Gino Dykstra
Reviews By Author
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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 |
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Ancient Greek MedusaPublished:
MasterBox continues to floor me with their bold choices of modeling subjects (especially figures) and this one is no exception. First of a series of figures based on classic Greek mythology, the Medusa here is created in 1/24th(75mm) scale and is a relatively easy build of a truly legendary icon. Typical of MasterBox figures, there are some discrepancies between the illustration and the sculpture. Unlike most figure manufacturers, MasterBox creates a new figure by first eliciting an illustration. Then the sculptors work on the finished item using the illustration as a guide. In this case, the illustrator created a Medusa that looks something like a sorority girl with a skin condition and a bad hair day. The sculpture, if anything, is actually better, as the features are far… more |
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Brewster Buffalo FlapsPublished:
Anybody who knows me and my modeling preferences know that I am NOT a fan of photo-etch for photo-etch’s sake. Too many model companies have begun including photoetch sheets in their products not because they actually enhance the accuracy and scale of the model, but because it gives them an excuse to jack the price up. This does not make me their friend. That being said, there are times when nothing but photoetch will do the job. In this case, Brengun has offered a set to model separate landing flaps for the 1/32nd Special Hobby Brewster Buffalo, and what a lovely little accessory kit this is! The parts come on two separate sheets – one for each wing – and feature not only the flap itself but the interior of the upper wing. They also include a somewhat cryptic… more |
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Soviet Midget Submarine Triton-1MPublished:
Mikro-Mir is one of the Ukraine’s smaller model manufacturers, specializing in submarines and odd-off aircraft in various scales. As a limited-run company, their models require a certain amount of TLC to achieve optimal results, but their kit selection holds so many strange and otherwise never-modeled items that they’re definitely worth a look. The Soviet-era Triton-1M is one such unique kit. Looking very much like something out of a James Bond movie, The Soviet Triton-1M, developed in the 1960’s, was a two-man midget submarine intended to be deployed off surface warships for covert reconnaissance missions and sabotage. According to official documents, only 32 were made and they have now been largely decommissioned. It had a “wet” cockpit (non-pressurized) and the crew wore… more |
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Don’t Even Think About . . .Published:
No one can slight Master Box Models for a lack of both imagination and daring. Their figures have set the bar for the entire injection molding industry in terms of concepts and boldness, and this new addition to their 1/24th scale stable is no exception. Set in a sort of “Star Wars” cantina, this is the first of an eight-figure set which includes saucy ladies, robots, strange elfin characters and burly mercenaries. The first in a series entitled “At the Edge of the Universe. Strange Company’s adventures. Episode 1. The first meeting,” shows a level of ambition I’ve rarely seen in plastic. Theoretically, this is supposed to eventually include not only the original eight figures meeting for the first time in this cantina setting, but further figures in the line showing… more |
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Finnish Army K9FIN "Moukari"Published:
I didn’t know this when I started working on this review model, but the K9 is NOT an indigenous design from Finland, but is a South Korean design intended to replace their aging M109 self-propelled howitzers. Finland has a long history of buying military equipment from abroad and making it their own, and this is a good example. First operational in South Korea in 1999, it was picked up by Finland shortly thereafter. Capable of hurling a 155mm shell some 50+ miles, it certainly has proven to be an upgrade from Finland’s older SP artillery types. Academy’s release of this kit came as something of a surprise to this reviewer. What – no photoetch? No clear plastic vision blocks? No resin upgrades – not even individual track links? What Academy offers here is a sort of “classic”… more |