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Eric Christianson

Eric Christianson is a father to two boys (Reed and Dean), the President of the Seattle Chapter of IPMS, and a long-time Little League umpire. He is also a devoted husband and companion to a wonderful woman named Jackie who enthusiastically supports his passions. Recently retired as a programmer, his home office has been scratch-built into ‘a perfect model room’. Modeling since he was a boy, Eric mostly builds armor these days, but still dabbles in 1/32nd aircraft and other types of models from time to time. He also enjoys presenting seminars on weathering and technique at local shows. Many of Eric’s kit reviews can be found on the IPMS USA website.

IPMS Number
42218

Reviews By Author

Box Art

Sd.Kfz.3a Maultier Half Track

Published:
Company: Dragon Models

The Kit

This new Dragon ’39 to ’45 Series Sd.Kfz.3a Maultier (“Mule”) offering is the first completely new rendition of this veritable German workhorse to come along in quite a few years. The Maultier was used in every theater the Germans fought and was extensively modified for a variety of combat and support roles. The version offered by Dragon this time around is the standard cargo carrier with high, wooden-slat sides.

The kit comes in one of Dragon’s ubiquitous over-stuffed boxes, filled with sprues and topped with a sheet of black cardboard stock holding the Magic Track links, the photo etch sheet, the decals, and a windshield-mask sheet. As usual, once you remove the sprues form the box, good luck with getting them back in. There are some beautiful slide-molded and… more
Detail Packaging

Ju-87 Stuka Landing Gear

Published:
Company: Scale Aircraft Conversions

The Parts:

This product contains 8 white metal parts that replace kit parts L18 and L21 (tail gear components) and L9/L10 + L11/L12 + L5/L6 + L23/L24 (main gear components). All parts are used and completely replace the kit parts.

Assembly:

Assembly using the SAC white metal parts is straightforward and simpler than the parts they replace, mainly since the main struts are single piece affairs, unlike the kit parts (see photograph comparing the two).

Conclusion:

While the Trumpeter kit provides nicely detailed landing gear, they will not have the strength inherent in Scale Aircraft Conversion’s sturdy, white metal replacements, and this aircraft is big and heavy. I’ve used SAC parts before and they… more
Box Art

Sd.Kfz.254 Tracked Armored Scout Car

Published:
Company: Hobby Boss

The Kit

This new Hobby Boss offering represents the final version of an armored observation vehicle used mainly for scouting and communications. It was designed to operate efficiently both on-road and off-road, riding on conventional tires as well as tracks. At least that was the promise. Of 140 ordered early in the war, 129 were produced and fielded, seeing service in North Africa, France, and on the Eastern Front.

Opening the sturdy box, I was presented with what I’ve come to expect from Hobby Boss – a lot of parts, exquisitely detailed. The top and bottom halves of the hull come separately packaged in a protected section of the box, and delicate parts are wrapped in a protective foam sheet. There are twenty plastic sprues in all, twelve of which sport the… more