Gino Dykstra
Reviews By Author
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Sd. Kfz. 182 King Tiger (Porsche Turret) Interior SetPublished:
My, but when it rains it really pours, doesn’t it? After years of comparatively limited (and sometimes pretty iffy) kits of the impressive King Tiger, we now have numerous companies falling all over themselves to provide THE definitive version of this classic monster. Meng, a relative newcomer to the modeling community, has chimed in with their own contribution – one which offers a lovely Porche-turreted vehicle in classic 1/35th scale, but also a separate kit of the full interior as well as a decal set for the zimmerit. Because of the nature of the build, the interior kit and the basic kit are unavoidably interlinked, as you will have to bounce back and forth between the two a fair bit during construction. As I intend to write separate reviews for these two items,… more |
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Sd.Kfz.182 King Tiger (Porsche Turret) Zimmerit Decal SheetPublished:
Meng has done something comparatively new to accompany their outstanding Porsche-turreted King Tiger model in 1/35th scale, offering a separately-available decal sheet for the zimmerit coating found on so many of these monsters at this stage of the Second World War. The decal sheet is certainly comprehensive – providing 3-dimensionally printed decals for literally every surface that might have had this coating on the real beast. All parts show a remarkable fidelity to the surface they’re supposed to cover and have virtually no film to interfere with the edges. On complicated areas, such as the rear of the hull and turret, multiple decals simplify getting around surface detail. All tool attachment points and other such extrusions are also left free of film to… more |
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King Tiger (Porsche Turret)Published:
My, but when it rains it really pours, doesn’t it? After years of comparatively limited (and sometimes pretty iffy) kits of the impressive King Tiger, we now have numerous companies falling all over themselves to provide THE definitive version of this classic monster. Meng, a relative newcomer to the modeling community, has chimed in with their own contribution – one which offers a lovely Porche-turreted vehicle in classic 1/35th scale, but also a separate kit of the full interior as well as a decal set for the zimmerit. As a limited edition, this offering not only includes a metal barrel, photoetch parts, and various other non-styrene bits but a military map from the Battle of Caen, drawn in 1944. The latter might make a nice poster for your modeling area wall if… more |
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German 30mm Autocannon Mk 103Published:
I’m not sure I need to discuss the utility of having a really good rendition of the German Mk 103 cannon available in this scale. It was used on a number of aircraft - slung under the wings of tank-destroying Fw190s and Hs129s, mounted in the Do335 and the Horton Flying Wing, and even used in a fair number of ground mounts. This 30mm weapon was not to be trifled with. It is, however, a fairly difficult shape to successfully mold using the standard styrene molding processes. Master from Poland has come to the rescue with a lovely little kit from their Air Master series. The kit supplies two complete barrel assemblies, including the barrels and adapters in brass and two variants of the complex gun muzzles in resin. As can be seen, assembly is very straight-forward and the… more |
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A6M5c Zero Type 52 Gun BarrelsPublished:
I love a quick fix. Lord knows there are plenty of labor-intensive so-called “fixes” out there in the modeling market (some photoetch sets spring immediately to mind). Quickboost, at least in this lovely little detail set, does all the heavy lifting for the modeler. If you have the old Hasegawa 1/32nd scale Zero, the limitations of the molding process definitely shortchange the weapon systems of this classic craft – no fault of the manufacturer. Quickboost offers this simple, beautifully crafted set to bring this older model into the 21st Century. It also offers a similar set (QB 32 153) for the newer Tamiya offering. Comprising five gun barrels – three machine gun caliber Type 3 and two 20mm Type 99-II cannon – this set is a direct replacement for the kit… more |
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Instrument of War: The German Army 1914-18Published:
There’s a sort of strange fascination within modeling circles for World War 1, which is hardly surprising. Taking place a hundred years ago now, it was a transitional period for the world at large on a number of levels – monarchies and ancient empires were crumbling, most of Europe was evolving sluggishly from a agricultural to an industrial base, and militarily, generals were still fighting 18th century wars with 20th century weapons. Dennis Showalter delves into one major aspect of this war with intense academic furvor – the actions of the German high command and the ways and means of their decisions that hammered a generation of Germans and paved the way for the following war with a certain grim inevitability. If you’re looking for a light skimming over the topic of the… more |
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US Airborne Soldier versus German SoldierPublished:
During the earlier stages of WW2, the German military demonstrated a new approach to warfare never really encountered before – the airborne assault force. In hotly contested battles in places such as Norway, Denmark and Belgium, they proved the effectiveness of a shock force that could appear virtually anywhere at virtually any time. It wasn’t that long before the Allies took note and created their own versions of this elite force. Two units in the United States – the 82nd and 101st became the first large-scale units to develop the tactics and weapons necessary to serve as effective combat units in areas where they were likely to be surrounded and outnumbered by the enemy with little chance of immediate reinforcement. David Campbell walks us through three of the major… more |
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Gebirgsjager versus Soviet Sailor: Arctic Circle 1942-44Published:
The grim conflicts that occurred along the edge of the Arctic Circle during World War Two are perhaps one of the least-publicized theaters in that sad war. It’s a fact that for someone like me who THINKS he knows history fairly well, virtually everything in this book by Osprey Publishing came as a surprise. Who knew that such struggles were suffered in this treeless, roadless, virtually empty region along the northern edges of Lapland, Finland and Norway? Of course the protagonists are fairly well known – the German Mountain Troops with their famous “Eidelweiss” badge, and the Soviet Naval Troops – the “Black Death” as they were sometimes called by their enemies. However, I for one did not know that they were directly involved in a number of obscure battles in even more obscure… more |
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Tanks of the USSR 1917-1945Published:
I’ve always been a major fan of Russian armor, and have built an embarrassing number of Russian armor kits over the years. Don’t ask me why. In any case, information for some of the interesting designs the Soviets have come up with over the years can sometimes be a bit sparse on the ground. Research being the vital aspect of modeling that it is, anything new in the field is always welcome. Pen-and-Sword out of England now offers a lovely resource in their Fact Files series called “Tanks of the USSR 1917-1945” which covers the raw beginnings of the Russian armored forces to the stage where it becomes a force to be reckoned with on the world stage. This book covers everything from the first FT-17 based copies all the way through the heaviest, most formidable tank the world had… more |
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Water Pump SetPublished:
I must confess a high level of personal modeling interest in well-made accessory sets like this. As a lover of all things dioramic, I am always on the lookout for fiddly bits that will add that extra level of interest to a scenario in the making. This set is just such an example. MiniArt continues to provide us with set after set of delightful, well made bits, and this one offers some really useful items. There seems to be a movement these days to not considering your Tiger or Panther tank really complete without a bucket hanging off the rear end, and this kit comes with no less than eight (plus three pails) of the finest buckets I’ve literally ever seen in this scale. Coming in two styles – three, if you count the pails, they feature such details as weld seams and fine stamped… more |