Frank Landrus
Reviews By Author
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Convair B-58 Hustler Pitot TubePublished:
This Master Model set provides a machined brass pitot tube that is superior to what can be produced in an injected plastic kit. This part is specific to the Hobbycraft / Academy series of B-58 Hustler kits (HC1260, HC1261, A4442, A12619) that was initially released in 2001. Notable is the re-sealable packaging that Master Model uses that makes the part easy to review and then stuff it back into the package securely. You will want to be careful handling the metal pitot tube as its small size makes it an easy sacrifice to the carpet monster. You will need to create a hole in the nose to mount the pitot tube. The directions call for a 0.5 mm bit (~#77) for the nose. You will want to be very careful to center your drill bit on both your x-axis and y-axis of the pitot tube.… more |
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Tales from the Apocalypse - The CookPublished:
The Cook is the lead-off figure in Gecco’s second series and follows the three figures in series one in their Tales From the Apocalypse that I believe are sculpted by Shojiro Kasai. This second series creates Scene 2: Day 1, 1:27 pm at the Diner, and goes with two other figures: a waitress named Cindy who is the sister of the heroine in the first series, and a nameless biker. This figure, the Cook, was attempting to rescue his daughter from a horde of zombies only to find out Cindy had already been infected. In his shock and horror, Cindy ripped into his neck infecting her father. At full zombified rage, the Cook, now wields his heavy frying pan against all comers. The figure packaging is extremely well done. The outer over is portrayed as a heavily used VHS rental movie along… more |
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Colt Single-Action RevolversPublished:
Martin Pegler graduated from University College (London) with a Medieval and Modern History BA and a Museum Studies MA. Martin spent twenty years as the Senior Curator of Firearms at the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds. He is an aficionado of historic firearms and thoroughly enjoys shooting them. In his spare time he runs motorcycle tours out of the Somme Historical Center of the battlefield. He has authored many books on military firearms and has been prolific in contributing to magazines and television shows. His books include: The Military Sniper Since 1914 (2001), Firearms in the American West 1700-1900 (2002), Out of Nowhere: A History of the Military Sniper (2004), The Lee-Enfield Rifle (2012), The Vickers-Maxim Machine Gun (2013),… more |
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Milk Bottles and Wooden CratesPublished:
MiniArt has released a nice set that would look great in your WWII dioramas. MiniArt provides twelve trees representing the crates composed of five parts per tree. The crates appear to be molded in tan soft styrene as the parts are somewhat flexible and are easily cut. The twelve trees for the milk bottles contain ten clear milk bottles out of a clear styrene. The clear plastic seems to be a bit harder than the styrene for the crates. The waterslide decals provided offer markings for English US/Britain), French, and German milk companies for both the crates and the bottles. Packaging is quite nice with the finished product depicted on the top of the box and the contents / instructions / paint guide on the back of the box. The total parts count is 180 parts. I would recommend that you… more |
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Soviet and Russian Military Aircraft in the AmericasPublished:
Yefim Gordon was born in 1950 in Vilnius, Lithuania (then part of the Soviet Union) and graduated from the Kaunas Polytechnic Institute in 1972. He has been researching Soviet and Russian aviation history for more than 40 years. A professional photographer, Yefim Gordon has published hundreds of features and photographs in Russian and foreign aviation magazines. He has authored and co-authored more than 120 books on Soviet and Russian aviation. Dmitriy Komissarov was born in 1968 in Moscow and graduated from the Moscow State Linguistics University in 1992. He has worked as a translator ever since, with the most of his work associated with his interest in aviation. Dmitriy Komissarov has authored two books and translated or co-authored more than 50 others. He has also written… more |
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British Secret Projects 5: Britain's Space ShuttlePublished:
Dan Sharp studied history at the University of Liverpool and has worked as a writer and editor since 1998. As a hobby he began doing primary source research that has resulted in quite a few historical aviation books. These include Cold War – Sex, Spies and Nuclear Missiles (2013), Messerschmitt Me 262: Secret Projects and Experimental Prototypes (2013), Messerschmitt Bf 109: Secret Projects and Experimental Prototypes (2013), Dueling Above the Trenches – Sopwith Aircraft of the Great War (2014), D-Day Operation Overlord and the Battle for Normandy (2014), Luftwaffe Secret Jets of the Third Reich (2015), Spitfires Over Berlin (2015), The Hated Volksjäger: Histories of the Heinkel He 162 (2015), and Luftwaffe –… more |
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Wine Bottles and Wooden CratesPublished:
MiniArt has released a nice set that would look great in your WWII dioramas in their Buildings and Accessories Series. MiniArt provides twelve trees representing the crates composed of eleven parts per tree. The crates appear to be molded in light brown soft styrene as the parts are somewhat flexible and are easily cut. The twelve trees for the two different styles of wine bottles contain sixteen wine bottles out of a transparent green and transparent brown styrene. The transparent plastic seems to be a bit harder than the styrene for the crates. The waterslide decals provided offer markings for French and German wine companies for both the crates and the bottles. Packaging is quite nice with the finished product depicted on the top of the box and the contents / instructions / paint… more |
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Drone Strike! UAVs and Unmanned Aerial Warfare in the 21st CenturyPublished:
Bill Yenne has authored over 75 historical books and ten novels to date. He grew up inside Montana’s Glacier National Park where his father was the supervisor of back country trails. Bill is also a nationally recognized artist and illustrator with his work being showcased in many national magazines and some of his paintings on display in the official collection of the US Air Force. Bill graduated from the University of Montana in 1971 and founded the American Graphic Systems company. He later graduated from the Stanford University Professional Publishing course in 1989. The AGS BookWorks division has produced some 200 large-format, illustrated books. He has contributed to encyclopedias of World War I and II (for you youngins, this was Wikipedia before the internet came along). He has… more |
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AMK L-29 Flaps and Control SurfacesPublished:
Aires provides you with the capability to replace your control surfaces on the L-29 Delphin. The packaging is the standard polyethylene bag secured to a header card with staples. There are no supplied instructions but then again, the six parts are a direct replacement for the kit’s control surfaces. Although most paints will adhere to resin alone, I would recommend that you wash the parts to remove any remaining mold release and prime them first. The parachute and parachute housing will need to be installed with your favorite CA (super glue) or epoxy, as the normal plastic glues or solvents will not react with the resin. Aires has molded the control surfaces perfectly in light tan resin with no apparent bubbles. Be very careful removing the part from the resin block, it… more |
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Soviet Cold War Guided Missile CruisersPublished:
Soviet Cold War Guided Missile Cruisers by Edward Hampshire is his third book and first for Osprey Publishing. Edward Hampshire earned his PhD in War Studies from King’s College in London with a thesis on British naval equipment of the 1960s. His focus is Cold War era navies and British defense policy since WWII. Dr. Hampshire has taught at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and has worked at the National Archives. He has been featured on television and radio, including the BBC, ITV, ABC, and NBC. Dr. Hampshire’s previous book was published in 2013, East of Suez to the Eastern Atlantic, British Naval Policy 1964-70. He also co-authored British Intelligence: Secrets, Spies and Sources, published in 2008. He has been a Senior Lecturer at the Royal Royal Military Academy Sandhurst since… more |