Frank Landrus
Reviews By Author
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B-25J Mitchell External Gun PacksPublished:
Aires Quickboost has released a replacement for the Monogram (and later Revell) series of 1/48 B-25J kits that replaces the cheek gun packs. There are no instructions but this is direct a replacement for the kit part. No modifications to the kit are required; the assembly simply goes in the same place as the kit parts. Quickboost has molded the external gun packs in light grey resin with no apparent bubbles on three resin sprues. Each Quickboost twin gun pack is supplied on its own resin sprue with a separate sprue for the four .50 caliber gun barrels. Although most paints will adhere to resin alone, I would recommend that you wash this part to remove any remaining mold release and prime it first. This part will need to be installed with your favorite CA (super glue) or… more |
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Pfalz D.IIIa At WarPublished:
Greg Van Wyngarden has taken a new look at the Pfalz D.IIIa service in WWI. This is the second volume of a two volume set (Datafile 173: Pfalz D.IIIA At War!). Datafile number 21 by Peter M. Grosz came out in1995 so it is about time that Windsock revisited the Pfalz D.IIIa. The initial Pfalz D.III aircraft received a poor reception amongst German pilots as it was regarded as inferior to the Albatros D.V. That doesn’t negate the fact that it was still superior to most of the Allied opposition of the time. The Pflaz firm, however, did listen to the pilot’s concerns over the D.III and soon offered improvements in the form of the D.IIIa. The cover features a sensational painting, “Ace of the Edelweiss” by Roberto Zanella depicting Otto Kissenberth’s mount. Ronny Bar contributes… more |
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Windsock World War Centenary Winter 2016, Vol.32, No.4Published:
The Winter 2016 edition of Windsock World War Centenary is the fourth edition of Volume 32. The cover subject is a tease for Avro Vercamer’s two page spread of a Belgian Escadrille Sopwith Camel color profiles getting ready for the Wingnut Wings new releases on the Sopwith Camel. Rony Barr sneaks in the inset color profile on the Albatros D.III of Jasta 10. Avro Vercamer’s [ https://www.linkedin.com/in/arvovercamer , arvo@arvoart.com ] two page spread on the Sopwith Camel in the Great Warpaint series covers seventeen Sopwith Camels from the Belgian Escadrille to the USS Texas’ Camel equipped with flotation gear. Rony Barr provides three Albatros D.III color profiles to support… more |
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Wind in the Wires and An Escaper’s LogPublished:
This edition represents a re-printing of two books by Duncan Grinnell-Milne. The first, An Escaper’s Log, was originally published in 1926 by John Lane. The second, Wind in the Wires, was first published in 1933 by Hurst & Blackett. This edition combines his two autobiographies. Captain Duncan Grinnell-Milne MC, DFC & Bar was born in Bromley, London in 1896, to George Grinnell-Milne and Maria Caroline Mess. He attended an independent preparatory school, Cheam School, located in Headley, Hampshire, where notables such as Prince Phillip and Prince Charles also attended. He went on to study at the University of Freiburg, a public university that has a long tradition of teaching humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. It was at the University of Freiburg that he… more |
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The Russian Aviation Colours 1909-1922: Camouflage and Markings, Vol. 2 Great WarPublished:
Following up the first book in this series, The Russian Aviation Colours 1909-1922: Camouflage and Markings, Vol. 1 Early Years, comes MMP’s latest tome. This book, focused on the ‘Great War’ is planned to be followed by at least two additional volumes on ‘Red Stars’ (Volume 3), and ‘Against Soviets’ (Volume 4). The authors leaned heavily on Russian private archives, as well as archives, libraries, and museums. The book is a nice hardbound, with a nice glossy cover, and 176 pages on high-quality stock with a matt finish. Mainly clear black and white period photos are supplemented with modern day color photos, color period posters and postcards, color side and top views, and color unit emblems and personal markings. The text is in English and quite readable. Chapter 4… more |
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Danish Draken PylonsPublished:
BackgroundDenmark was Saab’s first export customer for the Draken, designated 35XD by Saab. The Danes used a slightly different nomenclature with F-35 representing the attack version, RF-35 the reconnaissance version, and TF-35 the training version. Denmark initially ordered 20 F-35, 20 RF-35, and 6 TF-35 Drakens, with another five additional TF-35 Drakens pieced together after the Draken production line had shut down and switched to Viggen production. The Danish Draken had a 40% increase in internal fuel capacity and had its fuselage and wings beefed up to allow a maximum of 10,000 pounds of ordinance to be carried on nine beefed-up pylons. Externally, the Danish Drakens can be spotted by the larger ordinance pylons and an arrester hook. The Draken had always been designed… more |
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Cross & Cockade International Winter 2016 Volume 47/4Published:
The latest journal of Cross & Cockade International - Winter 2016, features a tinted photograph of a winter scene with FK3 B9547 and other machines of 15 TS at Spittlegate. The rear cover features color profiles by Arvo@arvoart.com of four 45 Squadron Camels. If you check out the web site link above, you can get additional sample pics of the current issue. Cross & Cockade International is a non-profit UK based group known as the First World War Aviation Historical Society that publishes their journal four times a year. They also provide a free newsletter (sign up on their website) and occasionally publish WWI themed books like the Sopwith Dolphin monograph I reviewed earlier for IPMS USA. This Journal is the sister of the… more |
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M10 Tank Destroyer in ActionPublished:
David Doyle’s latest book continues to expand on Squadron Signal’s long standing In Action series that initiated back in 1971. This is a considerable expansion over Squadron’s Armor In Action number 36 that covered US Tank Destroyers (M3, M6, M10, M36, and M18 Hellcat). This edition focuses on the M10 and adds considerably to the material provided in that edition. After many years of being published in enthusiast publications focused on military vehicle restorations, David Doyle ‘graduated’ to full-fledged books in 2003. His first book was a hefty 512 page history of US military vehicles. He has now had more than 100 books published in military vehicles, aviation and naval topics. David and his wife Denise have amassed a collection of ten Vietnam era military vehicles that they… more |
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MiG-15 Air IntakePublished:
Aires Quickboost has released a replacement for the Eduard series of 1/72 MiG-15 kits that replaces the kit air intake with a resin air intake. There are no instructions but this is a replacement for the kit part. Quickboost has molded the air intake in light tan resin with no apparent bubbles. The Quickboost air intake is supplied on its own resin sprue with a thin resin attachment to the air intake. On my example there is some excess resin on the indents where the intake splitter fits that will have to be removed for the splitter to fit properly. Although most paints will adhere to resin alone, I would recommend that you wash this part to remove any remaining mold release and prime it first. This part will need to be installed with your favorite CA (super glue) or… more |
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L-29 Canopy RailPublished:
Aires Quickboost has released an easy replacement for the AMK 1/48 Aero L-29 Delfin that enhances the canopy rail. There are no instructions but it is a simple replacement for the kit part. If you have the older Planet Models 12448 resin model kit of the Aero L-29 Delfin, this set will probably work on it as well, although I do not have that kit to test fit. Quickboost has molded the canopy rail perfectly in light tan resin with no apparent bubbles. The Quickboost canopy rail is supplied on one resin sprue with a thin resin attachment to the part that will minimize any cleanup. Although most paints will adhere to resin alone, I would recommend that you wash this part to remove any remaining mold release and prime it first. This part will need to be installed with your… more |