Gino Dykstra
Reviews By Author
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The Crew of “Stugna-P” Anti-Tank ComplexPublished: May 31, 2023 Listed as the first in their “Brave Ukraine” series, this is a small diorama set with four figures servicing an indigenous Stugna-P antitank missile system. The Stugna-P is essentially the equivalent of the U.S. TOW missile system and was developed around 2010 and is effective against most forms of armor (including reactive) up to about 160 feet. It can fire two different calibers of missile… more |
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Yak-9K WWII Soviet FighterPublished: April 17, 2023 The Yak-9 was a development of the successful Yak-7, which was itself a development of an advanced trainer in use by the Soviet Air Force. Fast and robust, it came into fighter regiments on the Eastern Front in late 1942 and directly challenged the best the Luftwaffe was able to throw at them, although it suffered at first due to poor training. The Yak9K was certainly the most heavily… more |
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P-40E Quick Set 3D Acrylic Instrument PanelsPublished: February 23, 2023 I don’t think I’m alone in the feeling that when building an airplane kit, the most challenging aspect (at least in terms of painting) is inevitably the cockpit. And within the cockpit, the most challenging aspect is almost always the instrument panels. Over the years I’ve developed a pretty steady hand at this kind of work, but that doesn’t mean I actually enjoy it. It’s usually with a sigh… more |
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Hawker HunterPublished: January 12, 2023 It’s always been my opinion that the well-known and well-liked Hawker Hunter is one of the most elegant jet aircraft to ever take to the skies. I’ve built dozens of models of this lovely aircraft over the years, from the 1/72nd scale offering by Airfix when I was a kid up to several iterations of the impressive 1/32nd scale Revell offering. There’s just no beating that look! Tony… more |
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Victory: 100-Gun First Rate 1765Published: January 12, 2023 If you’re even just a passing fan of classic sailing ships, you should be familiar with the unforgettable H.M.S. Victory, the famous ship-of-the-line that Lord Nelson commanded at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. More readily recognizable by the novice than even the U.S.S. Constitution, this ship has been a subject for virtually every major model maker in the last century, manufactured in… more |
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Laffley V15T with Hotchkiss Machine GunPublished: December 15, 2022 In my last review concerning this interesting French vehicle, I described how the prototype was developed in 1938 with some of the most advanced mechanical technology of the day. The distinctive look of the machine is based on a double set of “bumper” wheels placed both in the center and the front of the chassis, designed to make the vehicle far more capable in an off-road capacity. Overall,… more |
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WW1 Italian Infantry in ArmorPublished: December 11, 2022 During the bloodbath that was World War 1, several nations took a shot at providing additional armor protection to at least some of their troops, with quite a range of results. Often the armor was simply too awkward and bulky (think America’s Brewster armor) or too thin to afford any real protection or simply too expensive. Perhaps the Italians were most interested in such protection, as their… more |
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Westland Whirlwind F Mk.1 Landing Gear (SH)Published: December 3, 2022 Scale Aircraft Conversions has made a name for itself by providing metal replacements for some of the more fragile parts of aircraft models in a range of scales, these mostly being landing gear and other assorted paraphernalia. This set is no exception, offering direct replacement parts for both the elaborate main gear and tail gear. Made in the usual cleanly cast white metal, this set… more |
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P-40E/F/M/N War Hawk Landing GearPublished: December 3, 2022 Scale Aircraft Conversions continues to carve its own particular niche in the modeling market by providing metal replacements for some of the more fragile parts of aircraft models in a range of scales, these mostly being landing gear and other assorted paraphernalia. This set is no exception, offering direct replacement parts for both the main and tail landing gear, as well as the aerial mast… more |
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Gloster Gladiator J-8 L.G & W. StrutsPublished: December 3, 2022 Scale Aircraft Conversions has made a name for itself by providing metal replacements for some of the more fragile parts of aircraft models in a range of scales, these mostly being landing gear and other assorted paraphernalia. This set is no exception, offering direct replacement parts for both the main and tail landing gear, as well as all struts between the wings. All parts are suitable for… more |