Frank Landrus
Reviews By Author
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AH-1Z TurretPublished:
Floyd Werner has come to the rescue with a correction to the Kitty Hawk 1/48 AH-1Z Viper kit by issuing a resin bottom-less turret assembly. Floyd Werner provides great instructions showing exactly what to modify on the kit along with color photos of the turret assembly being installed in an AH-1Z. A re-sealable zip lock bag holds the part and the instructions. This part can also be used in any AH-1J, AH-1T, or AH-1W kit as well since many Cobras have been retrofitted with this turret assembly. Werner’s Wings turret assembly is designed to be used with the Kitty Hawk barrel assembly, but can also be used with the Master AM48056 turned metal barrels with minor modification. Werner’s Wings has molded the turret assembly perfectly in dark grey resin with no apparent bubbles. The… more |
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AH-1 / UH-1 External Aux TankPublished:
The latest from Werner’s Wings provides an external auxiliary fuel tank for any 1/48 USMC AH-1W, AH-1Z, UH-1N, or UH-1Y kit. Floyd Werner provides great instructions showing exactly how to assemble the three parts along with color photos of various options for installation. A re-sealable zip lock bag holds the parts and the instructions. Werner’s Wings has molded the external auxiliary fuel tank in grey resin with only a few minor bubbles. According to his website, the external auxiliary fuel tank is designed to be supplied on a resin sprue, but the kit as received has had the sprue already removed from the tank. The two other parts are supplied on a short resin sprue and will need to be detached with a photo-etch razor saw. I used a #73 drill bit to open up the mounting holes… more |
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Fw 190A Control SurfacesPublished:
Aires has come out with a nice upgrade for the Eduard Fw 190A series of kits with their horizontal control surfaces set. The Aires parts allow you to alter the position of the elevators and provide improved stabilizer to elevator detail. There are no supplied instructions; you simply swap out the kit provided plastic parts with the new Aires replacements. I’ve included photos of both the Eduard and the Aires horizontal surfaces inserted in the Eduard fuselage. The gap on the bottom view is artificial as both the Eduard and the Aires parts are leaning up. Aires has molded the stabilizer and elevator perfectly in light grey resin with no apparent bubbles. The Aires stabilizer and elevator are supplied on a single resin sprue with thin resin attachments to the parts that should… more |
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Douglas F3D-2 Skynight Landing GearPublished:
Scale Aircraft Conversions has released replacement landing gear for the Czech Model 4814 / Encore EC48004 Douglas F3D-2 Skynight. The 17 parts supplied include the nose gear bay, nose gear, main gear, and additional retraction arms and braces. One of Ross MacMillan’s passions is the Douglas Skynight, and he spent several hours taking photos underneath one to get this set right. A side by side evaluation of all the SAC parts shows the initial similarity with the kit parts. The nose gear bay, in addition to helping keep the Skynight on its nose gear, has been modified by including mounting points for the nose gear strut and the nose gear retraction arm. The nose gear torque link, missing in the kit, has been provided. The nose gear strut has been lengthened. The nose gear… more |
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2F.1 Ship's CamelPublished:
Colin Owers has generated a new look at the Sopwith 2F.1 Ship’s Camel. Jack Bruce’s Datafile number 6 was issued in 1987 and has been long out of print, so it is about time that Albatros revisited Sopwith’s shipboard Camel. The cover features a Paul Monteagle painting of Sopwith 2F.1 N6602 flying over HMS Furious during take-off and landing trials in April 1918. Ronny Bar contributes seven large color side profiles, including N6818, an eye-catching red and white sun-burst paint job as flown by Major W.G. Moore. I counted 64 black and white photos and three tables. Mick Davis grabs the pullout centerfold with 1/48 general arrangement line drawings of the Sopwith 2F.1 Camel. For those of you that still dabble in that odd 1/72 scale, Mick Davis also provides you the same drawings… more |
