Frank Landrus
Reviews By Author
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Hawker Typhoon Mk IB Early Type Cannons with Uncovered Barrels (with round Recoil Springs)Published:
Master Model has come to the rescue of big scale Typhoon modelers with their latest releases in 1/24 scale. Both the Hawker Typhoon Mk IB Early Type Cannons with Uncovered Barrels with Flat Recoil Springs (24-014) and Round Recoil Springs (24-015) have been released. Despite the large scale, Airfix’s 20mm Hispano Mk.II cannon barrels can still be significantly improved over the injection plastic offered in the kit. This set is specifically applicable to the Airfix 1/24 Hawker Typhoon. There are currently two releases available. The Hawker Typhoon Mk.IB was released in 2014 with a second release in 2016 featuring additional parts for the ‘Car Door’ option. The first production batch of Typhoon Mk.Ib used the uncovered barrels featured in this set. Notable is the superb re-… more |
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French Pre-Dreadnought Danton Class BarrelsPublished:
The Danton Class represented six pre-dreadnought battleships of the French Navy, built in France between 1907 and 1911. Outclassed before they were completed, and obsolete by the end of World War One, the five surviving ships were relegated to second-line roles by 1920. The ships included the Danton (sunk by U-64 in 1917), Condorcet (Scrapped 1949), Diderot (Scrapped 1937), Mirabeau (Scrapped 1921), Vergniaud (Scrapped 1928), and Voltaire (Scuttled 1938, scraped 1950). The main battery consisted of four 305mm/45 Modèle 1906 guns in two twin gun turrets. The secondary battery consisted of twelve 240mm/50 Modèle 1902 guns in six twin gun turrets. Torpedo boat defense was supplied by sixteen 75mm (3.0”) Modèle 1908… more |
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SR-71 Blackbird Pitot TubePublished:
Master Model has come to the rescue of Blackbird modelers with their latest releases in 1/72 and 1/48 scale. The Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird Alpha-Beta probe measures incidence and yaw and is mounted to the RF isolation segment of the nose cone. The pitot tube branches off to the side of the alpha/beta probe. The size and detail are quite difficult to realize due to molding limitations. You can find many releases of the Blackbird from Italeri, Tamiya, and Testors; all using the same plastic that was originally released in 1982 by Italeri. I used the Testors kit 4055 ‘Famous Spy Planes’ that was kitted with the Testors U-2. Notable is the superb re-sealable packaging that Master Model uses that makes the parts easy to review and then stuff back into the package securely until final… more |
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P-40B Warhawk ExhaustPublished:
Want an easy upgrade to the new 1/48 Airfix Curtiss P-40B? Step right up to the new Quickboost P-40B exhausst set that provides a beautiful replacement to what is supplied in the kit. The parts are packaged in the standard Quickboost re-closable packaging with a paper stiffener along with the description card. Although these parts are specific to fit the 1/48 Airfix P-40B injected plastic kit, they might be able to be modified so that they would also work for older 1/48 P-40B/C kits (Monogram/Hasegawa/Revell [1964], Academy / Hobbycraft [1996], Bronco [2016], Pegasus, Trumpeter [2004]. Quickboost has molded the exhausts perfectly in light grey resin with no apparent bubbles. The Quickboost exhausts are hollowed out and have the appropriate raised seams on the back of each… more |
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Hawker Typhoon Mk IB Early Type Cannons with Uncovered Barrels (with Flat Recoil Springs)Published:
Master Model has come to the rescue of big scale Typhoon modelers with their latest releases in 1/24 scale. Both the Hawker Typhoon Mk IB Early Type Cannons with Uncovered Barrels with Flat Recoil Springs (24-014) and Round Recoil Springs (24-015) have been released. Despite the large scale, Airfix’s 20mm Hispano Mk.II cannon barrels can still be significantly improved over the injection plastic offered in the kit. This set is specifically applicable to the Airfix 1/24 Hawker Typhoon and provides an option not included in the kit, the flat recoil springs. There are currently two releases available. The Hawker Typhoon Mk.IB was released in 2014 with a second release in 2016 featuring additional parts for the ‘Car Door’ option. The first production batch of Typhoon Mk.Ib used the… more |
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SR-71 Blackbird Pitot TubePublished:
Master Model has come to the rescue of Blackbird modelers with their latest releases in 1/72 and 1/48 scale. The Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird Alpha-Beta probe measures incidence and yaw and is mounted to the RF isolation segment of the nose cone. The pitot tube branches off to the side of the alpha/beta probe. The size and detail are quite difficult to realize due to molding limitations. You can find many releases of the Blackbird from Revell / Takara / AHM (first released in 1966), Hasegawa (first released in 1983), Monogram / Revell (first released in 1984), Italeri / Testors (first released in 1985), and Academy / Minicraft (first released in 1985). I used the Monogram / Revell kit 85-5810 that was re-released in 2011. Notable is the superb re-sealable packaging that Master… more |
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Saab J 29 Tunnan Pitot TubesPublished:
Want an easy upgrade to any 1/48 Saab J 29 Tunnan? Step right up to the new Quickboost Saab J 29 Tunnan pitot tube set that provides a beautiful replacement to what is supplied in the kit. The parts are packaged in the standard Quickboost re-closable packaging with a paper stiffener along with the description card. These parts are specific to fit the Pilot Replicas accurate and highly detailed 1/48 Saab J 29F injected plastic kit and an Austrian J 29F variant that basically obsoleted any previous 1/48 kits. They will also work for the older Neomega… more |
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Out of This World ModelingPublished:
Aaron Skinner started out early in publishing, founding his High School student newspaper in the early eighties. He has been an avid modeler since the age of six (supported by his grandfather). He graduated from The University of Queensland in 1992 with his degree in Journalism and History. He has worked with several newspapers in Arkansas and Texas as a photographer and reporter from 1994 until in joined Fine Scale Modeler in 2006. He was promoted from Associate Editor to Senior Editor in 2015 and has authored several modeling books, including: Essential Skills for Scale Modelers (2011), Modeling Airliners (2012), and Airbrushing for Scale Modelers (2015). He is active representing Fine Scale Modeler and providing presentations at contests and shows,… more |
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Viking Warrior vs Anglo-Saxon Warrior: England 865-1066Published:
Gareth Williams has been a curator at the British Museum since 1996, with responsibility for British and European coinage, about AD 500 to about 1180. Within this area he specializes in Anglo-Saxon and Viking coinage. Much of his work focuses on the use of coinage as evidence within broader historical and archaeological studies. Gareth has authored at least fifteen books and led several projects at the British Museum, with a “Viking Voyages” exhibition that recently finished a run from March 2015 through February 2017. He has been actively involved in historical re-enactments. Check him out at the British Museum. The cover painting by Peter Dennis is a clip of the painting that appears on pages 34 and 35 in the book… more |
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A-6 Intruder Units 1974-96Published:
Rick Morgan graduated from the University of Missouri in 1978 and joined the US Navy. His US Navy career included over 2,400 flight hours in the EA-6B Prowler and other naval aircraft with 41 combat missions in Operation Desert Storm. His website claims he achieved 447 and ½ carrier landings. I’m afraid to ask about the ½ carrier landing…. Rick contributed articles to the “The Hook” prolifically, twice being awarded “Contributor of the Year”. He has a deep interest in aviation and trains. Rick has been published by Schiffer and Osprey Publishing. He currently works in the aviation industry somewhere in the Midwest (I’m guessing Missouri). Check out his web page at rickmorganbooks.com Illustrator Jim Laurier, a native of New England, provides the color profiles. Jim… more |