Gino Dykstra
Reviews By Author
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Chernobyl #5: EvacuationPublished:
ICM continues with its fascinating series of Chernobyl “instant dioramas” with the latest being a scene depicting the evacuation of civilians from the threatened region around the power plant disaster. In this case, five figures are provided, along with an apartment balcony, a small pot and a printed background to bring it all together. The figures include one older gentleman, a young man and woman, and a somewhat matronly mother with young daughter. All are excellently sculpted and show lots of individual character along with natural poses. If there is any objection to the sculpting, it’s that none of the figures display the level of abject terror that I, personally, would be undergoing if such a thing were happening to me. In fact, all of the poses appear to be relatively… more |
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WW1 Belgian InfantryPublished:
ICM has finally filled a big gap in their ongoing World War 1 Infantry series by releasing a set of early-war Belgian Infantry. Unlike most of the previous sets which displayed figures advancing toward an unseen enemy, this set displays Belgian infantry in what must be the most iconic fashion for the period depicted – fighting from a defensive position. The set includes three infantry figures in the traditional shakos, all crouching or kneeling, two actively firing their rifles and one cocking or reloading his weapon. It also includes an officer figure armed with sword and pistol. The set includes two sprues of equipment suitable for Belgian infantry from 1914 all the way to 1918, when they wore khaki uniforms with helmets. Speaking of equipment, the average modeler… more |
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Factory GatePublished:
With the loss of the famous Verlinden line of diorama accessories, other small manufacturers have been stepping in to fill the void. Danger Close Dioramics is one such company, with a line of nineteen products as of the time of this writing. Their “factory gate” accessory is one such product, consisting of six dark grey, non-porous resin pieces which, when assembled, make a diorama backdrop piece about ten inches in length. Like another item from this company that I’ve examined, this one is also entirely composed of open-face mold castings, meaning that the backside of each piece varies quite a bit in quality – everything from slight underfills (with resin cupping along the edges) to some overfill issues, which necessitate quite a bit of grinding down. I found a Dremel with a… more |
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Budda TemplePublished:
Danger Close Dioramics is a relative newcomer to the area of diorama accessories, but they seem to be expanding their offerings at a good pace. The subject of this review in their Buddha Temple in 1/53th, which features a statue, base with steps, background wall and 1 side wall. DCD also includes several strips of bamboo-like plastic that can be used to enhance the scene if one wishes. All resin parts are molded in a fairly dark gray ono-porous material which, although not bubble-free, is still relatively clean. All items in this set were clearly cast from open-face molds, so that back sides are not particularly pristine, with some overfill as well as some underfill with a certain amount of resin “cupping” along the edges. This does mean, however, that there are no casting… more |
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WWII RAF CadetsPublished:
ICM continues with its growing tradition of providing suitable pilots for its newest 1/32nd releases, in this case the Tiger Moth training aircraft. Like most ICM figure sets, this one is comprised of four figures – three RAF cadets and an officer/trainer. One cadet is trying on a parachute harness while his classmates look on. This is a very simple set of figures to assemble, as there is only one piece of equipment between the four of them – the parachute harness. As is typical of ICM, there are some subtle differences between the box art and the included figures. The only one that actually surprised me was that the officer on the box art is depicted holding a pipe, whereas the figure enclosed is not. His arm is in the same position, but no pipe, which makes for a slightly… more |
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Eastern Front Volume 1 (Camouflage and Decals)Published:
Talk about a modeler’s reference. This slim, 40-page volume consists of little more than profiles of vehicles used on the Eastern Front during World War 2. What writing there is (in both Polish and English) is used mainly to provide a little information on the vehicles shown. A decal sheet – not surprisingly heavy on the Polish markings - is also included to make it easier to duplicate a number of the vehicles shown. For the modeler, this is a straight-forward, no-nonsense guide to equipment of all the major belligerents involved in this particular historic unpleasantness. The profiles are quite well done and offer a range of subjects and markings. Both Germans and Soviets are adequately covered, and there are even a few lend-lease pieces on the Soviet side. Although… more |
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CR. 42AS WWII Italian Fighter-BomberPublished:
I’ll admit it – I’m totally hooked on ICM’s line of 32nd scale aircraft. In just the last couple of years they’ve managed to produce exceptional models of some of my dream kits – aircraft I’ve always loved and wished they were made in my favorite scale. ICM has released yet another version of one of these dream models – the ground attack version of the incredibly elegant CR. 42 Falco. This kit comes with a few options, including regular and desert air filters, open and shut engine flaps, bomb racks and three decal selections. Assembly begins with the interior, which does a faithful job of replicating the delicate framework of the original. The control panels all feature decal dials (which simplifies the painting immensely) and the only thing missing is the… more |
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The Danish Army of the Napoleonic Wars 1801-1814 Volume 2: Cavalry and ArtilleryPublished:
As a figure modeler for roughly half a century, I’d like to think I know a wee bit about the Napoleonic Wars. And yet, up until recently I really had no idea that the Danes were much involved in that series of scuffles until I sat down with this little volume. Although the author David Wilson doesn’t dwell a great deal on Denmark’s direct involvement, apparently Denmark joined sides with Napoleon when the British attacked the Danish fleet in Copenhagen’s harbor in 1801 and then the city itself in 1807. Napoleon’s eventual defeat also led to the disintegration of the Denmark-Norwegian union and the end to almost a century of peace in the region. What Mr. Wilson does provide, however, is a detailed look at Danish regimental histories and equipment, along with generous full-page… more |
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Ju EF-126/Ju EF-127 German Experimental Fighter PlanePublished:
Toward the end of World War 2, the Germans were coming up with more and more desperate attempts to halt the U.S. and British aerial juggernaut that was daily pummeling their cities and the remnants of their industrial capacity. Cheap, easily assembled point defense weapons became the order of the day, resulting in such oddities as the Me163 Komet rocket fighter and the He162 Salamander, both of which were as much a threat to their pilots as to any Allied airmen. The Junkers EF-126 and its rocket-powered alternative, the EF-127, were supposed to be the logical descendants of the Komet, and although none were built by German industry, the Soviets made prototypes of both aircraft after the war. Apparently the sole unpowered version of the craft crashed on its maiden flight. I couldn’t… more |
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CR.42 LW with German PilotsPublished:
ICM has lately really gotten into making combo kits, and this one, which combines their excellent CR. 42 Night Raider with their equally excellent German pilots set, is one of the latest. I will review each item separately, so let’s start with the airplane. As most of you already know, the Italian CR. 42 biplane was perhaps one of the most elegant aircraft of its day. Late in the war, however, its obsolescence as a front-line fighter was painfully obvious, and both the Italians and Germans saw its potential as a night intruder for harassing the enemy under conditions where it was unlikely to encounter much, if any, aerial resistance. This involved some modifications, such as adding bomb racks, extending the engine exhausts and cutting down the landing gear spats to deal with… more |