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Lavochkin La-5 ExhaustsPublished:
Quickboost provides you with one set of Lavochkin La-5 exhausts. Of note is the re-sealable packaging that Quickboost uses that makes the parts easy to review and then stuff back into the package securely. There are no supplied instructions; you simply swap out the kit provided plastic parts with the new Quickboost replacements. These Quickboost parts are specific replacements for the kit parts found in the Zvezda 4803 kit and Eduard’s re-issue as a limited edition kit (1148). Quickboost has molded the exhausts perfectly in light grey resin with no apparent bubbles. The Quickboost exhausts provide you with only minimal mold seams to sand off along with a hollowed out exhaust. Be very careful removing the parts from the resin block. I used a photo-etched saw along with a couple… more |
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AH-1Z Linkless Ammo BoxPublished:
Floyd Werner has come to the rescue with a correction to the Kitty Hawk 1/48 AH-1Z Viper kit by issuing a resin linkless ammo box for the right (starboard) side. Now, this is not an absolute must have, as you can always leave the ammo door closed, but it is necessary if you are going to open the door. Floyd Werner provides great instructions showing exactly what to modify on the kit along with color photos of the linkless ammo box being installed in an AH-1Z. A re-sealable zip lock bag holds the part and the instructions. This part can also be used in any AH-1W kit as well since many AH-1Ws have been retrofitted with the linkless ammo box. If you happen to have the Italeri 1/48 AH-1Z, the linkless ammo box can also be used there, but the Italeri kit does not have an ammo bay so you… more |
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Soviet Pilot - The Cold War PeriodPublished:
A perfect addition to your diorama or display base is this Aires Aerobonus figure. This Soviet Pilot figure is designed to be used with any Cold War aircraft (La-9, La-11, La-15, La-250, Yak-15, Yak-23, MiG-9, MiG-15, MiG-17, MiG-19, MiG-21, Su-7, Su-9, Su-11, Su-13, etc.). Aires Aerobonus provides you with a resin figure with separate arms and head on one pour stub with side bars to protect the figure. Of note is the re-sealable packaging that Quickboost uses that makes the parts easy to review and then stuff back into the package securely. The supplied instructions provide color drawings for painting. Aires Aerobonus has molded the figure in light grey resin with no bubbles that I could find. The mold seams clean up easily and the resin plug is easily removed from the shoes… more |
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German and Austro-Hungarian Fighter Pilot WWI 1914-1918Published:
A perfect addition to your diorama or display base is this Aires Aerobonus figure. This German or Austro-Hungarian Pilot figure is designed to be used with any German or Austro-Hungarian WWI aircraft (Albatros D.III / D.V, Berg D.I / D.II, Fokker E.III / E.IV, E.V, D.VII, Oeffag D.III, Pfalz D.III, D.XII, Phonix D.I / D.II / D.III, Siemens-Schuckert D.III / D.IV, etc.) Aires Aerobonus provides you with a resin figure with side bars to protect the figure. Of note is the re-sealable packaging that Quickboost uses that makes the parts easy to review and then stuff back into the package securely. The supplied instructions provide color drawings for painting. Aires Aerobonus has molded the figure in light grey resin with no bubbles that I could find. The mold seams clean up easily… more |
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263 Squadron: Gladiators Over the FjordsPublished:
Scotland native Alex Crawford is back for his sixth book with Mushroom Model Publications and his third on the Gloster Gladiator. This book is an operational review of the squadron’s two disastrous visits to Norway. The first trip ended with the destruction of all of 263 Squadron’s Gladiators after two days of heavy fighting. The squadron was evacuated and re-equipped with more Gladiators and made a return trip to Norway. Improved organization allowed 263 Squadron to perform better for three weeks of fighting before they were once again evacuated. The remaining ten Gladiators were flown on board HMS Glorious for the return to the UK. Disaster struck the next day when during HMS Glorious was attacked and sunk by the German battle crusiers, Gneisenau and Scharnhorst, with the loss of all… more |