Eric Christianson
Reviews By Author
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M4A3 Sherman w/T34 "Calliope"Published:
SummaryAcademy apparently has teamed with Italeri to produce one of the first ‘Calliope Shermans’ to appear in some time. The M4A3 vehicle is produced by Academy, while the T-34 multiple rocket launcher looks like it is from Italeri, based on sprue shots of the rocket launcher parts. As with all of their AFV kits, Academy provides the builder with good value based on fewer parts without sacrificing a lot of detail. BackgroundThe T34 (Calliope) was a tank-mounted multiple rocket launcher used by the United States Army during World War II. The launcher was placed atop the Sherman M4 medium tank, with its prominent vertical side frames firmly anchored to the turret's sides, and fired a barrage of 4.5 in (114 mm) M8 rockets from 60 launch tubes with… more |
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Tiger I - 131 s.Pz.Abt.504 Tunisia Smart KitPublished:
Dragon Models offers up yet another premium early Tiger I kit for German WWII armor enthusiasts; this time with the famous ‘131’ vehicle captured in North Africa. This particular vehicle was shipped to Tunisia between 12 March and 16 April 1943. The tank was assigned to No. 3 Platoon in No. 1 Company of the 504th Schwere Heerespanzerabteilung (German heavy tank battalion) during the North African Campaign. It bears the turret number 131 by which it has come to be known. Preserved at The Tank Museum in Bovington, England, it is the only operating Tiger tank in the world. Knowing that the Allies were preparing a major push towards Tunis, the Germans launched a spoiling attack on the night of 20/21 April 1943. Four points were attacked simultaneously, including a pass on the north… more |
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Hawker Typhoon Mk.IB, Part 3Published:
Down the home stretch! Last time we had just completed the wings, fuselage, nose and wheel-wells, leaving just the final assembly and finish for this last segment of this three-part review. To recall: I chose to display only the starboard wing’s gun bay and starboard engine detail, and to cover up the lower front end encompassing the oil cooler/air intake. Continuing with AssemblyBefore painting commenced I had some loose ends that needed tying off, starting with… Cockpit and Canopy - (Step 211) There was a prominent sink hole on the top of the small dash board under the rear of the canopy (Part L19) that I filled with Perfect Plastic Putty before painting it Tamiya XF-69 NATO Black. (Step 205) I painted the trim wheel and bump cushion Vallejo Panzer Aces 312… more |
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US Ammo Boxes, 75mmPublished:
Hauler, a small company out of Czechoslovakia, continues to add to its list of quality aftermarket and modeling supply products; this time with a package of eight U.S. Army 75mm ammunition boxes in 1/35th scale. The package contains a single baggie containing all the resin parts needed, mounted on backing blocks. Four of the boxes are empty with separate lids, with the other four made of solid resin. All contain fine wood grain and represent standard USA ammunition crates. Delicate ‘rope’ handles are included for all of the crates, but stencils and/or decals are not. The resin boxes, both empty and solid types, must be separated their backing blocks of resin, and this is no simple task. Nearly the entire bottoms of the boxes are attached, and the empty boxes are fragile… more |
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Steel BarrelsPublished:
Hauler, a small company out of Czechoslovakia, continues to add to its list of quality aftermarket and modeling supply products; this time with a package of four 50 gallon steel barrels in 1/35th scale. The package contains a single baggie containing four barrels mounted on backing blocks. No stencils and/or decals are included. The barrels are single-piece affairs, eliminating the need to remove that pesky seam line found on standard two-part barrels included in many armor kits. The barrels are attached at one end to the backing block, and while the attachment is significant, the rim of the barrel keeps things pretty much in place during removal. A lot of resin dust is produced during this process, and unless you plan to carefully sand the cut end and scribe detail… more |
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Hawker Typhoon Mk.IB, Part 2Published:
Welcome back! Last time we had just completed the internal framework, engine, lower front end and cockpit of the big 1/24th Scale Airfix Mk.Ib Typhoon. This second installment will bring the wings, fuselage, nose and wheel-wells together, leaving the final assembly and finish for the last segment of this three-part review. To recall: I chose to expose only the starboard wing’s gun bay and starboard engine detail, and to cover up the lower front end encompassing the oil cooler/air intake. Work is going along very smoothly, with a single exception being the front end of the aircraft. Whether the problems I encountered were self-inflicted or due to some flaw in the kit remains to be determined. More on that later – for now, let’s get back to work! The Wings… more |
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Hawker Typhoon Mk.IB, Part 1Published:
Airfix has been producing some of the finest model kits in the industry for 75 years - models that we all grew up with; models that absorbed our allowance money; models with box art that filled our imagination. The company has gone through a lot of changes over the years, but, like our hobby, it’s always been there in the background, beckoning us back to the workbench. Following their recent trend back into 1/24 scale aircraft kits, Airfix has released the venerable Typhoon Mk.Ib by Hawker Aircraft. The Typhoon was arguably the RAF's premier ground attack fighter of World War II. Armed with rockets, bombs and Hispano cannon, the ‘Tiffy’ lorded over the Normandy skies, disrupting or completely paralyzing German road traffic and sapping morale, for even the prospect of a… more |
Saab AJ/JA-37 Viggen DecalsPublished:
TwoBobs Aviation Graphics have been around for years, and have built a solid reputation for producing some of the finest after-market decal sets in the industry. Chances are, if you’ve been around aircraft modeling for a while you’ve used some of their products already. Their recent release of a set of 1/48th Viggen decals was meant to coincide with the recent Tarangus release of a JA-37 Viggen in the same quarter scale. The decal set under review comes in a sealed plastic envelope that contains two sheets of individual markings covering the following nine different aircraft:
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Cockpit Instrument Decals: Hawker Typhoon 1BPublished:
The new website for Airscale (Model Aircraft Enhancements), out of the UK, describe the company as providing ‘High resolution cockpit detailing for aircraft modellers’. This is my first exposure to this company’s impressive products, which range from 1/48th through 1/24th scales and include highly detailed cockpit decals placards, and etched brass. The decals are offered as individual images as well as full panels, and products are offered for WWI, WWII and post-war, for RAF, USAF, USN and Luftwaffe, and for prop aircraft and jets. Their website is well designed, easy to navigate, and they take PayPal. ‘Comprehensive’ is the word that comes to mind, and I will be returning to their site often. From what I can tell, the specific subject of this review (AS24TIFF) is (or was) an… more |
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Pz.Kpfw.III (F) Ausf.M w/Schurzen Smart KitPublished:
Dragon Models offers a complete lineup of the Pz.Kpfw. III family tree in 1/35 scale, including several new kits in this last year alone. The subject of this review is the Pz.Kpfw.III (F) Ausf. M (w/Schürtzen), from their “’39 to ‘45” Smart Kit series. The [F] stands for FlammenPanzer, or ‘flame tank’. A flame tank is a type of tank equipped with a flamethrower, most commonly used to supplement combined arms attacks against fortifications, confined spaces, or other obstacles. The type only reached significant use in the Second World War, during which the United States, Soviet Union, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom (including members of the British Commonwealth) all produced flamethrower-equipped tanks. A number of production methods were used. The… more |