent addition to a 1/32nd scale kit to enhance the appearance while sitting upon whatever base you’ve chosen. Check out their website for these and other fine products. Many thanks to David Lajer for the review samples.
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